T&FN Favourite Olympic Moment Poll Results No1 David Rudisha

[Daisy]

I like to read the rationales as I sometimes see a perspective I had not thought about before.

[Mighty Favog]

the Grinch must have stolen my Xmas spirit.

I find the thought of somebody's "personal connection" for a major Olympic moment to be the track equivalent of being at a friend's house and hearing the dreaded "have you seen the slides of our vacation?"

Point taken, and mostly I agree. I don't think I can justify putting a guy winning HJ silver on the list even if his two younger brothers happen to currently be students of mine (Kynard). On the other hand, I can easily justify putting Dave Wottle's win on the list, and I'll secretly give him extra points because he ran for my alma mater.

On a larger scale, giving preference to a great moment just because of the nationality of the person in question is still on some level a "personal" connection, and I can't imagine that any of us have a problem with that.

Also, no one under 40 even knows what a slide is anymore.

[mump boy]

the Grinch must have stolen my Xmas spirit.

I find the thought of somebody's "personal connection" for a major Olympic moment to be the track equivalent of being at a friend's house and hearing the dreaded "have you seen the slides of our vacation?"

Point taken, and mostly I agree. I don't think I can justify putting a guy winning HJ silver on the list even if his two younger brothers happen to currently be students of mine (Kynard). On the other hand, I can easily justify putting Dave Wottle's win on the list, and I'll secretly give him extra points because he ran for my alma mater.

On a larger scale, giving preference to a great moment just because of the nationality of the person in question is still on some level a "personal" connection, and I can't imagine that any of us have a problem with that.

Also, no one under 40 even knows what a slide is anymore.

There's no problem with voting for something very personal (like you know the person) just as long as your list is not full of them

We're definitely going to have a rule limiting votes to only half for your own country though

I'm still undecided if to ask for list of 10 or 20

[Pego]

I'm still undecided if to ask for list of 10 or 20

I vote for 10. It becomes much less clear after that.

[mump boy]

I'm still undecided if to ask for list of 10 or 20

I vote for 10. It becomes much less clear after that.

Also MUCH more work

You've persuaded me

[Flumpy]

color me an unrepentant elitist; if somebody's choice doesn't resonate ("make sense") off the top, then I really don't care why you liked it; it's obviously a personal reason that is little interest to the masses.

In that case you may as well close the whole forum

[bushop]

I find the thought of somebody's "personal connection" for a major Olympic moment to be...

... a way for novices like myself and my athletes to learn about the specialness of Olympic moments we had no previos knowledge of... a track & field history lesson.

[Flumpy]

Exacty.

There are going to be loads of moments in my list that won't make any sense at all without an explanation.

Not every 'favourite' moment is going to be a gold medal or WR.

Personally I vote for 20. I could easily come up with 50 so whittling it down to 10 will be impossible + more moments means less fun

[gh]

color me an unrepentant elitist; if somebody's choice doesn't resonate ("make sense") off the top, then I really don't care why you liked it; it's obviously a personal reason that is little interest to the masses.

In that case you may as well close the whole forum

Bah, humbug! Where's Tiny Tim so I can kick his crutch out from under him? (I could learn to like this crusty curmudgeon stuff )

[ExCoastRanger]

We're definitely going to have a rule limiting votes to only half for your own country though....

That seems like it has the potential making of a list of some personal favorites, plus some others that had to be listed just to complete the list.

[Blues]

let me make this easy and simply point out the slam-dunk best moment ahead of time, save all the sturm und drang: what could possibly top igniting the flame in Seoul and not realizing that a covey of pigeons had taken up residence? Hello roast squab!

LOL... And to think that I discounted all those rumors about the T&FN boardkeeper having a sadistic streak....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-liu1JVo1g

[Dave]

let me make this easy and simply point out the slam-dunk best moment ahead of time, save all the sturm und drang: what could possibly top igniting the flame in Seoul and not realizing that a covey of pigeons had taken up residence? Hello roast squab!

Ok so the contest is for positions 2-10.

That is too wonderful for words (unless you were an organize or pigeon).

[lionelp1]

I found it very easy and quick to come up with over 20 greatest T and F "moments" from 17 OGs since the end of WW2. I am ready at the starting gates for the off and to be honest if I have to reduce my list to Ten "moments" it will be a little tough. Surely one has to give reasons later for ones choices otherwise, whats the point.

As an elitist( and wtf is the OG about but naked elitism... not too many are interested in a n athlete coming last in their heat etc) I cannot claim much interest in whether somebody went to ones college and other footling reasons, but thats the fave moment for some... just NOT for me.

[mump boy]

We're definitely going to have a rule limiting votes to only half for your own country though....

That seems like it has the potential making of a list of some personal favorites, plus some others that had to be listed just to complete the list.

Or a way of encouraging people stretch their horizons and appreciate the sport as a whole and not just their countrymen winning gold medals

I could quite easily do a top 20 of UK moments but it's much more interesting if i have to look further at less obvious things to appreciate.

[mump boy]

I would rather do 20 moments and i'm happy to do so as long as everyone understands it will take longer to get the results and there may be a few mistakes here and there !!

