tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post8583300171129177959..comments2023-11-27T02:17:22.859-06:00Comments on The LawDog Files: L'important n'est pas de gagner, mais de participer.LawDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05232684877582591461noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-65872438137935702922008-08-18T11:54:00.000-05:002008-08-18T11:54:00.000-05:00Being an Atlantan, I was privileged to have been h...Being an Atlantan, I was privileged to have been here in '96 during the games. I didn't really care to get tickets to the high demand events and have to fight the crowds, etc, so when we were deciding what to watch, Modern Pentathlon was one of more affordable events not in great demand. We spent quite an enjoyable day following the athletes from the shooting/fencing venue at the World Congress Center to the pool at Georgia Tech, finally ending up in Conyers at the Horse Park for the Equestrian and running events.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for giving that great memory a bump!!Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08008437088038761598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-47466001961335175012008-08-16T09:52:00.000-05:002008-08-16T09:52:00.000-05:00Hunh. I'd never even heard of this event. But it...Hunh. I'd never even heard of this event. But it certainly sounds pretty cool. Horses, guns, and swords. Now, add a "practical bazooka" segment, and we're really talking.<BR/><BR/>For everyone else: tinyurl.com will shorten up those links and make them fit into comments better.perlhaqrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01920117742664645165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-23666334419022007302008-08-15T20:55:00.000-05:002008-08-15T20:55:00.000-05:00If you should visit Denver -after the convention, ...If you should visit Denver -after the convention, please - swing by the Cheyenne Fencing Society and Modern Pentahlon club on Colfax Ave, east of Colorado. Last I looked, Janusz Peciak of Poland, the '76 gold medalist, was still teaching there. My son was his student and Janusz was an incredible teacher. [The owner, Elaine, was almost the oldest woman to compete in fencing a few Olympics ago, but missed by one point - as the result of a European judge's vote.] Janusz was kind enough to ask me if I'd like to assist in the airgun training [quite an ego boost for an old man; maybe he meant I could change the targets]. Olde ForceAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-2223749247488568442008-08-15T07:40:00.000-05:002008-08-15T07:40:00.000-05:00You're right LD, PETA will take away the horses an...You're right LD, PETA will take away the horses and the UN will take away the guns and swords (they are DANGEROUS, somebody might get hurt after all)...<BR/>sigh...Old NFOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404197287935017147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-41498893455074537982008-08-14T22:14:00.000-05:002008-08-14T22:14:00.000-05:00If I was ever to win an Olympic medal, this would ...If I was ever to win an Olympic medal, this would be the event I would want to win it in. The skill to work with a horse to clear the fences. The finesse and fine control to wield sword and pistol effectively. And the stamina needed to swim and run. That indeed is something to be proud of.Fenrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07693829962075093381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-13052679234238038162008-08-14T19:40:00.000-05:002008-08-14T19:40:00.000-05:00The essential warlike nature of the summer games h...The essential warlike nature of the summer games has been euphemized: They still throw spears, although they're called javelins. They still throw rocks, although the event is called the shot put. Ancient armies ran toward or away from each other, did they not?<BR/><BR/>Archery? Skeet/Trap at claybirds instead of in trench warfare?<BR/><BR/>Boxing. Wrestling. Gymnastics. All of these useful in hand-to-hand combat.<BR/><BR/>Equestrian competition? Which army has the better cavalry?<BR/><BR/>Let the War Games continue!!!<BR/><BR/>:-), ArtAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-42607602402966397372008-08-14T17:20:00.000-05:002008-08-14T17:20:00.000-05:00I'd rather watch the pentathlon then the "men's ha...I'd rather watch the pentathlon then the "men's handball" that I saw one morning. I know these guys are world class athletes, but the game itself seems rather week.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-75694147365735637342008-08-14T13:27:00.000-05:002008-08-14T13:27:00.000-05:00You got me thinking about a 'truly modern pentathl...You got me thinking about a <A HREF="http://chezkazrak.blogspot.com/2008/08/proposal-truly-modern-pentathlon.html" REL="nofollow">'truly modern pentathlon'</A>, LawDog.