Here's what everyday non LRC peeps say....
partial clip:
Dave Atkins West Hollywood 11 hours ago
Added to the political chaos in Brazil, the Zika virus and this story, we may be seeing the last Olympics. This is ludicrous by the Olympic Committee. "I'd like to report systematic cheating by my totalitarian government!" "Okay. We'll let them know of your concerns."
Reply 118Recommend
flak catcher Where? Not high enough! 11 hours ago
And she's still alive. What guts. What integrity. We want her as an American citizen.
Reply 106Recommend
rockfanNYC NYC 10 hours ago
This is why I can't stomach the Olympics any more. Have a good summer, NBC.
Reply 68Recommend
the dogfather danville ca 11 hours ago
Tomorrow's headline today: IOC votes to make Doping an official Olympic sport.
Reply 67Recommend
BobR Wyomissing 11 hours ago
Shut the Olympics down for a few decades.
Reply 66Recommend
paul naples 11 hours ago
The Olympics are just another way for the corrupt rich become richer at the expense of citizens that pay for the venues.
Reply 65Recommend
imperato NYC 11 hours ago
Pretty clear that WADA is totally incompetent, corrupt or both. Unclear why the US is providing $2million a year in taxpayer money to these clowns.
Reply 52Recommend
george eliot annapolis, md 11 hours ago
It's not a surprise. All these "watchdog" agencies are run by politically connected hacks, whose only interest is in making a buck, and being certain that the bureaucrat underlings do nothing to stop the flow of the money.
You have the same situation with the U.N. "Peacekeepers." Most of them are ill-trained and come from third world countries that are dependent on the money provided by a few western countries and of course, the U.S. Once these "peacekeepers" are in country they start raping and stealing from the
civilian populations they are supposed to be protecting. And of course, the U.N. "watchdogs" don't know nuthin' about nuthin'.
Reply 46Recommend
Slann CA 11 hours ago
It's obvious WADA’s decision-making body is hopelessly corrupt and incompetent. They obviously strive to preserve the status quo (drug riddled as it is) by conscious inaction.
Which makes one wonder how much longer the world has to endure this conspiracy of suppression and oppression. This make the Olympics irrelevant.
Reply 44Recommend
mford ATL 11 hours ago
World Anti-Doping Agency, IOC, FIFA, etc....international sports is all organized crime, folks. Hello? Either we accept sports as they are (totally corrupted) or we tear at these institutions until they crumble and require rebuilding. I vote for option 2.
Reply 40Recommend
jiiski New Orleans 9 hours ago
This story is as disheartening and sad as the American presidential campaign, perhaps worse because it is international and drags down young people who no doubt started their Olympic quests innocently. Thank goodness for people like Jack Robertson, Yuliya Rusanova, Vitaly Stepanov, and Darya Pishchalnikova -- and I hope that brave woman is still alive and well.
Reply 37Recommend
PhilO Austin 10 hours ago
Until a cheating country is basically kicked out of the Olympics for 4 years, no one will stop this. Russia needs to be banned from Brazil 2016 / PyeongChang 2018. If not, they will never stop, nor will China and others.
Reply 37Recommend
J P NJ 10 hours ago
Sadly, it is beyond time to acknowledge the "Olympics are dirty." Perhaps it is political, perhaps it is inadequate funding/staffing or inept bureaucracy, but in no way does the WADA get the job done. And, the "job" is much bigger than the Russian program: I am personally aware of athletes from other countries who work with Russian coaches, and are told what medications to take and are regularly given injections of prohibited substances - their resulting blood work is abnormal but adjusted by "allowable" meds before competition & monitored to get within normal range. "Clean athletes" are harmed by this; proof has been offered to WADA - there is no reply. That is just an example of the bigger problem. There is - again, sadly - little incentive for an athlete to stay "clean" or inform WADA when they system affords them no result or protection. The athlete is held to a "strict liability" standard, yet it is often the athletes who have the least control - if they object, they will not be assigned to national teams, international events, etc., they cannot count on WADA to protect them if they report. They lose what they have worked their entire life for and have little recourse. It is, perhaps, not an excuse for them, but the problem and blame goes far beyond the athletes.
Reply 35Recommend
Tom N/A 10 hours ago
Why in the world is the American taxpayer supporting the World Anti Doping Agency in the first place? Let those who pay t see the games / performances or pay to advertise on them fund that effort. Does the American taxpayer fund domestic (pro / college) sports anti-doping programs?
