Topic:Re: K-1 Rising
I'm trying to understand the insantiy. I just read the K-1 Rising thread. I don't know any of the fighters but a few. So it's a little hard for me to understand the facination. I read Oliver's analogy of luck and I found this Olympic event very similar. Read the next to articles and tell me if you don't see how identical this is.
Sunday, February 17, 2002
Bradbury's strategy of being last had golden payoff
By Tim Keown
ESPN The Magazine
The XIX Winter Games needed a character, a mascot, someone whose utter improbability could save the world from conspiracy theories and figure skaters with persecution complexes.
Steven Bradbury was the happiest person in the building Saturday night ... and he knew it.
It got Steven Bradbury. Never in our wildest dreams...
He's got hair dyed the approximate color of a low propane flame and an eyebrow ring. His hair sticks up and his eyes bug out and everything about him seems to say, "What am I doing here?"
But the first thing to know about the Australian 1,000-meter short-track gold medalist is that he seemed to have forgotten about the broken neck. He was chronicling the injuries he has endured as a result of his sport, and the broken neck slipped his mind as he talked about the time his thigh was gashed and he lost four liters (out of a grand body total of six) while gaining 111 stitches.
This guy's story started out ridiculous and eventually settled on preposterous. He won his country's first Winter gold by being the slowest man skating but the last man -- the only man -- standing.
If 90 percent of life is just showing up, the other 10 must be just standing up.
His strategy in Saturday night's 1,000 meters was to hang back and wait for Rollerball to break out. This was not only a result of strategy but also necessity. He couldn't have been much closer to the front because that's where all the talent tends to go once the race passes the four- or five-lap mark.
He advanced from the quarterfinals to the semifinals when a crash gave him second place. He advanced from the semifinals to the finals the same way.
In the final, after confidently holding up the rear the entire race, Bradbury glided across the finish line by himself while the four other racers attempted to either get off the ice or fling themselves across the line. A crash on the final turn, as American silver medalist Apolo Ohno was within spitting distance of the gold, made Bradbury the most sheepish winner, maybe ever.
“ Obviously, I'm not the fastest skater, but those were my tactics and they worked like a charm. I thought maybe two would go down and I'd get the bronze. I saw 'em all go down and Oh, my God. ”
- Steven Bradbury
It's not quite the Jamaican bobsledders winning gold, but it's in the same area code.
"Obviously, I'm not the fastest skater, but those were my tactics and they worked like a charm," Bradbury said. "I thought maybe two would go down and I'd get the bronze. I saw 'em all go down and Oh, my God."
He crossed the line and looked stunned. He looked at the officials, perhaps expecting them to tell him it wasn't true. He skated something of a victory lap, and when someone in the stands told him he shouldn't look so happy, Bradbury did what any ecstatic winner would do: He flipped the guy off.
"There were some negative comments from an extremely loud fan," Bradbury said.
He might be a little rough, and a little embarrassed about his methodology, but there's a part of Bradbury that believes his gold is poetic justice. Not for the way he skated Saturday night, but for the way he's kept at it all these years.
Through the 111-stitch episode in '94.
Through the broken neck (C-4 and C-5) in Sept. 2000.
And for all the times when he thought he should have been standing on the podium and wasn't.
"I don't think I deserve this so much for tonight as for the last decade," he said. "The hard slug I've put in to make it here."
Before we forget, he makes Ohno's boots. Bradbury's company, Revolutionary Boot Company, was looking for a little publicity during these Games, so the Aussie wrote an e-mail to Ohno on Friday that said something like this:
Apolo,
If you win a medal tomorrow night, how about giving RBC a little mention?
Regards,
Steven
Sitting in the winner's press conference, Bradbury said, "I guess he doesn't have to now. I can do it."
An hour after the race, he still seemed to be in a daze. Even allowing for the fact that dazed might be his perpetual state.
