@thegorm1 A not inconsiderable sum of money, that. I certainly wouldn't mind having 27 million pounds - or dollars - in my bank accounts!
Having said that, athletics is nowhere near as lucrative a sport as tennis or Formula One motor racing - even in this day and age. That is unfair, in my considered opinion. After all, Usain Bolt is just as talented as (for example) Roger Federer and Michael Schumacher. Yet it is unlikely that he will ever make half as much money from his sport as
Nice post, just thought about Ron Pickering whilst watching the Diamond League meeting at Zurich on the BBC. He was a brilliant commentator, who also coached Lynn Davies to Gold in 1964, so knew athletics inside out. Very much missed, regards to Ron's family!
@converse91970 Big Ron Pickering was indeed a great athletics commentator, whose knowledge of the sport was exceptional. I can remember that, back in the 1970s, he predicted that one day (in the late 20th century or early 21st) an athlete capable of running 800 metres in less than 100 seconds - 1 minute, 40.00 - would emerge. At the present time, of course, the world record for that event is 1:41.01 - held by David Rudisha of Kenya. However, it is likely that someone will break the
@TheEctomorph I loved Ron Pickering too, even if on occasion he was as blind as a bat (such as having no idea Calvin Smith retained the 200m World title in 1987, despite commentating on the race!).
@seanofafrica lol! I seem to remember that big John Regis nearly (but not quite) won that race. If only it had been a 190 metres race (as opposed to 200m)!!
@converse91970 [Continuing on from my previous 'post' about Ron Pickering]: elusive 100 second barrier within the next decade. Mr Pickering believed that the first man to run 800 metres in under 100 seconds would be a powerfully built, 'jumped up 400 metres runner' ... with considerable sprinting ability and personal best of under 44.00 seconds for the one lap event. In other words, someone like Alberto Juantorena Danger ... but blessed with even more sprinting ability than the big Cuban
@converse91970 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Ron Pickering]: athlete, who sensationally won Gold medals in both the 400 metres and the 800m at the Montreal Olympics, back in '76.
Over the past few years, I have often wondered whether big 'Butch Reynolds or Michael Johnson would have been capable of getting close to breaking the 100 second barrier in the 800 metres, had they taken a decision to train specifically for the two lap event at a relatively early stage in their
@converse91970 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Ron Pickering]: respective track careers - i.e. when they were in their late teens or early twenties.
Of course, we will never know now whether Reynolds or Johnson had the physical potential to become brillliant 800 metres runners - as well as great quarter milers. However, I do believe that Ron Pickering was right when he predicted (some 40 years ago) that the first man to run 800 metres in under 100 seconds would be a
@converse91970 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Ron Pickering]: powerfully built, 'jumped up' 400 metres man - with very considerable sprinting ability and a personal best time of under 44.00 for the one lap event. Personally, I cannot see the elusive 100 second barrier being broken by a great 1500 metres runner - in the mould of Jim Ryun, Steve Ovett or Sebastian Coe. As Mr Pickering said, it will take a big, powerful man who can sprint fast to run two laps of an athletics
@FranchiseIndustries Sir: For some time now, I have believed that Jeremy Wariner is an athlete who has excellent potential as an 800 metres runner. However, I think that he will probably decide to continue specialising in the 400 metres for the remaining years of his career in international track and field athletics Mr Wariner is now 27 years of age ... and is perhaps getting a little too old to take up a new event from scratch, as it were.
@FranchiseIndustries [Continuing on from my previous 'post' about Jeremy Wariner] that he will win two Gold medals at the Olympic Games in London next August (in the individual 400m and the 4 x 400m relay, respectively).
Barring injuries, Bitch Lreynolds might have been untouchable. He was so powerful, he just kept on having hamstring problems. That's why some experts feel that it may be too risky for the big Jamaican Usain Bolt to move back up to the 400 meters, even though some still call it his best race. This is truly a man's race. You can't be a pussy and agreat quarter miler at the same time.
@bookert01 Not to much. Some charity work and stuff. I actually met him about a month ago at my high school's auction (he's an alum). Nice guy, still holds the school record by a good 2 seconds.
@MITOGEN Do you have Michael Johnson's run at Meadowbank, Edinburgh? I guess late 80's, when he ran the 200m in 19.85?? I was there that night, was very cold and damp, and was an amazing run!!
@JamBar1873 No sorry, but I remember it I think, It was I think his first run in the UK. Jim Rosenthal said something like: "There's a new Johnson on the scene" And MJ replied: "And this one's clean!". Jim then said something about their statistican reckoning that Johnson would be better at the 400m.
@MITOGEN "Steve Cram is ok but he's no Ron Pickering."
