USOC CEO Lloyd Ward keeps job, loses bonus. Another mistake by the USOC.

One of the great things about Sports is that everyone has to stand up and be counted. Some are shown to be the Buffalo Bills, unable to get over the top in the ultimate game. Some are shown to be Edwin Moses, unbeaten for almost 10 years. Some arrive as the Pittsburgh Barry Bonds, missing in action. And some reappear as the 2002 San Francisco Barry Bonds, dominating on the big stage.

What bothers me about Ward is that he has squandered his opportunities to be a stand-up guy. He could have stood up and said that he made a mistake in guiding his brother’s company, and that he was ready to accept his penalty. Instead, he brushed it off as a technical violation. He could have stood up and said that it was wrong for the Augusta National to exclude women, been an activist and dared Hootie Johnson to throw him out. Instead, he proclaimed his desire to work for change from within and disappeared into the woodwork.