But that's fine with Mahre, who never sought fame. Miller and Vonn better get used to anonymity, too.

In ski racing, Mahre said, "That's just the way it is."

JR Level: ROME: Alpine skier Mirko Deflorian has tested positive for cocaine, the Italian Olympic Committee said Wednesday.

Cocaine metabolites were found in Deflorian's system following a test at the Italian junior championships on Feb. 19 in Pozza di Fassa, a day after Deflorian won the giant slalom title.

Deflorian declined to comment until he decides whether or not to ask for a "B" test. He could face a ban of up to two years.

Deflorian's best World Cup result was fifth in a giant slalom in Val d'Isere, France, in 2004.

Backstage at a recent FIS WC, I overheard the most interesting conversation.

This is totally unsubstantiated, but two guys in expensive-looking business suits (at a ski resort?) were discussing this in detail. The moral of the story is don't assume the person cleaning your hotel room or maintaining your pool doesn't speak English.

Here's how it goes:

Bode has a firm offer on his desk signed by Ewart Brown, Prime Minister of Bermuda. Brown is a sports fanatic who was singularly responsible for wresting the PGA Grand Slam of Golf away from the Grand Hyatt Poipu in Kauai and moving it to the mid-Ocean Club in Bermuda last year. The inaugural Bermuda PGA Grand Slam tournament in October of '07 was a huge success and featured an exciting sudden-death playoff between British Open champ Padraig Harrington and PGA Champion Angel Cabrera. In addition to having been elected PM, Brown is also President of the Bermuda Tourism Bureau, which has a large advertising budget. The $3 million USD / year for the PGA deal came from the Tourism Bureau. The terms of the offer include the following:

1) Bode will immediately be given a Bermudian passport and dual citizenship

2) Bode will be given use of a large free-standing house on St George's island to live and train for the duration of the agreement. The house is near huge mansions owned by actor Michael Douglas and NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

3) Although Bermuda technically has no income taxes, there are de facto "surcharges" for health care and other things which amount to approximately 20% income tax. These surcharges will be waived for Bode.

4) Bode will be paid $one million USD per year.

5) The Bermudian Government will pay the administrative costs of, and provide office space for, a FIS-approved Bermudian Ski Federation.

6) Bode will be given limited use of a Bermudian government aircraft to commute back and forth to Europe during the season, as well as 25 first-class tickets per year between Bermuda and London on British Air.


In return, Bode provides the following:

1) Bode will compete in FIS World Cup 08/09, 09/10, and in the 2010 Olympics in Bermudian colors

2) Bode will provide 10 days of his time per year for "promotional activities" on behalf of the Bermuda Tourist Authority.

Other highlights:

Bode hasn't signed the deal yet because, among other things, it requires a commitment to compete through February of 2010.

This is similar to a deal signed by two-time US Open tennis champion Pat Rafter about ten years ago. Rafter (an Aussie) loved the deal because he was based in London at the time and British Air has daily non-stops, plus the weather made it easier to train in Bermuda than in London.

If Bode could manage to spend more time in Bermuda than in the US, then he would not be subject to US income taxes.

Sounds like a great deal, and....Bode would no longer have to waste time arguing with the US Team over which jacket he wears during course inspection! www.skiracing.com

"You can pay me now or pay me later".

Wimpy burger rule, pay me next Tuesday Bill!

"Like Clemenza was telling Mickey... get rid of the bad blood."

2007-05-12T18:32:00-0400

By Lowell Taub

Statement from Miller camp on split

Bode Miller's agent, Lowell Taub, released the following statement on Saturday in regards to Miller's departure from the U.S. Ski Team.
Bode Miller, the reigning Super-G World Cup title holder, will ski independently of the U.S. Ski Team in the 2007-08 ski season, set to open October 27, 2007, in Soelden, Austria.

Miller, an 11-year ski team veteran, chose not to accept the non-negotiable terms offered by the U.S. Ski Team that would govern him differently and more onerously than his teammates. Several of the proposed rules would be enforced subjectively throughout the course of the season.

