Thirty-eight readers, 6,300 words: Ski racing fans react to Bode Miller 60 Minutes segme

“When he competes for Olympic gold medals in Turin next month, count on World Cup champion Bode Miller to be sober because, as he tells Bob Simon, skiing drunk is too hard,” read the first paragraph of the release. “He ought to know. He says he’s done it before and won’t promise not to do it again.”

That segment aired Sunday night, and now Skiracing.com wants to know what you think. Did Miller overstep a line? Did CBS? Has the issue been blown out of proportion? What will happen next?

Dear Ski Racing:

Bode’s comments are honest and straight-forward. It’s time, we(ski racing fans and the media) start giving him great credit for that. Even though his comments open things up for trouble.

CBS is to blame for how they promoted the story. I fell for it. I bet when “60 Minutes” wins an Emmy, there are a lot of hung over employees in the office the next day. So come on.

Bode does not have to apologize to anybody.

Thanks

William M. Repplinger
Aspen, Colo.
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You have got to be kidding. So he was a little childish celebrating his WC overall early and racing the next morning on fumes butit is hardly worth all the uproar. CBS using his coaches statements, probably out of context, manipulated things to exaggerate the whole story. I did not get the feeling that he was saying he drove drunk either. There was a good connection to his babe in the woods upbringing and how naively he handles the media and the public.Maybe he is shirking his responsiblity to be a positive role model but I did not hear any evidence of illegality just poor judgement. He is a great skier but that does not mean he is a great politician. I can not help thinking of the quote he doth protest too much about the lack of privacy as his actions and statements bring it on. This stuff pales in comparison to all the tragedy going on in the world.

Ciao,
Philip
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Instead of watching “60 Minutes,” if you want to find out about Bode, buy his book, it’s great.  Why does the FIS hand out champagne when racers are presented their medals?
 
Dick Wagner
Harbor Springs, Mich.
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What hypocrisy. USSA, the national governing body of the sport and an organization the vast majority of whose members are under the legal drinking age, has accepted sponsorship from the likes of Budweiser beer and Captain Morgan rum.  I recall a freestyle nationals event a few years ago at which underage competitors wore ‘Captain Morgan rum’ bibs, the venue was dominated by a two-story balloon of the Captain Morgan rum pirate, and an actor dressed as Captain Morgan cavorted with children and distributed T-shirts and other Captain Morgan trinkets. I remember the flashing Captain Morgan rum ad that at one time appeared on the home page of USSA’s Web site, linking it to the Captain Morgan rum Web site.  

If Bode Miller, who is not an underage drinker, celebrated his World Cup overall title and was hung over at the next day’s slalom race – which is what I took him to say in the CBS interview – we can understand and, perhaps, sympathize.  What is hard to understand is how USSA can promote alcohol use to a membership dominated by kids while expecting athletes to abstain. At least Bode Miller is honest.
 
Deirdre Henderson
Chatham Center, N.Y.
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I don’t claim to know Bode Miller. I, like many, am just a fan of Ski Racing and the athletes on the U.S. Ski team.
 
As a fan I am saddened to see a young amazing athlete like Miller make comments to the media about alcohol and skiing.  As a skier who profits from the exposure of his results he should be more aware of the impact his status and statements can make to idolizing youngsters who may aspire to be like him. 
 
Miller often claims that FIS and the media are profiting off of him and other athletes on the World Cup circuit. Welcome to the new world of athletics, sponsors and media. You can say what you want but without the sponsors and media there would not be much income for the athletes. Without the media and sponsors the skiers would compete more for the love of the sport and not bicker about profits going to the organizations and agencies that create and promote the events. Sounds like the World Cup circuit back in the 1960s and ’70s.  Athletes then were probably not much different than those today. They just didn’t have a worldwide microphone to make such immature statements.
 
I wish Bode and the rest of the U.S. Ski Team the best.  Bode will grow up soon enough.  It’s just top bad that he has to be interviewed in the process.

Erik Boye
Boulder, Colo.
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I’m not disappointed.  I’m not even surprised. I just chalk it up to inefficient use of my personal bandwidth, and move on.
 
