Do you have a favorite sports story?

[Another Fan]

From any level of playing.  Can be personal or Bills related.

 

I really do love this story below.  Tyson Taylor talked about Bob Hurley Sr and playing for him.  The day before the state championship game he went off on the seniors claiming they’d be the laughing stock of high school basketball if they never won a state championship at St Anthony’s.  
 

 

 

I thought it was funny how nervous he felt that speech made the team.  And mentioned all being stone faced killers the whole day.  
 

 

But then years later he saw that was all apart of coach Hurleys motivation.  He tricked us into being good.  It’s cool sometimes years down the line when the lightbulb goes off on what someone was trying to do for you 

Edited June 26, 2023 by Another Fan

[Fleezoid]

I once scored 4 touchdowns playing for the Polk High School Panthers in the 1966 City Championship game.

 

Oh wait.....never mind. That was Al Bundy.

[DrW]

Just last weekend, at the European Team Championship in Track & Field, both Belgian 100 meter hurdlers were injured, and they needed a replacement to prevent the team from being disqualified. A shot-putter/hammer-thrower volunteered. She needed more than twice as long as the winner, but she got two points for the team and saved them from disqualification.

 

 

 

[Buffalo716]

14 minutes ago, DrW said:

Just last weekend, at the European Team Championship in Track & Field, both Belgian 100 meter hurdlers were injured, and they needed a replacement to prevent the team from being disqualified. A shot-putter/hammer-thrower volunteered. She needed more than twice as long as the winner, but she got two points for the team and saved them from disqualification.

 

 

 

Wow! Good teammate!

[Augie]

20 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Wow! Good teammate!

 

I wasn’t sure if she was going to step over them or plow them down! Either way, she was there for the team! 

 

Probably not what you’d expect, but……..in high school there was a kid on my son’s team who was just a jerk. I don’t know how else to describe it. He was a selfish gunner boy constantly jacking up shots aimlessly from all over.  He also used to pick on a rare freshman to make varsity. The Frosh was a big kid and surprisingly skilled, and he was ALWAYS smiling. 

 

My son stuck up for the freshman. Got in the kids face and SHUT IT DOWN. In a multi-school scrimmage event he went so far as to block his jerk teammates shot from behind when he tried to jack one up. Think about it…..a shot gets blocked by a TEAMMATE! 

 

The kicker? We see the then freshman’s parents decades later and all they can talk about is how kind our son was to them. I don’t have the heart to tell them he really just wanted to beat the crap out of the other kid (but knew where to draw the line)! 

 

 

.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Augie

[Buffalo716]

1 minute ago, Augie said:

 

I wasn’t sure if she was going to step over them or plow them down! Either way, she was there for the team! 

I think you get DQd for knocking them over so they might not of gotten the points 

 

good on her

[DrW]

2 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

I think you get DQd for knocking them over so they might not of gotten the points 

 

good on her

 

From the NCAA rules (the IAAF rules are similar):

 

Can you touch hurdles in track and field?

In short, the answer is yes. Athletes can’t deliberately knock down a hurdle in a race, but they can touch the hurdle.

So, if an athlete is running a hurdles race and attempts to clear the hurdle while jumping over it in a “hurdling fashion," but clips the hurdle or even knocks the hurdle over, they can continue running. The athlete wouldn’t have deliberately knocked over a hurdle in this case, as they are genuinely attempting to clear the hurdle and complete the race.

Now if an athlete knocks over the hurdle in a race, without attempting to clear it at all, it would be deemed a non-hurdling action, which is deliberate and a violation of hurdling rules.

[Just Jack]

Greg LeMond winning the 1989 Tour De France, in the final time trial, when everyone thought there was no way he could make up the time over the the guy that was expected to win.  

 

It's now a movie...

 

 

[WhoTom]

58 minutes ago, DrW said:

Just last weekend, at the European Team Championship in Track & Field, both Belgian 100 meter hurdlers were injured, and they needed a replacement to prevent the team from being disqualified. A shot-putter/hammer-thrower volunteered. She needed more than twice as long as the winner, but she got two points for the team and saved them from disqualification.

 

I had a girlfriend in high school who was a shot-putter on the track team. At one meet, their mile runner was sick, so my then-GF - who, by the way, was built like a shot-putter, not a miler - stepped up and ran it. I don't remember if she came in last, but she finished it.

 

 

[Augie]

8 minutes ago, DrW said:

 

From the NCAA rules (the IAAF rules are similar):

 

Can you touch hurdles in track and field?

In short, the answer is yes. Athletes can’t deliberately knock down a hurdle in a race, but they can touch the hurdle.

