Why should focus focus on attacks on those involved with I believe there is enough gray area to go around to all of them. But what value does it give to have folks attack them, see PC posts, throw folks under the bus, etc?

Clearly I see a come point in basically everyone posts. The rules were not totally clear. So, why should it not make sense to try and make this into a positive by working on the rules, rather than continue with the attacks?
Well, one clear answer, this would not be ST if this were to happen. :)

The same way that everyone on here knows you are an idiot - some things are just obvious.

Wow.

Who are your sponsors again?

Dave,

I've never seen someone who so consistently invests as much energy into caring about why others care as you. Your most consistent refrain is, "I just don't understand why people care about X." Yet, by repeatedly posting that same hook over and over and over, you yourself are demonstrating that you are guilty of the very thing you claim to lament.

Why do YOU care that other people care about X? Why do you feel the need, every time someone posts about something you just don't find of interest, to wade in with, "why do you care what other people do?" Why do YOU care what other people do?

Based off that behavior, I can only conclude that you are a troll, the greatest "meta" comedian since Andy Kaufman, or are simply obtuse.

I'm sorry to have insulted you, but there is a richness to you coming on here and accusing others of simply adding fuel to the fire and not helping move the issue forward towards a positive outcome. That is pretty much the definition of what you do. All. The. Time. You simply add fuel to whatever fire is going on through willful ignorance, strawmen, and general non sequiturs.

I've been on this forum a long time, and I cannot think of a single issue where I thought, "wow, Dave Campbell really had a unique insight. I never considered that. That really helped me think of things in a new/different/better way."

Most of the time, I just choose to ignore it. It doesn't really matter to me that you don't care about professional athletes, that you don't actually care about scientific consensus if you like something, or any of the other typical opinions you choose to weigh in with.

But when there is a topic of actual substance that actually matters to me where you continue to blather on, it offends me. There's no debating with you. There just isn't. If you think there is, I think you misunderstand the meaning of the word "debate," or you've spent too much time watching Fox News.

The rules are clear. The idea that somehow we should just rewrite the rules until every possible hypothetical scenario is covered in them is just absurd.

I don't even know why I'm replying to you. I can answer the question as to why I care, but I can't answer that...

"I again ask, does it now seem the rules are not that clear?"

to keep with my we follow orders or people die theme, are the rules clear? crystal.

if you read the article on the front page, the rules were already there. i'd written about this back in 2011, almost the same article. since that time ironman has made it extremely clear to the pros via a second more expansive and obvious explanation.

look, other than random acts of sportsmanship that crop up in the course of a race, it's an individual sport. people can work together inside of the rules as long as each is going for the win. when somebody is not going for the win, and instead focuses his efforts on another's race, whether husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, top male AG racer helping female pro, brother helping sister, we've seen it all, that's against the rules. easy peasy.

Dave,

I've never seen someone who so consistently invests as much energy into caring about why others care as you. Your most consistent refrain is, "I just don't understand why people care about X." Yet, by repeatedly posting that same hook over and over and over, you yourself are demonstrating that you are guilty of the very thing you claim to lament.

Why do YOU care that other people care about X? Why do you feel the need, every time someone posts about something you just don't find of interest, to wade in with, "why do you care what other people do?" Why do YOU care what other people do?

Based off that behavior, I can only conclude that you are a troll, the greatest "meta" comedian since Andy Kaufman, or are simply obtuse.

I'm sorry to have insulted you, but there is a richness to you coming on here and accusing others of simply adding fuel to the fire and not helping move the issue forward towards a positive outcome. That is pretty much the definition of what you do. All. The. Time. You simply add fuel to whatever fire is going on through willful ignorance, strawmen, and general non sequiturs.

I've been on this forum a long time, and I cannot think of a single issue where I thought, "wow, Dave Campbell really had a unique insight. I never considered that. That really helped me think of things in a new/different/better way."

Most of the time, I just choose to ignore it. It doesn't really matter to me that you don't care about professional athletes, that you don't actually care about scientific consensus if you like something, or any of the other typical opinions you choose to weigh in with.

But when there is a topic of actual substance that actually matters to me where you continue to blather on, it offends me. There's no debating with you. There just isn't. If you think there is, I think you misunderstand the meaning of the word "debate," or you've spent too much time watching Fox News.

The rules are clear. The idea that somehow we should just rewrite the rules until every possible hypothetical scenario is covered in them is just absurd.

I don't even know why I'm replying to you. I can answer the question as to why I care, but I can't answer that...

"In my opinion, they are not. Why is this so bad?"

we can't have a successful race, or sport, if you and i disagree what the rules are. if the rules are there, for everyone to read, and the head ref of the whole organization explains the rules, interprets them, that ought to be enough. there should not be any disagreement between us. we can disagree as to whether a rule (or a law, for that matter) is wise or just or enforceable, but there is no reason for us to disagree about what the rule (or law) says, especially if it's right there, and especially if our sport's "supreme court" explains that it means what it says.

"I pride myself that I do not attack others."

many don't realize you are a contrary. i know that if i come up to you in a race and you say, "goodbye, my enemy" what's in your heart is, "hello, my friend." others don't know that about you. they haven't read little big man (good movie, great book).

And I will go to my grave with this value.

"You believe many had sneaky motives. I do not."

what do you mean by sneaky motives? lionel said an arrangement was in place, in advance, for him to swim on/with/behind/beside matt chrabot. that seemed to happen. motive? sneaky? no. the goal was for lionel to exit with a faster time than otherwise (because chrabot could navigate better, hold a better pace, provide a draft, i don't know). why would matt agree to this? because he's a nice guy. because he was asked. don't know. doesn't matter. beside the point.

"why not work on improving the wording?"

no need. wording is fine. it would just be nice if folks said okay, i didn't really understand; or i hadn't read that language in the rules; or i didn't think you actually meant it; now i know you mean it. whatever. this wasn't doping. it wasn't course cutting. it was minor. it didn't change the outcome of the race. no need to sanction anybody. but it might've altered the outcome of the race, and next time it might, and when it does do you think people are not going to be screaming? so, this is a nice, easy, no-harm, no-foul opportunity to set this right, once and for all.

"Oh well, I really am bummed we missed our Donner meeting. It has been all down hill since then with my health. Am hoping to get it back for next season."

we're old. it's hard getting to the starting line. just know that i'm going to kick the engine over, warm it up, and get ready again to meet you somewhere next season.