Gossip-busting

When the 2006 Etchells Worlds press release came out last week about Dennis Conner needing to pull out of the event because of "undisclosed health reasons," many assumed the worse.

My guess is that not too many of us want our health issues flogged about in the media. However, it seemed that by not being specific, it had opened the door for some folks to start making unsubstantiated assumptions.

Seeing how the gossip was gaining momentum, we sent Dennis an email to see if he was interested in being more specific. And you know what, he promptly replied with a nice note that thoroughly explained his plight. His partially torn Achilles tendon was going to keep him home, rather than attending the Worlds.

The sport is fragile, and denigrating it in any manner is not what it needs. Regardless of what you think of Dennis, he didn't deserve the beating he was taking, and Scuttlebutt appreciates that he allowed us to set the record straight. - Craig Leweck