Weir what you want

There's few people I hate more than anyone who belongs to or associted with PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. I certainly do not hate animals, but I, like most people, take things in stride.

PETA's latest travesty involves U.S. Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, who was wearing a piece of fox fur on an outfit during a tuneup for the Winter Games. PETA called for Weir to use faux fur in Vancouver.

At first, Weir said he sympathises with PETA, but stood his ground. On Tuesday, he said he would, in fact, wear the faux fur, but made it clear that he wasn't doing it on the account of the crazies at PETA.

"I would like to announce that due to pressures and threats from a certain animal rights group, I will be changing the genuine fox fur on my free program costume that I will use in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, B.C., to white faux fur," Weir said in a statement first posted on icenetwork.com. "I made this decision after several threats were sent to me about disrupting my performance in the Olympic Games and my costume designer, Stephanie Handler, was repeatedly sent messages of hate and disgust. I do not want something as silly as my costume disrupting my second Olympic experience and my chance at a medal, a dream I have had since I was a kid.

"I hope these activists can understand that my decision to change my costume is in no way a victory for them, but a draw," Weir continued. "I am not changing in order to appease them, but to protect my integrity and the integrity of the Olympic Games as well as my fellow competitors.

"Just weeks away from hitting my starting position on the ice in Vancouver, I have technique and training to worry about and that trumps any costume and any threat I may receive."

I really appreciate how Weir handled this situation, but we're less than two weeks before the Games, and he has to deal with something like this. Once every four years, athletes get the chance to perform on the world's stage, and this idiot group is trying to ruin it. I have a big problem with that.

Additionally, if PETA is so concerned about animal rights, they should go all out. There's a little game being played this weekend, the Super Bowl, where Peyton Manning and Drew Breeeeees will be tossing around the "pigskin." Now that's just an expressions, footballs aren't actually made of pigskin, they're made of cow leather.

So why doesn't PETA write a letter to Roger Goodell and call for new synthetic footballs to be used for Super Bowl XVLI? Or how about basketball? Has PETA contacted David Stern about his sport's balls?

No, instead they go after a guy who has a tiny piece of fox fur on his outfit. Hey PETA, get over it.