When Marion Jones visited Belize a few years ago, she was still a world track and field superstar. Everybody in Belize wanted a piece of Marion, because Belizeans, like people all over the world, love a winner.
Marion’s descent into shame and ignominy has been dramatic. In March, she began serving a six-month sentence in an American federal prison. Presently, she is halfway there, where her period of incarceration is concerned. Each day for her must seem like an interminable nightmare. Morally, Marion was perhaps not innocent, but legally, Marion was certainly a victim of circumstances.
The world of steroids in American (and international) sports is a shadowy and sordid one. Marion was a track star from childhood, long before there was even the possibility that her dietary supplements were tainted with steroids. Track and field stars in the United States become the property, so to speak, of their coaches. The coach has to know everything about them, and they must do everything the coach tells them to do. We say Marion was probably not innocent morally, because she must have heard things. But she would not have wanted to follow up what she heard. You must understand. Things were going very well. Why question those who had made success possible?
At Kremandala, our support for Marion Jones is greater now than when she was a superstar. We want America and the world to know that Marion was no better or no worse than anyone else in track. In her prime, what she was, was faster than anyone else in track. She ended up being made a scapegoat.
Belizeans, we want you to study carefully the murder of convicted steroid trafficker, David Jacobs, 35, who was shot to death in a Dallas, Texas suburb, along with his girlfriend, Amanda Jo Earhart-Savell, 30, a professional fitness competitor, on Thursday, June 5, 2008. This story will quickly be swept under the American media rug, because the National Football League (NFL), the richest sports league in the world, does not want it discussed any more than it has to be.
The Dallas Morning News reported on Friday, June 6, that: “Bodybuilder David Jacobs started one of the largest steroids trafficking networks in the United States, and he said he sold to bodybuilders, police officers and National Football League players.
“His network was shut down last year and he got three years of probation in exchange for his help with a nationwide effort to crack down on underground steroid providers and users. He claimed his steroids ended up in the hands of NFL players. He has shared information with the league.”
There is no doubt in our minds that David Jacobs was murdered to shut his mouth. Marion, America is bogus. The world is bogus. Remember this, to paraphrase words from the movie classic CASABLANCA, you’ll always have Belize. For us, it’s plenty good enough. Stay strong, Lady Jones.