Saturday, July 23, 2011

THIS would track WAY more fun to watch!!!!


Two French teammates go wild at the end of the 1500m race today in the Diamond League Monaco Meet - too funny, especially since: [i] they have arms like 7 yr old girsl; [ii] they miss nearly every punch - wild wind mill air swings - except for the petty little bitch slap that starts it after the pathetic excuse of a head butt; and, [iii] they bicker and yell leaning over the officials like, well, soccer players [see, above: 7 year old girls]. And might I add, I kept expecting the announcer in the coverage above [Spanish? Italian? No idea, as I was too focused on the "crushing blows" to pay attention...] to start yelling: "GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL" in that inimitable way European football (that's "soccer" or "footie" for you neophytes) have in announcing.

So, given that there around 16 people in the stands for the CAN T & F Championships this year (ya, scalpers were actually paying people to take the tickets), maybe if we if we make track & field a full contact sport, with all out brawls at the end of each event, more people will come out to watch.
Esp given that the average miler [Wheating and Solinsky, and ok, Mottram aside] are all PEEWEE MIDGETS! And since I stand a head taller and usually 20-25 lbs more than these wee greyhounds, think of how well I could do if we settled each race with a solid round of "beat the crap out of the next guy in the race" - heck, I may even make it to Worlds!

All we need is Don Cherry as announcer - hahaha.

swing hard and make contact
Johhny Boy

ps - here is a recent article on the "dust up" I just found on line ***NEW VIDEO at end at article***


Athletics | International

Mehdi Baala (L) and Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad

Fighting teammates suspended



Top French runners Mehdi Baala and Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad have been suspended pending an inquiry into their embarrassing punch-up on the track on Friday.


The two men squared up and traded blows at the end of the 1 500m, prompting Bernard Amsalem, the president of the French athletics federation, to set up a meeting of the disciplinary committee.
The committee will meet within the next eight days during which time the two runners will be provisionally suspended,
Baala, world silver medallist in 2003 and bronze medallist in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, clashed with Benabbad, the 3000m steeplechase Olympic silver medallist, after the end of Friday's Diamond League race.
The duo had finished 9th and 11th in a high-quality race won by Kenyan Silas Kiplagat, in one of the last outings before the August 27-September 4 world championships in Daegu, South Korea.
But at the end of the race Benabbad lashed out at his senior teammate when he came over to console him, headbutts and slaps shared between the two, to the jeers and whistles of a large crowd at the Louis II stadium.
Fourth-placed Nick Willis of New Zealand had to step in to separate the pair who rounded on each other like boxers, footage of which is already an internet hit through video-sharing website youtube.
The violent exchange did not stop there, however, the runners continuing to exchange strong words as they moved off the track into the bowels of the stadium.
"There was a misunderstanding," said Ghani Yalouz, technical director of the French athletics federation, quoted by L'Equipe daily.
"I told them to apologise to each other and that's what they did."
Baala said immediately after the fracas: "I didn't understand. I went over to see him, moved to put my hand behind his head and he said 'I have a reason for not talking to you', and after that I felt his head against mine.
"When you feel threatened, you do what there is to do. It's pathetic to see things like that. People like that don't have their place in sport. But saying that, it's very rare to see assholes like him."
Benabbad was more measured in his reaction, saying that he had not seen Baala raise his arm to console him when he was on his knees after the race.
"I thought it was all a bit of a laugh, I approached him and he gave me a little headbutt, after which I responded. It's normal."

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