Board Hoard

Most of the Olympic Trials drama came after the actual events, when both men’s and women’s sailboard selections were decided in some downright sketchy procedures. From the “truth is stranger than fiction” category, Delta Blues posted this:

Executive Director Leighton shared that US SAILING’s expenses associated with the Article 15 hearings and arbitration regarding the Women’s Windsurfing athlete selection is projected to be $120,000.

The cost of the Olympic Sailing Team arbitration ($145,000 so far) has removed most of the elasticity in the budget of both the Association and the Olympic Sailing Committee.

So a little rip in a windsurfing sail ends up costing U.S. Sailing $145,000 to sort out. Just why does it cost anything at all? Don’t they have volunteers, who are experts in their fields who can handle this stuff? Just why do they have to spend $145,000? Would they be willing to provide an itemized list of those who received this money and what they got paid for?

And haven’t they told us repeatedly that the Olympic money and the Association’s money are separate? Just why has the "Olympic Sailing Team arbitration ($145,000 so far) removed most of the elasticity in the budget of both the Association and the Olympic Sailing Committee”?? How could this $145,000 expenditure remove any elasticity in the association’s budget?

Fool me once dude, fool me once.