PoleVaultPower.com

A little heavy with the hyperbole...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/m ... on.nelson/

"Byron's 11 straight wins is the 40-foot pole vault or 50-foot long jump of golf," added Tom Watson, a close friend of Nelson who was taught by the golf legend in the late 1970s.

haha wow someone needs to know what he is talking about before he talks

maybe he was trying to say is that Byron Nelson did was twice as great as what any other athlete has done! That would be about right for the PV and a little short for the LJ. You can say anything you want, no one has to believe you.

To prove my point:

Rambo could run a 10k in 27:00 flat!

Bubka's career along with his 6 straight world championships and countless world records is the equivalent of having the careers of Jack Nicholas and Tiger Woods put together if Bubka were a golfer!

Golf should only be compared to other non-sports like ping-pong, bowling, and darts.

and dont forget distance running...

haha wow someone needs to know what he is talking about before he talks

You're right. That's like comparing a 20 foot pole vaulter to a 25 foot long jumper. I'm a huge fan of golf though.

bjvando wrote:and dont forget distance running...

i would hope you're joking

For those of you who aren't old enough to remember what Byron Nelson did for the sport of golf, let me give you a little "believable" analogy. Byron Nelson was to golf what Bubka was to vaulting and Fosberry was to high jumping. He developed what is called the modern day golf swing. Along with that, in one year he won 11 straight tournaments and I believe 18 total for that year. Now back to what he developed. Like Fosberry with his high jump form, Byron Nelson developed and implemented the modern day golf swing on his own. He didn't have a Petrov that developed it for him and then instructed him on how to do it. Be careful when you dis another sport or athlete. When it comes to our event, most of the other sports participants "don't get it". Likewise, in regards to other sports sometimes we "don't get it". Later.............Mike

that may be true, but I could go on for a long time about how great Gary Kasparov was, but that still wouldn't make him an athlete

Bryan, there's no way for you to be able to understand this but when you get to my age you might realise what I am about to say. Even thouigh it's low impact, I will still include a golfer as an athlete. Case in point is myself. Because of my age, (bursitis in the hips, and knees that aren't the best) I find it very difficult to walk 18 holes of golf. On the other hand I can sprint for 60 feet and hang on to a pole and get up and over a bar. Should I be considered an athlete because I can still vault even though physically I have touble walking a golf course or vice versa? I think the point I am making is that (other than in our own minds, mine included) we aren't elite. We are all athletes in our own events. We should be glad that somebody used our sport (and event )for the analogy. The writer could have said that Byron Nelson's accomplishments could be compared to 3 consecutive 3000 yard rushing seasons or it was compared to a 100 home run season. I'll take the props and the exposure to our event everytime. Later................Mike

you make a really good point i still just find it funny when people say stuff like that