On Your Mark, Get Set… Bolt Outruns Korean Photographers!

Although the start of the Big Boy’s official Jr. Pee-Wee Football Season was the absolute highlight of my day, this Saturday was an ah-ma-zing day in sports overall, and I relished every moment of it.  I mean, my kid’s first win of the season, College Football, The U.S. Open, the IAAF World Track & Field Championships…um yeah, amazing.

But just before I became overwhelmed with athletic observation overload, I was given a jewel from my favorite and most beloved sport in the form Usain Bolt’s Men’s 200m Finals performance in Daegu, South Korea.  And while watching Track & Field Royalty in Finnish every now and then is an exciting and entertaining pastime, it was Bolt’s after-race antics with the Korean media that absolutely made my day.  Talk about showmanship!

Packing Up: Family Road Trip

Actually, road trip would be putting it mildly.  While we’ll be taking our annual trek to Myrtle Beach for The Pack Kid’s Invitational Track Meet and enjoying some fun and sun as well, trust me when I tell you that frequent potty breaks, crying, space infringement, in-car DVD disagreements and threats to be put out on the side of the road will ensue early, and often.  But don’t be envious of all that excitement; you have more than enough stimulating goings-on to focus on in my absence.

I mean, with John Edward pleading not guilty to inappropriate campaign fund usage, Anthony Weiner being unsure of whether or not his crotch was actually the culprit, Sarah Palin touring the country to refine her national geography awareness, and the Egyptians (Mahmoud Abdel-Salam Omar) trying to out due the French (Dominique Strauss-Khan) in NY maid assaults, I’d say you have far more stimulants to get you through the next three days than I.

Have a great weekend Pack Faithful!

In His Cliff Huxtable Voice: Challaaannngggeee!

I normally don’t write and post about the same general themes back to back on my blog, but today I do believe that an exception is warranted. 

Running at the 2010 IAAF Samsung Diamond League in Stockholm, Sweden Friday evening, U.S. Track & Field star Tyson Gay issued the sort of challenge to 100-meter World Record holder Usain Bolt that many of us were hoping would have been doled out two years earlier in setting the stage for an epic 1oo-meter showdown at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.  Although the Bolt-Gay main event at The Bird’s Nest was never to be, Tyson did not disappoint in Stockholm, in what was only the third time the athletes had met in head to head 100-meter action, and the first time the two had competed against each other in almost a year.

Now, as excited as I was to see Tyson run well (and injury-free), I am just not ready to see my most favoritest source of T&F entertainment; who has a dance named in his honor and who adopted a cheetah (because when you run faster than every other viable pet on the planet, why not adopt a creature that can keep up with you during your morning jogs) abdicate his thrown.

Did Gay run a primarily clean technical race? Yes.  Did Bolt have a slower start out of the blocks that Gay was able to capitalize on? Yes.  Was this race more of an exhibition than the real McCoy? Yes.

Even though these athletes strive to come in first whenever and wherever they take the track, the reality is that with the varying paid tournaments all over God’s creation that they compete in throughout the season, it is unlikely that they’ve had the time or focus to get into “Olympian” shape; mentally or physically.  Still, Gay’s swift battering ram on Bolt’s door of dominance has had to have gotten the top sprinter’s attention. 

And if you know like I know, you’ll be tuning in to the World Track Championships in South Korea beginning August 27^th to see how this saga will play out.

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