Markie Z Reaction To:

 "The Olympics Do Not Need Golf and Golf Surely Does Not Need the Olympics"

                                                        By Chris Chase for Fox Sports

Golf in the Olympics?  Apathy among top players?  Of course. That is so true.  Chris Chase is absolutely correct and accurately reporting the issue on behalf of Fox Sports. One big however though: Those that do not wish to compete do not have to. That is pretty simple. Those that do - let them. Another International Event is not going to hurt any sport. Just take the criteria and work one's way down until a player accepts the opportunity to play. Leave it up to the individual. Fill the field and award the medals at the end of play. The player that wins Gold can say he/she did. Period. If you do not want to attend the event, don't. If you do not wish to view the event or check on it online, don't. Shameless self-promoting criticism of an event is nothing more than bringing attention to your sponsors for others to see their name and logos (Adam Scott) for a few more impressions.  I am sure you can throw in a few more Tweets in there as well.

This article and the comments therein along with my comment/response is nothing more than a waste of time. Who cares what Adam Scott thinks? Adam Scott is free to do what he wants to do. I am free to read this article or not and to respond or not. What does that all mean and what good does it do? Nothing.  Everyone knows Tiger Woods hated playing in the Ryder Cup and it surely showed.  Mark O'Mear supported Tiger and that blackballed him for ever becoming a Ryder Cup Captain - and that hurt Mark's feelings.  I don;t blame Mark.  He was caught in between a rock and a hard place at that time.  Subsequent events changed life for both mark and Tiger. This is the last time I will spend any effort on this ridiculous topic (which was easily predicted by anyone - not just me) and the tabloid remarks made by "name" players. Play golf, or don't.  One should think about making comments and doing things that help people and society.  Personally, I prefer to use golf as a means to that end. That is a better and more productive use of one's time.  Enough said.

Mark Andrew Zwartynski    @markandrewz 

Link to the article: 
http://www.foxsports.com/golf/story/adam-scott-olympic-golf-qualifying-rio-summer-olympics-history-players-field-cut-042016

Legal, But Morally Dubious - Cheating in Sports

The champion athlete pursues every avenue to gain the “so-called” competitive edge.  More often than not taking this quest to the utmost gamble of the risk (if discovered) of losing everything.  Some people have made the statement to me, "legal, but morally dubious."    

However, what is “legal, but morally dubious?”  Who holds the authority on how to define and determine morality in sports.  Ultimately, is the fan?  The one who makes no decisions as to the course of the sport or its business, but pays dearly for its engaging entertainment value.  

Of course, “playing dirty,” “kicking your golf ball to improve your lie when no one is looking,” “corking your bat,” “deflating footballs,” etc., are much easier to define as there are rules agreed to by committees and competitors.  “Performance Enhancing Drugs” have been proven to make a difference between one who utilizes them over one who does not.  It is called an "uneven" playing field.  Therefore, committees, federations, competitors have staunchly taken up the mission to "level the playing field.  In some cases even to save lives and families.  

But I wonder about the court of public individual opinion and the personal determination of something being immoral and dubious.  Everyone always has an opinion.  At least on most subjects they are familiar with.  Go to a "sports" bar and you will find as many opinions as are in attendance. Therefore, morals and whether or not some thing or some act may be dubious is just that – an opinion.  It is not right or wrong.  Again, it is just an opinion. 

Mor·al

ˈmôrəl/noun

plural noun: morals

1.

a lesson, especially one concerning what is right or prudent, that can be derived from a story, a piece of information, or an experience.

"the moral of this story was that one must see the beauty in what one has"

Synonyms: lesson, message, meaning, significance, signification, import, point, teaching

"the moral of the story"

2.

a person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do.

"the corruption of public morals"

Synonyms: moral code, code of ethics, (moral) values, principles, standards, (sense of) morality, scruples

"he has no morals"  

Du·bi·ous

ˈd(y)o͞obēəs/adjective

1.

hesitating or doubting.

"Alex looked dubious, but complied"

Synonyms: doubtful, uncertain, unsure, hesitant; More

2.

not to be relied upon; suspect.

