Off topic - Mark Lewis-Francis

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 24 Mar 2006, 05:12

I'm trying to think of a boxing equivalent for this lad - maybe you can help me out.

Someone who had talent as a youngster, has had his arse wiped for him by the system, fails to deliver and blames everyone but himself?

For those who don't follow the athletics, in the Commonwealth Games 100m semi after one of the favourites, Michael Frater of Jamaica, had been disqualified for a false start, Lewis-Francis got himself ridiculously DQ'd.

Now the silly twat has just failed to collect the baton on the last leg of the relay. Darren Campbell showed class and dignity in the interview, Lewis-Francis said "I didn't get the baton". You could see Marlon Devonish in the background rolling his eyes, infuriated.

Maybe he didn't get the baton because he was flapping his fecking arm around like he was flagging down a taxi.

Take his funding from him and see what he thinks about working in the real world.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 24 Mar 2006, 05:16

Lewis Francis is such a waste of talent, he's probably got more natural talent than any sprinter we've ever produced, as a Junior he was sensational, and he looked like he would be a world beater by now, but it's all gone wrong.

David Barnes' attitude was similar recently after that fight with Nuumembe.

Think in boxing people tend to dissapear sooner rather than later though, because getting punched in the head is a lot less pleasing than finishing last in a foot race.

Loftgroov · Post by **Loftgroov** » 24 Mar 2006, 05:35

That transition from junior to senior does seem to be a problem in lots of British sports. I know that in tennis some English guys have won the Wimbledon U-18s etc, but they just never seem to be able to keep improving, and end up ranked 700th in the world in the seniors or whatever….

There was a good discussion on BBCi between Clare Balding and the American sprinter Michael Johnson the other day about the attitude of many British athletes.

Johnson said he often winces when they are interviewed, because so many keep saying “I’m so happy to be here” …”I’m soaking up the atmosphere its great” ….”the crowd are great”….

Johnson said, by contrast, the Aussie athletes all talk about winning. WIN WIN WIN… that’s what matters. He felt the Olympics in 2012 could be quite embarrassing for the Brits unless they change their attitude and approach to sport. This new-age liberal crap about “its taking part that counts” needs to be ditched. You play to win. Once they took competition away from school sports days that what really helped screw it up.

Too many British athletes seem to be surrounded by people telling them how superb they are because they finished 7th in a race, and took 0.02 off their "personal best"....

An American or Aussie would be disgusted with that.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 24 Mar 2006, 05:37

I totally agree, I never play sports I am shit at. That doesn't leave me many sports, but I'm not interested in just turning up for the sake of it.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 24 Mar 2006, 06:09

So whos fault is it? Mark Lewis-Francis should take the blame for the semi final in the 100, if 1 person has already been DQ'd then you have to wait till the gun, in the Semi he should have been able to qualify even if he had a poor start.

Maybe its a mental thing with Lewis-Francis, he seems to get to caught up in the pressure of the race when its a big championship.
Darren Campbell has shown in past championships that he's a good man when it comes to pressure, silver medal in the athens games shows that.
Unfortunatly Campbell shouldn't have been at these games, he was basically picked because of past showings, the other lad Lambert was injured going into these games as well , and should never have been on the plane because of this.

dandantheweatherman · Post by **dandantheweatherman** » 24 Mar 2006, 06:11

I always got the impression, possibly wrongly, that MLF believed his own hype too much. If everyone told me I was great when I was 17 I'd have probably believed them and become pretty arrogant. I suppose a top sportsman needs a degree of self-belief and arrogance, but there comes a time when one has to deliver the goods as well.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 24 Mar 2006, 06:15

Well, perhaps he will learn from all this, he is young after all. The selectors won't be so keen to pick him again after his dismal showing at these games, so he is going to have to turn in some decent performances if he wants to be at beijing.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 24 Mar 2006, 06:25

All excellent posts and Lofty's on Michael Johnson is particularly spot on.

Johnson just pointed out that after MLF had totally messed up the 100m and was asked what went wrong he was put out, 'thrown by the question' as Johnson put it. He was saying in Britain you don't really have to be accountable whereas in the US if you fornicate up they go on about it until you redeem yourself.

He is young but his powers of denial are certainly well entrenched.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 24 Mar 2006, 06:26

As a junior the Darlaston native looked like an Olympic champion in waiting, but his love of Burger King and junk food in general has slowed his progress.

