Athletics Shock

Tamsyn Lewis FFS has won something other than multiple erections from the spotty faced patons of RALPH.

EDIT: try that.

I recognise some of those words, but I still don't think that's an English-language sentence...

Actually TL has been running damn rapidly for the last few months now.

It always seemed odd to me that female aths like her and Jane Fleming and Lauren Hewitt and Emma the pole vaulter all got the 'underachiever' tag thrown at them very early on, mostly by those commentators most keen to suck up to the same Patrons Of Ralph, whereas ever since the days of the dreaded Tim Forsyth male runners, jumpers and standers-still like Shirvo and Johnno and Steffo and Motto never get the same treatment despite achieving about the same - ie O.

Fred Nerk wrote:Actually TL has been running damn rapidly for the last few months now.

It always seemed odd to me that female aths like her and Jane Fleming and Lauren Hewitt and Emma the pole vaulter all got the 'underachiever' tag thrown at them very early on, mostly by those commentators most keen to suck up to the same Patrons Of Ralph, whereas ever since the days of the dreaded Tim Forsyth male runners, jumpers and standers-still like Shirvo and Johnno and Steffo and Motto never get the same treatment despite achieving about the same - ie O.

My problem with Lewis is that she's cultured a profile that's in no way supported by her achievements.

Well she's hardly Robinson Crusoe there. In terms of under-achievement, self-promotion or whinging. And at least she's a real Oz, unlike that other fixture in the SFPOR All-time Greats, Tati G.

Which all might explain why a week of athletics every four years always seems like more than enough by about day 6.

Fred Nerk wrote:Actually TL has been running damn rapidly for the last few months now.

It always seemed odd to me that female aths like her and Jane Fleming and Lauren Hewitt and Emma the pole vaulter all got the 'underachiever' tag thrown at them very early on, mostly by those commentators most keen to suck up to the same Patrons Of Ralph, whereas ever since the days of the dreaded Tim Forsyth male runners, jumpers and standers-still like Shirvo and Johnno and Steffo and Motto never get the same treatment despite achieving about the same - ie O.

Lauren Hewitt - deserved every piece of bagging she got. Always looked "fat" & her only world class achievements were in the "blame evryone but me" stakes.

Emma the polevaulter - held multiple world records - wasn't aware she was tagged an underachiever. Not in the same category as Lewis in my eyes.

Jane Flemming - well, she did actually win at international level. Suffered from a long string of injuries IIRC - not aware of the underachiever tag. Again, not in the same category as Lewis in my eyes.

Shirvo - is the Lewis male equivalent in terms of a profile that doesn't correlate with record. Gave him a gobful when the dickhead did a lap when coming third is some shit time at those Ted Turner backed games post Sydney Olympics.

Steffo - big mouthed dickhead that deserves most that's tossed back at him

To most punters (me def included) success in athletics means Olympic gold and for the other (52 x 4) - 1 weeks in between aths barely blips the radar, and on that measure the scoreboard since Sydney 2000 reads Freeman 1, all other Australian athletes a combined 0. You recognise Fleming and Emma (what the hell was her last name? Gordon? Graham?) for their non-Olympic achievements. You follow it closer than me. Therefore the next para does not apply to you.

Most SFPORs wouldn't bother about all that detail. They'd lump TL, JF, Emma, all in together - uppity females with sweet FA to get uppity about - and bag them all accordingly. Meanwhile Shirvington does the same pork-chop act as Lewis and that's all fine, he's Raising The Profile Of The Sport and Flying The Flag and all that crap. That is the choir the media critics preach to.

Emma George

embee wrote:Emma George

Thanks embee. Red faced that I couldn't recall it myself.

Thanks MB.

I think she once missed the mat on the way down and got some absolutely horrific injury, and when she fouled out at some mid-ranking meet when she was on the comeback trail Patrick bloody Smith called her a choker and put her name next to Novotna and Greg Norman and all the other usual suspects. I think my total disrespect for anybody who used that word began there.

Fred Nerk wrote:To most punters (me def included) success in athletics means Olympic gold and for the other (52 x 4) - 1 weeks in between aths barely blips the radar, and on that measure the scoreboard since Sydney 2000 reads Freeman 1, all other Australian athletes a combined 0. You recognise Fleming and Emma (what the hell was her last name? Gordon? Graham?) for their non-Olympic achievements. You follow it closer than me. Therefore the next para does not apply to you.

Most SFPORs wouldn't bother about all that detail. They'd lump TL, JF, Emma, all in together - uppity females with sweet FA to get uppity about - and bag them all accordingly. Meanwhile Shirvington does the same pork-chop act as Lewis and that's all fine, he's Raising The Profile Of The Sport and Flying The Flag and all that crap. That is the choir the media critics preach to.

In a general sense I'm happy to accept your sexism point. It is widespread and ingrained.

Patrick bloody Smith called her a choker

Goose! Would love to see the first draft of his copy published & see who else might have trouble executing.

I had the pleasure watching Emma George complete one of her WRs. It was magnificent.

The sexism is probably due to the reason that few of our male athletes have been serious contenders for a major final since.... Herb Elliott ? ...and we have covered this up with amusing little titles such as "fastest white man in the world" and sidetracked ourselves with speculation about the size of the meat tray in the running shorts ...

We've had a few World Class women athletes so the publicity machines assume they can all win everything ... and RALPH is only interested in good looking sorts anyway

our male athletes have been serious contenders for a major final since.... Herb Elliott ?

Nathan Deekes or De Castella mightn't like to read that embee. The other guy who is so often forgotten is our last Olympic champion, Ralph Doubel and throughout his lifetime Peter Norman never picked up his rightful kudos.

True , Mick

Change it to "Male Track athletes" ...

embee wrote:True , Mick

Change it to "Male Track athletes" ...

Ralph Doubel, Peter Norman & Darren Clarke (just)

I remember a comment somebody made about how 'any Australian critic will insist Patrick White was a world class author. Many outside Australia will agree. But Australia's attachment to that view might not be because he is one, but because we need one.' We need a world-class sprinter so Shirvo will have to do, he won't beat Christie or Drummond or Greene or Johnston in a million years but who the hell else is there?

Likewise Lleyton Hewitt?

Clarke was one of the first to get the FWMITW tag IIRC ....and was very good at running very fast times at non major events

embee wrote:Clarke was one of the first to get the FWMITW tag IIRC ....and was very good at running very fast times at non major events

Twice (to the best of my dodgy recollection) fourth in Olympic finals. That rates!

All refs to 'Clarke' in the last few posts refer to Darren?

I've also forgotten what's his name. Ran second in the 400 in Moscow. Have met him about 3 times
Regardless of the boycott he did have to be considered a "contender"

Is Patrick Johnston the FPAITW?

Rick Mitchell

Fred Nerk wrote:All refs to 'Clarke' in the last few posts refer to Darren?

Yes. Was it Clark?

Mick Sawyer wrote:I've also forgotten what's his name. Ran second in the 400 in Moscow. Have met him about 3 times
Regardless of the boycott he did have to be considered a "contender"

Rick Mitchell