赤の六月 The Glimmer of A Dream

Leaving London, the Olympic torch arrives in Paris. The flame of glory will spread peace and harmony across the world; however, there are some evil forces that break this harmony. As the flame departed from the Eiffel Tower and crisscross Paris, it was disrupted several times and police made more than two dozen arrests. Some demonstrators threw themselves at the torch, and at least one tried to snatch it away. Another tried to put out the flame with a fire extinguisher. In London on Sunday, the Olympic torch was also met with widespread protests about our China’s human rights record and the recent clampdown on Tibet. Nowadays, many westerners engage in boycotting the 2008 Olympics for the sake of Tibetan and Sudan issues. They criticize our China and produced distorted reports about the March riots in Lhasa. I am extremely irritated by their ignorance and malice. Biased reporting is usually the outcome of ignorance. The simple way to get the truth is by visiting Tibet, talking to local people and listening to what they have to say. I do agree the condemnation that it is an attempt to sabotage our China as well as the Olympic spirit. Olympic Games has nothing to do with politics, it is just a grand party for the high- profile athletes and for all the people of different nations, races and religions. However, there are some people taking this chance to fulfill their political purpose. Western leaders have called on our China to provide civil rights and freedoms to those in Tibet and to enter peaceful discussions aimed at resolving the crisis. Let us seek facts from fictions, as a Chinese, I do think I have the human right to live a happy life, and we enjoy the freedom of religion, of expression, of assembly and possess the equal right under the law. How can those people criticize our human right issues without basing on the facts? When it comes to the Tibetan crackdown, things become more clearly. Tibet is one part of our China, and the same is true with Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. We will not allow anyone to break it apart. The Tibetan people actively participate in state and local affairs, and they have democratic freedoms and self-rule in Tibet. At the same time, Tibetan culture has thrived. We respect Tibetans and love them but not the mob that cause violent riot and kill innocent citizens. The purpose of Dalai Lama is to mislead the world to distort China and to build his own kingdom apart from China. What he thirst for is not democracy but an independent country under his rule. How would your government respond when its people are suffering from killings, beatings, lootings and arson as what took place in Lhasa? Will you look on with folded arms when somebody wants to take one of the state or city apart of your country as an independent kingdom? That is the question to those radical westerners.

Acces:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/04/07/oly.torchrelay/index.html#cnnSTCText

216 meters, what a towering height! The height of the world’s highest bungee jump has startled me. It gives me the shivers even to think of it. Its location, the Bloukran River Bridge, is in the heart of south Africa’s beautiful Garden route. The distance away from the metropolis can not stop the bungee-lover from conquering the crown jewel of their adventurous junkie life. Looking down from the bridge is always an adrenalin rush, however, you conquer all your biggest fear and take the ultimate leap of faith off the Bloukran River Bridge, and you are stuck in temporary limbo but rise again.

Bungee jumping might seem frightening. But it is a very safe activity if you go to a well-established bungee jump company. People who work for bungee operators usually have a great deal of training and experience. Be cautious and make sure that every protection equipments are in order, and then jump off, you may have a brand-new version of life.

We all want to make a difference and we all want to overcome the biggest fear, ourselves. Bungee Jumping would be a force for good. It would be an inspiration for people of all walks.

I’ve always learnt in life that you become stronger by overcoming your fears. Do what you fear most and you overcome fear. Challenge yourself and you become stronger. Now I believe there is an opportunity to do a lot of good with this extreme sport. You stretches the limits of life, and the feeling of the build-up, the freefall, the numbness, the ground rush, the horror and the joy is unlike any humans were ever meant to experience in life. I hope that I can take my courage and have a try in my lifetime. That would be an exciting and precious experience.

Access: http://www.faceadrenalin.com/

Do you have courage to pursue your dream? If you doubt your abilities, perhaps you can take inspiration from the story of an old man named Heinz Stücke, the Guinness Book of Records holder, who has traveled the globe by bicycle for 40 years. His ultimate biking tour began in 1962,he released his kick stand and set forth from his home of Hovelhof, Germany. Heinz Stucke has circled the globe ten times or more, his personal record was 300 kilometers in 12 hours while crossing the Syrian desert with a tailwind.

