Bajan Tuh De Bone

And even with that scenario you just described as true as it may be...if you had to count the number of American teens who are into track and field, you will still come up with a higher number than you would in Jamaica. America has the numbers and the money. And I'm putting it to you that if Jamaica had HALF the size\population, and money that the US has, Jamaica would be beating the US in overall medal counts.

A higher number of rejects.
Yuh 'in see wuh Bangladesh jess did wid de West Indies B team a few weeks back?
In other words, if what I'm saying is true, T&F is getting de US C teams.
If you din' realize, duh use 2 flat 400m runners, and 2 400m hurdlers fuh de 4x4 relay on Sundy.

Japan got mo' money than China, but duh can' beat China in medal count.
I don't tink you rationalizin dis ting de right way.

BeachBum wrote:A higher number of rejects.
Yuh 'in see wuh Bangladesh jess did wid de West Indies B team a few weeks back?
In other words, if what I'm saying is true, T&F is getting de US C teams.
If you din' realize, duh use 2 flat 400m runners, and 2 400m hurdlers fuh de 4x4 relay on Sundy.

Japan got mo' money than China, but duh can' beat China in medal count.I don't tink you rationalizin dis ting de right way.

Man you gine bring all sorts of scenarios, but at de end of de day I still say that if Jamaica had half the size and money of the USA, Jamaica would be kicking ass in the medal counts...and I say this based on how well they have done in the Olympics last year and Berlin last week. You can have de final word.

Hey Jock...I surprise dat you ain throw a word or two into dis debate seeing that you is an avid fan of athletics.

Cause yuh cahn really get nuhway wid dis debate.
Both wunnuh kin dig sufficient valid points dat yuh gine end up wid a stalemate.
Dis really ent got nuh ansuh.

Jock wrote:Cause yuh cahn really get nuhway wid dis debate.
Both wunnuh kin dig sufficient valid points dat yuh gine end up wid a stalemate.
Dis really ent got nuh ansuh.

Fair enuff.

Gearbox wrote:Man you gine bring all sorts of scenarios, but at de end of de day I still say that if Jamaica had half the size and money of the USA, Jamaica would be kicking azz in the medal counts...and I say this based on how well they have done in the Olympics last year and Berlin last week. You can have de final word.

Funny on muh way home yesterday (uh wuk quite up in Ft Lauderdale yesterday), uh hear a fella call David Wolfer reminding me o' de economic term "opportunity cost". Here's how Wikipedia puts it.

Opportunity cost or economic opportunity loss is the value of the next best alternative forgone as the result of making a decision.[1] Opportunity cost analysis is an important part of a company's decision-making processes but is not treated as an actual cost in any financial statement.[2] The next best thing that a person can engage in is referred to as the opportunity cost of doing the best thing and ignoring the next best thing to be done.;

Track 'n Field in de US is not de next best alternative fuh talented athletes. I believe the ones we see at the US and International championships have a genuine desire for track 'n field, so they stick with it. The ones we see in football are after more money. Jamaican do not have that option, so they have to make track work.

BeachBum wrote:Track 'n Field in de US is not de next best alternative fuh talented athletes. I believe the ones we see at the US and International championships have a genuine desire for track 'n field, so they stick with it. The ones we see in football are after more money. Jamaican do not have that option, so they have to make track work.

So what is your point? The fact remains that "the ones we see at the US and International championships" still out-number the Jamaicans by far...the US always have a large enough contingency to compete in all events...and in most individual events they have at lease 3 or 4 competitors. Whether or not track and field is a last resort for US youngsters, the fact of the matter is that the other sports are not based on speed alone, but require there own skill sets. Therefore, there are some very speedy youngsters who may not make the football team as wide-receivers or defensive-backs because they may not be skillful enough at reading plays and running patterns. Some may be very speedy but can't make the basketball team because they are not tall enough or skillful enough with the ball. I can't buy that excuse that American track and field members are the bottom of the barrel that America has to offer. And what about the American females...what other high paying sports do they give preference to??

But yuh know another reason why the US is not as dominant today as they were in the 2004 Olympics and prior? So many of them have been caught using performance enhancing drugs that they have been forced to come off the dope...and now we're seeing their true natural ability.

Now you can have the final word.

Gearbox wrote:So what is your point?

My point is, you're seeing the US athletes who love track, not necessarily the cream of the crop. Here's why.