Miller stated: "This was a difficult decision for me to make. Despite any of our past differences, I have been a part of the U.S. Ski Team for 11 years and I cherish the relationships I have built with my teammates, the coaches, staff, sponsors, and trustees. I do not believe I can excel and perform at the level I demand of myself under the guidelines the U.S. Ski Team has presented. I will continue to ski as an American under the U.S. flag, and am proud to do so."

Skiing independently of the U.S. Ski Team is not unprecedented. Most recently, multiple-time national champion Kristina Koznick skied independently of the team for several years until her retirement after the 2005-06 season. As an independent racer, Miller will finance and manage his own training, coaching, travel, lodging, and nutrition programs.

Miller has amassed an impressive roster of credentials over his 11-year career including two Olympic Silver Medals, four World Championships, a World Cup overall title in 2005 in addition to three World Cup discipline titles, nine national championships (tied for most ever for a U.S. male), and 25 career world cup wins (two short of the all time record for a U.S. male).

Miller will remain active in his Turtle Ridge Foundation, which raises money for health, diversity and sustainable living causes and in the 18 months since its inception has made donations to the Boys & Girls Club of Northern New Hampshire, the Bretton Woods Adaptive Ski Program (which provides skis, equipment and opportunities to skiers with disabilities) and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Miller will work closely with his partners including Head, Superfund, Nike, Briko, Swix, Bretton Woods, Sportskool, Sirius Satellite Radio and Concorde Reisemobile in his first independent season and beyond.

Bode Miller, the reigning Super-G World Cup title holder, will ski independently of the U.S. Ski Team in the 2007-08 ski season, set to open October 27, 2007, in Soelden, Austria.

Bode Miller called his decision to leave the U.S. Ski Team "difficult" in a statement Saturday.

2007: Miller, an 11-year ski team veteran, chose not to accept the non-negotiable terms offered by the U.S. Ski Team that would govern him differently and more onerously than his teammates. Several of the proposed rules would be enforced subjectively throughout the course of the season.

2008 Second Overall World Cup title for Miller, King Bode II

"We're turning the world upside down in alpine ski racing," said U.S. Alpine Director Jesse Hunt. "To have two Americans win the overall, it's a special deal. And it's by a number of different athletes. What it says is that we're here to stay and dominate alpine ski racing."

"We're turning

Miller's agent, Lowell Taub, says Miller is going to be relaxing in a sunny place after a tough, seven-month season.

www.skiracing.com/srforums

shockenaugh

Re: Team America
Reply #22 - Yesterday at 8:38am
biggs - all your 'diggs' at Bode don't take into account one thing: His 'rebel attitude' is what turns the public (and especially youth) onto skiing. Go ask the young kids at your local ski club what they think of Benni Raich.


You really need to watch "Downhill Racer"...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

+1 for shockenaugh


Smiley

In sports, like anywhere else, there is no pure black or white...


P.S. I personally hate the "perfect profile" (Mr. or Mrs. politically always correct and soooo nice!!!).

Outside of sport record, they're boring !!

I like different characters in the sport. As long as they are honest and hard working (to be there, to be able to win a 2:30min DH over the world, and many more, you HAVE to be working hard somewhere...), they are an example, on some angle of view, on the sport, IMHO...(even though, from what I read here, some of you think Miller is a pregnant dog
(sorry, I never read gossip).

Reporters LOVE bitches, it makes paper sell !!!

To me, a charismatic champion will do more for the sport than a "programmed to be good, smiling robot".

SRD mentioned Formula 1 and Cycling as examples of Marketing.
The greatest champions of these two sports, Shumacher and Armstrong, have a lot of stories (ever heard of cheating ???) that don't want to be pulled out of the closet.That, to me is BAD for sport, but .....

What was the original post subject again ??? Cheesy

Louis

The number of overseas tourists visiting the United States is shrinking. CNN's Zain Verjee looks at some reasons.
• CNN.com International

Riml is Austrian and McNichol said he would prefer to see an American replace him.

"I'm very proud of the fact that I've been able to develop an American staff. That wasn't the case when I started," McNichol said. "When you go and ask another country to show you how to be good in something, it perpetuates an undertone to the athletes that you have to learn from a Swiss, or you have to watch an Austrian.

"Nothing against foreign coaches. Patrick Riml is a tremendous coach. He's done great things. He's embraced the culture, which you have to. But you have to teach the athletes to believe in themselves."

