Forgotten White Athletes?

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Jimmy Chitwood

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do any of the old guys here know the name, Jim Ryun? i just learned of him today ...

 
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sport historian

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Jimmy Chitwood said:
do any of the old guys here know the name, Jim Ryun? i just learned of him today ...

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I remember Jim Ryun. He was heavily publicized in the 1960's. He set the record for the Mile run but finished second with the Silver medal in the 1968 Olympics which was considered a major disappointment. In 1972 he fell in a trial heat and didn't make the finals.

Jim Ryan was elected to Congress as a Republican in 1996, won reelection four times, was upset in 2006.
 
mastermulti

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I wonder where this guy from 3 years ago is now? Too young to be forgotten of course, but being a Euro champ and running PBs both semi and final of the 200 I thought he'd be more visible
 
mastermulti

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mastermulti said:

I wonder where this guy from 3 years ago is now? Too young to be forgotten of course, but being a Euro champ and running PBs both semi and final of the 200 I thought he'd be more visible
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OK, he's studying biology at world ranked no.8 university, UCL London. He could be yet another white athlete to concentrate on a career and do track as a side dish (the way everyone used to)
 
white lightning

white lightning

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mastermulti said:
OK, he's studying biology at world ranked no.8 university, UCL London. He could be yet another white athlete to concentrate on a career and do track as a side dish (the way everyone used to)
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It's a very nice option to fall back on. Many elite atheletes do not have elite IQ and wisdom. Some do and it's a rare combonation. Even with women so many of the beautiful ones lack knowledge upstairs unfortunatley. If I ever find one with both I will be a happily married man for the rest of my life. Until then I guess I remain single.
 
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knightedsoldier5000

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David Ball. I'm still pissed about how he got screwed over by the Chicago Bears and the NFL

College career
Ball broke the Division I-AA record for touchdown receptions, previously set by Jerry Rice at Mississippi Valley State University, on October 14, 2006 versus the University of Richmond, and went on to score seven more touchdowns for a new record of 58 touchdowns. He also approached two other I-AA receiving records set by Rice, and has been nicknamed "White Rice." (Several of Ball's records have since been broken by Cooper Kupp at Eastern Washington):[2]
3rd Most career receiving yards: 4,655 (Rice had 4,693 | Kupp - 6,464)
Most games with at least 100 receiving yards: 27 (Rice had 24)
2nd Most Career TD Receptions: 58 in 50 games (Rice had 50 in 41 games | Kupp has since surpassed Ball with 73 in 52 games)

Chicago Bears
Although a standout at the University of New Hampshire, Ball was cited by NFL scouts as not possessing an NFL-caliber combination of size and speed, as well as facing poor competition at the D-IAA level. He subsequently went undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft. He signed with the Bears as a free agent, joining his classmate, Corey Graham who was drafted by Chicago in the fifth round.
During 2007 pre-season play, Ball had 6 receptions for a total gain of 64 yards.[3]
Ball was released by Chicago on September 1, 2007 in order to reach the NFL's mandatory 53-man roster limit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ball_(wide_receiver)
 
white is right

white is right

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mastermulti said:
never did enough to be in contention in adult ranks, but Georgie Clarke is still girl's WR holder for ages 13, 14 and then 15 where she ran a 4.06.77 to qualify for the Sydney Olympics.
An interesting story of a girl who just liked to run - but didn't like the athletics scene enough to carry on.

https://www.runnersworld.com/advanc...is-just-a-normal-girl-who-likes-to-run-a-bit/
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You could say the same thing about Zola Budd who faded away after the Decker spiking in the 3000 meter Olympic final in Los Angeles. I remember she launched a comeback in her 20's but her prime was lost and didn't have the magical running ability that she did as a young teen.

PS she launched a fairly recent comeback in her mid 40's and won a few tier 3 semi pro marathons in the United States. From looking at the timeline of her career it resembled comebacks of various boxers as she had a few aborted comebacks that never got anywhere but she found her level way past her prime.
 
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Booth

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Zola Budd was a track coach at Coastal Carolina for a while. I think she still volunteers there. She still races occasionally.
 
white is right

white is right

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booth said:
Zola Budd was a track coach at Coastal Carolina for a while. I think she still volunteers there. She still races occasionally.
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Ha! That would explain why she entered in these semi pro type marathons in that area on the weekend a good decade ago.