It is really a hard way. Along the way, he’s been shot at, robbed, arrested, and celebrated, embraced and admired in every corner of the planet. But Stucke rarely sticks around for the accolades. “No matter how bad things get,” he says, “you just have to continue up the road, where everything is different. That’s what I like most. It’s the unknown around the corner that turns my wheel.” Stucke believes that every human endeavor is irrelevant in some ways. It’s up to each individual to achieve their own objectives.

 The Bikeman just keeps rolling, like a migratory bird chasing the sunshine; like a timeless wanderer seeking everlasting freedom. Wealth I ask not, all I ask, the heaven above ,and the road below…

Heinz Stücke can fulfill his dream on bicycle, why can’t we? He can create his epic Journeys, Why can’t we? The world is before us; strong and content we travel the open road. The earth, that is sufficient.

 ”Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road，
     Healthy, free, the world before me，
       The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.
         Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune，
           Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing. ”
                                                                                      — Walt Whitman
                                                                                  Song of the Open Road

Accessed: http://www.gluckman.com/Bikeman.html

This is a piece of science news about how running made us human. Humans evolved from ape-like ancestors because they needed to run long distances – perhaps to hunt animals, and the ability to run shaped our anatomy, making us look like we do today. However, when it comes to endurance running, I would like to say that I’m not fit  in this event despite  so many benefit we can derive from.

Long-distance running, a kind of challenging sports event, has always been my nightmare. My fear of  long-distance running dates back to when I was in middle school. In our PE class, the teacher told us that we needed to run 800m within 5minutes in oder to pass the exam. OMG!! I had never never run that far before. I had no choice but to run. Anyway, I tried my best. Our racetrack was 200 metres at one time, and after I had run one lap, I felt exhausted. I had to slow my pace but itt didn’t make me feel any better. I could not control my breath and inhaled hard. After I had run the second lap, I had no more strength. So for the next two laps I had almost walked all the way. It is obviously that I did not pass the exam and was the last one to come to the end line. The first long-distance  running experience  made me feel terrible. However, to make things even worse, I was tortured by the same nightmare once again when I entered BSU.  Which made it difference was that I passed the exam with courage and day-by-day practice. Now, Long-distance running is still a nightmare to me. If it is not necessary, I won’t try it any more.
Frankly speaking, I do admire those athletes who choose Long-distance running as thier sports career. I’m wondering that is there any difficulty the  long-distance runners can’t overcome? They possess the willpower and endurance that our ordinary persons lack. They keep on running and running in order to reach thier goals. They set thier own tempo in the race as well as in life.  They can be the real-life model for us to follow, with the qualites they own we can be airborne through the cloud and realize our dreams and never be afraid.
Keep on running forward, never lose your faith~

Access: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041123163757.htm

Recently, I’ve read an article British Sports History: The Present and the Future. As a student major in sports English, I feel that to learn a culture or a society through its sports is a good way.

Everyone will have their own definitions about what sport means to them. Camaraderie, excitement, and competition, those are the words which closely associate with sport. However, no one can deny the contribution of sport to growing up. We have valued learning how to handle adversity and loss; how to accept embarrassing failure. “The truth is that in life, you win some, and you lose some. Growing up means learning how to handle both with grace.” That is what Scott Johnson remarked when he looks back his good old days in varsity. The strength of sport is not only shown on individuals but also on culture and society. As the kingdom of sports creation, Britain has an astounding range of sports and a rich sports history. Therefore, it is worthwhile for us to study the topic of British sports.

Britain has a long history of sports, having figured prominently in their world-wide development. Many sports - for example football, golf, rugby, lawn tennis, horse racing and cricket - originated or were first popularized in Britain. About 29 million people over the age of 16 in Britain regularly take part in sport or exercise. Major British sporting events include the Football Association Cup Final, the Wimbledon tennis tournament, the Open Golf championship and the Grand National (horse racing), the Six Nations (England, Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland, France and Italy) rugby union tournament, and the Rugby World Cup.

