McKee's McThoughts: Who's here to watch a race?

As a journalist, sometimes the best stories are ones you never write.
    True, no one wins Pulitzer nominations that way, but we’re not expecting many anyway. Having had the good fortune to attend the races back at Beaver Creek, we considered writing about John Dakin. He runs the press room and has for many of the biggest ski events over the past decade plus, including the 2002 Olympics at Snowbasin. But the only quote that found its way to a notebook was: “I’m just making sure the animals play nice.” That’s a pretty major simplification.

AS A JOURNALIST, sometimes the best stories are ones you never write.
    True, no one wins Pulitzer nominations that way, but we’re not expecting many anyway. Having had the good fortune to attend the races back at Beaver Creek, we considered writing about John Dakin. He runs the press room and has for many of the biggest ski events over the past decade plus, including at the Snowbasin venue at the 2002 Olympics and at Vail for the ’99 World Championships. It seemed like a natural because we were both going to be in mostly the same places the whole week, but it didn’t happen, as neither could really take the time.
    The only quote that found its way to a notebook was: “I’m just making sure the animals play nice.” That’s a pretty major simplification.
    Dakin hides his stress well, but it was near the surface in the finish corral as reporters took advantage of U.S. Ski Team top gun Bill Marolt’s presence to interrogate him on new anti-drinking regulations. Dakin was upset because there was a race under way and he felt the reporters, as well as Marolt, should have been watching that. The “It’s the racing, stupid,” kind of thing.
    He was right, of course, and he was also right that readers shouldn’t be that interested in people behind the scenes. They’re behind the scenes for a reason. Thanks, Dakes and other likeminded people, for all you do and leave it at that.
    Allow us, however, against the Dakin credo it is, to stumble headlong into the drinking regulations thing. First of all, the official Code of Conduct is not substantially changed from previous seasons and has no specifics like those Marolt was defending in Dakin’s finish corral. Discussions among press-type people in Beaver Creek — and the AP reports — say there are specifics, which we’ve taken to referring to as “the Bode Clause.” (His name always seems to come up when the issue is mentioned). These specifics include the nixing of staying in an RV instead of the team accommodations and a cute little regulation that says an athlete can’t drink with a coach or visa versa.
    We have a hard time believing anyone who spends any time on the road with the team would consider this a solution. We have a hard time believing anyone who spends any time on the road with the team actually has much of a say in any policy making.
    Phil McNichol, as the example here since he was the top coach at Beaver Creek, has gunslinger swagger. He’s protective of his boys, his crew of coaches, his rights. He don’t take no ration. He doesn’t need to have USA in bold print on all his clothes because his roots are obvious. Here’s a guy who can run a large multi-faceted operation on the road with casual ease, which puts all the players in a comfort zone.
    Pretty valuable guy, but in control of something like policy? No.
    At the ski team, you’ve got the president/CEO — plus a COO and a CFO — there’s an alpine director and a team manager. There’s a couple of athletic directors and maybe then you get to the coaches … maybe not if the decision has to do with off-hill anything.
    How many NFL coaches would sign on for a position like this? How many NFL team owners would want a coach who would sign on for a position like this?
    As for tenure, note that the team skiers are selected by criteria and protected by law. To bench a ski racer on the U.S. team requires an act of Congress … literally. See Amateur Sports Act. So say there’s a problem and management is mandated by public opinion to make a change. You see where this is going, right? A very good, very dedicated coach is suddenly announcing an early retirement.
    Folks, the Bode Clause appears from this seat as a knee-jerk reaction to a media-produced hullabaloo. We apologize on behalf of all media and plead with those multiple layers of management not in direct day-to-day contact with those affected by the decision to let it drift away. The U.S. Ski Team coaches and athletes are not alcoholics. Puking off the chairlift is just too noticeable. Sometimes the best regulations are the ones you never enforce.

And now, for some unrelated tidbits …
    Colorado is single-handedly saving the domestic racing schedule. There are a few bright spots of snow scattered about, but the only consistent snow is in the “Nil Sine Numine” state (that’s the state motto, honest). National Competition Director Walt Evans reports as many as 75 competitions have or soon will be lost, and the repercussions will be felt in January or February even if we do get snow soon. See the Q&A with Evans in SR’s upcoming Issue 5 — pretty interesting stuff, especially if you’re trying to qualify for Junior Olympics.
    Did anyone else find the Austrian retirements of Andreas Schifferer and Werner Franz in the middle of the season to be enlightening? Might lead to speculation that the push from the younger downhillers has gained momentum.
    How bad is it when among the main news on the FIS site are reports that races remain on the original schedule? And some sad injuries out there, too: Kentaro Minagawa, Stefan Guay, Stephan Goergl all gone for the season. At the highest levels, the risks are higher, too. And they say skydiving is dangerous?
    Oh, and by the way — because we should all have 20/20 foresight and know this is coming — the Chinese lead the freestyle World Cup Nations Cup 517-333 over Belarus. Yes, the only events have been held in China, but really, folks, is there any doubt about what China can do now that the enormous nation is gaining prosperity?
    Now there’s a story that should be written.
    Also by the way, it is about the racing. Aksel Lund Svindal has a 23-point lead for the overall. And Lindsey Kildow was just 16 points behind Nicole Hosp for the women’s lead before catching some sort of stomach flu and missing a super G she might have won.
    Sometimes, maybe, it’s not about the racing. Safe speed ya’ll.
    Maria Pietilae-Holmner makes my All-Name Team.