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Post by Stephen Pickron "Pic" on Sept 18, 2008 11:36:43 GMT -5
Why does it have to be the truth just because you said it?
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Post by Pete & Tim on Sept 18, 2008 11:41:01 GMT -5
Prove me wrong and I'll say no more.
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Post by Stephen Pickron "Pic" on Sept 18, 2008 11:44:44 GMT -5
Sorry Pete I re-read the post and you are right my apologizes ..........hope you accept.
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Post by chrislydman on Sept 18, 2008 11:45:53 GMT -5
Contraband and Mudville Grill come to mind, for me. Contra was an almost 14 hr drive for me, and being in the military, with restricted leave being snr enlisted, it was a big sacrifice. I drove it, and the trip to Mudville to see and pull with Greg Helm, put me on the road a bunch for a hobby. BUT, at the same time, my profession was Navy Diving, and if ever the two conflicted......You know which one was a priorty. That doesn't mean I didn't train hard and pull hard, WHEN I COULD. Tell ya what that DOES mean to me...It means that when people like Karen, Pete, Bill C, Bob B, (All the spouses, cuz they sacrifice the most!!!!) , Denise, Leonard, ARMTV, Armsport Videos, In the Hook, etc. put THAT MUCH more, of their own free will and often at their own expense.......I smile. This will never be all about $$, or Olympics, or even exposure.....It will always be about you...and me... at the table.
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Post by Stephen Pickron "Pic" on Sept 18, 2008 11:49:40 GMT -5
Good post Chris!
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Post by chrislydman on Sept 18, 2008 11:59:47 GMT -5
Blame it on Mr. Battles......He got me all fired up
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Post by Cleve Dean on Sept 18, 2008 15:07:31 GMT -5
I AM GOING TO TRY NOT TO SAY TOO MUCH ABOUT ANY OF THIS AS I WANT NOT TO STEP ON ANY TOES. ARMWRESTLING MAY NEVER MAKE IT TO THE OLYMPICS BUT THEN AGAIN WHO KNOWS FOR SURE. IT MAY GO ON TO SOMETHING EVEN ETTER. UNLIKE SOME OF YOU I CAN REMEMBER ACTUALLY MAKING A SOMEWHAT HUMBLE INCOME FROM THE SPORT AND SPONSORS AND I TELL YOU NOW IF NOT FOR THE HIT OF THE THEN CALLED "REGANOMICS" THEN THIS SPORT WOULD ALREADY BE IN SUCH BIG MONEY THAT YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE IT. SO THE FACT THAT SO MANY HAVE MADE SUCH VALID AND LEARNED POINTS IS ALL GOOD BUT NEVER TELL A MAN NOT TO DREAM. THIS COUNTRY WOULD NOT BE IF NOT FOR THE DREAMS OF THOSE THAT COULD NOT BE TOLD TO GIVE-UP.
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Post by Matt "CHOP" Bertrand on Sept 18, 2008 16:55:18 GMT -5
I AM GOING TO TRY NOT TO SAY TOO MUCH ABOUT ANY OF THIS AS I WANT NOT TO STEP ON ANY TOES. ARMWRESTLING MAY NEVER MAKE IT TO THE OLYMPICS BUT THEN AGAIN WHO KNOWS FOR SURE. IT MAY GO ON TO SOMETHING EVEN ETTER. UNLIKE SOME OF YOU I CAN REMEMBER ACTUALLY MAKING A SOMEWHAT HUMBLE INCOME FROM THE SPORT AND SPONSORS AND I TELL YOU NOW IF NOT FOR THE HIT OF THE THEN CALLED "REGANOMICS" THEN THIS SPORT WOULD ALREADY BE IN SUCH BIG MONEY THAT YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE IT. SO THE FACT THAT SO MANY HAVE MADE SUCH VALID AND LEARNED POINTS IS ALL GOOD BUT NEVER TELL A MAN NOT TO DREAM. THIS COUNTRY WOULD NOT BE IF NOT FOR THE DREAMS OF THOSE THAT COULD NOT BE TOLD TO GIVE-UP. Well said! And i believe that if this sport does not go anywhere it is because of the so called REALISTS. I am not a realist, i am a person who believes you can do anything you want to with enough determination. I have proved people wrong time and time again just because of the fact that they told me i COULDNT do something. I believe that it can make it to the Olympics if everybody would just stop for a second and just be a little more positive. I will continue to do whatever i can in my lifetime to make whatever difference i can, but i will not quit believing that this sport CANT make it to the Olympics just because it hasnt in the past.
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Post by kyledarby on Sept 18, 2008 17:11:47 GMT -5
Wow, If they have trampoline on a level like that why won't they someday embrace armwrestling. I think most people would rather discredit our sport or mask their own fears with ridicule. Maybe armwrestling is just to hardcore for traditional sports venues. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ARMWRESTLING AT THE X-Games! No one achieves by selling themselves short. We have too many state champs, national champs, world champs, pioneers, up-comers, aspiring champs, people like Leanord, Denise, Karen, Pete, Bob, Gary Roberts and so on and so fourth that live and breath it to just hang it up. I see it going somewhere besides the back burner or hobby shop.
