Semi-OT: Who's The Best Athlete...

[Dr. Doofus]

you've known as a competitor or teammate? All this talk about kirby and boonen -- who may be the best athlete in the peloton right now -- made doof think...who is the best that he's seen every day in practice, or that he's thrown it down with?


competitor: volker diehl -- doof's stupid hometown race in 1988...doof hanging on to some hairy-legged guy before they both got dropped, with Dr. Deutschmark driving it along with Bob Mionskie (they eventually lapped the field, along with some Polish guy...toyin with us...)...made doof truly realize the gap between bottom-of-the-barrel pack filler and Olympic Medalist.


teammate: on technicality*, Tom Williams...amazing dude...3rd in the world in the 50 free, but could have excelled at any sport he wanted to....



* at that point, doof wasn't in the water, but helpin with the clip boards, the video studies, and occasionaly the blood samples....


youz guyz? who's the ones that made ya feel lucky just to be there?

[inGobwetrust]

Back in '95 when I was racing off-road for TWP (Two Wheel Performance, makers of the "Hunchback") there was this kid named Floyd....................

[slowgoing]

There was a guy in my high school who won the state championship in the mile and two mile on the same day. He went on to win the national jr. olympics.

I also competed against and beat a guy from a cross town high school who was later on the 1984 gold medal gymnastics team. Sure, he was an all arounder while I only did the rings, and he was a year behind me, but what the hey.

[vaxn8r]

you've known as a competitor or teammate? All this talk about kirby and boonen -- who may be the best athlete in the peloton right now -- made doof think...who is the best that he's seen every day in practice, or that he's thrown it down with?



Without a doubt, Terry Schroeder. Pepperdine water polo. US National team for the entire decade of the 80's. About 6' 6", 240-250, fast and talented. Unstoppable. Overwhelming. Man among men.

If you have no idea who I'm talking about think 1984 Olympic games. LA Coliseum: he's the male athlete they patterned the male statue after. It's still there. He coulda played anything and been dominant. Well, maybe too big to be a cyclist but it woulda been fun watching him break bike stuff and burn tires up.

[pale scotsman]

This dude, Peter Rono, that lived downstairs from me at college won gold in the 1500m at the 88 Olympics in Seoul.

The best part is the race was at about 2AM our time on a weekend, and we were slap tore up watching it. When he got back to school it was as if nothing had happened on his part, but he was a hero in Kenya and at the Mount.

[Ozz]

John Stockton - maybe you've heard of him?

He played basketball in college, I played soccer, we both got taped by the trainers at same time, hung around waiting for practices to start. Nice guy, but I have about as much in common genetically with him as an amoeba does with me. Some got it, the rest of us don't....

[bcm119]

For you swim-o-philes out there, I remember competing in several jr. nationals with guys like Neil Walker, Scott Tucker and Aaron Ciarla, who went on to the olympics or, in Aaron's case, to win ncaa's in the 50. At the time I wasn't as much in awe of them, they were just guys who beat me...consistently. But I was in awe of their mental strength. The 50 free is as much mental as physical, and I thought I performed well under pressure but these guys did it with 100% consistency, every time. I didn't have the head for that stuff at 18. That and I always peaked about a week too early.

[vaxn8r]

...That and I always peaked about a week too early.
I always peaked about a week or two late...back in the day of 18-22K yds/meters a day... :crap:

[67-59]

No I wasn't on the basketball team at Marquette, but I started school there at the same time as Doc Rivers did, and met him at freshman orientation. Watched him play for 3 years at Marquette before his 15-year or so NBA career. And he was actually a pretty bright guy who went to class!

Best athlete I ever was a teammate with was Tim Hacker. We were on the HS track team together, and even ran on the same conference championship mile relay. Tim went on to be an All-American in track and cross country at the University of Wisconsin. Was looking like he was ready to peak for the Olympics (88 or 92??), but a case of plantar fasciitis kept him home.

[gasman]

In college at U of Oregon I had a friend by the name of Paul Geis but I ran with him only when he was in recovery mode.My competition with him was only in my mind. He made the finals of the 5000 meter in the '76 Olympics. I also met Steve Prefontaine through Paul- at a couple track parties.