Asked what he thought when he crossed the finish line, Bradbury said, "For a split-second I thought, 'My God -- I won & I think.' "
It's a cliché to say he was the happiest guy in the building, but he had company. Everyone with a notebook or a tape recorder was, at the very least, tied for second.
Tim Keown writes for ESPN The Magazine.
Bradbury's strategy of being last had golden payoff
By Tim Keown
ESPN The Magazine
The XIX Winter Games needed a character, a mascot, someone whose utter improbability could save the world from conspiracy theories and figure skaters with persecution complexes.
Steven Bradbury was the happiest person in the building Saturday night ... and he knew it.
It got Steven Bradbury. Never in our wildest dreams...
He's got hair dyed the approximate color of a low propane flame and an eyebrow ring. His hair sticks up and his eyes bug out and everything about him seems to say, "What am I doing here?"
But the first thing to know about the Australian 1,000-meter short-track gold medalist is that he seemed to have forgotten about the broken neck. He was chronicling the injuries he has endured as a result of his sport, and the broken neck slipped his mind as he talked about the time his thigh was gashed and he lost four liters (out of a grand body total of six) while gaining 111 stitches.
This guy's story started out ridiculous and eventually settled on preposterous. He won his country's first Winter gold by being the slowest man skating but the last man -- the only man -- standing.
If 90 percent of life is just showing up, the other 10 must be just standing up.
His strategy in Saturday night's 1,000 meters was to hang back and wait for Rollerball to break out. This was not only a result of strategy but also necessity. He couldn't have been much closer to the front because that's where all the talent tends to go once the race passes the four- or five-lap mark.
He advanced from the quarterfinals to the semifinals when a crash gave him second place. He advanced from the semifinals to the finals the same way.
In the final, after confidently holding up the rear the entire race, Bradbury glided across the finish line by himself while the four other racers attempted to either get off the ice or fling themselves across the line. A crash on the final turn, as American silver medalist Apolo Ohno was within spitting distance of the gold, made Bradbury the most sheepish winner, maybe ever.
“ Obviously, I'm not the fastest skater, but those were my tactics and they worked like a charm. I thought maybe two would go down and I'd get the bronze. I saw 'em all go down and Oh, my God. ”
- Steven Bradbury
It's not quite the Jamaican bobsledders winning gold, but it's in the same area code.
"Obviously, I'm not the fastest skater, but those were my tactics and they worked like a charm," Bradbury said. "I thought maybe two would go down and I'd get the bronze. I saw 'em all go down and Oh, my God."
He crossed the line and looked stunned. He looked at the officials, perhaps expecting them to tell him it wasn't true. He skated something of a victory lap, and when someone in the stands told him he shouldn't look so happy, Bradbury did what any ecstatic winner would do: He flipped the guy off.
"There were some negative comments from an extremely loud fan," Bradbury said.
He might be a little rough, and a little embarrassed about his methodology, but there's a part of Bradbury that believes his gold is poetic justice. Not for the way he skated Saturday night, but for the way he's kept at it all these years.
Through the 111-stitch episode in '94.
Through the broken neck (C-4 and C-5) in Sept. 2000.
And for all the times when he thought he should have been standing on the podium and wasn't.
"I don't think I deserve this so much for tonight as for the last decade," he said. "The hard slug I've put in to make it here."
Before we forget, he makes Ohno's boots. Bradbury's company, Revolutionary Boot Company, was looking for a little publicity during these Games, so the Aussie wrote an e-mail to Ohno on Friday that said something like this:
Apolo,
If you win a medal tomorrow night, how about giving RBC a little mention?
Regards,
Steven
Sitting in the winner's press conference, Bradbury said, "I guess he doesn't have to now. I can do it."
An hour after the race, he still seemed to be in a daze. Even allowing for the fact that dazed might be his perpetual state.
Asked what he thought when he crossed the finish line, Bradbury said, "For a split-second I thought, 'My God -- I won & I think.' "
It's a cliché to say he was the happiest guy in the building, but he had company. Everyone with a notebook or a tape recorder was, at the very least, tied for second.