I presume that you are referring to Crammie's ability as a broadcaster - specifically, as an athletics commentator and pundit. Well, he probably never will be as good as the late Ron Pickering in that respect, I would agree.
Then again, Crammie (when he was a young man, back in the 1980's) had more talent than Ron ever did as an ATHLETE. Different people have different areas of expertise.
@JamBar1873 i will always remember Our Ron when he was commenting on a steve cram race when steve came of the bend and took another runner apart Ron said about steve " Where he gets it from i do not know but he does!!" brillent Ron.
starts at 1:08
Arciniegas24 1 month ago
@thegorm1 [continuing on from my previous 'post']
Mr Federer and Mr Schumacher have made from their respective sports.
TheEctomorph 1 month ago
@thegorm1 A not inconsiderable sum of money, that. I certainly wouldn't mind having 27 million pounds - or dollars - in my bank accounts!
Having said that, athletics is nowhere near as lucrative a sport as tennis or Formula One motor racing - even in this day and age. That is unfair, in my considered opinion. After all, Usain Bolt is just as talented as (for example) Roger Federer and Michael Schumacher. Yet it is unlikely that he will ever make half as much money from his sport as
TheEctomorph 1 month ago
Comment removed
krakenwave 1 month ago
Nice! One of the best ever at 400m. He trained hard.
LEEXXDA 3 months ago
I had a chance to race against Reynold in junior high school at Goodrich jr. high school in Akron, Ohio on the soccer field.
juniorriley 5 months ago
reynolds was a beast the last 100m in this race
RainerLord91 5 months ago
Nice post, just thought about Ron Pickering whilst watching the Diamond League meeting at Zurich on the BBC. He was a brilliant commentator, who also coached Lynn Davies to Gold in 1964, so knew athletics inside out. Very much missed, regards to Ron's family!
converse91970 5 months ago
@converse91970 Big Ron Pickering was indeed a great athletics commentator, whose knowledge of the sport was exceptional. I can remember that, back in the 1970s, he predicted that one day (in the late 20th century or early 21st) an athlete capable of running 800 metres in less than 100 seconds - 1 minute, 40.00 - would emerge. At the present time, of course, the world record for that event is 1:41.01 - held by David Rudisha of Kenya. However, it is likely that someone will break the
TheEctomorph 4 months ago
@TheEctomorph I loved Ron Pickering too, even if on occasion he was as blind as a bat (such as having no idea Calvin Smith retained the 200m World title in 1987, despite commentating on the race!).
seanofafrica 3 months ago
@seanofafrica lol! I seem to remember that big John Regis nearly (but not quite) won that race. If only it had been a 190 metres race (as opposed to 200m)!!
TheEctomorph 3 months ago
@converse91970 [Continuing on from my previous 'post' about Ron Pickering]: elusive 100 second barrier within the next decade. Mr Pickering believed that the first man to run 800 metres in under 100 seconds would be a powerfully built, 'jumped up 400 metres runner' ... with considerable sprinting ability and personal best of under 44.00 seconds for the one lap event. In other words, someone like Alberto Juantorena Danger ... but blessed with even more sprinting ability than the big Cuban
TheEctomorph 4 months ago
@converse91970 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Ron Pickering]: athlete, who sensationally won Gold medals in both the 400 metres and the 800m at the Montreal Olympics, back in '76.
Over the past few years, I have often wondered whether big 'Butch Reynolds or Michael Johnson would have been capable of getting close to breaking the 100 second barrier in the 800 metres, had they taken a decision to train specifically for the two lap event at a relatively early stage in their
TheEctomorph 4 months ago
@converse91970 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Ron Pickering]: respective track careers - i.e. when they were in their late teens or early twenties.
Of course, we will never know now whether Reynolds or Johnson had the physical potential to become brillliant 800 metres runners - as well as great quarter milers. However, I do believe that Ron Pickering was right when he predicted (some 40 years ago) that the first man to run 800 metres in under 100 seconds would be a
TheEctomorph 4 months ago
@converse91970 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Ron Pickering]: powerfully built, 'jumped up' 400 metres man - with very considerable sprinting ability and a personal best time of under 44.00 for the one lap event. Personally, I cannot see the elusive 100 second barrier being broken by a great 1500 metres runner - in the mould of Jim Ryun, Steve Ovett or Sebastian Coe. As Mr Pickering said, it will take a big, powerful man who can sprint fast to run two laps of an athletics
TheEctomorph 4 months ago
@TheEctomorph
You are pretty much describing Jeremy Wariner.
FranchiseIndustries 3 months ago
@FranchiseIndustries Sir: For some time now, I have believed that Jeremy Wariner is an athlete who has excellent potential as an 800 metres runner. However, I think that he will probably decide to continue specialising in the 400 metres for the remaining years of his career in international track and field athletics Mr Wariner is now 27 years of age ... and is perhaps getting a little too old to take up a new event from scratch, as it were.