It is not until after the Norman conquest of 1066 that we have regular, written records of sporting activity in Britain. Historians in Britain have shown clearly that sport was an active agent of British society and cultural life. Sports have made a special contribution to the study of social identities. Going back many years, opportunities for sport in Britain were prominent in the upper-class. In the 19th century, team sports such as cricket was a kind of “snob” game played by boys in the elite public schools and universities. Through sport, we can grasp what people belonged to and understand their social status in Britain. One of the leading UK political historians Peter Hennessy recently argued that “sport is immensely important to any series attempt to reconstruct a nation’s collective life in any period since the mid-to-late 19th century.” That shows how important a role sport plays in British history. Sport used to be a brutal, lawless affair without rules. But the Victorians changed all that. During the Victorian period people saw a drive towards a more civilized and controlled society. In sport this turned out to be a desire for rules and regulations, changing the emphasis from manly physical pursuits to moral and spiritual exercises with disciplines and a spirit of fair play. For instance, cricket became associated with a set of moral values, in particular the idea of “fair play” which characterized British government and eventually represented a kind of ideology throughout the late Victorian Empire.Sport is part of the fabric of British lives. Although we have plenty of evidence show that William I and his successors all valued the time they were able to dedicate to hunting and hawking, we know comparatively little of what the simple folks would do with their free time. As the end of the sixteenth century approached, more and more individuals participated in recreational activities. Sports and games had become increasingly woven into the fabric of the simple person’s day-to-day existence.

There are many other popular pastimes in Britain but none that draws so many attentions and makes people indulge so many passions into it. Football, the most followed sport in Britain is a good example. Bill Shankley, manager of Liverpool football club, once said “Football is not a matter of life and death. It’s more important than that.” In Britain, it is a fever, a passion and a lifetime hobby. Fans will spend all of their free time reading newspapers, team websites for any sort of news about their teams such as injuries, transfers, etc. Thus Eentrepreneurs have begun to realize that there is money to be made from the common persons’ leisure time. For brits, Having a drink at the local pub while watching football games on the TV becomes the most popular way of relaxing. However, the game of football has been associated with gambling and violence since its beginnings in 13th century England. Football Hooliganism has been called the ‘English Disease’ on many occasions. It is often reported in the media as resulting from excessive alcohol consumption.

Sport is also a part of landscape in Britain, through the depictions of the press and the media, more and more sport lovers in the world get access to know this beautiful nation. There is no doubt that sport is Britain’s culture ambassador. Manchester, Liverpool, and Arsenal all become the sounding names in the world with the help of football clubs. The world - famous Wimbledon grass court and the world-class golf courses such as St Andrews, Royal Birkdale (www.royalbirkdale.com/) attracts tourists from all over the world.

Sport has always been an indispensable theme in Britain. It mirrors Britain’s past, and possesses the ability to shape and influence social identities and cultures. It serves to put into outlook the resilience of man’s and woman’s longing to play in the face of social, political and economic upheavals. In addition, being the pioneers in popular sports, the British have contributed a lot to sport and created a better world for sport-lovers.

Access:http://www.swan.ac.uk/history/staff/johnes/stirling.pdf

June 13, 2005, it was the very day that Eddie Kunz, the former reliever for Oregon State, would never forget. On that day, during the xixth inning the 19-year-old freshman threw the biggest pitch in the history of Oregon State’s baseball program. It was one of his trademark heavy sinkers and hurtled toward Southern California’s hottest hitter, Jeff Clemenhe did swing but miss, the bases loaded, one out, and the score tied in the crucial game of the N.C.A.A. Super Regional.
The fantastic pitch paved the way for his bright future beacase he have became one of the two primary internal candidates to replace Billy Wagner as the closer in Mets. Pitchers rarely, if ever, move right from the minors to the closer role, so it is just a brand new start for Kunz and the journey begins. He has to grasp this oppotunity in order to become a real great closer. During the journey, he has been encountering various challenges,when luck, will not be good enough.
After signing with the Mets last July, he joined Class A Brooklyn, pitching in 12 games. All that pitching made him stress-out, and he returned home to Portland exhausted. Soon, he resumed training with the Oregon State team, losing 15 pounds and since then has been in what he called the best shape of his life. From that moment on,Kunz realizes that  opportunities aren’t there forever Some other hot-shot pitcher is going to be drafted next year, he’s going to have to keep getting bette and to keep up. He was told to learn from others and never be content, on the way to growing stronger  he has to throw100 percent and work hard. There is no easy way to success.
“You don’t see a sinker like that very often. “As Kunz unfurls his changeup, he wins a deserved praise.
Kunz once said “When I step on the mound, there isn’t a thing in the world that scares me.There’s no one better. No one’s going to touch me.” I am looking forwards to more and more extraordinary pitches thrown by Kunz.

