Sprinter-Turned-Bobsletter Lolo Jones Misses Power of Sarcasm, Social Media with Video

Lolo Jones (AP Photo)

Mark this down as latest example of an athlete who makes a fool of themselves on social media. And afterward -- after the reaction that anyone with even a tad of common sense could predict -- any amount of clarification and positive spin does not help.

Lolo Jones, the Olympic caliber hurdler best known for her good looks, close-but-not-quite finishes on the biggest stages for simply being well known, spent the past seven months working the the U.S. bobsled team, attempting to transfer her athleticism and speed into a spot with the team at the Winter Olympics. She helped the U.S. team win three medals in her first season.

Still, her recent foray into social media put a damper on what's been a somewhat positive story when she posted a video about what she considered her paltry paycheck ($741.84) for seven months of work with the team. Of course, she's much better off than many members of the team because of her numerous sponsorships.

So, the video was in poor taste and poorly timed.

Other members of the bobsled team complained, including U.S. gold medalist Steven Holcomb. He told USA Today, "It wasn't very well taken. People were really kind of insulted. You just make $741, more than most athletes in the sport. So what are you complaining about?"

While Jones later issued a statement to clarify she was trying to point out the lack of monetary support for bobsled competitors and teams, it was too little and too late.

Sarcasm never plays on social media, and rarely plays much better on video. Trying to salvage it afterward did not make her look like a champion for her fellow competitors or the sport. It just made her look like someone trying to stop the bleeding, maintain her other sponsorships and perhaps even keep a spot on the bobsled team going forward.