I will post a list of definitive guidelines by the end of the day and entries will be open tomorrow

[Daisy]

I'm betting that Preston has Derek Redmond in his top three.

[preston]

I'm betting that Preston has Derek Redmond in his top three.

Ok, i laughed so hard I spit out my beverage!!! Damn you, Daisy!

[mump boy]

So guidelines are as follows

1. PM me your top 20 favourite Olympic Moments. Nominations will open at 00.01 GMT tomorrow Thursday and close on 23.59 GMT on Sat 30th. Include FULL names, dates and events. If it is a 'moment' rather than a race etc please include a brief explanation for clarity.

2. All nominations should be in decending order and clearly marked from 20th to 1st

3. Moments must involve Track and Field Athletes and have taken place, in, around or during a Summer Olympic Games. In can happen off of the track but only in the duration of the games.

4. You can enter a maximum of half (10) nominations from your own country. Please put your country of origin at the top of your nominations.

5. I will only accept your first entry, i'm not making changes once they have been submitted

6. If there is any confusion over the 'moment' that will impact on a placement, i will make an informed decision. Speaking to the participants involved if necessary.

7. Anyone who chooses to disrupt, antagonise or in any other way spoil the thread for everyone else will had their nominations withdrawn. This is supped to be a fun and informative exercise not a forum for personal vendettas and obnoxiousness

8. Everyone is responsible for the dates and spelling of their nominations. I will take no responsibility for fact checking.

9. There is absolutely no compulsion post your thoughts and feeling about your nominations after they have been announced but i and many others would appreciate a few lines of explanation.

10. NO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU NOMINATED OR WHAT YOU THINK WILL BE RANKED UNTIL AFTER IT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED

11. Personal relationships with athletes can of course influence favourite moments, so while i won't ban such nominations (someone i went to school with ran in the 400m in 76 etc) i would ask that people keep them to a minimum and try and choose moments that others can remember and appreciate.

That will do for now, there may be more if think of anything

Let The Games Begin

[Flumpy]

I'm betting that Preston has Derek Redmond in his top three.

Thanks Daisy, I'd forgotten all about that one

[Daisy]

8. Everyone is responsible for the dates and spelling of their nominations. I will take no responsibility for fact checking.

Dates? Is just the year OK?

[preston]

So guidelines are as follows

1. DM me your top 20 favourite Olympic Moments. Nominations will open at 00.01 GMT tomorrow Thursday and close on 23.59 GMT on Sat 30th. Include FULL names, dates and events. If it is a 'moment' rather than a race etc please include a brief explanation for clarity.

2. All nominations should be in decending order and clearly marked from 20th to 1st

3. Moments must involve Track and Field Athletes and have taken place, in, around or during a Summer Olympic Games. In can happen off of the track but only in the duration of the games.

4. You can enter a maximum of half (10) nominations from your own country. Please put your country of origin at the top of your nominations.

5. I will only accept your first entry, i'm not making changes once they have been submitted

6. If there is any confusion over the 'moment' that will impact on a placement, i will make an informed decision. Speaking to the participants involved if necessary.

7. Anyone who chooses to disrupt, antagonise or in any other way spoil the thread for everyone else will had their nominations withdrawn. This is supped to be a fun and informative exercise not a forum for personal vendettas and obnoxiousness

8. Everyone is responsible for the dates and spelling of their nominations. I will take no responsibility for fact checking.

9. There is absolutely no compulsion post your thoughts and feeling about your nominations after they have been announced but i and many others would appreciate a few lines of explanation.

10. NO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU NOMINATED OR WHAT YOU THINK WILL BE RANKED UNTIL AFTER IT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED

11. Personal relationships with athletes can of course influence favourite moments, so while i won't ban such nominations (someone i went to school with ran in the 400m in 76 etc) i would ask that people keep them to a minimum and try and choose moments that others can remember and appreciate.

12. No can use the names of Paula Radcliffe, Derek Redmond or Haile Gebrselassie or Cathy Freeman in their top-19 moments. 20th or not at all, please.

That will do for now, there may be more if think of anything

Let The Games Begin

[ExCoastRanger]

We're definitely going to have a rule limiting votes to only half for your own country though....

That seems like it has the potential making of a list of some personal favorites, plus some others that had to be listed just to complete the list.

Or a way of encouraging people stretch their horizons and appreciate the sport as a whole and not just their countrymen winning gold medals

I could quite easily do a top 20 of UK moments but it's much more interesting if i have to look further at less obvious things to appreciate.

I appreciate opportunities to stretch my horizons. I have a decent global, historical view of the sport (But many of you on this board have deep, deep knowledge that is really extraordinary --and appreciated-- even for somebody who has followed t&f as best as he could for three decades or more in what has essentially been a desert wasteland of t&f coverage in the U.S. with a few exceptions).
I can come up with 20 great moments. Haven't given it much thought yet, but I can't imagine it would hard to balance it internationally. If I play I'll dig deeper into the history and see what stands out. But you know, favorites are favourites, and if six of 10 happen to be "American moments" and one has to edit the list to fit the rules then it's either not an honest list or it's a list of something other than true favorites. Or favourites.
Regardless, it'll be an interesting, informative thread. It'll be fun whether I opine or not.

