SRT Driver Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 I saw a piece about Bode Miller and thought of a couple threads about winning etc. A few excerpts. Mike Celizic writes: "It takes years of training and dedication to win an Olympic gold medal. It doesn’t take nearly as many years of taking yourself and your talent for granted to lose it." "Miller has always portrayed himself as an artist. He looks at what he does as a performance piece that has to be perfect. The result doesn’t matter; the process does. Put another way, if you do your job as perfectly as possible, the results will take care of themselves. In fact, a U.S. Olympic team sports psychologist once told me, that’s the right attitude, because you can’t control the results; you can’t control what other people do or what golfers call the rub of the green. Sometimes, excrement occurs. And if you go out and try to win instead of trying to do your best, you strangle your own talent. That attitude won Miller last year’s World Cup. He didn’t worry about winning races. He thought only of skiing the perfect race." "But something happened between then and now. People who know him and the way he lives say that he didn’t put a lot of time into training during the summer, didn’t get himself into peak shape for the year that would define his legacy. And it goes back to what you put into the race. That sports psychologist also pointed out that part of controlling what you do is preparing as well as you can, which means doing all the work, getting yourself into the best possible condition, being as ready as you can possibly be for the moment of truth." "When you can’t do what you do best, you simply haven’t put the work in. And, by all accounts, work and Miller are not the closest of acquaintances." "That’s the part Miller neglected — the being prepared part. Trying to be perfect is wonderful, but you can’t do it with a battered body that is no longer in the shape it once was." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberkid Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 Thats funny cuz in his interview for Maxim magazine he says the opposite. He says he doesnt care about how he does it, as long as he wins. This was said after his unconventional and often wild style was brought up. From the accompanying photos and story it is pretty obvious he sacked the smoking hot journalist though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidball Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 A match (race, game, competition, etc.) is won or lost long before the day of the event. (Paraphrased from minds far greater than mine - Bassham, Knight, etc.) (OK, maybe Bob Knight doesn't have a mind greater than mine, but he knows [knew?] how to coach basketball) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 He strikes me as a cocky little boy. I've been happy to see him get his ass handed to him. Maybe he'll get his recto-cranial inversion fixed, and put together four years from now, and actually do something good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 +1 on XRe...it just really gets under my skin to see these cocky smart alec kids who have had every advantage in the world handed to them screw it up so easily and so royally... For those of us who have not a lot of natural ability and have to work really hard to achieve something good, it just chaps my ass to see these guys like Miller and the skater Johnny Weir let their mouth write a check their ass can't cash and get their butt handed to them...we need to stop coddling these people and find someone with some drive and appreciation of the help they are getting and let them show what they can do.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genghis Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 I feel really sorry for the guy. With all the buildup, everyone is going to remember him as the guy who choked when it mattered. The practical shooting sports seem to be designed to increase the pressure and stress, causing us to choke. I've had my share. So I can feel a bit of what he must be feeling now. I just hope he has a chance to redeem himself, whether it's in his final event this go round or at the next Olympics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 Genghis - I think this is a bit different than a choke, though. Choke would be getting to the event prepared, ready to go, in form to win, and then blowing it due to some mental glitch or hang-up (usually a compounded negative attitude of some form). Miller's simply unprepared. He's weak and out of shape. If it's a choke, he choked over a year ago when he should have been training for today.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 He doesn't really care if he medals or not...he is fat dumb and happy with the endorsements from apparel mfg and equipment people in the skiing world...One good year and he was set for life...now he is just goofing off and being lazy...long term planning for this guy and people like him is one week.