if these limits may, at any time, be passed by those intended to be restrained?"
-- Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, 1803
Eating Your Way Out Of A Chocolate Factory
by Hal_10000
At the risk of turning this into a sports blog—it’s not even college football season!—I have to recommend Joe Posnanski’s recollection of Rulon Gardner’s triumph at the 2000 Sydney Games for a mental health break. Joe is one of the best sports writers and bloggers in the nation. Money quote:
The first question came, and it was something like: “So, did you think you had it in you to beat the great and unbeatable Russian?”
And Rulon Gardner said: “Well, when I was growing, I used to wrestle cows on our dairy farm …”
Um. Yeah, Guy wrestled cows. Seriously, sportswriters, you DREAM of moments like this. I mean that literally. You go to sleep after having interviewed another boring golfer who started playing because his Dad was a member of the local country club or some bland pitcher who was the star of his high school team, got drafted high, got paid a sweet signing bonus, played two years in the minors and then got called to the show — and you DREAM about an American farm kid who wrestled cows and ended up winning a gold medal by beating an invincible Russian.
This is the reason that I love the Olympics. As much as I hate it when NBC or whoever tries to cheese it up with their story about some rower who was almost eaten by a tiger during a volcanic eruption whose kid has epilepsy instead showing the freaking events, I love watching these guys surface every four years. I was at the 1996 games in Atlanta. There’s nothing like it.
Comments
I remember watching the events. I am so done with even trying to turn the Olympics on anymore. If I hear Bob Costas break into somber tone detailing some heart break story I will hunt him down. The networks, NBC-I’m talking to you!- have ruined the games.
As much as I hate it when NBC or whoever tries to cheese it up
If you’re anywhere near Canada and you are able you should tune into CBC. They do a pretty good job on covering the Olympics, like actually showing live events and minimizing on the cheddar.
Rulon Gardner beat Alexander Karelin( the Ivan Drago of Greco-Roman wrestling) because it never occured to him that he couldnt...I love that.
If you’re anywhere near Canada and you are able you should tune into CBC
I live in Texas, about as far from Canada as you can get and still technically be in the US. But I might see this year what I can pick up on internet broadcasts.
Next entry: Opening the Barn Door
Previous entry: Right Back At Ya!
I’m with ya Hal, and am probably a bigger olympics geek than you are.
The first olympics I remember was 1968 in Mexico City (yeah, I’m old) with Bob Beamon (a record that stood for 24 years), George Foreman carrying the little American Flag), Dick Fosbury and his new Fosbury Flop, and Tommie Smith and John Carlos with their raised black fist protests.
I went to several events in 2004 in L.A.. A short personal story; I’m working Sunset Blvd. one night and I stop this car for weaving (I figure a drunk driver), turns out they are 3 French guys taking in the sites, they speak a smigin of English, they tell me they are all French atheletes-all pole vaulters (I did not know any of these guys and figure they were of terciary in stature) They had a few pops but I escort them back to their hotel, no harm-no foul. The next day I’m watching the finals of the pole vault, the driver ends up wining the gold medal, and the guy in the back seat wins the bronze.
I used the 2004 olympics as an excuse to buy my first HD TV.