"extremely dubious assumptions"

Synonyms: suspicious, suspect, untrustworthy, unreliable, questionable;

So if an athlete is within the rules agreed upon by the committee and all competitors, but displays “suspect values,” is that athlete cheating?  

High Performance Breathing Technology Runners Win Two Gold Medals at IAAF World Indoor Championships

High Performance Breathing Technology Runners Patrick Feeney and Chris Giesting paced their four man team in the 4 x 400 metre relays for Team USA over two days to win the Gold Medal in the IAAF World Indoor Championships and nearly break the world record.

HPBT Runners Feeney and Giesting along with National Indoor Champion Vernon Norwood, Kyle Clemons, Calvin Smith and Elvyonn Bailey of team USA displayed a memorable performance in front of a sell-out crowd at the Oregon Convention Center for the IAAF World Indoor Championships held March 19 and 20, 2016.

Team USA finished with a 3:02.45 win, the third-fastest time ever indoors, just 0.33 seconds shy of the world record they set two years ago in Sopot, Poland. Bahamas (3:04.75) and Trinidad and Tobago (3:05.51) produced national indoor records to complete the medalists.

Chris Giesting, when asked about High Performance Breathing Technology and the Oxygen Advantage stated, “Since adopting the program in September it has improved my overall health, increased the threshold at which he was able to train in order to accomplish more during a single workout providing the edge of margin to separate himself from his competitors.’ Giesting, the fastest leg runner in the heats, produced a superb run (45.34) to build up an unsurmountable lead in the third leg of the finals as Norwood took the baton with the clock at 2:17.47.

Patrick Feeney, when asked about High Performance Breathing technology stated, “After a couple of weeks working with High Performance Breathing Technology’s Oxygen Advantage program I have been sleeping better than ever and feeling much more calm and relaxed.  It has helped me focus on the race at hand, trust my training and get my mind right for the best times I have ever run.”

Mark Andrew Zwartynski, Managing Partner of High Performance Breathing Technology, stated, “The combination of Founder Dr. Martin Denbar’s Airway Management strategy and Patrick McKeown’s Oxygen Advantage has introduced the newest natural program to improve athletic performance and be an alternative to certain illegal banned substances, the latter for which we are very proud of.”

Silver went to the Bahamas; Bronze was won by Trinidad & Tobago with Jamaica finishing fourth.

Guest Blogger Laura Walden - IOC, Doing the Right Thing - Refugee athletes get a second chance and hope for their Olympic Dream

IOC President Bach © IOC/C.Moratal

LAURA WALDEN (USA) / Sports Features Communications

(SFC) The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has created the Refugee Olympic Athletes (ROA) team giving athletes who have had to flee their homeland a second chance to compete at the Games. The IOC pledged to offer assistance to elite level athletes who were affected by the worldwide refugee crisis and came through with the opportunity.

National Olympic Committees (NOCs) were requested to identify any refugee athlete who might qualify for the Rio 2016 Games and these athletes might be able to receive aid and assistance from Olympic Solidarity to help them their preparations and qualification efforts.

IOC President Thomas Bach said, "By welcoming the team of Refugee Olympic Athletes to the Olympic Games Rio 2016, we want to send a message of hope for all refugees in our world.

"Having no national team to belong to, having no flag to march behind, having no national anthem to be played, these refugee athletes will be welcomed to the Olympic Games with the Olympic flag and with the Olympic Anthem. They will have a home together with all the other 11,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees in the Olympic Village."

Around 43 athletes have been targeted so far that are already receiving assistance and the ROA team for Rio 2016 is expected to number between five and 10 athletes. The EB decided today to close the call for new candidatures and only under exceptional circumstances requiring the approval of the IOC President will new candidates be considered. And the EB will also announce the names of those that will be approved to attend.

After Agenda 2020 was approved, the IOC carved out a special fund of US$2 million to establish relief projects in collaboration with the NOCs around the world.

The IOC will step in and has approved:

·         *The EB also approved the operational aspects surrounding Team ROA.

