Shani vs. the Hottie, the Common Ground

I've gotten some more anti-Shani and anti-Hottie e-mails, but also a whole lot saying both guys were to blame, so I might as well let that side have its say. I'm not quoting from the comments below, because there are way too many of those, so take a look there also.

And thanks to all who answered the Ferris Bueller question. "Oh Yeah" by Yello is the "chick-ahh-chick-ahhhh" sonrg. Gotcha. Way too many of you knew that way too quickly.

Reader Rich:

Can we agree that they're both jerks? They have been the biggest story of Olympics, and they're totally overshadowing their "teammate" Joey Cheek, who, lest we forget, seems to be a great human being who is actually trying to use his moment in the spotlight for some good. At least until that spotlight was stolen from him by two idiots acting like three year old girls.

Reader Vince:

What I don't understand is why these two amateur athletes (Davis vs. Hedrick) don't settle their difference behind closed door. But like anyone else, they had to get caught up in the hype of the media. The media feeds on this like a starving lion. Anyway, I want to congratulate both guys on their great race but please Hedrick, didn't you learn how to hide your feelings without showing us your stone-cold, uninviting facial behavior. That's really ruining the Olympic athlete spirits.

Reader Name Withheld:

1) I've had that Slovak Liquor and it's delicious. (Add a plate of cheese, meats and cucumber and two blonde Slovak dinner companions for added deliciousness.)

[Note: there's a tremendous comment somewhere below about the liquors of Europe. Find it and read it.]

2) The Olympics for the most part are NOT a team competition, and while I imagine it'd be a great honor to
represent your Country in any Olympic event (relay or individual), it's not the relays that receive this exposure.
Many competitors are professional athletes who rely on endorsements and sponsorships for income and those typically go to the athletes whose faces get put out by the media (Bode Miller, Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, et. al.)...can you name an athlete known exclusively for their relay performance?

3) Both of these guys behaved like babies and if they have a disagreement then they need to deal with it like big boys (I'd suggest Dr. Phil or reading "17 Stories to Warm the Publicly Frustrated International Ice Skater's Soul" to each other over a cup of Chamomille tea). This would be much better than taking weak shots at news conferences and bickering on a world stage, putting themselves and the US (it may not be a team comp., but they still wear a US uniform) in a bad light. Shani and Chad also could have taken a page out of the Italian Ice-Dancers' book and broken down at the end of the 1,500, cried and hugged for 35 minutes. Now that's entertainment!

Reader Zohra:

The Olympic teams represent their countries not individuals.....if you've noticed it's called the "U.S. Olympic Team" not Mr. Davis' Olympic team or Mr. Hedrick's. So when they were chosen among hundreds of hopefuls to join the "U.S. Olympic Team" they have the responsibility & the duty to work as a team and act like a sportsman or sportswoman, not ME, ME, ME!

The feud between these two goes back way before the Olympics, and they both should've been mature enough not to show their dirty laundry to the whole world. I'm disappointed in both of them...It's time for both of them to
grow up!

And for something completely different, this reader named Christopher claims he actually won a prize from the killer toy claw of death, which I highly doubt:

About two months ago I was waiting for a movie to start at my local cinema, when my date begged me to win her a toy from one of the money sucking beasts. I hadn't tried one since I was 12, but I thought what the [heck], it is only $.50. On my first try, bingo, the cheapest looking white and green stuffed fish I ever saw fell right into my lap. But it didn't matter to my girl, she loved it all the same. She just stared in disbelief, interpreting my success as some sort of sign that prehaps our relationship was destined to be. I think I just got lucky. I certainly did that night...

And this commenter named Kate deserves some sort of public recognition, so here it is:

I also can tell you that getting toys from the crane machine is not just possible, it is also a highly fun and entertaining sport, and should be entered as an event in the 2008 games in Beijing. Of course, since the Chinese are unlikely to allow a sport whose main venue seems to be the rest stops on Interstate 95, we shall have to suffer in silence until Havre de Grace, MD wins the 2016 Olympic bid.

I'm not sure why Kate assumes the killer toy claw of death game would necessarily be a summer sport, but I support the effort.

By Dan Steinberg |  February 22, 2006; 12:44 PM ET
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Tracked on February 22, 2006 09:43 PM

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