In high school I got my butt kicked by many swimmers that made the Olympic team in '72 and '76.

I am still waiting to peak in something. :p

[mjb266]

As for on the bike, I got to race with Nosthein in the Turkey Hill Classic a couple years ago. He wasn't tearing us apart but riding next to a gold medalist was cool. I did see Steve Speaks (ex Coors guy?) ride away from a 1,2,3 field and there was nothing that anyone could do about it.

In cyclocross, thought seeing that Italian (Pontoni) come to race the USGP races was going to be cool but he was euro trash lame-o. He pulled the same, "there's something up with my rear wheel" ploy I used when I was 12 and lost to my friends. That being said, Tim Johnson, T-bone, T. Wells, Gully...all crazy fit.

Saving the best for last. Racing B mens in Seattle this year and doing okay (top ten) I hear a freight train coming up behind me. Turn around and there is Ann Knapp who started in the women's race one minute behind me and passed 80 male riders to get up to me. She passed me and proceeded to ride away from me on an uphill.

[jerk]

best athlete the jerk had ever had the pleasure of riding with: vdb

best competitor the jerk has ever had the pleasure of riding with: nico mattan

jerk

[Grant McLean]

Jack Bauer is no Steve Bauer

-g

[darylb]

I've played with or against tons of current and past big league players and many are amazing athletes but no athlete I have ever seen compares to Bo Jackson.

To see something that big, move that fast, so gracefully was unbelievable. There were better players of course, in fact I was playing with Bonds when I played against Bo. Bonds is by far a better player but Bo is the most amazing physical specimen I have ever seen.

He hit a ball to the fence (not off me) that is a double every day of the week and criused in to third base standing up. It looked like the bases had been shortened for his turn at bat. And he was so smooth. Then, he was playing right field and picked up a ball at the base of the fence and he threw it over the catchers head on a line. No crow hop, no running start. He kept his right foot planted, stepped with his left and turned it loose. Turns out, he is a nice guy too.

For the record, I walked him and struck him out the two times I faced him. :D Also for the record, I was a mediocre minor league player and I typically hate to drop names but I played with a lot of guys in spring training and something called instructional league.

[Dr. Doofus]

I typically hate to drop names but I played with a lot of guys in spring training and something called instructional league.


ahhh db...

there is somethnig beautiful in seeing the words people use to describe what was, for them, something beautiful...don't worry about name-dropping...the purpose of this thread was to enjoy the memories people would share, and the language they would use.

all good in doof's hood

[stevep]

we have a big club up here with pretty large group rides... they are generally held to pretty strict discipline because of the size and many narrow roads.
when a new happy legged newcomer shows up on the ride and jumps all the time and steps up the early pace... one of the funnier episodes was a few years ago. tyler hamilton lived here then and he would always ride with us off season... some guy came and violated the unspoken etiquette of the group... we sent tyler to the front to half wheel the poor unsuspecting guy into oblivion. the guys is all excited about riding next to ty and he is showing what he can do...
22mph, 23mph, 24mph, 25mph... quite hilly area...meanwhile the guys shoulders start to wobble, his breathing becomes very loud and heavy and he is held on the curb by an innocent, chatting hamilton...." hows it going, nice bike, etc, etc..where you from?"
the rest are laughing our asses off at the spectacle...
finally he lets the guy off the front and the poor guy blows right off the back... totally blown.