·       *  The name of the team will be Team Refugee Olympic Athletes;

·       *  Team ROA will get its own welcome ceremony at the Olympic Village, like all other teams;

·       *  The team will be housed like all the other teams;

·         *A team entourage will be appointed by the IOC to meet all the required technical needs of the athletes, including: Chef de Mission, coaches and technical officials (as per official quotas);

·         *The team uniforms will be provided by the IOC;

·         *For all official representations of the team (including possible medal ceremonies), the Olympic flag will be raised and the Olympic Anthem will be played;

·         *The team will march behind the Olympic flag before host team Brazil at the Opening Ceremony;

·        * An adequate insurance policy will be contracted;

·         *A proper doping control process will be introduced through the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA); and

·       *Olympic Solidarity will cover travel and other participation expenses for the team and will continue to support the athletes of the team after the Olympic Games.

**LAURA WALDEN has over twenty-five years of experience in the Olympic Movement, formerly at the European Olympic Committees with SportEurope under former IOC President Dr. Jacques Rogge and IOC Member Mario Pescante. She worked with the Rome 2004 and Turin 2006 Olympic bids and also managed PR & media for Dr. Jacques Rogge during his campaign for the presidency.

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Keywords · Olympics · IOC · refugees

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For more information contact:
Laura Walden (lwalden@sportsfeatures.com)

2016 Olympic Games Update - Not So Good!

There are many issues facing the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.  The continuation of conversation and speculation by the general public as to how cities are selected for all International Games is a never ending saga of sordid tales. 

In the middle of trying to host the two biggest athletic competitions in the world, Brazil is also impeaching its own president – Dilma Rousseff, struggling through an economic recession, attempting to complete a 16-km subway extension costing $247 million in time for the Olympics, and fight off a pair of mosquito-born viruses, including the Zika virus that has several Central and South American countries warning women not to get pregnant.

Beyond that, Olympic athletes will be competing in Guanabara Bay and Roridgo de Freitas Lagoon, two bodies of water that have heavy levels of pollution in them, to the point that athletes already in Rio training for the Games have gotten sick as a result.

Local interest in the Olympics is woefully short of expectations, according to sources, saying fewer than 50% of the 4.5 million tickets allocated for the host country have been sold.

Markie Z

Mark Andrew Zwartynski
Reference: SportsFeatures.com

Hybrid Sports & Science Execs Form Int'l Firm - High Performance Breathing Technology, LLC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Hybrid Sports & Science Executives Form International Firm

“More speed, stamina, better mental acuity, injury prevention and drug-free alternative to doping.”

Austin, Texas USA – February 17, 2016 – Veteran Sports and Science Executives have formed a new international sports performance company named High Performance Breathing Technology, LLC.  The brainchild of Dr. Martin Denbar, a forty year experienced Dentist and Diplomat (17 years) of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and Assistant Clinical Professor at Texas A&M University School of Medicine, High Performance Breathing Technology, LLC is a company combining two innovative therapeutic protocols:  Dr. Denbar’s improvement of one’s airway management, most importantly during competition, exercise, sleep and Patrick McKeown’s “The Oxygen Advantage”© program bringing year round high altitude results when training at sea level. The group specializes in addressing dysfunctional breathing and simulating high altitude training to improve speed, stamina, mental acuity and injury prevention for athletes of all levels.  HPBT also provides a drug-free alternative to the use of certain illegal banned substances in all sports. www.highpbt.com

Patrick McKeown M.A. TCD is an award winning author with over fifteen years’ experience.  A Director of Training and Education for Buteyko Clinic International and an International Practitioner and author of seven publications including his latest “The Oxygen Advantage”© published by Harper Collins Sept. 2015, brings the expert knowledge of working with over seven thousand athletes/clients supported by over 300 independent research studies to round out the program.  www.oxygenadvantage.com

The firm has been assembled by longtime sports and entertainment executive and published author Mark Andrew Zwartynski, Chairman of GP Capital Partners, parent company of The Mark Andrew Group.  Mark Andrew brings thirty years of senior level sports and entertainment industry experience, twenty years with the Indiana Pacers and the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association.

Gregory Carter M.D. PhD of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center serves as the Director of Medicine for HPBT.  Dr. Carter is also on the staff of the Sleep and Breathing Disorders Center at St. Paul University Hospital and Director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program of UT Southwestern Medical Center. 