<BR/><BR/>Not sure if it's an improvement (probably not), but it's more modern. (...which, on reflection, is far, far too common a comment in modern life as it is. Hrm.)Brad J (Kazrak)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08512490630205471220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-64854917030195242572008-08-14T10:34:00.000-05:002008-08-14T10:34:00.000-05:00Just the General Patton part caught me by surprise...Just the General Patton part caught me by surprise. <BR/><BR/>You just keep a writing insights on our Olympics. You're putting a lot of little known information out here that appeals to reasonable Americans like you and me. <BR/><BR/>'Preciate that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-11094920019698316542008-08-14T10:31:00.000-05:002008-08-14T10:31:00.000-05:00You're making me laugh cereal onto my desk, Lawdo...You're making me laugh cereal onto my desk, Lawdog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-59060624068086724152008-08-14T10:18:00.000-05:002008-08-14T10:18:00.000-05:00The 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden saw what wa...The 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden saw what was perhaps the first American Indian participant. He was the great Jim Thorpe, who won gold for BOTH the Pentathlon and the Decathlon.<BR/>He was later stripped of his medals because he played semi-pro baseball for two summer seasons to earn money. The silver medal winners refused to move up and accept Thorpe's gold because they felt he had won them fairly.<BR/>Thorpe's life was a sadly familiar one for American Indians, one of consistent tragedy and despondence.<BR/>But, for one shining season, he was a Winner.<BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe<BR/>LawMomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-42403763550090457972008-08-14T08:38:00.000-05:002008-08-14T08:38:00.000-05:00Unfortunately that link didn't print completely. ...Unfortunately that link didn't print completely. Maybe this will work:<BR/><BR/>http://www.realclearsports.com/<BR/>lists/pattons_penathlon/<BR/>pistol_shooting.html<BR/><BR/>To see the link, you must remove the spaces following the / marks and run the entire thing together on the address line. Sorry about that.JPGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01224444263429720535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-81075592816148034352008-08-14T08:30:00.000-05:002008-08-14T08:30:00.000-05:00It's certainly worth noting that LT Patton volunta...It's certainly worth noting that LT Patton voluntarily handicapped himself in the pistol shooting event. He chose to use the standard army service sidearm, a Colt .38 revolver, Model 1905. This handgun is notably more difficult to shoot well than the .22 target pistols used by the other competitors. It was not even fitted with target sights and Patton had to rely on the rather coarse sight channel milled into the top of the frame. The actual revolver used by Patton is illustrated at --<BR/>http://www.realclearsports.com/lists/pattons_penathlon/pistol_shooting.html<BR/>(Hat tip to <B>Cypher</B> who provided the link that led to that image.)<BR/><BR/>Further, the .38 made far larger holes in the target paper than the .22. Patton, an excellent shot, clustered his hits TOO CLOSE TOGETHER on the bullseye, making it impossible to see the each of the individual holes. This led the judges to rule that there were one or two missing shots which couldn't be said to have hit the target. <BR/><BR/>Modern competetion in most matches uses the "three shot cluster" rule, so that if a hole is cut out large enough for a bullet to pass through, the shooter is given the benefit of the doubt.JPGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01224444263429720535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-33298075730954456812008-08-14T02:31:00.000-05:002008-08-14T02:31:00.000-05:00http://www.realclearsports.com/articles/2008/07/mo...http://www.realclearsports.com/articles/2008/07/modern_pentathlon_a_sport_for.html<BR/><BR/>Apparently, he should have won the gold, but the judges ruled against him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-76653534312759697302008-08-13T23:53:00.000-05:002008-08-13T23:53:00.000-05:00my thought would be to ditch the bb guns and speci...my thought would be to ditch the bb guns and specify that the standard issue service pistol of each competitor's country be used by that competitor, no "tweaks" allowed, and competition garb should be again, each nation's standard military field uniform. the event commemorates military courage, endurance and skills, keep it a "military" event, just as the original marathon commemorates the messenger who brought the news of marathon and died to bring it.<BR/>"gunner"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-13887260563594750962008-08-13T23:39:00.000-05:002008-08-13T23:39:00.000-05:00I've heard that there was some controversy over Pa...I've heard that there was some controversy over Patton's score. They say he was leading until the pistol event and that what killed his score in that event was a complete miss--as in a shot off the paper.<BR/><BR/>The theory goes that he was shooting well enough up until then to make it plausible that he passed that shot through one of the previous holes in his target.<BR/><BR/>Maybe they should shoot it with 9mm on falling plates for time. :DDonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15824445546892392815noreply@blogger.com