In addition to this he has had a flakey record at major championships and has singularly failed to improve his PB since he was a teenager, at least I believe that is the case.

All in all he has been a woeful disappointment thus far. I really had high hopes for him years ago but now it looks like the 4x100 Olympic Gold will be his career highlight, when previously it had looked like he would acheive so much more.

I listened to the race on 5 Live and Steve Backley was on there and he made a quip about Marks weight.

The co-commentator stated that when the hand over was meant to take place, Lewis-Francis was "looking 'round". Backley fired back straight away "Lewis Francis has been looking round for a good number of years now".

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 24 Mar 2006, 06:28

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Well, perhaps he will learn from all this, he is young after all. The selectors won't be so keen to pick him again after his dismal showing at these games, so he is going to have to turn in some decent performances if he wants to be at beijing.

Yep, Think thats the best we can hope for really, MLF does have talent undoubtably , but he needs to transfer that into results.
I thought in the heats of the 100m he was looking like he had lost a bit of weight , he looked more toned up, which is a good thing.
I'm looking for MLF to show some guts this season, accept that he f*cked up here, and produce some good results in the following meets, cap off the season with Euro Gold.

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 24 Mar 2006, 06:30

MLF pretty much sums up the youth of today... particularly the inner city youth...
got in trouble for some driving incident, got in trouble for some cannabis incident.....

You gotta make huge sacrafices to get to the top....

A read of Colin Jacksons book or RJJ interviews tells you that....
Both were completely emotionally ruined after Olympic failure (although both had huge success elsewhere) they thought back to all the sacrafices they made.. the not going out with friends, the gruelling sessions, the eating correctly the not drinking/smoking/partying late and it ...

I think people forget how much more is involved than just talent...

the playstation generation we are breeding will never amount to anything..... they want everything without making the sacrafices

Chambers2 · Post by **Chambers2** » 24 Mar 2006, 06:30

TerribleTerry wrote:As a junior the Darlaston native looked like an Olympic champion in waiting, but his love of Burger King and junk food in general has slowed his progress.

In addition to this he has had a flakey record at major championships and has singularly failed to improve his PB since he was a teenager, at least I believe that is the case.

All in all he has been a woeful disappointment thus far. I really had high hopes for him years ago but now it looks like the 4x100 Olympic Gold will be his career highlight, when previously it had looked like he would acheive so much more.

I listened to the race on 5 Live and Steve Backley was on there and he made a quip about Marks weight.

The co-commentator stated that when the hand over was meant to take place, Lewis-Francis was "looking 'round". Backley fired back straight away "Lewis Francis has been looking round for a good number of years now".

Hasn't he tested positive for cannabis somewhere along the line as well

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 24 Mar 2006, 06:32

Chambers2 wrote:
TerribleTerry wrote:As a junior the Darlaston native looked like an Olympic champion in waiting, but his love of Burger King and junk food in general has slowed his progress.

In addition to this he has had a flakey record at major championships and has singularly failed to improve his PB since he was a teenager, at least I believe that is the case.

All in all he has been a woeful disappointment thus far. I really had high hopes for him years ago but now it looks like the 4x100 Olympic Gold will be his career highlight, when previously it had looked like he would acheive so much more.

I listened to the race on 5 Live and Steve Backley was on there and he made a quip about Marks weight.

The co-commentator stated that when the hand over was meant to take place, Lewis-Francis was "looking 'round". Backley fired back straight away "Lewis Francis has been looking round for a good number of years now".
I'm sure hes tested positive for cannabis somewhere along the line as well

he did, at the world indoors i believe

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 24 Mar 2006, 07:44

I think the media are partly culpable too, young athletes are far more televised than they used to be, and receive a lot of exposure. This coupled with the 'bling bling' sensibilities of 'the yoof' means they are stars before they ever achieve anything of note and it all goes to their heads.

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 24 Mar 2006, 07:53

Funding is a funny thing....
its a really fine balance... not enough finance and you cannot train properly, too much and you lose the hunger....

several recent boxing olympians have signed big money deals to go pro and completely lost the hunger and amounted to nothing as pros....
Audlet Harrison is one, Ricardo Williams is another....

Many great champions in boxing and track worked a day job whilst they were on the up and up.... I am sure MLF has never had a day job and probably doesnt understand the value of money..

Its a shame to single out MLF its just that he is the most extreme example...

Interestingly funding in other events where they really do earn fornicate all has shown results improve rapidly (ie swimming, diving, cycling)...