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Post by enginterzi on Sept 18, 2008 17:16:18 GMT -5
Armwrestling is more than a fun to the athletes who are good enough to make money. btw,IMO money can not determine how serious i take armwrestling,because for some of satisfying own ego taste better than money.to be honest armwrestling has never been fun to me,but pain.i guess it depends on how much you give from yourself.of course it is fun to the people who do not care a lot about losing,but to the people who has the highest goals,losing is very painful and it is not fun at all.i guess every athlete determines how serious armwrestling is for him-herself.if it is fun to you then it is ok,but to me it is not fun at all. so to me armwrestling "IS NOT" fun to some athletes "IT IS" fun once again,your goals determine what armwrestling is to you. and if you are saying that "money=seriousness" and "being the best=fun" then i disagree from my side because you can not become the best without taking armwrestling as fun only.and i understand that it is fun to some people,who are not the best or do not have a dream to become the best. it can be fun to me only when i am able to reach my highest goal easily.for example if i was Devon Larratt right now armwrestling would be a great fun to me but it would not mean that i do not take armwrestling seriously because Devon would not become very best if armwrestling was only a fun to him. jmo
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Post by Alper Cosar on Sept 18, 2008 17:35:08 GMT -5
James Battles - I read all your posts on this one - very honest and to the point and I am glad to share this sport with people like yourself......Armwrestling is a big part of my life and it is more than a sport or a hobby to me- .... thx again for the great posts...
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Post by Alper Cosar on Sept 18, 2008 17:36:24 GMT -5
By the way I am in Manhattan, NY right now- had to take care of some businees here and now in about 2 hrs I will join Team NY for their practise at Jason's..... Anywhere I go there is a member of the family- this is priceless......
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Post by chrislydman on Sept 18, 2008 17:48:32 GMT -5
I guess that I'm in the minority I'd have never traded my search and rescue/diving/specwar career for any amt of success in armwrestling. What could I have achieved in armwrestling, had I? Who cares!? If your Aunt had nuts, she'd be your Uncle!!! On the flip side.... I would never trade the people I've met, pulling, for anything!!!!
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Post by James Battles on Sept 18, 2008 18:38:32 GMT -5
It all means different things to everybody this viewpoint of the sport. People all have choices to make. There is a line to be drawn with what any of us can do in the sport. There are priorities . Engin is right in his way. who really likes to lose? It takes all kinds because not everyone can be the winner. It takes alot to lose gracefully for anyone but that does not mean inside they would or had to like it. Cleve is right . I would agree whole heartedly no one should give up their dream and eventually with enough effort our sport will and is > reference the here and now < finding success without the Olympics. They could be a reality but not in the close future without a truck load of money The IOC shows that at every juncture with the different things being accepted and completed inside their organization. Alper I have been jealous since Jared put up the post. I saw flights for 900 bucks. The best I saw was 560 . If I had the money end of life covered I would have been right up there to learn and train in that bunch in a heartbeat. It is a dream of mine to be financially well enough off to be able to do something like that any time it is necessary to take advantage of practice with a good group. I would have already been dropping an Elbow on Allen Fisher a long time ago if that were a reality. I believe that in a way all this was misunderstandings today except for the facts of what is and has been going on concerning the Olympics. I think if we could get in on a travel order with the Xgames on a series of appearances that would be great. What is it gonna take? Somebody get Tony Hawk on the phone! Seriously if anyone knows any of those dudes please that is a bonfide Idea on the day. I have other Ideas but they all take money. They have design that is sound that I believe able to work. Besides all the people who promote and do now in armwrestling I must Say that Neil "The Wizard TiTs " Pickup is doing some things that are brilliant in their own right and very good for us. I don't mean to berate the Olympic Idea but the truth is that They are once in four years and a side venue to all these successes. The sport of armwrestling has come a long way. Hobby to some serious to others and a serious hobby to even others. In a parting note I would just like to say in all reality no matter what you may think you see me do when I lose a match it just completely chaps my a s s and I don't like it one bit. I try to be respectful to anyone though in all fairness who wants to take away someones legitimate win by not being a stand-up competitor. My not liking losing has nothing to do with feelings against my opponent. I usually blame myself and then try and eliminate mistakes I made. Ok i am out for a while. I just discovered two rather large squirrels in my roof and they had no way showing how they got in. They got to go so I will be involved the rest of this evening. I will see everyone going to the big dance there and some before. Take care, James
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Chris Ceci
Silver Member
S.W.FL. Armsport Club- Founder / President
Posts: 399
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Post by Chris Ceci on Sept 18, 2008 18:42:35 GMT -5
First off, thank you to all who had something positive to say. It's good to know my views are shared by others in the sport. Thankyou Cleve Dean for stepping forward and posting what you said.
Karen: How?? What about the sport makes it a dream to go to the Olympics? This is a sport. A professional sport, isn't that how we refer to it? We have novice, amateur, and Professional levels. Everything about this sport makes it a dream to go to the Olympics like any other sport thats involved in the Olympics. Athletes compete to someday become the best at there chosen sport isn't that why we compete? The ultimate goal for a serious athlete is the Olympics,case closed. Since the day I started Arm Wrestling, and when I watched as a kid on Wide World of sports, thats what drew me in. Didn't you want to see this sport in the Olympics? You've been involved for thirty years, you must have felt something.
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