What is your point? All I said was I don't get why everyone is so upset at the author and writing with such rage. I am not into sports, haven't watched any of the Olympics and having no vested interest one way or another; viewed this as a piece more about human interactions. I am a chef, I sometimes have similar subtext about most people's eating habits. I keep the thoughts to myself and always show appreciation for a meal someone prepares for me, no matter what my actual thoughts are on the quality and execution. I think we all have similar thoughts about the things we see ourselves as experts on. This article made me feel more connected to my fellow man...not a bad thing.

I am being banished from Salon for trying to be civil?

weird.

"Sey hasn't earned the right to hate on the masses - because, while she thinks otherwise, she was never an elite athlete.

Elite gymnasts are not defined by National or World Championships.

They are defined by the Olympics.

And "elite" gymnasts win medals. Otherwise they are just another one of many...i.e. NOT "elite"."

No. Elite gymnasts are defined by National or World Championships or the Olympics. Your dubious definition of elite - only Olympic medal winners, is just your way to take a silly shot at Sey. Get over it already. It's not a big deal.

Okay. So....? I said Sey's point was rude and she admits being a jerk in this instance. Also, your "reversal" echos what I said in my letter about whose Ox is gored and how people often don't hesitate to condescend when they are the "betters". I guess I should thank you for the example so thanks.

I see you a lot of you folks are still ranting on just because Ms. Sey's article hurt your wittle feelings because it put your largely mediocre and mostly leisure time or past athletic pursuits in perspective. Yeah, yeah you played

We already had perspective so no, that's not why we're so pissed. We are angry and her, and disgusted by her, because she deigns to come in here and tell us that we didn't actually do the things we did (demonstrably so -- I have picture!). Anyone other than an elite performer hasn't actually "done" anything. To say that the woman who was on her high school swim team was doing nothing more than "floating" in a pool? No, actually she was swimming competitively, at a standard high-school-athlete level.

baseball in Little League, swan in HS, did gymnastics when you were little, played basketball in the Y leagues, shuffled along and did a couple of marathons or a Corporate Challeneges, yadda, yadda, so you foolishly flatter yourselves and think you can compare yourselves to the elite in those sports because, after all, you are/were a baseball/basketball player, gymnast, runner, etc., too and you know how it is. No, you don't. The level they are doing it at is so far removed and so fundamentally different from what you did/do, that any comparison is laughable.

Who is comparing themselves to her? I'm certainly not. The other letter writers weren't. The only person who thinks that people are comparing themselves to her is Miss Sey, which demonstrates nothing more than a total failure to understand normal human interaction, i.e. to find some level of common ground, no matter how slight.

Ms. Sey's problem, which she openly acknowledges, is that she let's her inner jerk out and "tells" mediocre athletes that they are mediocre and nobody likes to be condescended to by their "betters".

Miss Sey's problem is that she fails to understand that just because you have a thought in your head doesn't mean you have to say it out loud. What good has come of her saying -- unsolicited! -- these hurtful things? She pissed all over people's happy memories of childhood pursuits, or adult hobbies that they enjoy doing on their own level and enjoy watching at an expert level. The Salon readers suddenly loathe a person they were probably largely indifferent to prior to this post. Any friends or acquaintances of hers might now be reconsidering the bounds of their social circles. Capricious cruelty and meanness isn't mitigated by the phrase "I was just being honest!"

... so you foolishly flatter yourselves and think you can compare yourselves to the elite in those sports because, after all, you are/were a baseball/basketball player, gymnast, runner, etc., too and you know how it is. No, you don't. The level they are doing it at is so far removed and so fundamentally different from what you did/do, that any comparison is laughable.

Here's where Sey (and you!) miss the boat. When a fan comes up to an elite athlete, and says "I did that in high school! I'm just like you!" What they're trying to say is "I have tried to do your thing, just a little bit. It was hard. I am in awe of how well you do that very hard thing and your commitment to your sport. I love how well you do it. I respect the efforts that you have put into doing something that I love and enjoy but could never do as well. Rock on!" The fan is well aware of how much a high school jock differs from an Olympian, and is trying to honor the Olympian by pointing out that they love the Olympian's sport.

Sey is nearly autistic in her inability to understand that the statement "I did gymnastics in high school..." is not disrespectful to her or other high level gymnasts.

I was a high school swimmer, btw. I averaged 3500 m in the pool, 5 days a week. Michael Phelps does 10,000m to 15,000m in the pool, seven days a week. Plus he does cross training and weight training and does land work to work on his strokes. He's amazing. I'm in awe of the amount of work he does. I met Olympians in high school and saw them train, locally. Just because I didn't train at their level doesn't mean I can't see "there" from "here." I don't think I'm just like Michael Phelps or Katie Hoff or Natalie Coughlin. I wouldn't want to do what they do. But I admire and respect them for doing it. I'm glad to hear when they say they are grateful for the support. (Or at least grateful for the royalty I paid for a Phelps t-shirt from Speedo.)