Darrell Ray Green (born February 15, 1960 in Houston, Texas)
His first meet was in 1982 in San Angelo, Texas, where he ran a 10.08 in the 100-meter dash. The mark still stands as the all-time best in the Lone Star Conference
Green's all-time collegiate best in the 100 was 10.08, 20.50 in the 200 and 45.90 in the 400
As a sophomore in college, Green defeated future multiple time Olympic gold medal winner Carl Lewis in the 100 meter dash. Lewis never raced Green again.
Green was drafted in the first round (28th overall) of the 1983 (23 years old) NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins.

Willie James Gault (born September 5, 1960 in Griffin, Georgia)
Gault was part of a world record-setting 4 x 100 meter relay team, a 110 meter hurdler who would have gone to the 1980 Summer Olympics if the United States had not boycotted the event.
Gault set a world record of 10.72 seconds in the master's 100 meters, a division for athletes aged 45 to 49.
Gault was drafted in 1983 (23 years old), played with the Bears until 1988

Now to the finest athlete who ever lived.
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962 in Bessemer, Alabama)
Jackson qualified for the 100 meter dash in his freshman and sophomore years. He considered joining the USA Olympic team, but sprinting would not gain him the financial security of the MLB or NFL, nor would he have sufficient time to train, given his other commitments.
He also ran a 4.12 40 yard dash, still considered the fastest verifiable 40 time at an NFL Combine.
Jackson was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the first pick of the 1986 (24 years old) NFL Draft,
Jackson was drafted first overall in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Renaldo ("Skeets") Nehemiah (born March 24, 1959 in Newark, New Jersey)
The relays were just two weeks after he first broke the world record for the 110 meter hurdles. During the relays he recorded an unofficial split of 19.4 seconds in the 4-by-200 meter relay and a 44.3 second split in the 4x400 meter relay.
In 1981 he set his outdoor world record of 12.93 for the 110-meter hurdles.
Nehemiah worked out in 1982 (23 years old) for several NFL teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers and ended up signing with the 49ers

Randall Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977 in Rand, West Virginia)
While at Florida State, Moss ran a 4.25 40-yard dash,
During the 1998 (21 years old) NFL Draft, Moss, who was projected as a high first-round pick,was taken by the Minnesota Vikings

These are just a few examples. This is why US track 'n field is probably not seeing its best talent on the track. Athletes go after the money, not the sport.
Now you can have the last word.

BeachBum wrote:My point is, you're seeing the US athletes who love track, not necessarily the cream of the crop.

Man you are perplexing. So I suppose you telling me that the world has never really seen the very best that the US has to offer, and that the Americans are so superior that they've been kicking ass over all these decades with less than the best?? And I suppose you're also trying to tell me that if America's best were running in Berlin the other day, then U-train "lightning" Bolt would not be holding the 100m and 200m world records.

Man I know I 'in need to read and spell everyting fuh you.

BTW, see hey 2 mo'.

Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962 in Wrightsville, Georgia)
He ran the 100 meters in 10.22, the 100 yards in 9.3
United States Football League (1983 (22 years old) –1985)
Professional football career (1983–1997)

Ronald James Brown (born March 31, 1961 in Los Angeles, California) is a former American athlete and American football wide receiver, winner of the gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Brown was fourth in 100 m and ran the second leg in the American 4x100 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 37.83 at the Olympic Games held in his hometown in 1984.
After the Olympics, Brown (22 years old) joined the Los Angeles Rams and played there until 1989

And while yuh at it, tek a look at dis list and tell me whey de first track athlete ranked.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_sports_contracts

I gine tell yuh what...I know that Usain Bolt is a household name around the world...and I know that he mekkin (and gine mek) nuff money especially from commercial endorsements. Now for those who can't see the glory and riches that comes with being a world track and field star...sobeit.

The NFL, NBA, and MLB are all played within the US...and regardless of how much money the players make, the worldwide attention and appreciation is not the same as for athletics or soccer. We football (soccer) is played in more countries than any other sport in the world, when will the US win a FIFA world cup? They got a 3rd place back in 1930.

But GB yuh fuhget one critical point - fun nuff Amurkans de US IS de world!!

Jock wrote:But GB yuh fuhget one critical point - fun nuff Amurkans de US IS de world!!

