Unfortunately, I've doubted the value of the forums from the start. I log on, read and then try to correct misunderstandings, misinformation, misconceptions and a mirad of other 'mis' and usually get flamed for it. I don't mind the heat, I live in the kitchen, but I do get tired of accusations such as the German intervenion statement. Where that came from I'll never know, and there will never be any proveable evidence - just he said, she said, but he is wrong.

It is common for a country to only play 1 uw team sport - ie Nordics only play uw rugby. It is unusual for a country to play both uw hockey and rugby - only few do: USA (very very small rugby group), Colombia, Turkey, Russia. German federation, according to my uw hockey contact there, would not support or allow entry for 2006 WC. They do play uw rugby (and very well) - women were gold in 2003 as I remember - big upset, great game.

So much of what I see on the forums is hearsay, rumor, inuendo (sp?), unfounded accusations that are offered as fact. Any of the forum 281 members ever been to a CMAS meeting?

CMAS does this hearsay thing too - ie the commission was formally accused/taken to the Disciplinary Commission by CMAS for not displaying the CMAS flag at the 2006 WC. No one was CMAS was there, so how did they come to this conclusion? and they were wrong - put up at opening, taken down a closing. The flag display was not the only accusation - there were more than 10 charges, and most of the charges were incorretly reported hearsay.

I will try to keep correcting factual errors I see, but I won't answer Romain except privately. So when someone makes a statement which looks/reads as fact, ask they if they were there? did they see it, did they talk to person(s) involved, etc? In US we have a kids game called 'gossip.' The political side of the forum resembles that game.

Let the flames begin........................

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Carol Rose