Furthermore, can’t we all just settle this over a pint?
 
As a preliminary matter, know this:  I am a ski racer, a lifelong study of the sport, and I know Bode personally.  Not well enough to call him a good friend but certainly well enough to know the man and not the image created by the press or his sponsors, good or bad. So yes, I am biased.
 
That said, as with most anything these days that manages to infiltrate my my personal mass-media spam-blocker-styled defenses, after hearing the advance copy about “60-Minutes” ‘ impending expose on Bode Miller’s latest experiment with mass-media candor, my initial reaction was moderate disdain. 
 
For “60 Minutes,” that is…
 
Bode will be fine, trust me. 
 
“60 Minutes,” however, is apparently going down. And faster than I had thought. Along with the rest of Western civilization and it’s inversion of the value of “freedom of the press.”
 
Is it just me, or is this the revelation we’ve all been handed, in a nutshell:
 
“This just in: Bode Miller was just in an interview in which he was honest about who he is and what he has done in the past, and can neither confirm nor deny that he will never (insert socially unacceptable behavior here) again.”
 
Does this mean he’s not going to be confirmed as chief justice?
After all we’ve heard about the blatant illegalities running rampant and throughout our traditional American pastimes, do you mean to tell me that Bode is suddenly the media’s pinata for partying the night before a big race and still being hung over the next day?
 
Gee, I’ve never done THAT before …  And I can neither confirm nor deny that I won’t do it again. Guess I’m not going to be confirmed as chief justice, either. But just try to stop me from being a ski racer. Go on, I dare ya …
 
I don’t know about you folks, but it takes a lot more than a few frank out-of-context comments by Mr. Miller to the press to raise the rabble of my moral indignation. A whole lot more. And the fact that this non-story was spawned by the penultimate icon of Journalistic integrity, that’s enough to, well, raise the rabble of my moral indignation!
 
I don’t know about the rest of the ski racing world, or about sports fans in general, but for my part, my response to the story was “… and your point is?”
 
RATINGS, of course, that’s the point! This is an Olympic year. We need to colorize these athletes so that there’s a reason for the average Tennessean viewer to watch the Games every four years. We’ve got ad-time to sell! Bode is the anti-athlete, the Seven-Up, the UN-cola of ski racers. That’s got to be worth a few Neilsen points. I can almost see the up close and personal Olympic Bode vignette being written before my eyes.  Young man grows up wild in the sticks, troubled youth, arrested for stealing a car, then discovers ski racing and makes good.  Sound familiar?
 
Why this “story” has legs at all is a mystery to me; honestly, part of me wonders if there’s as much of a public outcry as the press seems to want us to believe that there is. Frankly, I sense a disturbance in the force on this one. Perhaps it’s a vast, right wing conspiracy, hatched in order to draw Bode’s fans’ collective affections away from him because of his recent outspoken commentary in relation to banned substances. He’s can’t be our kind of hero.  He’s a brand, after all (we know, we made him, right?), and perception of brands need to be controlled.  I mean, he’s got his own radio show, for crying out loud, where he AND Howard Stern can say anything.  Unacceptable!  He must be stopped!!
 
Or, perh
aps CBS wants to dull the shine of NBC’s upcoming Olympic gala whose collective fortunes will rest, at least in part, on the draw of Bode.  Maybe NIKE didn’t send enough promotional Air-Jordans to the crew at Sixty Minutes.  On the other hand, Bill Johnson’s bad boy image certainly didn’t hurt the Olympic television ratings in 1984.  Heck, I think there was even a mini-series, albeit a forgettable one.  Perhaps the revelations of this past week’s Sixty Minutes have just done NBC a huge favor.  There is no such thing as bad publicity in an Olympic year, right?  Which begs the question:  Maybe the evil empire owns all the networks already.  Or, perhaps NIKE’s trying to bail on Bode because of the performance-enhancing substances comments, and NIKE’s CEO and CBS’s CEO play golf at the same country club, so, there you have it.
 
