NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

[tyche]

The National Track League meet is being streamed right now from Toronto. They just ran the "Pro Am" relay and amongst the runners was Ben Johnson and did I hear them say Angela Issajenko as well? Huh??!?? That gives me a queezy feeling. Ironically the event before was the Klean ATHLETE 800m.
Is that any way to celebrate our great sport? (But I must admit it was kind of cool to see Ben run again).

[tyche]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

And here is the video.
http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/250524 ... es-2-for-2

[EPelle]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

As the old 4x1 guy used to write, Hmmmmmmm. Looking at !!?!?!, it seems like someone really believes something; then doesn't. Then does again. Wait a minute, he gets unsure again; finally, yes, he's back on track and he's positive.

At any rate, I count three exclamation points and two question marks. So, whatever the question was, the grand total should be five. That's my final answer. So, I'll take door number 2, please.

[rainy.here]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

20-30 years ago a young sprinter without much education or financial security broke the rules. Let an old man have his fun I say.

[aaronk]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

One question.......and maybe I'm naive for asking it.....is whether Johnson "contaminates" anyone he runs with or against!!
Is he still considered toxic?
Or is he free to run wherever anyone will invite him?

If he is, then could Marion Jones start running Master's track in a couple of years (meaning 40 and over)??

[rainy.here]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

One question.......and maybe I'm naive for asking it.....is whether Johnson "contaminates" anyone he runs with or against!!
Is he still considered toxic?
Or is he free to run wherever anyone will invite him?

If he is, then could Marion Jones start running Master's track in a couple of years (meaning 40 and over)??

He's been banned for life and can't compete in any sanctioned competition.

[Per Andersen]

20-30 years ago a young sprinter without much education or financial security broke the rules. Let an old man have his fun I say.

He was 27 year old in '88 when he was busted. No more innocent than the rest of Charlie's crew.
He was deep in their culture of lying and cheating.

But I know one thing, had Donovan Bailey taken part in this NTL thing he would never had received the applause Johnson received. I just never understood why Donovan wasn't a bigger hero in Canada than he was. I only certain theories.

[JumboElliott]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

Who the hell cares?

It's not like he's competing for prize money. Anyone who would turn down the chance to run in a "relay" with Ben Johnson needs to lighten up a little bit.

[batonless relay]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

I was 'surprised' when I first read it, but ... Canadians I've come across don't seem to hate Ben Johnson; he was the USA/Carl Lewis slayer. The rest of the world might and that same rest of the world may try to blame him for everything that is present in sport today WITHOUT acknowledging that Johnson was one of MANY dirty athletes, but Canadians seem to make that distinction. I can't say that I'm speaking for a lot of Canadians but the relative few that I've run into consider Ben Johnson a victim.

[JumboElliott]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

It's just like the Brits and Linford Christie. If it was an American doper, they would feel completely different.

[JRM]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

I was 'surprised' when I first read it, but ... Canadians I've come across don't seem to hate Ben Johnson; he was the USA/Carl Lewis slayer.

Perhaps you didn't come across those Canadians during the years immediately after the 1988 Olympics. Ben Johnson was public hero #1 leading up to and especially after the 100m final. But then he became public shame #1 in Canada the moment he lost his gold medal, and then public enemy #1 the moment he admitted to the whole thing at the Dubin Inquiry. It took a very, very long time for that to be overcome.

Trust me: when a Canadian shoots to the top of the world in their craft, it's a HUGE pride thing for us Great White Northers. We all take the ride together. A modern-day equivalent might be if it turned out that Chris Hadfield never really went to the Space Station, but instead shot all his videos on a soundstage somewhere.

These days, I suspect you're probably right: the average Canadian doesn't hate Ben, simply because the average Canadian probably didn't experience that era.

[oldtrackguy]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

I got him a bout 11 seconds, not bad.

[toyracer]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

Is that any way to celebrate our great sport? (But I must admit it was kind of cool to see Ben run again).

I'm torn.

One one side; I'm Jamaican and I always liked Ben Johnson when he was running. I liked him for various reasons, chief amongst them being his own Jamaican roots and the fact that he ran so well against Lewis et al. That start;,"pow" and he was feet in front of the field. The world record, that made it even better. I just liked the guy. Even after Seoul when he came back I was silently cheering for him to do well.

On the other side; I'm a Jamaican and I detest drug cheats in track & field. Absolutely. For me, they rob everyone; fellow athletes, fans, the sport itself. I don't like them and have little, if any, sympathy for them, and that is regardless of nationality. In fact I'm probably more harsh on Jamaican drug cheats than I am on the rest; the pride I feel in good Jamaican running is equal to the shame I feel when a Jamaican cheats. I don't like drug cheats one bit.

Yet somehow I still like Ben Johnson. I can't figure out why. I just do. I'm torn.

Is Ben running like that in "celebration of our sport"? Good question. I wish I could answer. All I know is that I smiled briefly when I saw the video of him running again. And felt torn at the same time.

[marknhj]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

toyracer - your honesty and candor is refreshing to read. And, I certainly relate to the mixed emotions you feel and describe so well.

[aaronk]

Re: NTL Toronto - Ben Johnson!!?!?!

I got him a bout 11 seconds, not bad.

Considering he's 51 and a half years old, not bad at all!!
(Even given that the time you got is probably much slower, in reality!)

You think Merlene Ottey (age 53!!) could beat him in a one-on-one??