August 16, 2008 2:19 PM
Jamaican Sprinters and Spanking
If you're reading this right now, you're only a click away from finding out who won the men's 100m dash. The race is already over, but NBC's opted to show the race in prime time.I won't spoil the finish for you. But I will pass along this link from The Jamaican Gleaner, which has a preview of the race.
The Gleaner talked to the parents of both Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell about their sons. Aside from being absurdly fast, the two boys don't share many common traits. The Gleaner does make special note of one link between the two, however:
Asafa wasn't a troublemaker, his father said. "I don't remember beating him. If he was in trouble, he'd say, 'Daddy, wha me do now'?"
And later in the article:
Usain Bolt, the world's 100 metre record holder, received his share of floggings....
On one such occasion, he went to a games room although he was told not to. He was given a fine whipping.
Apparently, Jamaica has a history of spankings that I was previously unaware of.
Unrelated, but, upon reading Powell's "Wha me do now?" quote, I can't help but think of "A Mighty Wind."
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