# What the holy marathonic fuck!??? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 29, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106 "2004-08-29T17:04:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/1 "2004-08-29T17:04:04Z")
DId you see it? the fancy clothed guy that grabbed the leader on the marathon race? What was that??? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/2 "2004-08-29T17:06:20Z")
I dunno, but I vote he gets dragged behind a chariot in the chariot races. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/3 "2004-08-29T17:06:24Z")
I dunno, but I hope he wound up with some serious bruises from the fans/police in the area. The leader, Lima, gave up his big lead just a few minutes later… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Phelan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Phelan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phelan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/4 "2004-08-29T17:07:57Z")
Unbelievable. Un-fucking-believable!! The leader of the race (a Brazilian) was just attacked by a spectator. He had a 1 minute lead, and now he’ll lose. Whoever wins this race will have their gold medal tainted. Fucking fan!! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/5 "2004-08-29T17:17:13Z")
Just saw the replay. What a fucking bastard. What an absolute fucking asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/6 "2004-08-29T17:23:49Z")
Right now I am more annoyed at the NBC scheduling that is preventing me from seeing this. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/7 "2004-08-29T17:31:36Z")
Maybe it’s local, because I’m seeing it. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/8 "2004-08-29T17:33:48Z")
What a wrectched thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/9 "2004-08-29T17:41:29Z")
That was ridiculuous. In case anyone hasn’t seen the ending: I think it’s hard to know whether he would have won without that. I’m sure it broke his concentration completely, but I don’t remember if the NBC announcers were making comments about him looking tired before that or not - I know they were afterward though. The Italian guy who won looked strong the rest of the race though, so it’s hard to know. And the announcers just said that the guy had a sign on his back that said something like “Israel, the fulfillment of prophecy”, with something else below it that they haven’t said yet. ---
**Author:** ![Jurhael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@Jurhael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurhael)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/10 "2004-08-29T17:47:59Z")
I heard it while online, and then I had to see what was going on. I saw the replay and like everyone here, I was horrified. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/11 "2004-08-29T17:52:52Z")
Goddamnit! What a fucking dickhead! I was pulling for Lima after the incident. Ultimately, though, I don’t think it affected the outcome of the race. But the “protester” needs a fucking beat down. And if you watched the replay, there was a big, white-bearded guy in the crowd who looked like he was ready to deliver one. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/12 "2004-08-29T17:53:34Z")
Apparently the culprit is from Portugal. I didn’t see it, but Reuters says Lima was “holding his leg” when he rejoined the race. I hope assault charges are laid. What a fuckwit. ([AP story w/photo here.](http://msnbc.msn.com/ID/5859225/)) > [@Lsura](#): > > And the announcers just said that the guy had a sign on his back that said something like “Israel, the fulfillment of prophecy”, with something else below it that they haven’t said yet. Oh, great. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/13 "2004-08-29T17:55:29Z")
What a fucking prick, I hope no news agencies report on what he was protesting about. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/14 "2004-08-29T17:55:29Z")
**Religious whackjob: the fulfillment of stereotype.** ---
**Author:** ![WaryEri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea666f/32.png) [@WaryEri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WaryEri)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/15 "2004-08-29T18:00:13Z")
I’m finding it a little pissy of NBC to spin this as “not effecting the results”.De Lima wasn’t struggling and tired before he was tackled, though he was understandably frazzled and off his stride afterwards. He had such a comfortable lead and was in good form. The commentators on CBC certainly didn’t shrug it off. Poor De Lima. And poor Baldini and Keflezighi, who are stuck with this shadow on their medals. I hope the crowd got off a few good ones on that guy before the police hauled him off. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/16 "2004-08-29T18:02:02Z")
I opened a GQ thread (I’m running slow so I’m not linking it) so more information may turn up there as well. Seems like a run-of-the-mill religious lunatic. I don’t think based on what the announcers were saying about Lima’s usual performance level before the attack that it prevented him from winning. He was up by less than a minute and he lost about ten seconds, and ended up losing by over a minute. Of course there’s no way ever to know for sure. Normally I couldn’t care less about marathons but it was, you know, on so I was half paying attention. After it happened I was rooting for Lima. Is there any precedent in Olympic history for giving an athlete some sort of special recognition for overcoming an obstacle and continuing to compete? I seem to recall there’s some sort of “Athlete of the Games” award or something; Lima ought to get it, if not some sort of special unofficial medal upgrade or bonus or something. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/17 "2004-08-29T18:03:41Z")
Well, if you saw the end… Lima looked absolutely ecstatic about the bronze. So I’m glad of that anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/18 "2004-08-29T18:07:20Z")
I’m afraid this particular cretin is a British cretin. He looks very like the same guy who [ran out in the middle of the Formula 1 race last year.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3081905.stm) I hope they lock him up for a long time. Idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Phelan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Phelan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phelan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/19 "2004-08-29T18:10:12Z")
After all that, he still didn’t finish too far from the leader. All that energy he spent trying to fend off the wacko, plus the time he lost, plus the injuries he might’ve sustained, and the break in concentration, I think the gold was a lock for de Lima until that point. He could’ve ended the race yelling and screaming about the incident, putting the closing ceremonies on a bit of a downer, but he ended it with an upbeat attitude. Pretty classy IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106/20 "2004-08-29T18:14:40Z")
As much as I hate the idea of mob justice… the cops could have been just a _little_ slower in getting to the guy. This nutjob needs a serious thrashing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-holy-marathonic-fuck/262106.md?page=2)