David Craig LAT ATC serves as the Director of Athletic Training for HPBT after 35 years as the Head Athletic Trainer for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA and a part of two ABA championship teams.  The first president of the Indiana Athletic Trainers Association, he was named the “1993 Professional Clinician/Athletic Trainer of the Year” and in 1995 was inducted into the IATA Hall of Fame. David was Head Athletic Trainer for the 1985 and 1996 NBA All-Star Eastern Conference Teams, a winner of the Distinguished Trainer Award from the National Athletic Trainers Association and the 2003 recipient of the Joe O’Toole NBA Athletic Trainer of the Year Award.  David works with many USOC member teams. 

Mark K. Sullivan serves as General Counsel of High Performance Breathing Technology, LLC and oversees all international legal matters.  Mark is a 2014 Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, Trial Lawyer Honorary Society. He was named one of Indianapolis’ Top Lawyers by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine as well as an Indiana Super Lawyer and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers.

Contact: Mark Andrew Zwartynski at 214-552-0652 and markandrew@highpbt.com

Markie Z Presents Guest Blogger Neil Wilson: "The Olympic Zika Question - To Go or Not Go to the Games"

Markie Z Presents with Permission from Sports Features.com

NEIL WILSON: The Olympic Zika question - to go or not to go to the Games

Zika virus has become the latest more personal threat to the Games / Bigstock

THE NEIL WILSON COLUMN / An exclusive, authoritative series from Sports Features Communications

(SFC) To go or not to go. That to misuse Shakespeare is the question that is suddenly on the lips of  Olympians who expected their only thoughts in 2016 to be focussed on gold in Rio.

Not put off by the pollution of waters in Guanabara Bay, the gaoling of corrupt executives of companies building Olympic stadia or Brazil's severe economic woes, they are seriously concerned about the latest more personal threat.  In short, Aedus aegypti, the mosquito that carries the Zika virus which was declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation this month.

Fear has spread as rapidly as the virus in Brazil. Kenya's Olympic Committee head Kip Keino said that his country may not attend. The Australian and US Olympic committees said females should consider the risks of going.

Toni Minichiello, coach to Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, urged the British to move its Olympic acclimatisation camp away from the infected area. Double Olympic rowing champion Andy Trigg Hodge said his wife would not be going to cheer his attempt at a third gold.

Hope Solo, goalkeeper for the US Olympic soccer team, told SI.com that had she had to make the decision 'today' she would not go.

The serious threat to health exists largely for women who are pregnant or planning to be pregnant imminently because of the yet unproven but suspected link with birth defects in the new-born.  Cases among both sexes of it causing Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a serious disease of the nervous system, have also been found in Brazil.

The expert view is that it will not affect future pregnancies and that only one in five of those infected by the mosquitoes will show any symptoms. In the ones who do they will be mild, a fever, rash, joint pain and sore eyes lasting several days.

Not something you want at the peak of the four-year cycle of training for an Olympic challenge but hugely unlikely to affect your health long term.

Thousands of cases of infection are being reported by health authorities now but now in Brazil is summer, the mosquito season. When the Olympic Games takes place in August it will be winter, the Northern Hemisphere equivalent of February. Mosquitoes in February are a rarer breed.

Mosquito repellent and long sleeves may be an extremely efficient protection from those rare February moskies. The eradication efforts by the Rio authorties will reduce the threat further.

So the question is still: to go or not to go. Wrestling's world governing body has just conducted a test event in Rio. It reports that all competitors and officials returned healthy. And that is at the height of summer.

So the odds are good that in August everybody will be safe. The dilemma though remains. Not all will be as gung-ho as Ronak Pandit who has coached his wife Heena Sidhu to a place on India's Olympic shooting team.

"The way I see it it's better to die for an Olympic gold than be scared and sit at home," he told Reuters.  No answer was requested from his wife.

** NEIL WILSON reported his first Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. He has since covered another nine summer and nine winter Olympics for various newspapers, including The Independent and the Daily Mail with whom he has worked for the last 19 years as Athletics and Olympic correspondent. He was Britain's Sports Journalist of the Year in 1984 and is the author of seven books.

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Keywords · Olympics · Neil Wilson

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For more information contact:
Laura Walden (lwalden@sportsfeatures.com)