The extreme likelihood of the foregoing conspiracy theories notwithstanding, one circumstance that’s not in question:  Network television in general, and CBS in particular, has very much succumbed to economic pressures inherent in the “professional integrity” vs. “duty to shareholders” equation.  The irony here, of course, is that that once proud bastion of “journalistic integrity, Sixty Minutes, has fallen so far, so fast. The show’s credibility has, ultimately, become its liability.  The Bode story is a merely a symptom of the mass-media disease those of us who surf as fast as possible through the lower cable channels already know about.  Everything that comes through those lower numbers is steeped in someone’s agenda.
 
It’s no secret that network television, in particular the news divisions of network television, have for the past quarter-century been steadily lowering their journalistic standards in order to quell the mass exodus of news consumers to alternative information outlets.  That process has, of course, been vastly accelerated by the advent of cable news outlets such as Fox and CNN.
 
Am I paranoid?  Apparently so.  But I no longer watch television to obtain information.  For me, that function gave way to the internet a long time ago.  I watch television to be entertained, so I don’t typically watch Sixty Minutes anymore.
 
But I will be watching Bode.
 
Troy Watts
North Woodstock, N.H.
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Bode made a million new Bode and/or ski fans!!! CBS loves him!!!

Betty Larson
Amherst, N.H.
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I thought Bode’s interview was interesting and I applaud him for his candidness.  The sensationalism of the CBS press release was tremendously overblown, but it did lead many people to tune in to the show and discover Bode for the unique individuality that fuels his popularity and just may help the public discover alpine ski racing.  One disconcerting aspect to this case is the fiscal irresponsibility of Marolt in wasting precious USSA funds flying to Europe to reprimand his prized athlete.  The success of Bode is one of the main reasons USSA has attracted funding for it’s programs and now “Saint William” is foolishly spending those funds on an ill advised journey.
 
John
Denver, Colo.
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I think the most troubling part of the interview was not when Bode admitted to putting his life at risk by racing drunk, but when he said in a cavalier manner that he could not rule out doing it again.  Perhaps you cannot take the partying out of the circuit, but you can certainly take yourself out of an insignificant race once you’ve already secured the Overall if you or the race crew and coaches on the hill could be at risk.  Most people learn from their mistakes.  Unfortunately, it may take a more catastrophic outcome to alter Mr. Miller’s future actions on the World Cup.
 
Christine Feehan
Truckee, Calif.
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I think …
 
Bode is honest.  He sees hypocrisy and flaws in certain rules and questions them.  Not only for himself, but for those that he cares about – like other WC racers that have been hit hard by these rules and have to live with them day and day out.  He’s not afraid to voice his thoughts and he’ll use himself and his own actions (i.e. racing with a HANG OVER, not while drinking – c’mon CBS) as an example of where things are flawed – even if it means that he’ll lose support and fans.
 
In the end, he’ll make a difference.  He’ll lose some weak support, keep the strong support, and gain more support than he had before.
He’ll make the US more aware of ski racing.
 
He won’t lose this fan.
 
Go Bode!

Marty
Longmont, Colo.
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What a joke:
 
   – If an NFL player admitted to being drunk on the field (at least one basically already has…Super Bowl winner Joe Namath!) nobody would bat an eyelash. Or maybe (a) the coaches/owners would be overjoyed because it wasn’t an admission of steroid and/or recreational drug use and (b) the beer/liquor sponsors would be overjoyed because…well, you can figure that one out, right?
 
   – Bode gets beat up NOT for doing Bad Things (everybody does that…getting drunk is bad, right? I can think of some (ahem) Former World Leaders who are currently on trial for Somewhat Greater Malfeasances)…but for telling the truth.  Sound familiar, anybody who grew up in the 60s?
 