Access: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/sports/baseball/22mets.html?_r=1&ex=1361336400&en=68f75708296bbaa6&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

 When everyone here are talking about 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, let’s turn our eyes to London, the host city of 2012 Olympic Games. “One World, One Dream” is our slogan, what about London? In 2012, London promises to provide the world an inspirational Game that captures the imagination of young people and leaves a lasting legacy. To our surprise, one of the Olympic legacy will be the courses for horses, which will make some of you confused. However, when you penetrate deeper into the history and culture of Britain you will understand their plan thoroughly.

Great Britain has a proud tradition of hosting major equestrian sporting events and there is no doubt that London should attach more importance to these sports events. Trace back to the medieval time, the heart of life at that time was the horse, to say that the true sport of British nobles is not golf but equestrian is not an exaggeration. Being considered as a snobbish or aristocratic sport, the average British family can not afford money to get access to the game. So herein lies the concerns.

Launching “Hoof — Ride London” is the plan that aims at creating more facilities so that everyone can benefit from the London Olympics regardless of where they live. And there are many people enjoying equestrian activities in the capital, it is necessary to make it more accessible and affordable and encourage people to take it up.

For my part, I do support the idea and will be delighted to see the plans put forward by the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) for an Olympic equestrian legacy are fulfilled. When it comes to Beijing Olympics, we always talk about what China can show to the world. In my opinion, we should think more about what we should create for our own people and our own culture and what the Olympic legacy we can leave for our youth. Take London for example, people are keen to establish a school programme for children in London, giving support to schools to enable them to offer riding as an option. Let more and more ordinary people benefit from Olympics and encourage more and more youth who are interested in sport to fulfill their dreams, and that is the important message delivered in this article.

Access: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/london_2012/article3065648.ece

The Dog Before Doglegs: Golfers Turning to Yoga

This article delivers us an important message that sometimes different sports are closely associated with each other. Just with a spark of inspiration, we can promote sports in a creative way. Kohler Golf Academy is a good example. It applies yoga programme to the golfers and shifts the traditional methodologies of teaching golf. When golf meets yoga, things became totally different in the positive aspect.

We have always been discussing about how to search for an competitive edge, the advanced technique? the Drugs? The answer is no, here comes yoga which concerns about body, mind & soul and will help the players or athletes through personal practicing. The growing number of golfers seeking to improve their games by turning to yoga programmes denotes the current trend in fitness field. You may wonder how yoga help the golfers? Firstly, yoga can help the golfers loosen up to execute freer, easier swings and it will give them the freedom to go forward easily because of his flexibility. Secondly, golfers who practice yoga can overcome their physical problems and recover soon. In addition to this, yoga credits the practice with improving golfers’ concentration. According to the article, there are many real examples of how golfers benefit from yoga. For instance, Eduardo Romero, who has 96 career professional victories, including the Argentine PGA Championship eight times and the European Masters during his 27-year career, said he would not have had nearly as much success without practicing a form of Indian yoga.

For my part, I have been longing to practice yoga since I’ve got to know this fitness method. The article quoted Wagner, the coordinator of the golf school Kohler’s words “draw people into the benefits of yoga through the guise of wanting to improve their golf game”. I do support his idea, why people advocates yoga is not only for the sake of competitive edge but also for the sake of health. Yoga is a system of movements and meditation that emphasizes physical control as a way to achieve a state of spiritual knowledge. In the hustle and bustle society, we all live in a fast-paced lifestyle. Taking time out to do some relaxing exercises and meditations is not a bad thing. I believe that one day yoga will be the mainstream fitness method in our lives as people are becoming more and more interested in not only taking care of themselves mentally, but mentally and spiritually as well.

Access: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/sports/othersports/16yoga.html

Seeing the title, you may wonder what I’m gonna talk about in this post, the Rolls-Royce? Ha~~ you’re definitely wrong. Here is a metaphor refers to Dean Macey, an English decathlete who has been suffering from his latest injury. To our Chinese people, Macey is an unfamiliar name. But to Brits, he can be treated as one of the best-loved athletes not only for his achievements but also for his persistence to sport.    

