Jones finds peace living in Tornado Alley

TULSA, Oklahoma,  (Reuters) – When Marion Jones  walked out of a Texas prison nearly two years ago looking for a  fresh start, she knew Tulsa was a perfect fit.  
When you live in Tornado Alley, squarely in the path  of violent vortexes that routinely reduce once-vibrant  communities to rubble, starting over is a way of life.  
Second chances also come naturally in the heart of the  American Bible Belt.
  
That was exactly what the disgraced sprint queen had prayed  for since being stripped of her Olympic medals and sentenced to  six-months in prison for lying to federal investigators about  her use of performance-enhancing drugs.  

The Tulsa Shock, a WNBA franchise also getting a new start  in Oklahoma after failing in Detroit, have provided Jones with a chance for the 34-year-old mother of three to undo some of  the damage done during her stunning fall from grace.  

“It is a really good fit,” Jones told Reuters.  “I knew there would be a day I would be happy and fulfilled again and  satisfied that my life was going in a positive direction.  
“Where it would lead me was a total surprise. 
 
“Those people who don’t believe in fate or faith, I would  like those individuals to answer this; how is it possible that  I could be here?”  
The dark, deceitful road that brought Jones to Tulsa is a  path she warns no one should follow. 
 
Once hailed as the world’s greatest female athlete, Jones  appeared on magazine covers from Vogue to Sports Illustrated and earned millions in endorsements and appearance fees.  
She now plays in a league where the average salary is  around $35,000. Jones is no longer the headliner, logging just three minutes and no points in the Shock’s season-opening loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday. 
 
Even if Jones were to develop into the WNBA’s version of  Kobe Bryant, marketing experts say she has little chance of  reclaiming her spot as one of America’s most beloved athletes.  
According to the Davie Brown Index (DBI), developed by  Marketing Arm to help companies measure how consumers view  celebrities, Jones ranks 2,418 out of about 2,500 names in  their database.  

“Her scores are pretty poor,” Matt Fleming, a director in  Marketing Arm’s entertainment division, told Reuters. “She’s on  par with a number of folks you would not exactly consider to be good endorsers.
 
“In terms of trust she’s on par with Howard Stern, Jerry  Springer and Floyd Landis.  
“Her move to the WNBA isn’t likely to get a ton of attention just because of how little the WNBA is covered.  
“People love a comeback story and if she is successful as a  basketball player there may be some opportunities but she has a long way to go.”  

JONES RECONNECTS  
Despite the loss of her fame and earning potential, Jones  insists her return to basketball is not about money or  redemption.  
Having helped North Carolina capture an NCAA championship  as a freshman point guard, Jones maintains her comeback is  about reconnecting with her first sporting love.  
But more importantly, Jones says, being back in the  sporting arena provides her with a stage to tell her compelling  story.  
Second chances are also something Nolan Richardson believes  in, the mercurial Shock coach returning to the United States  after stints coaching the Mexican and Panama national teams.  

Richardson, who won a national championship with the  University of Arkansas in 1994, faded from the American college  scene in 2002 after filing a lawsuit against the school over  allegations of racial discrimination.  

“She paid the fine and did her time and it’s time to move  on,” said Richardson. “She’s been beaten down and she’s taken  it and she’s paid for it.  
“I don’t know if the word redemption is in her vocabulary  but she realises and understands what has happened in her life  and I know she would love that it would not happen to anyone  else.  

“If you are a person who has admitted (mistakes), paid your  dues, you should be able to do something again with your  life.”