   -  It’s obvious Bode isn’t happy with ski racing right now, and you can hardly blame him. Read his book: being happy and staying true to himself are pretty much rules #1 and 2. So…
 
   – …enter Stage Left, Bill Marolt, former football coach with a management style to match who will “speak to Miller to ‘work with him to both recognize the seriousness of his comments and to reach a positive outcome.'” You can already tape THAT conversation. Result: Bode says hell will freeze over before he apologizes for what he said, quits the U. S. team…and gets happy again, leaving the door open for the next Bode, which isn’t all bad, either…
 
Richard Malmros
Berthoud, Colo.
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I had the good fortune to see the Beaver Creek DH and GS races; in which the US team (as Chad Fleisher likes to say) laid down the LAW! Bode’s GS performance was simply unreal. I looked forward to the “60 Minutes” profile with great interest, as Bode has never been boring in an interview.  Interestingly, it came on shortly after OLN aired coverage of the Adelboden GS and SL, in which he DNF’d the SL and his GS showing was less than inspired- maybe starting every race for 3+ years is taking a toll, or maybe it is the constant crush of media and fans. “60 Minutes” proved to be very interesting, as expected.
 
I enjoy Bode’s honesty, and admire his tenacity and his skill. My take is that he stays out late and has a few drinks occasionally (or often, who knows!) and definitely did so the night after he won the World Cup overall title, even though he had a race the next day. Who wouldn’t??  He likes to party (didn’t Alberto Tomba? no one came down this hard on him!) and could maybe use a little better judgment in the way he phrases things. He certainly was not condoning ski racing while bombed; nor did he say he drank right before a race. Bode is an incredibly exciting ski racer to watch and has the potential to draw a lot of extra interest to the Winter Olympics and to ski racing, let’s hope the USSA/FIS don’t blow this out of proportion. Bode is also the epitome of an intrinsically motivated athlete; if he is no longer having fun, or challenging himself, he will just walk away. How unfortunate would THAT be for fans of ski racing!
 
I thought Bob Simon did a good job as interviewer, and that the producers put togther a profile which, on the whole, was pretty balanced. The only unbalanced part was that CBS Press Release!!!! They could have have hyped the piece with plenty of other stuff; instead they took the low road and chose sensationalism. 
Â
 
Carol Hill
South Dartmouth, Mass.
 
P.S. love the Photo Gallery-GREAT addition to the site! one of the reasons I subscribe to the print edition is for the great pics, glad to see some on line
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Read some of the letters on this matter, and also read the direct quotes from the interview.  Apparently, this is what Miller said: ‘You’re putting your life at risk. . . . It’s like driving drunk, only there are no rules about it in ski racing.’ Asked if the risk meant he would never ski drunk again, Miller, 28, replied, ‘No, I’m not saying that.’ Face it.  Bode isn’t a ‘fresh voice’ that needs to ‘be understood.’  He’s a highly talented racer and jerk, who clearly refused to say that he would never ski drunk again; an inspiring symbol for all of our country’s young racers, skiers and snowboarders.  If athletes seek fame and the money that goes with it, then they need to consider the effect of their personal actions and statements.  So do their sponsors.  Miller’s right about one thing, our great sport is like driving, and anyone who skis impaired is an enormous risk to the rest of us.  It would please me no end to see another message broadcast by the USSA (if it has the moral courage): dump the poor ‘misunderstood’ jerk from the national team. 

James Elliott
Tennessee, USA

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If Bill Marolt can get Bode to retract his 60 Minutes statements and eat crow in front of the ski world, he should get back on the plane in Zurich and head straight to Baghdad the man would have to be a world-class persuader. (Maybe he could even get Brad and Jennifer back together. Or Spider and Claudine.) There is no way Bode gives an inch on this one. After Bode politely tells Bill to pound sand, then he should reimburse all of us USST supporters for his wasted plane fare in the form of an open bar at the Dutch Treat in Franconia.

David Lavallee
Easton, N.H.
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To whom it may concern:

In reference to Bode, his life embodies the spirit of the mountain, like many others before him. I feel that every day is a cause for celebration. Bode has the human born right to express himself as he sees fit. Who are we to judge him for his comments, he his in my book a sincere driven warrior. So enough of Bode this, Bode that, let the racer shine and embrace the soul that he is so that we can cherish his achievement , without stripping him of his dignity as a
man.