      Macey started out in athletics as a triple jumper but graduated up through the octathlon to settle on the decathlon. However, his sports career is full of physical frustrations, which mean injuries ravage him so frequently. What makes him outstanding is his resilience and determination. For instance, Macey qualified for the Athens Olympics in 2004 by dragging his ailing body and  Macey qualified for the Athens Olympics in 2004 by dragging his ailing body and at the 2006 Commonwealth Games he claimed gold despite still nursing some injuries. He once said “I won’t give up until the last of my limbs drops off”, which makes him really admirable.

     Now Macey’s back problem is most people’s worry as the countdown to the Beijing Olympics begins in earnest. His lack of competition since winning gold in Melbourne in March 2006 is a festering concern. As a British athlete with a possible medal in his grasp, we expect to see him in Beijing and watch his wonderful performance on the Olympic stage. Just as the article noted “Macey has a Rolls-Royce engine beneath the rusting bonnet.” Once he stands on the start line, there is no doubt that he will put in a great performance. The injuries have taken him to dark places he never thought existed, however, as a super-committed trainer with hope, determination, he is resigned to be honored.

     In my previous post, I introduced the Fly-man Gatlin who has lost the chance to participate at 2008 Beijing Olympics for the sake of drug use. Which makes things even worse is the possibility that Macey will miss the Game, too. But quite reverse, it is his injury that prevents him to come. Being a sports lover, I am longing to enjoy in the 2008 grand party with more and more great athletes and players get involved. As a result, I hope that such kind of disappointing things will happen less and less.

Best wishes!

Access:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article3134172.ece

After I have read the article Beijing’s Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue , I think a lot and I remember one day in Vera’s class, she complained about the foul air in Beijing and asked whether we can taste the polluted air, all of as said “no”. It makes plain that we get accustomed to the gray, acid skies and the foul air. However, we can not deny the fact that Beijing has steadily increased its Blue Sky days in recent years.

The columnist mentions that for the world’s Olympians, Beijing’s air is a performance issue. So the concern is that respiratory problems could affect athletic performance and prevent records from being broken. That is why we should take the environmental problem seriously as the 2008 Olympics is around the corner.

As far as I’m concerned, since Beijing has been confirmed host city of 2008 Olympics, the spirit of “green Olympics” has been carried through very effectively and has brought  more and more changes to Beijing, of course the positive changes~ Polluting factories have been moved or closed. Scientists are testing wind patterns and atmospheric structure to identify the local and regional pollution sources. It is known to all that last August Beijing took an experimental step on the road to 2008 Olympic Games, the city removed a million cars from roads during a four-day test on the purpose of reducing pollution and clearing traffic. What’s more, more and more trees and flowers are planted in order to improve the climate and optimize the use of our rich resources and provide an environmental friendly city to the world.

“Beijing has long ranked as one of the world’s most polluted cities.” Actually I doubt whether the columnist says is true, but we should face the music and realize that the ecological environment in Beijing as well as in other cities of our country should be improved.

I do agree the columnist’s opinion that pollution is an inescapable health and quality-of-life issue, especially in the big city with estimated 12 million residents. I’m in full conviction that we will provide the world a green Beijing and a green Olympics, however, any emergency measures have a limited shelf life, thus we should continue our efforts to turn our sky blue even after the Game for the sake of our life.

Sometimes the columnist seems critical, he says “Beijing is like an athlete trying to get into shape by walking on a treadmill yet eating double cheeseburgers at the same time. Polluting factories have been moved or closed “and “it is like you invite some guests to your home, and hide all your children underneath the bed to make the house look nicer.” We know that for many foreigners the concern is whether Beijing can clean itself up long after the Games are over. Nevertheless, fighting against pollution is a long-term battle and we can hardly see the result immediately, and there is no doubt that we may encounter a lot of difficulties and defeat them one by one, eventually we can make it with our determination and persistence~

Despite some criticisms, we are making efforts to fight against pollution on our own way and longing for more and more blue skies in the city we love

Let’s all wish the best for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing~

Access:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/29/world/asia/29china.html

I feel very disappointed to hear that another talented sprinter falls into the doping case. I can hardly believe that the former Olympic 100m champ is a drug user. For sports lovers, especially for those interested in track and field, Justin Gatlin is beyond all doubts a gifted sprinter, his Olympic 100m final time is the second fastest in Olympic history, and his fastest recorded 200m time of 19.86 seconds is the fastest mark for a junior (under 20) athlete. I have paid special attention to him since the 2004 Athens Olympics when he won the gold medal in the 100m dash, and then he became the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki.

