9.69

Clay wrote: I still think everyone would agree Phelps is a class act.

Never mind the DUI...

Charlie... Every kid makes mistakes, I mean come on!

Nick Hogan even wrecked a car while drinking and he is a class act too, right?

Clay wrote: Well, he'll learn his lesson every time somebody interviews him about it when they ask the same exact question of "how fast do you think you COULD have gone."

And he's already said he doesn't know or care. He already had the WR and just wanted the Gold.

People think it's funny when NFL stars hide cell phones in the end zone, spike the ball, and other tomfoolery. But when a non-American does something similar, he's cast as a disrespectful twit. I get the distinct impression people are just upset because America is having it's ass handed to it by a bunch of Jamaicans.

I guess I should start off by saying I wasn't one of those kids that never competed and never won anything, in fact, I was a very successful swimmer and runner from the age of about 10 up through college. I ran and swam in national championships at nearly every level I competed in, and trained in college with athletes that competed in both the Barcelona and Atlanta games. I got to know some of the world class athletes pretty well, and I have to laugh when I see some of them on TV as comentators now.
I was truly amazed by what Bolt did in the 100... I'm not a fan of how he finished his race. I don't look at his finish as being unsportsman-like, or as a him being too cocky. I think it was a bad decision on his part for a few reasons. First, it shows a lack of respect for his sport, fans of the sport and for the Olympics. I understand pulling up and cruising to the finish in prelims, but in a final of one of the premier events in the games? No. Bad Idea. It says to me "Its just another race where no one can hang with me, and i'm not being pushed by anyone, so who cares. I won. it doesn't matter by how much." No to me that's bull E36 M3. You run through the tape. If no one is good enough to keep up with you, and you aren't concerned with laying down the fastest time in history, then what the hell DO you care about?
His race also says to me he has a lack of respect for the fans of the sport. Track and field fans, and olympic sports fans in general deserve to see the very best from the athletes that compete there. While he did run faster than anyone else ever has, it was obvious that he was capable of much more on this particular day. The fans are the ones that make it possible for him to compete, and as such he should give them enough respect to show up and give 100%. Also, in a sport like this you need to realize, that an opportunity to post times like that don't present themselves everyday. Being that he is a 21 year old guy, I can see he might not realize that right now, but its the truth. Sure he might be able to run faster next year, or next week, or whenever, but you only have an oportunity to Demolish the WR at the olympics once every four years. The shelf life of a runner at that level and that distance, he's probably only got one more good shot at an olympic 100M final. So why not make the best of the opportunity you have. Even if its just from a marketing standpoint? People stand up and care about what you do at the olympics... How many people even knew what his former world record was? And why don't we? Because it was run at some No-name meet that average joes don't tune in to watch.
For him to pull up and coast, and beat his chest like that before he is done cheapens himself, his efforts, his sport, and his world record. I like his Muhammed Ali - esque way of explaining his prep for the final. That is a tactic to get into the heads of his "competitors" and raises his "legend status" to monumental heights... even to the average joe that has no idea what he really does to prep for the race. That I don't have a problem with. I've got no problem with him beating his competitors by 10 meters... I've got a problem with his perceived disrespect for his own efforts and for the sport which he is supposed to be the face of the next generation of greatness. Please, all he shows is he is the face of the next generation of "just good enoughs".

whelp. he did it in the 200m too. 19.30 and he ran all the way to the line

I think he was just so excited he couldn't help himself. He doesn't seem to take himself all that seriously, and I'd be pretty excited by blowing away the field so much. It bugs me when NFL players celebrate touchdowns, but that's because they get paid millions of bucks to carry that ball around. An amateur runner? Go nuts dude.

There's nothong amateur about the runners in the olympics... they just don't advertise what their endorsements are... he's not eating nuggets off the dollar menu because he has to...

I'll admit that the Olympians (and almost-Olympians) that I know compete in winter sports and not summer - but they're not rich. Very much amateur. Holding down other jobs so they can compete. I do not understand why the "amateur" status is so completely ignored for basketball though. It's one thing to be hired as a spokesperson for Product X because you're good at what you do and/or have good character and/or are hot - it's something else completely to be paid by a team specifically to play the sport.

If you have to advertise what your endorsements are, you're not doing a great job of endorsing :)

doitover wrote: The inconsistencies people have in their beliefs is interesting. I'll bet that many of the people that think celebrating early is bad because it insults his competitors also think banning tag in schools is stupid. These are big kids, not everyone gets to win.

AngryCorvair wrote:

alfadriver wrote:

ignorant wrote: he could have gone 9.59 if he didn't highstep.. bet his coach was angry after that.

Why? He just won Jamacia's first 100M Olympic Gold medal. Seems like that's the real point. As soon as he realized that, he celbrated. So what if that was 10M from the finish or 10M past? But that domination was awesome. E-

because celebrating before the finish line is poor sportsmanship. it insults his competitors and it devalues the trophy. i hate it no matter who does it or where. i love to see high-steppers get caught at the finish, or stumble and fall, etc.

so when someone you work with gets a raise, do they pound their chest and tell everyone in cube-world how much their raise was? because that would be OK, right? we're all adults, after all.

it is true that not everyone gets to win. has been true since beginning of time, hopefully will be true to end of time. doesn't excuse anyone from being a jackass.

oh, and alfadriver, when you've got FTD on your third run, do you take your fourth and fifth?

Track and field Grand Prix meets, and other meets around the world where most of these athletes compete pay for wins, world records, appearance fees, etc. There is a lot of money spent there. Endorsements by shoe companies, sports drinks, etc. etc. I'm not saying all the athletes that compete at the world level are rich, but I do know that if they are competing at world record level in "premier events", They get paid well to show up. As far as the endorsements, I meant that they don't advertise their endorsement deals. I guess they wouldn't have very many endorsements if they didn't advertise them!

