From: nonesuch@here.com   
      
   "Pete Bayle"  wrote in message   
   news:8d9486cd.0408301516.38c2e19c@posting.google.com...   
   > moyehoist@aol.com (Moyehoist) wrote in message   
   news:<20040830081025.04424.00001651@mb-m24.aol.com>...   
   > > >But if America's biggest Olympic hero isn't Lewis, who is it?   
   > > >   
   > >   
   > > Carl Who?   
   > >   
   > > There  are a host of skaters and gymnists that have reaped far greater   
   > > endorsements Lewis who pretty much has  dropped off the face off the   
   earth.   
   > > Also, recall that the darling of the US audience might be a plucky   
   foreign   
   > > athlete from time to time - Americans are not that nationalistic.   
   >   
   > Interesting question, but I'm sure I'm the wrong person to ask. I   
   > couldn't even remember the guy who won the 8 swimming medals this year   
   > when I wrote the last post, Michael Phelps.   
   >   
   > For me hero implies memorable. I can't remember one thing Lewis did   
   > other than the fact that he was a social misfit - and not by choice. I   
   > can remember Sugar Ray Leonard or Mary Lou Retton or Peggy Fleming   
   > say, or the girl that landed the vault with the broken foot, or Eddie   
   > the Eagle for god's sake.   
      
   I also found it difficult to like Carl Lewis. He had a marvellous talent for   
   coming across badly when he was desperate to come across well. A good   
   example was at the Seoul Olympics (I think it was) where he was caught by   
   the cameras talking on his mobile phone during the opening ceremony. And   
   that was in the days when mobile phones were still relatively uncommon,   
   something reserved for wheeler-dealers. I suppose he was talking to his   
   agent or one of his many advisers. But it struck me that such a thing could   
   only happen to Lewis. His endless self-promotion always seemed to have the   
   reverse effect from the one intended.   
      
   Still, I couldn't deny the magnitude of his achievement on the track. Four   
   gold medals at one outing had not been done in track & field since Jesse   
   Owens did it. I can't begrudge him his success there, because I don't think   
   he'll get much from the rest of his life.   
      
   rjb   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)