Marion Jones's Olympic prospects are hazy. She and her various spouses have been linked to the BALCO steroid scandal, and the Times reported last month that there was a check for $7,000 sent from Jones's account to BALCO owner Victor Conte.

Conte also apparently told federal investigators that he gave steroids to Jones and her husband.

The US Olympic committee can ban athletes even without drug tests if they have other evidence of use. Senator McCain has given the USADA documents related to the investigation, and it appears that the agency might seek to ban several athletes, including Marion.

Jones is now threatening lawsuits.

I've always liked Marion, and I've never liked the anti-doping agencies, nor do I like the political grandstanding on this issue. But it looks more and more like Marion cheated.

From the outside, it's often looked to me like her personal life is something of a mess. She seems immature, and she doesn't seem to be handling this controversy well. I'm guessing that this isn't going to end well, and it isn't going to be fun to watch.

For a variety of reasons, the scandal also makes it much less likely that Marion will ever end up in the WNBA.