Tim Keown writes for ESPN The Magazine.
Wipeout!
February 17, 2002
BY JAY MARIOTTI SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
SALT LAKE CITY--Another night, another ice flap, another round of boos in the arena. Only this time, your loser was the American cover boy, Apolo Ohno, whose Olympic debut ended with a bump and grind in the night, followed by a 15-yard butt slide over the finish line for the strangest, wettest, wildest silver-medal effort you'll ever see.
Nothing can happen cleanly at the Wacky Winter Games. The controversy bug even sticks to Ohno, whose goal of four golds evaporated in the final lap of the 1,000-meter competition in short-track speedskating. Looking like a champion, Ohno got caught in a chain-reaction, multi-skater collision as he elbowed and tangled with China's Li Jiajun, who was pinching in and jostling as they raced into the final corner. Next thing you knew, Ohno was facing his own little plot twist in the Salt Lake Ice Center, where the screams of 15,000 fans turned to shrieks of confusion.
Paging Jacques Rogge. Should we give them all gold medals?
The Kennedy Expressway should have fender-benders like this. First, the Chinese skater fell into the back of Ohno's legs. Then you had one of Ohno's arch-rival Koreans, Ahn Hyun-soo, stumbling and falling in front of Ohno's path--purposely, I'd say--and tackling him in a way that would make football coaches proud. With four of the five skaters sprawled on the ice surface, including Canada's Mathieu Turcotte, Ohno scrambled to his feet and still tried to make it to the finish line first. But Australian Steven Bradbury, strategically lagging far behind the pack, merrily maneuvered through the wreckage and won the gold in a slow 1:29.109.
Welcome to demolition derby on ice, which would be a hoot if Ohno didn't enter the interview room Saturday night with six stitches in his left thigh. He said he expects to be healthy by his next event Wednesday. Until then, we'll be seeing replays of his slip-slide forward, like a kid learning to skate, literally skidding over the line to finish second in 1:30.160. Li, the Chinese skater, was disqualified by officials. And suddenly, the Salt Lake Games had yet another conversation piece, with a common headline in U.S. newspapers today: ''OH-NO!''
The first jingoistic instinct, I'm sure, is to blame the Chinese and Korean skaters. Bradbury, who had the best view of the dustup, refused to blame anyone. Ohno initiated at least some of the contact, leading to a tumble that caused a large gash on the inner thigh of his left leg. Asked if he was to blame, he grinned.
''No, not at all. I was in front,'' Ohno said. ''When someone falls in front of you and falls into you, there's nothing you can do. I have to look at the tape.''
Li wasn't blaming Ohno, the sport's superstar. ''I felt high pressure at the last turn and my hand got tangled a bit with Apolo Ohno,'' he said. ''It's a game of suspense. Sometimes, luck is more important.''
Ohno wasn't upset as much as relieved to have a medal, saying he plans to compete in his three remaining Olympic events. Though he was pushed into the arena in a wheelchair, you couldn't tell he was hurt when he jumped up and down in front of a raucous crowd.
''My performance was one of the best of my life,'' he said. ''I skated exactly how I wanted. Unfortunately, I got taken out in the last corner. But this is short track. This is the sport I live for, and sometimes, things get out of control. I got a silver medal, so I can't complain. After that, I'm just happy to come out with any medal.''
It is a dangerous sport, Ohno emphasized. ''I'm just lucky the injury wasn't more serious than it was,'' he said. Those who've never seen short track should think NASCAR on skates, with racers flying in tight packs around corners at speeds nearing 40 mph. Rules call for no blocking or body contact, but it still takes tremendous skill, strength and agility not to wipe out. That's why Ohno wasn't buying into the hype and downplaying comparisons to long-form speedskater Eric Heiden, the only Olympian ever to win as many as five golds in a single Games. He knows his sport leaves no room for error. One slip on a hairpin turn, one freak collision, and first place can become a butt slide.
