by site editor Rick McCharles
This is one of the few interactive gymnastics websites where a regular commenter who goes by the name TCO … or, more recently, as apolytongp … has not been “banned” or, at least, edited.
At a key stroke I could ban him too.
But I don’t want to at this time.
He’s boring. Repetitious.
An Amerocentric war monger.
A gymnastics substance abuse conspiracy theorist.
On the other hand, apolytongp’s many times been first to find gymnastics stories on the internet. He’s passionate. We’ve had some very good conversations online.
The internet is all about giving EVERYONE an equal voice. Even apolytongp. He’s trying to limit the profanity on my request. I appreciate that.
I just wish he’d start his own blog. We’d all then be able to leave our comments there.
Note that the comments are pretty much “buried” on this site. Most people don’t read them. I rarely read comments on sites other than this one, especially YouTube.
25 comments ↓
Long live Apolytongp/TCO! In the so-called new era of peace, we need a gymnastics-centric warmonger. The more passion, the better. Keep up the good work, and keep it clean.
he’s been banned from so many site already, i hope he cleans it up a little
I suggested he started his own blog. He said he didn’t have time.
I request you ask yourself one question. If TCO/Apolytongp or whatever his current name is posted comments stereotyping/mocking any racial or religious group in the same way as he has women, would you still allow him to post on your site?
I’m not talking about cussing or commenting on women’s appearances, or legitimate discussion of gender differences in physiology or psychology. I don’t care about that. It’s the misogynistic stuff, like the U.S. WAG team having less “spirit” than the U.S. MAG team, and the implications that some female gymansts have freakish bodies, etc…..
If you can stand in front of a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and say the answer is yes, by all means let him stay here. It’s your site. I’ll still read it.
The Internet is about giving everyone an equal voice, but it is also about community, and no functional community allows people to transgress the rules of that community at will.
And TCO, before you start whinging about “political correctness”, this is coming from someone who thought Larry Summers got a raw deal.
I don’t appreciate TCO/Apolytyon GP/Whatever friend requesting me on gymnastike and youtube linking me to videos in which he insults my favorite gymnast over and over again and commenting on my videos with video links asking me to score floor routines. And in the comment section of those videos it says (generic Nastia insult)
I’m sick of him and I wish this site had a block feature like the rest…
Internet is SERIOUS BUSINESS!
After I started my blog I learned that I preferred message boards.
Aside from … generic slight about Nastia … he has been pretty mellow of late.
And Nastia is laughing all the way to the bank.
As a big celebrity now, she will be getting hundreds of negative comments on the internet every day. TCO/Apolytyon will be one of many.
If other sites want to ban him, that’s their right. But it’s easy to avoid him on Gymnastics Coaching. Don’t read the comments.
I don’t care about him not liking Nastia, that’s fine but calling people maggots and other names crosses the line in my book and I don’t like reading it.
if you can, please moderate his comments more.
Maggot?
That is border line, for sure.
Of course I called Jennifer Sey a “liar”. That might even be worse.
I tend to dismiss his comments, barely reading them. Will watch a little closer in future.
I don’t have a problem with Liar as this term can possible be true for people. Maggot, not only is it derogatory in my mind (as with many other terms), but it’s also just not true.
You’re lucky that Mike Brown never commented on your blog. He’s much worse than TCO. Now both of them appear to be inactive, so I guess things are fine for now.
I’m curious what TCO/Apolyton has to say to get him banned? What is “crossing the line” in your opinion?
TCO has posted some of the most vicious, nasty things I’ve ever read. My personal favorite was around late Oct/early Nov when he so poetically posted that Shawn was “more deserving to live” than Nastia. But freedom of speech, right?
Sure, Nastia is laughing all the way to the bank. Maybe. And maybe she reads gymnastic blogs like this and those comments really hurt her. Let’s keep in mind she’s a 19 year-old kid.
So I have to ask you, Coach Rick, how would you feel if some of these comments were directed at a family member of yours, one of the kids you coach, or someone you actually cared about?
I’m with cidlover on this one; how would you feel if the person he was relentlessly bashing was someone you knew or cared about? The thing with the internet is any of the athletes can read these and who knows how it affects them. Plenty of people read comments on this site or (what used to be) gymnast.com for feedback and other opinions, etc., it’s youtube that most people don’t read comments on I don’t think.
Furthermore, he can have an opinion, negative or positive, about any and every gymnast he wants, but being a broken record has got to stop.
Additionally, he says things like “Valeri should hang his head low” and “Valeri should never have married a rhythmic gymnast”. Yes, because that’s how you choose who to marry, by who will give you a kid with the best genes. *Rolls eyes* I respect his opinion but he does not respect other peoples’ opinions or any athlete that does better than his favorite. I personally, evidently along with other people as well, would have no problem with him being banned from this site if possible.
I’m sorry I meant I agree with ally about if someone was bashing someone you knew or cared about.
Which offspring do you think would make a better tumbler?
1. Mary Lou and Valerie Liukin?
or
2. Jon Horton and Yelena Produnova?
I can’t recall anything said on this site by TCO / apolytongp that was terrifically offensive.
Some are mixing up comments made on other sites with those made on this site.
I’ve never once been tempted to ban him, truth be told.
I boycott the Los Angeles Times because of one article I once read by one reporter. If you don’t like the comments on this site, don’t read them.
Simple.
I think Valeri + Prod would have made the best tumbler…. and I dont care about TCO/whatever, the internet is a world-wide forum. Some people are just nasty, but they still have opinions. And can be entertaining.
I mean look at stupid Perez Hilton, that guy is a grade-A douche and makes a fortune of being an ass to celebrities.
But Rick, sometimes there are good things in the comments so reading them can be a good thing.
His comments about Other people such as ““more deserving to live†than Nastia” That’s is just plain wrong in my book.
Coach Rick
I admit I might be blurring some of the comments he made here with things I read on other sites, but he’s made plenty of offensive comments on this blog.
The bottom line is this is your blog and you can allow whoever and whatever you want on it.
USA! USA!
Sometimes I see his name on a comment and skip right over it … but it can detract from this otherwise great website when he starts taking comment threads off-topic to put down certain people. I know he’s trying to get a rise out of people but there are clever ways of doing it and there are elementary school tactics – of which he seems to prefer the latter.
I started a thread on another board, called “the end of trolling” (mimicing “the end of science” or “the end of history”) as a meme/book title. I’ve done all the obvious stuff and even most non-obvious stuff so much and for so long (well before entering the Gymternet). I may need to start behaving, now, just to keep it fresh.
Ha …
“I may need to start behaving, now, just to keep it fresh.”
That will freak out your haters. Kill them with kindness. They won’t know if you are being sarcastic, or … messing with their minds.
I got myself banned from Jennifer Sey’s site. And I was being very respectful and polite. … Until she banned me.
I have to say I’m surprised by your reaction to this, Coach Rick.
This is a good website with a lot of interesting articles that interest my 10 and 12 year-old gymnast daughters. My kids have read TCO’s comments and wonder if they are allowed because this is a Canadian website!
But you believe in freedom of speech and it is your blog. It’s a shame that I have to ban my kids from further reading of this site. They can get gymnastic info from plenty of other sites.
Sorry about that ally.
But this site is clearly directed to adult coaches. Most posts would not be interesting for most children.
(Please be sure to ban YouTube. It’s the worst of all for kids.)
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