I think that there is a strong possibility
TheEctomorph 2 months ago
@FranchiseIndustries [Continuing on from my previous 'post' about Jeremy Wariner] that he will win two Gold medals at the Olympic Games in London next August (in the individual 400m and the 4 x 400m relay, respectively).
TheEctomorph 2 months ago
@converse91970 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Ron Pickering]: track in 1:39.99 seconds - or faster.
TheEctomorph 4 months ago
Barring injuries, Bitch Lreynolds might have been untouchable. He was so powerful, he just kept on having hamstring problems. That's why some experts feel that it may be too risky for the big Jamaican Usain Bolt to move back up to the 400 meters, even though some still call it his best race. This is truly a man's race. You can't be a pussy and agreat quarter miler at the same time.
RealMenDrinkCoffee 5 months ago
@RealMenDrinkCoffee Yes,that is very true. It is also true that you cannot be a pussy and a great 100 metres sprinter at the same time,
TheEctomorph 4 months ago
I love the change in tone. (1:50)
iMaDeMoN2012 6 months ago
The fastest ever in the last 100m...11.1seconds. That's damn near suicide, isn't it?
MrPunk412 6 months ago
He runs almost as wierd as michael Johnson o-o.
Pangolinist 10 months ago
What is Butch doing these days?
bookert01 11 months ago
@bookert01 Not to much. Some charity work and stuff. I actually met him about a month ago at my high school's auction (he's an alum). Nice guy, still holds the school record by a good 2 seconds.
walishdragon 9 months ago
dam he destroed the world record
MrSmokeythedragon 11 months ago
Ron Pickering simply the best commentator of athletics on BBC :-)
journalistgirl07 1 year ago
'And he's MURDERED it!!!' God I miss Ron Pickering, not only a great athletics commentator, one of the best commentators on any sport.
JamBar1873 1 year ago 23
@JamBar1873 Agreed 100%. Steve Cram is ok but he's no Ron Pickering.
MITOGEN 1 year ago 4
@MITOGEN Cheers for posting these vids, great to see these 'old' clips.
JamBar1873 1 year ago
@JamBar1873 Cheers, will hopefully post up some more in the near future. :)
MITOGEN 1 year ago
@MITOGEN Do you have Michael Johnson's run at Meadowbank, Edinburgh? I guess late 80's, when he ran the 200m in 19.85?? I was there that night, was very cold and damp, and was an amazing run!!
JamBar1873 1 year ago
@JamBar1873 No sorry, but I remember it I think, It was I think his first run in the UK. Jim Rosenthal said something like: "There's a new Johnson on the scene" And MJ replied: "And this one's clean!". Jim then said something about their statistican reckoning that Johnson would be better at the 400m.
MITOGEN 1 year ago
@MITOGEN "Steve Cram is ok but he's no Ron Pickering."
I presume that you are referring to Crammie's ability as a broadcaster - specifically, as an athletics commentator and pundit. Well, he probably never will be as good as the late Ron Pickering in that respect, I would agree.
Then again, Crammie (when he was a young man, back in the 1980's) had more talent than Ron ever did as an ATHLETE. Different people have different areas of expertise.
TheEctomorph 1 month ago
@TheEctomorph Yes, the broadcasting side I was talking about.
MITOGEN 1 month ago
@JamBar1873 i will always remember Our Ron when he was commenting on a steve cram race when steve came of the bend and took another runner apart Ron said about steve " Where he gets it from i do not know but he does!!" brillent Ron.
xwingclass 8 months ago
@JamBar1873 he's no Jim Ross
wikiwikiwias000 6 months ago
@JamBar1873 Well said!
converse91970 5 months ago
@anferny77 Greatest athletics commentator ever- Ron Pickering.
supsterjr 1 year ago 2
The kick of him in the last 100 is sick!!!
Sdelosinfiernos 1 year ago
@Sdelosinfiernos True man, Reynolds' last 100m split here was 11.1s!
phastman1994 1 year ago
@phastman1994 11.1...? Nasty!
Sdelosinfiernos 1 year ago
@Sdelosinfiernos Haha I know!
phastman1994 1 year ago
usain bolt pe battre a la normal le record du monde du 400m
dragon60100 1 year ago
Innocent Egbunike got a flyer.
supsterjr 1 year ago
mdr ses un ouf le gars
dragon60100 1 year ago
Which would you rather have: an Olympic gold medal or a WR victory at the Weltklasse meet?
shockjay 1 year ago
@shockjay lol
DarkPrynce 1 year ago