Gatlin tested positive for excessive testosterone at the Kansas Relays in April 2006. It was his second doping offense. Gatlin tested positive for amphetamines in 2001, nevertheless Gatlin had taken medication for attention deficit disorder since childhood. He stopped taking the medication three days before the competition, but small amounts still were detected. An arbitration panel in the 2001 case determined Gatlin did not attempt to cheat. His attorney Collins had argued that Gatlin unknowingly had a testosterone cream applied to him by a disgruntled massage therapist, who repeatedly has denied the allegations. Gatlin also said he received an injection of what supposedly was vitamin B-12 from Randall Evans, an assistant to coach Trevor Graham, in the weeks leading up to the Kansas competition.

The four-year doping suspension would prevent him from defending his 100m title at the Beijing Olympics and he is not eligible to run until may 25,2010.When an athlete is accused for doping abuse, he or she will tend to find different excuses in order to show that he or she is innocent. Some may be honest, but some may not. At this moment, it is hard for our fans to tell between truth and lies. For my part, I do hold the belief that most athletes are running with their heart and soul. However, as more and more doping offenses emerge to the public, I feel confused and my belief begins to waver. If all the athletes are willing to win at any cost and try every means to search for the competitive edge, what the sports world will be. If the model for the ideal life is a cheater, the meaning to people’s lives and the sense of groundness will be eroded. Therefore I would rather to believe our icons and to listen to their responses and voices, and maybe we can grasp the glimmer of hope. And when it comes to Gatlin’s case, I can not say whether he is innocent or not, whether the positive drug test was a result of sabotage or not. What we can do is to wait and see.

Access:    http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-RUN-Gatlin-Doping.html?ref=othersports

The breathtaking downhill skiing always attracts people’s eyes, the speed, the quick movements, the skiers’ splendid skills, all these elements contribute to a visual shock. However, this article keeps us aware of the danger involved in this great sports event.

 It is about the impact of poor and unsafe conditions on the women’s World Cup downhill in Aspen, Colo. The soft snow and limited visibility led to the crash of Anne-Sophie Barthet, a 19-year-old competitor from France. And before Barthet, Alexandra Meissnitzer of Austria, a veteran downhiller who sustained a bone bruise of the tibia in her left leg is the first victim. To people’s surprise, the event organizers reconsidered continuing the competition. There is no doubt that more and more skiers will encounter dangerous situations during such a dangerous race.There are many strong opponents to the race organizers’’ decision. The race referee, Atle Skaardal, defended the decision to start. The circuit’s reigning champion, Nicole Hosp of Austria, refused to compete after learning of Meissnitzer’s crash. But organizers were forced to delay, and then shorten the downhill after because several feet of snow fell on the course late in the week.

Why the race organizers insisted to prepare the course for the downhill despite a big snowstorm at the risk of the competitors’ lives? This is the questions about the proper balance between athlete safety and the demands of the sponsors. Since it was the first women’s World Cup downhill in Aspen since 1988, hundreds of thousands of dollars in sponsorships were tied to the broadcast and TV event. If the sponsors push hard, the organizers have to please and satisfy them at the cost of athletes’ safety. As far as I am concerned, this is an abnormal phenomenon which distorts the true meaning of sports. What our spectators expect to watch is a wonderful game with less injuries and crashes; we respect the athletes and cherish their life. If the race condition is unsafe, the wise decision is to delay or improve it, because a perfect game is a combination of good conditions and excellent players. The commercialism has always been in the center of controversy. I have to say that let commercialism and sponsorship stay away from sports, and maybe sports will comeback again as the pure and healthy popular pastimes for every sports lover.

Access:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/sports/othersports/09ski.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Let’s make our dreams come true together !

Happy New Year~Bonne Année~