Moreover, IF you know you nailed FTD do you coast in to the traps?

I am all for one celebrating their win/touchdown/sexual conquest AFTER the "win" not during the game. Celebrate the fact that all of the hard work and hours of training have paid off. You have earned the right to jump for joy, just don't be an shiny happy person.

I don't have a problem will celebrations as long as the celebrators don't start taking themselves seriously.

Case in point, Ocho Ouch-o with the Bengals. I liked him starting out because he was about having fun, both for his own benefit and the fans. He wasn't celebrating just to be an ass and he backed up his celebrations with appropriate behavior on and off the field. Now it seems his true colors are showing and I'm not nearly the fan I was because his attitude about/toward himself, the fans, and the game has changed. Dare I say he is becoming TO-ish.

Of course I think his agent is as much of the problem as anything but I digress.

And don't get me started on Mr. Brown resigning the thug-punk Henry yesterday....

OK, back to the original topic....

AngryCorvair wrote: so when someone you work with gets a raise, do they pound their chest and tell everyone in cube-world how much their raise was? because that would be OK, right? we're all adults, after all. it is true that not everyone gets to win. has been true since beginning of time, hopefully will be true to end of time. doesn't excuse anyone from being a jackass. oh, and alfadriver, when you've got FTD on your third run, do you take your fourth and fifth?

It depends on the situation.

If I were representing my country, and just won the world championship of a 50 second autocross on my third run AND I had to run the world championship for the one lap TT in a couple of days with the same car, yes, I would not take runs 4 and 5. And if I were the first person who had ever won for my country, I would be celebrating far more than I would normally...

But since I only race locally, and it means nothing, I don't.

Are we all of a sudden pretending this doesnt happen in racing????

Nobody has noticed when an F1 driver goes toward pit wall WELL before the start finish line, arms pumping, and this after they had a commanding 1/2 lap lead and have been slowing down for the last dozen or so laps?? (especially since they had another race where they could not tear down the engine) And the winner does not continue the celebration through the cool down lap, and well onto the podium.

I see no difference between what Bolt did and many of the wins Schumacher celebrated before finishing.

Darn if the whole field was cheapened the next race, and the next race, and the next race....

And if, for whatever reason, I got a raise that rivaled Mullaly's salary for something I did, damned straight I would celebrate, since I could retire in a year.

This isn't as if he just won a neighborhood meet against a bunch of other hacks like themselves. He just won the first Gold medal for his country in the highlight race of the Olympics.

BTW, did anyone see the celebration the German did for winning the weight lifting? Put Bolt's celebration to shame. Why are we not talking about it? http://www.nbcolympics.com/weightlifting/news/newsid=235388.html#the+flex

Heck, at least Germany had won a gold medal in weight lifting before. Guy should be banned by this crowd.

And if anyone cares, Bolt ran through the 200m, breaking the WR with a 19.30 sec.

E

nocarbud, I agree with everything you said. I too was a collegiate track man and competed until I was 31 or so. I was a triple jumper and ran some good 4x400 meter relay legs. At 52 years old, I have the bone spurs to prove it. I also coached high school track for five years as well.

However, here is the reality in Track & Field today. Usain Bolt 's appearance fees on the European circuit just multiplied ten times. Usually, there's a big bonus for breaking a world record too. If he put that record out of reach, he doesn't get paid to break it again.

Look at Former Soviet and Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergei Bubka. He broke the pole vault record by one centimeter like 35 times. Why? Because meet promoters and his own federation paid him bonuses every time he did so.

Now there's no way Mr Bolt breaks the 100 meter record 35 times. However, I guaran-frickin'-tee ya meet promoters will pay much more for a 100 meter record than a pole vault record. That's just the way it is. Otherwise, they'd call the sport Field & Track.

Bolt is much more serious about the 200 meters because he views himself as a 200 meter man moonlighting in the shorter event. So for him, the 100 is gravy. His new record of 19.30 seconds in the 200 is intrinsically superior to his 9.69 in the 100. Frankly, I thought Michael Johnson's record would stand for another eight years or so.

I wouldn't finish a race that way. You wouldn't finish a race that way. What Usain Bolt chooses to do with his moment in the sun is his business. It doesn't matter what we think. We still can't beat him.

AMA superbike race winners often wheelie across the finish line.

Same thing, yeah?

IOC Pres agrees with some here - and I think he stated it well.

“I have no problem with him doing a show,” Rogge said, "...he’ll learn. He’s still a young man.” and “He still has to mature,” Rogge said. “I would love him to show more respect for his competitors. That’s not the way we perceive being a champion. But he will learn in time. He should shake hands with his competitors and not ignore them. He’ll learn that sooner or later. But (he’s) a great athlete, of course.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26322489/

Jerry From LA wrote: Usually, there's a big bonus for breaking a world record too. If he put that record out of reach, he doesn't get paid to break it again.

True, but please don't get me started on that...

Jerry From LA said:I wouldn't finish a race that way. You wouldn't finish a race that way. What Usain Bolt chooses to do with his moment in the sun is his business. It doesn't matter what we think. We still can't beat him.

I can beat him. with a stick... get all jeff gilooly on his ass. wait, even on one leg that guy could still catch me. nevermind. I gotta say I'm impressed with the way he acted after the 200. Not necessarily more gracious, but more mature. he acted more like an olympic champion after that race. I just hope it was because he took the experience from the 100 and all the grief he's gotten about that, and learned from it. Matured as a man and as an athlete. That said, I can't wait to see him run again.