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 I like the guy. So he didn't win some jewelry that we, as a country, expect others from our country to win. Weak, out of shape, unprepared? He finished 5th in the Olympic Downhill, 1.13 seconds behind the winner, .11 seconds from bronze? In the Giant Slalom he finished 6th, 1.06 seconds behind the winner who had a combined total time of 2.35.xx minutes? What is that, like .0068% of total time? Yes, he DNF'd a race and DQ'd from another. Mistakes made on the edge. Can you imagine finishing 1.13 seconds behind TGO in a match and considering yourself mentally / physically weak, out of shape, unprepared? I can't. Or shooting within .0068% of the winning time in the world championships and being deemed a failure? Weak, unprepared and out of shape people don't finish any race, on snow or elsewhere, within 1 second of the champion...in fact, they don't even make it to the race. It is easy to expect perfection, but boy, in my experience it is hard to find. I have yet to hear him make up an excuse for not doing as well as he surely wanted...but did see him give all the credit to the winner in the downhill. And in some of the commercials I have watched where he rants a little about the pressure we put on our kids to win? SPOT on. My daughter plays fastpitch softball at a good level for her age. If I had a $5 bill for every fatass parent screaming at their 12 year old to do something which the parent never did, and never could do...I could buy a new blaster for everyone on this board. Kids seldom quit playing somethinng they enjoy because they no longer enjoy it. They quit because some a$$hat dad or mom makes it miserable. I think Miller gets it. That is why I like him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 +1 on XRe...it just really gets under my skin to see these cocky smart alec kids who have had every advantage in the world handed to them screw it up so easily and so royally... Wha? You clearly aren't talking about Bode Miller. Handed to him? Please. He worked his ass off, coming from nothing to be something. For those of us who have not a lot of natural ability and have to work really hard to achieve something good, it just chaps my ass to see these guys like Miller and the skater Johnny Weir let their mouth write a check their ass can't cash and get their butt handed to them...we need to stop coddling these people and find someone with some drive and appreciation of the help they are getting and let them show what they can do.. He worked hard. He continues to work hard. The fact is his head (and, thereby, his "heart") isn't in it. He clearly doesn't enjoy it anymore. And as far as writing a check, he didn't write it, other people did and they (and you) expect him to back it up and are angry when he doesn't. Why? Because he's written good checks in the past? Bruce, I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 If his head and heart aren't in it, he should get out and let someone else have a go at it... Sure, you can come close based on natural ability and past training...but he knew 4 yrs ago that he was going to go to the Olympics...and not to be ready...unforgivable.. I still think he is self centered and spoiled...like lots of athlets at that level... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 The announcers were pointing out the signs of being fatigued, weak, etc, during each competitors run. It was rather easy to see that Miller is not prepared for world class competition, and was quite tired by the time he hit the bottom third of the course in Giant Slalom. In that sport, a second off the pace is like being a GM in our sport, and shooting an 80% match score. It's highly significant. Close would be a tenth of a second... So, in downhill, he's *close* to third place. Slalom, same thing. Just like finishing 5th or 6th at the Nationals is expected for a top GM, but at 80%, he was never in the race, either.... Cullen - Miller's written plenty of his own checks in recent interviews. He doesn't need other people stuffing their feet in his mouth - he's busy sucking on both of his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 Perspective is so important. Yes, being 1 second off is a ton at that level...which just speaks to how great the top 20 are, day in day out. To put one second in perspective, if you completely exhale, then start your stopwatch and fully inhale and hit the stop button---takes more than a second usually. The margin between being champ and not on the podium is almost nil. And no, you cannot come close based on natural ability and past training. To come close you have to be almost perfect at the right time on the right day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 Bruce Not to be over argumentative, but how do you KNOW you can't come close based on ability and past training...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 And no, you cannot come close based on natural ability and past training. To come close you have to be almost perfect at the right time on the right day. Which is all about training and preparation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyreb Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 When he changed into the brand new skis that had just arrived from his sponsor on top of the hill before his first race I knew he had screwed himself. Reminded me of our guys that just have to change out a gun or critical piece of gear before a major match... ....Grab a fire extinguisher because you are going to wind up going down in flames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Heiter Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 (edited) I know exactly d!ck about downhill skiing and Bodie Miller. I've heard lots of stuff about him from various reporters but then I've heard lots about Bush, Cheney, the war in Iraq, Hilary Clinton, etc. from those same sources. I'm in no position to second guess his efforts, training, chances, etc. but I do know they built him up to be a hero and then they tore him apart mercilessly for failing to complete the story line they had written for him. Personally, I think Olympic sports are far too competitive to expect anyone to dominate them yet I keep hearing how everyone is upset that