She is (relatively) and she's also the only local pro out here. We do have visitors or part time residents but Bree is the only local now. Oh and the mail really is slow out here. Most mail takes a minimum of 10 days from the mainland (approaching infinity if the mail is from USAT). For example, I'm just now receiving my February magazines. There's also a huge time zone difference between us and the mainland. Playing phone tag is taken to all new lows out here.

Personally, I think it's quite a stretch for failure to pay a fee for a membership to be considered cheating, at worst it'd be freeloading.

As for USAT, I think I can get banned from the forums if I use the language I'd like to regarding their customer service. The only organization I deal with routinely that I have less respect for is the TSA. I just received my annual card this week after renewing in November and spending far too much time with the idiots via email and telephone trying to get a card I didn't have to print out for every race check-in. My wife has gone 4 years without a physical card from them. She's been told to update her membership information repeatedly and done so (there was nothing to update either) as if that's an excuse for USAT dropping the ball. So frankly, I'm spring loaded to doubt anything that comes from the mouth of USAT when it comes to paperwork.

With that said, what Jordan has said is correct. It's the athletes responsibility to ensure their cards and paperwork are in order. It doesn't matter when people can be told that there's no problem or everything is in order -- it's still their responsibility. If she honestly believed that she was doing what is right and had a card that would be exculpating evidence that would lessen a penalty, if any. My wife, on the other hand, honestly believes Bree, when it comes to USAT paperwork. Can't say that I blame her either.

Wait and see what the 'kind folks' at USAT have to say and what their decision is before crucify Bree any further.

And for the record, I haven't seen or spoken to Bree is a few months. We've both been busy.

I think the only time I knowingly didn't capitalize was when I wrote "ian" instead of "Ian." This because in spite of the fact that I can assume that "ian moone"'s actual first name is Ian, he chooses not to capitalize it in his username. Since not everyone's real name is their forum name, I chose to follow his lead on capitalization regarding his name. If I made another capitalization error, it's because I'm an idiot. The irony of someone this coming from someone who chooses not to capitalize their own name in their user name is not lost upon me...

It is clear that she didn't have a pro card since 2008, but how she managed to race without one, I don't know.

From the sounds of it you think USAT and TriFed are two different entities. They are the same. The National Federation changed its name to USA Triathlon after we became an Olympic sport.
Regarding Kenny is a Duathlete and Bree is a triathlete is irrelevant, both are/where multisport athletes governed by the same sanctioning body.
The fact that the two examples took place 11 years apart is also irrelevant, the rules haven't changed, still the same rules and again the same governing body.

Rapp wrote:

"Likewise, I think it's fair to question how this whole scenario might reflect on Bree's capabilities as a teacher. And I don't think it matters if you make some grammatical errors when you point that out. I'm not saying I agree - my phenomenal English teacher for my junior and senior years of high school was absurdly disorganized, but she was a great teacher. However, I can appreciate that someone who witnessed her disorganization might have said, "how does that affect her teaching?""

You answered the question...it didn't. And the question is born of the type of zero-defects mentality that bugs the hell out of me. And it's the kind of thinking that leads very quickly to trial-by-internet. I don't think it's a fair question on THIS forum at all. Who the hell do we think we are?

And that kind of mentality leads to bullshit potshots like Javelinguy's.

It's pretty damned easy to sit here from the safety of our keyboards on a half-anonymous board where few have actually ever met and take someone's mistake as an opportunity to excoriate every aspect of their lives. But just because we CAN do something doesn't mean we should. Maybe the next time one of us gets a traffic ticket or has a bill payment late by a day or three the rest of us should take that opportunity to crawl through their life with a magnifying glass to question your parenting skills, job timeliness or your IRS reporting.

I'll be the first. I got a traffic warning for unauthorized passing. Should I recuse myself from the next Technical Evaluation Board at work? I mean obviously I willfully or negligently failed to understand that I was technically in a no-passing zone. So I must be technically incompetent in every area of my life.

Sound ridiculous? That's my point.

Of course "ian" should have been capitalized in your reply.

It's not nearly the issue you make it seem.

Seriously. That drives me crazy when he does it, which is every times he posts... Then again, it's entirely possible his shift key is broken. His keyboard is 10+ years old. I keep trying to get him to buy a new one, but so far, no luck...

But USAT certainly should not be preparing to reimburse Bree for any expenses she incurred. The question at the moment is really do they suspend her for a year or not. And Charlie Crawford is still working on that. Which is why we haven't written a story on it. Yet.

Jordan,

Was there ever an explanation as to why Bree only got 6 weeks when one year is standard?