''It's impossible. It's short track,'' Ohno said of a four-gold harvest. ''Anything can happen. I've got to go through prelims, heats, semis, quarters, before you even get to the final. If I make one mistake or if I'm a hundredth of a second too late in a pass, then the race is over. So you definitely have to have the golden horseshoe if you're going to win four.''
Bradbury accepted the gold, Australia's first ever in the Winter Olympics. But his reaction was sheepish at best. ''It's good, but it doesn't make you feel right, you know?'' he said. ''I consider myself the luckiest man. God smiles on you some day.''
February 17, 2002
BY JAY MARIOTTI SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
SALT LAKE CITY--Another night, another ice flap, another round of boos in the arena. Only this time, your loser was the American cover boy, Apolo Ohno, whose Olympic debut ended with a bump and grind in the night, followed by a 15-yard butt slide over the finish line for the strangest, wettest, wildest silver-medal effort you'll ever see.
Nothing can happen cleanly at the Wacky Winter Games. The controversy bug even sticks to Ohno, whose goal of four golds evaporated in the final lap of the 1,000-meter competition in short-track speedskating. Looking like a champion, Ohno got caught in a chain-reaction, multi-skater collision as he elbowed and tangled with China's Li Jiajun, who was pinching in and jostling as they raced into the final corner. Next thing you knew, Ohno was facing his own little plot twist in the Salt Lake Ice Center, where the screams of 15,000 fans turned to shrieks of confusion.
Paging Jacques Rogge. Should we give them all gold medals?
The Kennedy Expressway should have fender-benders like this. First, the Chinese skater fell into the back of Ohno's legs. Then you had one of Ohno's arch-rival Koreans, Ahn Hyun-soo, stumbling and falling in front of Ohno's path--purposely, I'd say--and tackling him in a way that would make football coaches proud. With four of the five skaters sprawled on the ice surface, including Canada's Mathieu Turcotte, Ohno scrambled to his feet and still tried to make it to the finish line first. But Australian Steven Bradbury, strategically lagging far behind the pack, merrily maneuvered through the wreckage and won the gold in a slow 1:29.109.
Welcome to demolition derby on ice, which would be a hoot if Ohno didn't enter the interview room Saturday night with six stitches in his left thigh. He said he expects to be healthy by his next event Wednesday. Until then, we'll be seeing replays of his slip-slide forward, like a kid learning to skate, literally skidding over the line to finish second in 1:30.160. Li, the Chinese skater, was disqualified by officials. And suddenly, the Salt Lake Games had yet another conversation piece, with a common headline in U.S. newspapers today: ''OH-NO!''
The first jingoistic instinct, I'm sure, is to blame the Chinese and Korean skaters. Bradbury, who had the best view of the dustup, refused to blame anyone. Ohno initiated at least some of the contact, leading to a tumble that caused a large gash on the inner thigh of his left leg. Asked if he was to blame, he grinned.
''No, not at all. I was in front,'' Ohno said. ''When someone falls in front of you and falls into you, there's nothing you can do. I have to look at the tape.''
Li wasn't blaming Ohno, the sport's superstar. ''I felt high pressure at the last turn and my hand got tangled a bit with Apolo Ohno,'' he said. ''It's a game of suspense. Sometimes, luck is more important.''
Ohno wasn't upset as much as relieved to have a medal, saying he plans to compete in his three remaining Olympic events. Though he was pushed into the arena in a wheelchair, you couldn't tell he was hurt when he jumped up and down in front of a raucous crowd.
''My performance was one of the best of my life,'' he said. ''I skated exactly how I wanted. Unfortunately, I got taken out in the last corner. But this is short track. This is the sport I live for, and sometimes, things get out of control. I got a silver medal, so I can't complain. After that, I'm just happy to come out with any medal.''