Sincerely,
Tracker Dan, Mountain Man
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Dear SR:

Post “60 Minutes,” Bode is being judged for his attitudes toward his own health and safety, and those of others, especially young skiers who follow him. He clearly indicated that he’s raced “in rough shape” more than once, and may do so again. FIS, not Bill Marolt, said Bode is on thin ice for his comments, and contrary to what some fans think, Marolt is now running cover for Bode, not badgering him. Marolt must make a report to FIS. I would not be surprised if the IOC makes an inquiry as well.

This incident should serve as fair warning to all athletes who feel they can avoid drug, safety and health issues in professional sports; especially ski racing. You cannot have it both ways – a good living from sports, largely due to mass marketing an image, and no concerns for how your public conduct (i.e. voluntary TV interviews) affects others, especially impressionable kids. My 16 year old son gave me Bode’s book for Chistmas, which I read. We saw the 60 Minutes piece. We met Bode once, with my friend Bill Johnson, for whom we have volunteered since his brain injury, including hooking Bill up with the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire (BIANH), which has raised over $30,000 in two years for NH brain injury victims at the BIANH Bill Johnson Vertical Challenge (Mt. Cranmore). Though we admire Bode’s history, his family, and his success, we were shocked and saddened that he apparently thinks promoting his use of alcohol is OK, and that he does not care what we think about it. As a former racer, teacher and ski coach, I’ve seen top adults and kids from all over the world seriously injured, even the paralyzed, in downhill crashes racing stone cold sober at the top of their game. Even Bode has crashed racing completely sober; once resulting in serious knee surgery. Anyone who races knows Bill’s story; Bode especially (he counseled Bill not to make the comeback). Racing does not need more kids thinking great skiers should or must be reckless to win. Professionals know that is not the case, and that recklessness can get you killed.

Bode has an incredible story, and much to say on many very important topics, ranging from war and peace, to Olympic integrity, to how he has revolutionized his sport. While 60 Minutes told us fascinating things about Bode, it left us wondering why he needs to drink. I hope Bode will now think more about that, and at least will discourage kids from mixing alcohol and racing. A true champion would even apologize.

Sincerely,

Attorney Harold Burbank
Canton, Conn.
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I just read all of the comments from readers regarding the whole “60 Minutes” story.
It is quite interesting how all of the responses which were in support of Bode appeared to be from folks who actually watched the “60 Minutes” piece, while those who expressed dismay and even anger towards Bode, appear to be reacting only to the sensationalism proffered by a CBS headline aimed at the lowest common denominator.
.
I say booo to CBS’s extremely poor choice in advertising what proved to be a very interesting and well done interview with a most worthy and intriguing subject.
Go Bode! Your honesty is a shining light in the darkness, too bad some CBS lackey and his poor judgement tried to cast you in shadow. But not to worry, as always the truth prevails!

Brian Santos
Mount Shasta, Calif.
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The totality of Bode’s interview clearly demonstrated more insightful and inspirational thinking than the CBS press release signaled when it focused on the “sensational” snippet about skiing “wasted.” I would have preferred it if Bode had disavowed future “wasted” skiing in the future. But the specific incident, coming the day after celebrating his World Cup title, seems like the kind of blip that can happen in our lives – not the best judgment but not the summation of who we are. This guy has awesome talent, and an interesting perspective usually worth considering even if I ultimately don’t find myself in agreement with his thinking. I’m still a huge fan.

Mike Grossmann
Olympia, Wash.

P.S. Way to go Ted – Adelboden 2006
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Kudos to Bode. As a native professional skier of Austria, living for the past 40 years in the US let me tell you Bode is the medicine the sport needs. Without him and Daron there would be no US men’s Ski team. Period. Having met Bode a few times at the Hahnenkamm I came away only with the best impression. A super guy that is open minded and dedicated the sport. If he want’s to have a beer now and then, that is his perogative. He brings more spectators to the events, even Hermann does not have that kind of following in Europe. Keep it up Bode, the world loves you.

Rolf Lackner, Malibu, Calif.
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If Bode truly wanted to be left alone by the media, why does he continue to serve it up for them? A reality check is in order…

Alex B.
Somerville, Mass.
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