[26mi235]

I find that my initial notes are heavily American in orientation. Given the long, broad success of the US in the Games I think it not surprising. In the era where a lot of non-Americans dominated the top-10 in the AOY, you find an awful lot of athletes from the GDR and it is hard not to think of those as compromised. I certainly cannot and will not say that Waldemar Cierpinski's double marathon victories were on par with Bikila's (which will be in my top 20, not sure if it will be Rome or both quite yet).

[mump boy]

8. Everyone is responsible for the dates and spelling of their nominations. I will take no responsibility for fact checking.

Dates? Is just the year OK?

It's just the year but if someone gets it wrong and i don't spot it don't blame me

[Olli]

1. DM me your top 20 favourite Olympic Moments.

A stupid question: what does "DM" mean?

(This message board is full of abbreviations that I — a non-native English-speaker — find hard to understand, even though they seem to be obvious for all others. For example, I spent a long time before finally figuring out what GOAT means [it's not the bearded animal, is it?].)

[mump boy]

1. DM me your top 20 favourite Olympic Moments.

A stupid question: what does "DM" mean?

(This message board is full of abbreviations that I — a non-native English-speaker — find hard to understand, even though they seem to be obvious for all others. For example, I spent a long time before finally figuring out what GOAT means [it's not the bearded animal, is it?].)

Sorry i meant PM (personal message)

[dj]

1. DM me your top 20 favourite Olympic Moments.

A stupid question: what does "DM" mean?

(This message board is full of abbreviations that I — a non-native English-speaker — find hard to understand, even though they seem to be obvious for all others. For example, I spent a long time before finally figuring out what GOAT means [it's not the bearded animal, is it?].)

Sorry i meant PM (personal message)

Oh, no. Nump boy is already having trouble with spelling!

[mump boy]

1. DM me your top 20 favourite Olympic Moments.

A stupid question: what does "DM" mean?

(This message board is full of abbreviations that I — a non-native English-speaker — find hard to understand, even though they seem to be obvious for all others. For example, I spent a long time before finally figuring out what GOAT means [it's not the bearded animal, is it?].)

Sorry i meant PM (personal message)

Oh, no. Nump boy is already having trouble with spelling!

haha here we go again

I just got my first correct nomination in

[mump boy]

Thanks for all the entries

keep them coming

[doug5321]

meseret defar celebrating her olympic 5000 win with the picture of jesus and the virgin mary.

religion is under attack, God was boo'd at the democratic convention.
there are idiots trying to get in God we trust off money, also they are trying to get one nation under God out of the pledge of allegiance.

yet meseret defar after her olympic win shows on world wide tv after her olympic win that she will not cower to these people who want to get rid of religion God bless her.

that is my favorite olympic moment.

on another note, i hope everyone has a marry christmas, and a happy world championship new year.

[mump boy]

meseret defar celebrating her olympic 5000 win with the picture of jesus and the virgin mary.

religion is under attack, God was boo'd at the democratic convention.
there are idiots trying to get in God we trust off money, also they are trying to get one nation under God out of the pledge of allegiance.

yet meseret defar after her olympic win shows on world wide tv after her olympic win that she will not cower to these people who want to get rid of religion God bless her.

that is my favorite olympic moment.

on another note, i hope everyone has a marry christmas, and a happy world championship new year.

There is a MASSIVE difference between a personal celebration and enforcing your beliefs in others !!

Anyway if you'd like to nominate her please PM me along with the rest of your choices

[Gabriella]

In the era where a lot of non-Americans dominated the top-10 in the AOY, you find an awful lot of athletes from the GDR and it is hard not to think of those as compromised.

And yet I will bet you will have a certain female American 'legend' in your list.

It's going to come down to personal opinion whether athletes perceived as compromised are included. Rules-wise, there's nothing to stop any of us including any Olympic participating athlete. I imagine for some, the Adams/Ostapchuk incident this year may feature!

[lionelp1]

In the era where a lot of non-Americans dominated the top-10 in the AOY, you find an awful lot of athletes from the GDR and it is hard not to think of those as compromised.

And yet I will bet you will have a certain female American 'legend' in your list.

It's going to come down to personal opinion whether athletes perceived as compromised are included. Rules-wise, there's nothing to stop any of us including any Olympic participating athlete. I imagine for some, the Adams/Ostapchuk incident this year may feature!

Maybe a lot of East Europeans are and have been compromised, not all by any means, but for goodness sake remember the number of Americans who have been compromised as fact, plus those that will always be regarded by many fans as more than a little dubious., especially in the 80s when politics was of highly significant paramountcy with the USOC, to whom medals in the OGs mattered more than any question of integrity imo.

[mump boy]

NO MORE DRUG TALK

PEOPLE CAN NOMINATE ANY MOMENT THEY LIKE

[lionelp1]

Even Marion Jones etc etc, Mump boy.

I understand your need to be tolerant on this fun thread, but surely for you, who has always taken a justifiably strong stance on the "nasty" people, that's a tolerance too far.