Differences of (medical?) opinion

So the first U.S. athletes to wear their masks were four track cyclists (makes sense, after all, they’ll be competing indoors, so why even acclimate to the atmosphere?). But this NY Times story seems to show differences of opinion the USOC has about the masks. The first one — from the committee’s lead physiologist:

They were the first athletes to be seen wearing masks or doing anything proactive to combat the effects of pollution.

The masks they wore were specially designed by and issued to them by the United States Olympic Committee. The U.S.O.C.’s lead exercise physiologist, Randy Wilber, had advised U.S. Olympians to wear the masks on the plane and as soon as they stepped foot in Beijing.

The second committee source, however, disagrees. One must wonder here whether an ulterior motive is at hand

But U.S.O.C. officials were apparently unhappy with that choice, reprimanding the cyclists for walking off the plane wearing the masks, two of the team members said. The two cyclists said they did not remember the name of the U.S.O.C. official.

…

During a previously scheduled news conference Tuesday night, Ljungqvist dismissed the athletes’ actions as unnecessary.

“I don’t see the need for it, honestly,” Ljungqvist said of the masks, although he noted that some athletes with respiratory conditions may need to wear them.

Now, who are you going to believe: The doctor, or the guy who does not want to piss off China?

Banana pollen

My dictionary tells me plantains are “a low-growing plant that typically has a rosette of leaves and a slender green flower spike, widely growing as a weed in lawns,” but I was not born yesterday.

I know plantains are bananas.