Reply 32Recommend
Jack Belicic Santa Mira 11 hours ago
In other words, WADA is as inept and/or corrupt as most of the bureaucrats that run international sports. All you will need to know about the IOC and WADA will be reveald once they announce that Russia will of course be invited to the Rio Olympics. This outcome can be predicted with 100% certainty. You will be told that Russia is repentant and that new, fool-proof systems are now in place to catch cheaters. You have heard all of this before, and it is going to be shown to be completely false. Another generation of cheated athletes will stand on the sidelines as the cheaters/dopesters mount the podiums in Rio. Advertisers and TV channels will be assured that all is well and that the money should kept flowing into the coffers of the IOC.
Reply 32Recommend
Objective Opinion NYC 10 hours ago
One athlete with the courage to speak out and her words fell on deaf ears. ....."at the same time, Russia began giving an extra donation to WADA, with no reason earmarked on WADA’s financial statements — an unusual move. In all, in the past three years, Russia has given an extra $1.14 million on top of its annual contribution, which was of $746,000 in 2015....."
It's always about the money - the motivation to dope athletes - the IOC being remiss in disciplining. I'm really tired of hearing how everyone keeps being 'surprised' by Russia - the country prides itself on corruption.
Reply 29Recommend
Stuart Wilder Doylestown, PA 11 hours ago
I just do not care anymore. I assume that every sports contest beyond the high school level where an athlete stands to gain financially as the result of the outcome contains one or more athletes, or more accurately, performers, juiced up on some forbidden substance or using some forbidden device, like a motor in a bicycle hub or an under inflated football. All the money spent on drug testing at the Olympics and other sports would be better spent on better facilities and wider participation in things like the Special Olympics or Para Olympics, where I at least have faith, hopefully not misplaced, this nonsense does not happen. These people are adults. If they want to pill pop and inject their way into liver and heart disease by the time in their 40's, I do not care enough to stand in their way. Who ever thought we would live in a world where professional wrestling would be more honest than the Olympics?
Reply 25Recommend
IcyJuly Oakland 11 hours ago
WADA, the NCAA, FIFA, world cycling, the NFL...is there any major sporting body that isn't corrupt and dedicated solely to making as much money as possible? It's disgusting, but nothing will change until we stop watching.
Reply 25Recommend
John S. Cal 9 hours ago
I'm not eve bothering to watch the Olympics this year. If I want to watch doping, I'll just stroll to my street corner. Waste of time.
Reply 23Recommend
trudds sierra madre, CA 9 hours ago
Conflict of interest between WADA and IOC? Let's call it what it is, corruption is us.
5 star hotels, top heavy and overpaid administration, hush money by the bag full, serious crusaders sidelined, it would be quite the running joke if you didn't see the few good people involved in this story getting hurt.
I grew up loving the Olympics, maybe it is time to call it quits and let it all be professional. Could it possible get more dirty if that happened? Unless you hired the old FIFA execs anyway.
Reply 22Recommend
JayJay Los Angeles 10 hours ago
Good job. One wonders what Craig Reedie does think about when he wakes up. Clearly, it is not how to ensure the Olympics are clean. Those who say "so what" are forgetting, or choosing to ignore, the fact that the cheaters are destroying the dreams and hard work of athletes who perform without artificial enhancements. I, for one, will be watching very little of these Olympics, knowing that Russia, if it is allowed to participate, China, and who knows how many others, are cheats. Of course, Russia will say, as it always does, that this furor is a plot by the western imperialists to undermine their glorious country.
Reply 22Recommend
Michael C Chicago 11 hours ago
I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you, to hear that there is cheating, fraud and incompetence going on here. We'll watch the Opening Ceremonies, as always, marvel at the spectacle, then turn it off and go for a long walk or bike ride in the woods, thank you.
Reply 20Recommend
codger Co 6 hours ago
So my question is: why would anyone waste time watching or attending the Olympics? I used to love the games, but now that I know there is widespread doping, they mean nothing to me.
Reply 17Recommend
Michael Sander New York 8 hours ago
"Investigations have become the flavor of the month"
This sarcastic statement, coming from the head investigatory body of the Olympics, in the face of numerous credible accusations, makes the dysfunction clear. The Olympics in Rio are a sham (and I'm actually going to them). Reedie needs to resign.