Miller, Ono, etc. aren't doing just that. It really goes a long way to emphasize the perceived/real American superiority complex and I'm sure we seem like a bunch of crying little brats to other nations because of it. I really think we need to rethink our policy of letting a single athlete compete in so many events. If there are five downhill skiing events or speed skating events that are of similar enough format that one athlete can compete in all of them then maybe we should think about dropping some of those and bring in some new events. Looking at the ratings, maybe we should let singing be an event. How about competitive eating? Olympic Texas Hold-em? Me, I'd just like to see some of those Tour de France guys taking their bikes off of some sweet jumps. Edited February 21, 2006 by John Heiter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 Me, I'd just like to see some of those Tour de France guys taking their bikes off of some sweet jumps. I gotta see that movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Let me make myself more clear. I'm not making excuses for him. I don't think it's important enough to get angry over. If he had actually wronged you, I could see getting upset, but all he's done is destroyed his own life for whatever reason. If that reason is because he's upset at all the media attention, that's about as stupid as it gets; nobody should do anything because others want them to. To allow others to influence you so much that you willingly don't do your best at whatever it is that you're good at and love in order to spite them, that's one of the worst sins there is. I'll pity him when he realizes what he's done and why. If he doesn't realize it, that's nothing new, he just becomes a non-entity like most people that go through their lives blaming others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharyn Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I know exactly d!ck about downhill skiing and Bodie Miller. I've heard lots of stuff about him from various reporters but then I've heard lots about Bush, Cheney, the war in Iraq, Hilary Clinton, etc. from those same sources. I'm in no position to second guess his efforts, training, chances, etc. but I do know they built him up to be a hero and then they tore him apart mercilessly for failing to complete the story line they had written for him. Personally, I think Olympic sports are far too competitive to expect anyone to dominate them yet I keep hearing how everyone is upset that Miller, Ono, etc. aren't doing just that. It really goes a long way to emphasize the perceived/real American superiority complex and I'm sure we seem like a bunch of crying little brats to other nations because of it. Yup. As we all know, only Geraldo gets the real story. It never ceases to amaze me when people make such harsh, panoptic, character judgements on people they don't know personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Well, if they can't stand the HEAT, then don't venture into the kitchen... This isn;t his first rodeo and he has been on the World Ski circuit for several years now..he should know how to comport himself when interviewed so that if he doesn't want the public to really know how lame and lazy he has been in preparation for these games, he should not have given the interview..Panoptic, indeed...I am just commenting on he check HE wrote that HE couldn;'t cash.... Read my thread on Taking Your Lumps.....be ready and prepared the best you can..then if you fail there is nothing to say except you got beaten by a better athlete, but if you are drunk, stoned, lazy, not motivated and get whipped, then you need to tuck your tail between your legs and go to the house before you say anything to anyone... Just my .02 worth...and I can say that because I have been there, done that myself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 but if you are drunk, stoned, lazy, Well... he ain't stoned... at least, not in the past 30-45 days... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Bode and Stewart have something in common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtm Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Wow! Maybe he is just enjoying the ride. I know at some major matches I have stayed up too late drinking with the boys, swapping B.S. and generally enjoying being with people who do what I do, know who I know, and think in general like I do. Now I know that will hurt the match performance, but darn it I only get to see these guys 3-4 times a year at best, and at a certain level ALL that pressure that is externally put on us to win for the sponsor, defend the title, win one for the Stars and Stripes etc. starts to be a bigger detriment than the extra "Apple Juice" drank. If I don't perform to your standards please lower your standards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Wow! Maybe he is just enjoying the ride. I know at some major matches I have stayed up too late drinking with the boys, swapping B.S. and generally enjoying being with people who do what I do, know who I know, and think in general like I do. Now I know that will hurt the match performance, but darn it I only get to see these guys 3-4 times a year at best, and at a certain level ALL that pressure that is externally put on us to win for the sponsor, defend the title, win one for the Stars and Stripes etc. starts to be a bigger detriment than the extra "Apple Juice" drank. If I don't perform to your standards please lower your standards It's the "OLYMPIC GAMES". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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