Tweet
Western News
Stop being silly and humble yourselves, men
on the sporting edge
Paul Reid
Thursday, July 23, 2009
At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, a quartet of American male sprinters brought the post-race celebrations to a new low when they stripped off their shirts and went through a series of silly poses after winning the 4x100m relay.
The childish gesticulations by adults who should know better was widely condemned here and in other places even as some tried to explain it away as enthusiasm.
Eight years later in Beijing, China, Usain Bolt's spontaneous, joyous dances after winning two gold medals, both in World Record times, were well received by millions and helped to spread the Jamaican dance hall moves to a wider audience.
A year later, Bolt's 'to the world' pose and post-race celebrations are well known, and many who pack stadiums all over the world look forward to his contagious exuberance.
Bolt's celebrations have spawned a series of copycats not just in track and field but also in cricket and football and other sporting disciplines.
There comes a time, however, when enough is enough and what we saw from young sprinters Yohan Blake and Jamaican-trained Antiguan National Record Holder Daniel Bailey last Friday bordered on buffoonery and someone should tell them quickly it was not cute.
During the introductions for the 100m race at a meet in Paris, the trio, including Bolt, went through a series of gesticulations and manoeuvers that would make the Americans blush. To add to the mockery, Blake added a silly laugh while sticking his pinky finger in his mouth and shoving his face towards the camera.
As a triple Olympic gold medallist and double World Record holder, Bolt can get away with pretty much anything he wants, but young Blake and Bailey had best learn they have nothing to brag about yet and some humility would serve them well.
I welcome some showmanship in sports, because if it is nothing else it is entertainment and fans paying good money to go to meets should be entertained.
One cannot ask the young men to hide their natural exuberance and excitement at the start line. It has been well established that athletes need to keep their energy levels up and short sprinters have even devised unique and ingenious ways of psyching themselves up for races as long as they don't insult or injure others or delay the start of the race.
Would Bolt be the worldwide commodity he is today if he had not danced and taken off his shoes after winning the races in the Birds' Nest stadium last year?
We hope that by the time the next track meet comes around some one would have whispered in Blake's ear that he needs to spend more time learning how to give better post-race interviews than to be trying out idiotic moves at the start line.
After his theatrics, Blake went on to run a blistering 9.93 seconds, the third fastest ever by a Jamaican, then told an American television interviewer he had placed sixth at the Jamaican Trials because he had "mental and psychological problems".
Lord help us.
Stop being silly and humble yourselves, men
on the sporting edge
Paul Reid
Thursday, July 23, 2009
At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, a quartet of American male sprinters brought the post-race celebrations to a new low when they stripped off their shirts and went through a series of silly poses after winning the 4x100m relay.
The childish gesticulations by adults who should know better was widely condemned here and in other places even as some tried to explain it away as enthusiasm.
Eight years later in Beijing, China, Usain Bolt's spontaneous, joyous dances after winning two gold medals, both in World Record times, were well received by millions and helped to spread the Jamaican dance hall moves to a wider audience.
A year later, Bolt's 'to the world' pose and post-race celebrations are well known, and many who pack stadiums all over the world look forward to his contagious exuberance.
Bolt's celebrations have spawned a series of copycats not just in track and field but also in cricket and football and other sporting disciplines.
There comes a time, however, when enough is enough and what we saw from young sprinters Yohan Blake and Jamaican-trained Antiguan National Record Holder Daniel Bailey last Friday bordered on buffoonery and someone should tell them quickly it was not cute.
During the introductions for the 100m race at a meet in Paris, the trio, including Bolt, went through a series of gesticulations and manoeuvers that would make the Americans blush. To add to the mockery, Blake added a silly laugh while sticking his pinky finger in his mouth and shoving his face towards the camera.
As a triple Olympic gold medallist and double World Record holder, Bolt can get away with pretty much anything he wants, but young Blake and Bailey had best learn they have nothing to brag about yet and some humility would serve them well.
I welcome some showmanship in sports, because if it is nothing else it is entertainment and fans paying good money to go to meets should be entertained.
One cannot ask the young men to hide their natural exuberance and excitement at the start line. It has been well established that athletes need to keep their energy levels up and short sprinters have even devised unique and ingenious ways of psyching themselves up for races as long as they don't insult or injure others or delay the start of the race.
Would Bolt be the worldwide commodity he is today if he had not danced and taken off his shoes after winning the races in the Birds' Nest stadium last year?
We hope that by the time the next track meet comes around some one would have whispered in Blake's ear that he needs to spend more time learning how to give better post-race interviews than to be trying out idiotic moves at the start line.
After his theatrics, Blake went on to run a blistering 9.93 seconds, the third fastest ever by a Jamaican, then told an American television interviewer he had placed sixth at the Jamaican Trials because he had "mental and psychological problems".
Lord help us.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
Comment