It is a dangerous sport, Ohno emphasized. ''I'm just lucky the injury wasn't more serious than it was,'' he said. Those who've never seen short track should think NASCAR on skates, with racers flying in tight packs around corners at speeds nearing 40 mph. Rules call for no blocking or body contact, but it still takes tremendous skill, strength and agility not to wipe out. That's why Ohno wasn't buying into the hype and downplaying comparisons to long-form speedskater Eric Heiden, the only Olympian ever to win as many as five golds in a single Games. He knows his sport leaves no room for error. One slip on a hairpin turn, one freak collision, and first place can become a butt slide.
''It's impossible. It's short track,'' Ohno said of a four-gold harvest. ''Anything can happen. I've got to go through prelims, heats, semis, quarters, before you even get to the final. If I make one mistake or if I'm a hundredth of a second too late in a pass, then the race is over. So you definitely have to have the golden horseshoe if you're going to win four.''
Bradbury accepted the gold, Australia's first ever in the Winter Olympics. But his reaction was sheepish at best. ''It's good, but it doesn't make you feel right, you know?'' he said. ''I consider myself the luckiest man. God smiles on you some day.''
Now I wonder if the people that call that luck will get crucified like Oliver and the people that agreed with him in that thread did.
Mike
Posted: 2002-02-19 00:09:05
Posted: 2002-02-19 00:09:05
So your saying this is similar to the way K1 has everyone dropping out or falling by the wayside which lets others who were "behind" them pass through? Hee..hee! Good analagy.
there is nothing wrong with luck as long as the playing field is even to start with. hunt had no help from the k-1 org when he entered the grand prix. he was up against lebanner and probably hoost. luck went his way but i wasn't predetermined.
when satake fought kimo, that was a case of stacking the odds in satake's favor.
when andy hug fought amada in '99, the odds were stacked for him. aerts had to fight van dams and bernardo go surprised by mirko that night.
i have no probs with bradbury's win. congrats to him.
when satake fought kimo, that was a case of stacking the odds in satake's favor.
when andy hug fought amada in '99, the odds were stacked for him. aerts had to fight van dams and bernardo go surprised by mirko that night.
i have no probs with bradbury's win. congrats to him.
Felix:
..."there is nothing wrong with luck as long as the playing field is even to start with. hunt had no help from the k-1 org when he entered the grand prix. he was up against lebanner and probably hoost. luck went his way but i wasn't predetermined."...
Once again I agree with you Felix!
There is nothing wrong with luck as you say, just as a long as the playing field is even to start with. I also agree with you Felix, that Mark Hunt had NO help from the K-1 organization when he entered the Grand Prix. Mark won the GP fair and by hard work. First Hunt KO Jerome and then he outboxes Leko without any problems in his 2nd fight. I will say that the first tree rounds in the finale against Filho was very even, but never the less, Hunt was great and strong, and he won the biggest title of them all by hard work - and a little but fair luck. And as I said in the beginning of my message, there is nothing wrong with that.
..."there is nothing wrong with luck as long as the playing field is even to start with. hunt had no help from the k-1 org when he entered the grand prix. he was up against lebanner and probably hoost. luck went his way but i wasn't predetermined."...
Once again I agree with you Felix!
There is nothing wrong with luck as you say, just as a long as the playing field is even to start with. I also agree with you Felix, that Mark Hunt had NO help from the K-1 organization when he entered the Grand Prix. Mark won the GP fair and by hard work. First Hunt KO Jerome and then he outboxes Leko without any problems in his 2nd fight. I will say that the first tree rounds in the finale against Filho was very even, but never the less, Hunt was great and strong, and he won the biggest title of them all by hard work - and a little but fair luck. And as I said in the beginning of my message, there is nothing wrong with that.
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nickosis
Posted: 2002-02-19 04:07:25
Posted: 2002-02-19 04:07:25
Gidday matey Oliver, thats more like it free flowing with good comments, I appoligise for calling you a little man, I should have guessed you Vikings are Tall Men.
regards
regards
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