PS track and field is full of stories of junior athletes that flashed brilliance at a high school age and for whatever reason were duds to disappointments as senior level athletes. I think it's higher among females as they tend to mature faster and many have stark body type changes in the twenties.

I don't know if that's the case with Budd as she never filled out but she didn't have the legs that she did in her prime in her 20's and reverted down to a journeyman world level athlete.
 
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jacknyc

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In researching Clyde Peach's career, I looked into the 1968 Olympic Trials, and discovered that in the 6 man 200m final, 3 of the runners were white.
Larry Quested who came 3rd in 20.28; Jerry Bright was 4th, just 1/100th behind in 20.29; and William Bruckel 6th in 20.52.

Jerry Bright would have been especially disappointed to miss the Olympic team by 1/100th of a second.
Unfortunately for all of them, John Carlos and Tommie Smith were in the race - both would set world records in the 200m that year.
 
white is right

white is right

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jacknyc said:
In researching Clyde Peach's career, I looked into the 1968 Olympic Trials, and discovered that in the 6 man 200m final, 3 of the runners were white.
Larry Quested who came 3rd in 20.28; Jerry Bright was 4th, just 1/100th behind in 20.29; and William Bruckel 6th in 20.52.

Jerry Bright would have been especially disappointed to miss the Olympic team by 1/100th of a second.
Unfortunately for all of them, John Carlos and Tommie Smith were in the race - both would set world records in the 200m that year.
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Is there any reason why the 200m final only had 6 runners? I have seen photos of the 100m final and it was 8 men and OJ Simpson was among the finalists.
 
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jacknyc

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I don't know why.
But the semi-final results, say "Semi-finals: first 3 qualify."

OJ Simpson was not in the finals of the 100m.
In fact I don't think he even qualified for the trials.
Update - OJ Simpson finished sixth in the 100 at the NCAA championships in 1967.
His white teammate, Fred Kuller, finished 4th, and Jerry Bright who was 4th in the 200m Olympic Trials, finished 5th here.
 
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white lightning

white lightning

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Thanks for posting that outstanding article about Paul Narracott. There are so many sprinters from the past that don't get the credit they deserve. Many of them didn't have the financial
incentives that alot of our current sprinters have. Narracott was fearless and he had so much talent. Glad to see another blast from the past.
 
white is right

white is right

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jacknyc said:
I don't know why.
But the semi-final results, say "Semi-finals: first 3 qualify."

OJ Simpson was not in the finals of the 100m.
In fact I don't think he even qualified for the trials.
Update - OJ Simpson finished sixth in the 100 at the NCAA championships in 1967.
His white teammate, Fred Kuller, finished 4th, and Jerry Bright who was 4th in the 200m Olympic Trials, finished 5th here.
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Yes I remember reading an old Track and Field News magazine and seeing Simpson in the final and I guess it was the NCAA final. Back in those days less Olympic years this would be the top runners, since there was no pro circuit to speak off many top talents retired after they competed in the games and similar to Morrow if they got the itch launched comebacks a year or so before the upcoming Olympics.

Mike Larabee aside most comebacks failed to launch.

PS I read this so long ago that Simpson wasn't a murder (but was a closeted serial wife abuser) and was still beloved by DWF fans and was the sideline reporter for NBC in the playoffs.
 
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jacknyc

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This video is from a USA vs. GB track meet in the early 60s.
The Brits make a great showing - defeating the USA team (which included Bob Hayes), and equaling the World Record in the 4 x 110yd relay.
Dorothy Hyman defeats the Americans in the women's 100 yd dash, and Ron Jones gives Bob Hayes a run for his money in the men's 100 yd. dash.
The action starts at 1:25:
 
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white lightning

white lightning

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Ron Jones was right with him and didn't lose by much. As great as Hayes was, many people were just intimidated because he was so much bigger than the average sprinters back then. They talked about him like if he was superman. He
was a great sprinter but sprinters come in all shapes, sizes and colors. The 4 x 110 yd with the all British Team of White Sprinters beat the American Blacks. The media will make you think it's not possible but it's just good old fashioned
stereotypes that always make white athletes out to look slow and weak. Such lies as we all know here on this great message board. If only we had more our men and women with confidence like in the old days. Too many soft men and women
these days who believe that they are inferior. Complete lies. Great video. Thanks for posting it! :)
 
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