So, if an athlete is running a hurdles race and attempts to clear the hurdle while jumping over it in a “hurdling fashion," but clips the hurdle or even knocks the hurdle over, they can continue running. The athlete wouldn’t have deliberately knocked over a hurdle in this case, as they are genuinely attempting to clear the hurdle and complete the race.

Now if an athlete knocks over the hurdle in a race, without attempting to clear it at all, it would be deemed a non-hurdling action, which is deliberate and a violation of hurdling rules.

 

Thanks, I know I’ve seen people clip the hurdle, but never thought about how extreme it could get. That makes sense, especially in events like this one where team points are involved. That keeps it feeling more “legit”. 

[Bad Things]

This may not be my all-time favourite sports story, but it's a local story and was the first one to pop into my mind.

In short, 

I find the positive, "can-do" attitude of this guy simply extraordinary, but is a common trait of Kiwis.  One of the reasons I love living here.

 

Quote

Matthew Fairbrother is a keen mountain biker, and he’s also good enough to compete on the world stage. But at the age of 17, he just didn’t have the budget to take part in the Under 21 Enduro World Series, which takes place in eight countries across Europe and North America. So he made a decision: He rode on his bike between cities and countries, covering more than 4000 kilometres.

 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/130617083/teenager-bikepacked-4000km-so-he-could-race-enduro-world-series

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/interview-18-year-old-matt-fairbrother-rides-200km-a-day-between-ews-rounds-update.html

 

[Bill from NYC]

Josh Jacobs grew up in Oklahoma and at one point was homeless and living in a car with his father. He played well in HS football and was a 3 star running back. At the last minute there was an opening at Alabama and Saban offered him a spot. Josh worked his ass off and was a very big asset to the team.

 

Josh is not THE most talented RB in the NFL but he can run, catch, and block. He plays bigger than his size and goes all out on every play. By all accounts he is a good man. He does have a DUI arrest which was stupid of him but I doubt that it will happen again. I am glad that he has made millions of dollars and I hope that he makes millions more.

 

 

[Einstein]

16 hours ago, Augie said:

In a multi-school scrimmage event he went so far as to block his jerk teammates shot from behind when he tried to jack one up.

 

Your son sounds like the bully here too.

 

Funny how parents can’t see it.

[Augie]

1 hour ago, Einstein said:

 

Your son sounds like the bully here too.

 

Funny how parents can’t see it.

 

What makes you think we didn’t see it? Once again speaking out with more agenda than knowledge. We knew exactly what we were seeing, and we took action. 

 

.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Augie

[Einstein]

20 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

What makes you think we didn’t see it? Once again speaking out with more agenda than knowledge. We knew exactly what we were seeing, and we took action. 

 

I meant that you were proud of your son for bullying.

[Augie]

4 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

I meant that you were proud of your son for bullying.

 

I didn’t say that either. 

 

You said we as parents couldn’t see what was happening. Wrong again. 

 

For the record, I had no problem with him shutting down a bully who was picking on a freshman in high school. Zero. It’s not like he beat him up or something significant. He protected a younger kid about his brother’s age.  He didn’t start it. What’s wrong with standing up for someone who can’t stand up for themselves? 

 

But we addressed some underlying issues, which are none of your business. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/redneck-fishing-tournament-returns-to-the-village-of-bath/

 

16 years ago: 

 

[Einstein]

6 hours ago, Augie said:

He protected a younger kid about his brother’s age.  He didn’t start it. 

 

Blocking your teammates shot isn’t protecting a younger kid.

It’s bullying.

[Augie]

13 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

Blocking your teammates shot isn’t protecting a younger kid.

It’s bullying.

 

Please tell us, what sports have you played in your life, and at what level?  We should start there. 

 

Goofing around in a high school scrimmage is no big deal, but sent a little message. Back off, he’s a good young kid. That was gentle, for the average person. 

.

 

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by Augie

[BuffaloBillyG]

Not a "sports story" exactly. But it does involve Fred Smerlas soooo...

 

I was 13 and it was during the 1988 season. Smerlas was doing an appearance at the tiny mall in Batavia. Autograph, photos that sort of thing. So I remember my mother bringing me up there even though it was snowing at a pretty good clip and I was pretty stoked because I played NT as well at the time. 

 

So we get up there as stand in line. When it was time Smerlas wasn't there. 15 minutes go by. Then 30. Then an hour. People are PI$$ED. Some left and some stayed. Everyone who stayed was bad mouthing Smerlas. Anyway fast forward to about an hour and 15 minutes past the time he was supposed to show and we are about to leave. This absolutely MAMMOTH of a dude walks in  and hushed all these PO'd grown men with a glance. It was Smerlas who simply said something to the effect of "Yea I'm late. It snowed. You want a picture or not?". Not 1 person dared say a bad thing to him. Dude was a BEAST.