Loftgroov · Post by **Loftgroov** » 24 Mar 2006, 07:58

Sportinglife.com
400m legend Johnson, summarising for BBC1, insisted that the system which British sprinters come through must be dismantled.

"They (British sprinters) have lost the hunger and it is the sytem which causes them to lose the hunger. The system rewards mediocrity. It rewards Great Britain's best, not the world's best.

"You look at who is going to be next (in British sprinting) and there's nothing. Young athletes come along and show promise but, if they come up through this system, they will go the same way.

"You've got to break the whole thing up and start from scratch. You've got to look at it and say it hasn't worked. Drastic measures are what is needed."

Johnson believes British sprinters are in a comfort zone and a radical overhaul of the current system in place is the only way forward.

"We as American athletes used to be a little envious of the support that British athletes got but that system in Britain, that support that the athletes get, can hurt you at times.

"These athletes have it all - the status, the support - before they have done anything.

"All of those young guys wanted to be a champion when they came into it and now they are satisfied with being a relay gold medallist.

"I competed against Linford Christie and John Regis and they wouldn't have been satisfied with a relay gold medal.

"We also don't hold them accountable enough. In the US you are held accountable when things go wrong but that doesn't happen in Britain.

"You could see Darren's frustration. There can be no more excuses. It is one thing after another."

pasty_spud · Post by **pasty_spud** » 24 Mar 2006, 08:03

basically they are all a bunch of wasters who have had it handed to them on a plate.......what johnson said is right, you should'nt be awarded for being the best in britian,you should be the best in the world.and thats spot on cos NO american recieves the kind of support and funding our athletes get they have to earn it...

about MLF....i remember watching him at the worlds in canada in 2001 and he ran 9.98 wind asisted and since then it all went to his head and around his waist judging by the size of him towards the end of last season..

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 24 Mar 2006, 08:15

Athletics though was the first of the Olympic events to go professional, well known athletes earn good money on the tour, whereas swimmers don't have the same opportunities as far as I am aware aside from endorsements.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 24 Mar 2006, 08:27

Is Clare Balding balding? That hair of hers has got to be a syrup it never moves and its identical every time she's on the telly.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 24 Mar 2006, 08:29

Thing is, its not the athletes fault if companies want to throw money at them, maybe if the lottery money was used in trust funds not given straight to the athletes during their career.

Another thing is talent, its all very well saying that they should be challenging for world and olympic titles, but if the athletes don't actually possess the talent to do this then best of british is what they will be.

We can't expect to have great athletes in the 100m every year.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 24 Mar 2006, 08:30

Chambers2 wrote:
TerribleTerry wrote:As a junior the Darlaston native looked like an Olympic champion in waiting, but his love of Burger King and junk food in general has slowed his progress.

In addition to this he has had a flakey record at major championships and has singularly failed to improve his PB since he was a teenager, at least I believe that is the case.

All in all he has been a woeful disappointment thus far. I really had high hopes for him years ago but now it looks like the 4x100 Olympic Gold will be his career highlight, when previously it had looked like he would acheive so much more.

I listened to the race on 5 Live and Steve Backley was on there and he made a quip about Marks weight.

The co-commentator stated that when the hand over was meant to take place, Lewis-Francis was "looking 'round". Backley fired back straight away "Lewis Francis has been looking round for a good number of years now".
Hasn't he tested positive for cannabis somewhere along the line as well

Stick bags of doritos and jaffa cakes just past the finish line and he might break the world record!

Post by **The Law** » 24 Mar 2006, 08:36

What he should do is join the Santa Monica athletics club in the USA. Head coach John Smith would turn him into a champ. John Smith offered him a chance to come to the Santa Monica club a few times but Mark didn't take up the offer. Bad move me thinks

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 24 Mar 2006, 08:41

nickd wrote:Is Clare Balding balding? That hair of hers has got to be a syrup it never moves and its identical every time she's on the telly.

she's certainly butch enough to have male pattern baldness.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 24 Mar 2006, 08:43

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
nickd wrote:Is Clare Balding balding? That hair of hers has got to be a syrup it never moves and its identical every time she's on the telly.
she's certainly butch enough to have male pattern baldness.

Bet she has huge bollocks.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 24 Mar 2006, 08:43

Positive side of these games was the Swimming teams from Scotland and England, Dean Macey getting back to fitness, Jo Pavey getting silver, Kelly Sotherton winning (and not being happy), Christine Ohuruogu 400m gold,
and the young girl in the 1500m