That is exactly what I'm getting at...and I realized that the first year that I was living up there. Their minds have been cultivated to think that way. I remember discussing the "brainwash patriotism" that Americans are conditioned to from birth in some of these forums in the past. I was astounded to realize that geography was not even in the high school curriculum when I attended school in NJ...not even world history was in the curriculum...but of course there was US history. I was fortunate to have have attended Combermere School here in Bim for 5 years before migrating to the US...it placed me in a position where I could see and understand the stark contrast in the secondary education system and the cultural differences as well.

I know Usain Bolt will make a lot of money, and so will Tyson Gay. Well, at least for a track star. But how many others in this current batch of guys will? Again, for good US speedsters, it's the opportunity cost of missing out on a good football contract. Here are the track and field numbers for 2004.

Top-20 Prize Winners *

[Figures in $US. Awards in other currencies were converted at the prevailing exchange rate on the date of competition.]

MEN -
1. Christian Olsson, SWE $644,660
2. Kenenisa Bekele, ETH 162,922
3. Allen Johnson, USA 145,740
4. Bernard Lagat, KEN 137,270
5. Asafa Powell, JAM 129,820
6. Saif Saaeed Shaheen, QAT 129,542
7. Ivan Heshko, UKR 125,876
8. Paul Korir, KEN 122,800
9. Wilfred Bungei, KEN 105,216
10. Felix Sánchez, DOM 97,720
11. William Yiampoy, KEN 96,546
12. Alleyne Francique, GRN 94,166
13. Stefan Holm, SWE 92,360
14. Alex Kipchirchir, KEN 90,036
15. Youssef Saad Kamel, BRN 88,664
16. Joseph Mutua, KEN 82,540
17. Francis OBIKWELU, POR 82,355
18. Shawn Crawford, USA 73,650
19. Jadel Gregório, BRA 72,824
20. Roman Sebrle, CZE 70,650


WOMEN -
1. Tonique Williams-Darling, BAH $571,950
2. Yelena Isinbayeva, RUS 374,250
3. Tatyana Lebedeva, RUS 210,306
4. Hestrie Cloete, RSA 173,545
5. Yelena Slesarenko, RUS 136,040
6. Kelly Holmes, GBR 125,812
7. Debbie Ferguson, BAH 117,054
8. Aleen Bailey, JAM 113,330
9. Elvan Abeylegesse, TUR 111,150
10. Perdita Felicien, CAN 106,070
11. Stacy Dragila, USA 96,820
12. Veronica Campbell, JAM 91,300
13. Maria Mutola, MOZ 90,478
14. Blanka Vlasic, CRO 87,555
15. Gail Devers, USA 86,150
16. Yelena Zadorozhnaya, RUS 83,191
17. Meseret Defar, ETH 81,405
18. Viktoriya Styopina, UKR 78,175
19. Christine Arron, FRA 75,160
20. Ionela Tirlea-Manolache, ROM 71,317

*In certain cases, athletes are paid an appearance fee in lieu of potential prize money, while in some cases, they receive both. Those instances are not reported; figures in this compilation are based solely on prize money structures and should be considered approximations and in no way represent the annual total earnings of any athlete listed.

Source

But who in their right minds would pass up the below money for a track career, if duh got speed? Dis is just outta college, first year money.

The top 10 picks in last year's draft signed contracts that guaranteed an average of $18.7 million — a launching point for negotiations for prime picks in this weekend's draft and the cause of much anxiety by team executives.

Says Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian of rookie deals, "They are rising at a rate that's well above the level of inflation."

Rookie pacts are also lapping the pace of the NFL's rising salary cap.

The six-year, $61 million contract that Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell received as the No. 1 pick overall last year contained $29 million in guarantees — a 76.7% increase from the $16.4 million in guaranteed money Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer received as the top pick in 2003.

The average guarantee for the 32 first-round picks last year ($10.86 million) was up 67.4% from 2003 ($6.482 million).

Source

Ok. You had the last word.

Gearbox wrote:Ok. You had the last word.

Well you tell me to have it.
BTW, duh i saw a article on de internet about speculation of offering Bolt a football contract if he kin learn to ketch de ball. Dah was befo' de Olympics.

BeachBum wrote:

Gearbox wrote:Ok. You had the last word.

Well you tell me to have it.
BTW, duh i saw a article on de internet about speculation of offering Bolt a football contract if he kin learn to ketch de ball. Dah was befo' de Olympics.

Dah wouldn't surprise me.

A job well done. He deserve it. I hope other will look at eem now and see some light.