Paul Hamm

Paul Hamm has no class.

I've been listening, for a couple days now, to each of his interviews, and I've come to the conclusion that he is a selfish, conceited, pompous stump of a man. I have yet to hear him mention any significant concern for the feelings of the South Korean that suffered the incorrect scoring, and when he says that the judges error is unfortunate, he says it with himself in mind. Over and over again he exclaims, "I believe in my heart that I am the (Olympic all-around) champion."

So, personality-wise, Paul sucks.

But let's keep it real, the Gold medal is his, and there is no reason for him to turn it over to the unfortunate South Korean. We all know that the judges made a scoring mistake. They awarded a starting value of 9.9 to the South Korean gymnast when it should have started at 10.0. And in case you don't know, judges award a start value and then deduct from that starting value based on mistakes that they see.

Almost everyone seems to be implying that if the start value had been a 10.0 like it was supposed to, that the South Korean's overall score would have increased by 0.1, giving him the Gold instead of the Bronze.

How foolish!

Let me give you a crash course in reality and human psychology. Had the S. Korean's start value been 10.0, I guarantee you that his overall score would not have increased by exactly 0.1. Judges are human, and therefore have a tendency to score relative to other's scores and performances. What I mean is that if the average score from 3 previous competitors is 9.5, then an extremely superior performance may only garner a 9.65 when it might warrant a 9.8.

Furthermore, performers sometimes become more tentative when the pressure's on because they're in the lead. Had the South Korean gone up with a big lead at that point, who's to say that he wouldn't have choked under pressure during the final rotation? The flipside is often true as well. Many people perform better when they aren't winning and aren't concerned with maintaining a lead.

So, my conclusion is that the 0.1 difference in scoring may have increased the South Korean's chances of winning the competition, but it certainly doesn't guarantee it, as much of the news media is suggesting.

Also, the nature of the sport is subjective. Athletes in diving, figure skating, and gymnastics are all aware of the fact that human error is involved. Though many would hate to admit it, they've probably not only suffered, but also benefitted from human error in competition.

It is for this reason that some rules were written. More specifically, rules like the one that the South Korean failed to follow. The rules clearly state that if there is a scoring discrepancy, then the competitor needs to notify the judges before the next apparatus rotation. The S. Korean didn't follow the rules, and was thus penalized for his inaction. Paul Hamm, and all the other competitors, played by the rules, further strengthening my position that he should retain his Gold.

Such a rule should come as no shock. It is common in sports to have such "fail-safes." In the National Football League, in order to challenge a call, the coach must drop the red flag before the next play commences. If the coach does not, then the play is unreviewable.

The same is true in Tennis. Just a few short months ago, Venus Williams uncharacteristically lost in the second round of Wimbledon, largely due to the fact that she did not correct the judge when the score was stated incorrectly during a crucial tiebreak. As I recall, there was no significant outcry for Sprem, the lady who gladly took the unearned point from Williams, to relinquish her victory.

Finally, many people have suggested that Hamm should share his Gold with the South Korean, citing a 2002 figure skating scandal that awarded both the Canadian and Russian figure skating teams Gold medals. I again disagree. What happened at Athens was a mistake that could have been rectified by the S. Korean. What happened at the 2002 Winter Olympics was deliberate cheating.

Unfortunately, Paul Hamm will always be known as the Olympic All-Around champion that didn't really win, when he in fact did. I do believe, however, that if Paul could be more gracious and humble in his interviews, that it would help people to see the undisputed reality of his success.

-Maelstrom