More Olympic Controversy (marathon news which is live right now)

[Eaglesfan27]

A fan just ran onto the course and grabbed the leader of the marathon and pushed him into the crowd!

Lima had a 45 second lead and that cost him at least a few seconds of his lead.

[bhlloy]

He's being chased down now so it doesn't look good... completely outrageous. This sucks because there's nothing they can do if he does eventually lose the gold or even finish out of the medals.

Think it's ironic that the head of the IOC went on record saying that the games have been a complete success and the Greeks have done a marvellous job. Then this happens in the marquee event.

UPDATE: He's in third. Completely screwed over.

[sterlingice]

I just find it scary that their last mile after running 25 others takes less time than I could ever run a single mile in.

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

That's just ... damn, that's pretty bad.

2nd time today that security has lapsed incidentally -- "Tibetan activists" managed a protest at the stadium where the closing ceremonies are scheduled.

[Eaglesfan27]

Yeah, he got screwed. I have to admire how he handled it though. Comes back strong to finish third and at least publicly has a very positive attitude. Even though he only lost 13 seconds or so of his lead initially, who knows how he would have finished if his rhythym hadn't been disrupted by that jerk.

[MylesKnight]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

A fan just ran onto the course and grabbed the leader of the marathon and pushed him into the crowd!

Lima had a 45 second lead and that cost him at least a few seconds of his lead.

Complete Horse%hit. Human beings are capable of the most idiotic, insane actions.

[sterlingice]

Way to go, NBC. Show the crazy guy on the news, slow the tape, and tell everyone what his protest sign said. That certainly won't encourage future morons

Just don't pay any more attention to it and people will see it's stupid to do something like that. This just encourages more.

SI

[Maple Leafs]

Yeah, CBC was saying they didn't know what the guy was protesting but would work hard to find out.

Why? Why encourage this sort of thing?

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Yeah, CBC was saying they didn't know what the guy was protesting but would work hard to find out.

Why? Why encourage this sort of thing?

Because it IS newsworthy.

Why encourage future terrorist attacks by showing OK City or 9/11?
Why encourage more attack ads by showing the current ones on tv?

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Because it IS newsworthy.

Why encourage future terrorist attacks by showing OK City or 9/11?
Why encourage more attack ads by showing the current ones on tv?

Some jerkoff running onto the track at the Olympics is about as newsworthy as a streaker at the Super Bowl. Great, buddy, you just embarassed yourself in front of the world. Congrats. Now, enjoy your night or three in the hole. You don't deserve to have your message spread. The story should be about how Lima got screwed, not about this guy's cause.

SI

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Some jerkoff running onto the track at the Olympics is about as newsworthy as a streaker at the Super Bowl. Great, buddy, you just embarassed yourself in front of the world. Congrats. Now, enjoy your night or three in the hole. You don't deserve to have your message spread. The story should be about how Lima got screwed, not about this guy's cause.

SI

And how/why did he get screwed? Nevermind those fundamental questions of journalism

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Because it IS newsworthy.

The fact that some guy ran on the track is newsworthy. Cover that story.

What we don't need is to find out that he was protesting the treatment of chickens by third-world fastfood workers and go into an in-depth debate about the merits of his position.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Interesting, and newsworthy IMO, is that this guy has pulled the same stunt twice in 13 months, wearing essentially the same costume.

Now I ask you -- a man in a costume that my 6 y/o described as "kinda looking like a Leprechaun", should that maybe have stood out just a bit to security?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5859225/

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Now I ask you -- a man in a costume that my 6 y/o described as "kinda looking like a Leprechaun", should that maybe have stood out just a bit to security?

Well, I'm guessing he did. But you can't arrest a guy for wearing a dorky outfit, otherwise it wouldn't be safe for me to wear my Far Side "Midvale School for the Gifted" shirt

SI

[TLK]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Interesting, and newsworthy IMO, is that this guy has pulled the same stunt twice in 13 months, wearing essentially the same costume.

Now I ask you -- a man in a costume that my 6 y/o described as "kinda looking like a Leprechaun", should that maybe have stood out just a bit to security?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5859225/

I thought it was the same guy as the F-1 race.....

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Well, I'm guessing he did. But you can't arrest a guy for wearing a dorky outfit, otherwise it wouldn't be safe for me to wear my Far Side "Midvale School for the Gifted" shirt

SI

No, but you can have a member of security shadowing him so that you stop him when he starts to run onto the track, not after he's shoved a competitor across the track and into the crowd on the other side.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

I thought it was the same guy as the F-1 race.....

It was.

[Maple Leafs]

As much as I sympathize with Lima, this whole "give him a gold medal too" thing whenever there's controversy is getting out of control. Pretty soon we'll just give everyone a gold medal, like they used to during kindergarten fun days.

[Kam]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Pretty soon we'll just give everyone a gold medal, like they used to during kindergarten fun days.

Are you suggesting I didn't earn my "Nicest Student" award?

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Kam

Are you suggesting I didn't earn my "Nicest Student" award?

I think he is implying that. But we all know that ML is just mad because he got his Kindergarten "Most Flatulent Student" award

SI

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

As much as I sympathize with Lima, this whole "give him a gold medal too" thing whenever there's controversy is getting out of control. Pretty soon we'll just give everyone a gold medal, like they used to during kindergarten fun days.

I agree that he shouldn't get a duplicate gold medal, however, I like the idea that is being floated around to give him an award for great sportsmanship (that has been given in the past) in addition to his bronze medal. He really did display a great attitude in his response to this event.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I agree that he shouldn't get a duplicate gold medal, however, I like the idea that is being floated around to give him an award for great sportsmanship (that has been given in the past) in addition to his bronze medal. He really did display a great attitude in his response to this event.

Claiming he would have won and asking for a gold medal?

[yabanci]

maybe they should arm these runners with hunting knives and let it become a spectator inclusive sport, sort of like the running of the bulls in Spain.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Claiming he would have won and asking for a gold medal?

I never heard him ask for the gold medal. Someone else (from his country) suggested that he should get it. I may have missed him asking for the gold medal. If I did, then I retract my statement.

[ISiddiqui]

No, he, himself, didn't ask for a Gold medal, the Brazilian federation appealed on his behalf. And I'm sure they had to do that or else the Brazilian press would have pilloried them (I assume their press is similar to other countries').

[mgadfly]

The article on CNN has a quote by him saying that it cost him the gold but that he'd get over it (or something along those lines).

If I was in his place I'd feel the same. I'm not sure how well I would be able to compete after something like that happens (but that's just me). Not only is this horrible for Lima, but also for the Gold and Silver medal winners who probably would have run him down regardless.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by mgadfly

The article on CNN has a quote by him saying that it cost him the gold but that he'd get over it (or something along those lines).

If I was in his place I'd feel the same. I'm not sure how well I would be able to compete after something like that happens (but that's just me). Not only is this horrible for Lima, but also for the Gold and Silver medal winners who probably would have run him down regardless.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

Definitely it's the worst thing that could possibly happen to the gold and silver medal winners... most likely would have caught him but now there will always be an asterisk by their name.

Don't think you can blame the guy for his national federation putting in an appeal - pretty much standard procedure whether the athlete wants it or not. Remember an occasion in these Olympics when the British athlete did not want a protest put in but there was one put in anyway. I'd agree with the poster who said the press would pillory them for not protesting, plus it's extra clout for them in the medal table and extra prestige.