"I'm very proud of the fact that I've been able to develop an American staff. That wasn't the case when I started," McNichol said. "When you go and ask another country to show you how to be good in something, it perpetuates an undertone to the athletes that you have to learn from a Swiss, or you have to watch an Austrian.

HuBa, HuBa, HuBa, Money, Money, Money, $,$,$!

Live rates at 2008.03.26 22:07:20 UTC
1.00 U$D = 0.631180 EUR
United States Dollars Euro
1 USD = 0.631180 EUR 1 EUR = 1.58434 U$D

Have allegations of drug use by players made you less interested in baseball?

Yes 59% 19605
No 41% 13648

www.cnn.com

1 AUT 13560
2 SUI 6458
3 ITA 6324
4 USA 5965
5 FRA 3815

"Great to see the USA turn up for a team competition for a change"

crystalmom

Re: SKI TEAM MEMBERS HAVE TO FUND THEMSELVES

Reply #43 - Today at 4:08pm

This is a REPEAT I previously made in a different section of the SR FORUM, but no one replied, and I think it relates better to THIS TOPIC anyway than where originally put, so I have taken the liberty of repeating it ---it concerns obstacles (financial and otherwise) for elite racers trying to make it without help of USST, or in competition with USST.
TO ME, THE REAL OBSTACLE FOR NON-USST ELITE RACERS IS THAT OF ACCESS, and it is an obstacle not only to individual success but to American ski racers as a group. What I am talking about is ACCESS TO THE BEST RACES, TECHNICAL HELP, COACHING, regardless of who pays for it (USST or independent source).

WHAT IS DISTURBING IS HOW THE USST IS AFFIRMATIVELY MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THOSE ELITE RACERS who are not on the USST to HAVE ACCESS TO THE RACES THEY NEED TO PROGRESS.

Can someone explain the ins-and-outs of the USST's priority for getting their team members into races, over non-USST members? Via this "priority", USSA can and does prevent non-USST US racers from racing (who may have the points to get in a particular race, may have signed up earlier, etc), and takes the slots for their own team members if they want them, in those situations where there are more US racers wanting to be in a particular race than the US quota allows. (Exceptions apply at the WC level which is why Bode can do what he does.) But if someone could explain the rules it would be great, and I welcome comments on the fairness of this.

This means that on top of all the other advantages, the USST athlete gets first crack at the good races, eg races with good points. The USST athletes thus get a giant leg up over the Independent kids with ACCESS to success and points and WC spots, and helps maintain their superiority. This is probably more important in the final analysis than the advantages the team athletes have of $, tech support, equipment. From what I have heard, this is IN FACT a big problem for the racers who are still trying to make it who have not been picked up the the USST,---ie, the US "independents" (not Bode, I mean the ones without the millions he has to do it, and the World Cup spots he has)..

These priority rules may have not made a whole lot of difference in the past, and thus perhaps were not the subject of much scrutiny, as there were not so many racers trying to make it on their own, ie without USST support. However, as the dollars shrink from USSA for athletes, and athletes have to pay their own/eg raise $20K to be on the team, and as former college racers are more and more excluded from the UUST system, more talented racers will/are trying to "do it on their own", only to find they don't even have access to the system, regardless their talents or even financial backing.

Former college racers literally have no way of making it anymore---The "criteria" used by the USST to pick the team favors younger racers (for what good reason???) (Under 23--C Team criteria applies, which is much less stringent than "B" team criteria, which is applied to 23 and over). This age based criteria penalizes college racers who took the time to get an education (should USSA being discouraging college in this day and age????--they are) by requiring people of the age of a college graduate (mostly 23 and over) to meet criteria which is almost impossible to meet without being on the USST in the first place. So--if on one of these guys has the guts to try to succeed anyway on his own, finds a good race, pays their own way there, can they then can get bumped by a USST athlete? Yes--it happens, frequently.

This may not have been a big deal when most of the best US racers were on the US Team, but as the group of independent racers grows who are very very good, but are not on the team, these priority rules will I think become more controversial, because they will have a more significant effect on "who gets to play". (I hope this group grows, to keep the sport healthy. ) The rules about "who gets to play" deserve a second look, they are not fair.