[vaxn8r]

we have a big club up here with pretty large group rides... they are generally held to pretty strict discipline because of the size and many narrow roads.
when a new happy legged newcomer shows up on the ride and jumps all the time and steps up the early pace... one of the funnier episodes was a few years ago. tyler hamilton lived here then and he would always ride with us off season... some guy came and violated the unspoken etiquette of the group... we sent tyler to the front to half wheel the poor unsuspecting guy into oblivion. the guys is all excited about riding next to ty and he is showing what he can do...
22mph, 23mph, 24mph, 25mph... quite hilly area...meanwhile the guys shoulders start to wobble, his breathing becomes very loud and heavy and he is held on the curb by an innocent, chatting hamilton...." hows it going, nice bike, etc, etc..where you from?"
the rest are laughing our asses off at the spectacle...
finally he lets the guy off the front and the poor guy blows right off the back... totally blown.Hey now, that was pretty mean. Did he ever show up again? Another way to handle it might have been to let him ride off the front a few times. New guys want to prove they belong...it's an insecurity. I mean since it was an "unspoken etiquette", how's he supposed to learn? Sorry for being all "Mr sensitive" but I bet he thought you guys were a bunch of pricks.

Back to great sports stories...Daryl, great story and I agree about Bo but only saw him on TV. Wow!

[bcm119]

Hey now, that was pretty mean. Did he ever show up again? Another way to handle it might have been to let him ride off the front a few times. New guys want to prove they belong...it's an insecurity. I mean since it was an "unspoken etiquette", how's he supposed to learn? Sorry for being all "Mr sensitive" but I bet he thought you guys were a bunch of pricks.


Totally agree. Thats what gives road cyclists their often-deserved reputation as arrogant a-holes.

[Mud]

I grew up in Queens a couple of blocks from PS 32 which means nothing except that it was famous and actually written up in Sports Illustrated many years ago. It was a hotbed for basketball and we had many really good players come on Saturday morning including many of the guys from St Johns and ocassionally the Knicks.

I wasn't any good but always played 3 on 3 even if I had to wait for "winners". Games were 10 baskets, winners out, call your own fouls. I played ball with Al McGuire, **** Bunt, Harry Gallatin (NBA's leading rebounder), Leroy Ellis and some pretty good locals. The best was Jimmy Nidds who played big time ball for NYU and was a defensive stopper, shutting down the likes of Lenny Rosenbluth of UNC fame, and Vinnie Cohn from Syracuse.

He went into the Cardinals minor league system and looked like a sure shot for the big leagues. He got drafted and gave up sports I guess. My younger brother told me he had him as a PE teacher at Bayside HS in Queens.

Today at 5'11" and 180 lbs he would be too small but he was just so good and a really nice guy. Memories and nostalgia, but the best I remember.

[stevep]

as to my note above. for the unspoken part of the ride. new riders are recommended to ride comfortably in the group until they get a feel for the nature of the ride and their comfort level on the ride. it is recommended that they stay clear of the front for awhile because the ride back is usually much faster than the ride out and more than a few eager legs use their gas before the turn around and then they are in more trouble trying to get back home.

[spiderlake]

A friend of mine plays pro basketball in China. Has been there for a few years and loves it. I never competed against him (at 5'6", I have no business on a court) so I don't know if this counts.....

Hmmmm, competed against? I did compete against several eventual olympians in gymnastics but to say it was a close competition would be a laugh. My college team competed against Ohio State University the year they were defending national champs and they cleaned our clock. I competed in two events (floor excerise and high bar) and will never forget the complete and utter feeling of humiliation of racking up an 8.6 in an event where OSU was scoring 9.5 - 9.8.....

Enough rambling...

[andy mac]

i spent 5 years getting my arse handed to me on the ski circuit by the likes of Ingermar Stenmark, Tomba, Stefan Eberharter, Daron Rahlves, AAMODT Kjetil Andre et al. i was never, ever in the money but good fun.

One day my coach from Austrian said to me "I was the 2 time world champion. Now i am 35, own a second hand Subaru, a 2 bedroom apartment and I'm standing here in the rain trying to teach you to ski. You should find something else to do."

Harsh but fair. I wouldn't swap those crazy days for anything.

i'm also lucky enough to have played a few sets of tennis with some old friends Todd Woodbridge (9 wimbledon doubles titles etc) and Nichole Bradtke (Provis) a top 20 female (French Open semi finalist, etc.) We actually went on a date just before the Barcelona Olympics. She returned from them with a 7 foot NBA player in tow...

Good times...

:beer:

[stevep]

i like that. an honest answer.
he did not move on when it was time to move on...