evernoob
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The 'K-pop teenagers troll the Trump Campaign' thread reminded me of the '73 Derby. We're annointing our next Temporary King, so it's appropriate we look back at the Sport of Kings.
Secretariat as an athlete enters a rare, thin atmosphere where the GOAT cannot meaningfully be named. This space occupied by the likes of Wayne Gretzky (they simply called him, without fanfare... The Great One), Wilt Chamberlain, and Babe Ruth.
But here's the deal: Babe Ruth, Wilt Chamberlain, and maybe even Wayne Gretzky, would be bested by today's athletes. Perhaps only Gretzky can stand with Secretariat in terms of being truly the Greatest of All Time, regardless of context or time period. The Sultan of Swat would get hammered by small-balled roid-heads like Jose Conseco, but 'maybe', with a good Enforcer and great Defense, Wayne Gretzky could still be Great in today's NHL.
For Secretariat, this is not even an issue. Secretariat holds all 3 speed records for his length in The Triple Crown. For the '73 Belmont, wikipedia puts it this way:
Because that's simply a fact. The race has been shortened to 1 3/8, then 1 1/4, and now it's run at 1 1/8. But Secretariat ran it at its longest, A Mile and Half, and still holds the fractional records against horses who sprint a 3/8 mile shorter track.
Races:
The Kentucky Derby - May 5, 1973
Secretariat enters the 1st turn 3rd from dead last, in a crowd of 13 horses. He makes 9 passes from the outside to set a 1 1/4 mile Derby record of 1:59.4.
Here's the important part: For each 1/4 mile length, Secretariat runs a faster 1/4 throughout the race. This kind of muscular acceleration bodes of things to come.
The Preakness - May 17, 1973
Ok, we've got a player. The bookies are paying attention and the only horse which can possibly make odds with Secretariat is Sham, himself a great horse and sadly overshadowed by the Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century. The field is down to 6 horses, because nobody really thinks they can beat Secretariat.
Secretariat exits the gates and cruises down the front straight Dead Last by at least 3 lengths entering the 1st turn.
But then things happen. The world knows that there is a lot left under the gas peddle, but only Ronny Turcotte knows how much. Secretariat darts ahead, on the outside, on the turns, and gains 1st place by the 1st 1/4 of the back stretch. It's like Nitrous. But question is, is he gassed?
Here's the important part: Entering the final stretch, listen to what Chick Anderson says:
Horses start entering the gate about 1:30, and the race starts at 2:30.
The Preakness has been run at 1 3/16 since 1925, and Secretariat holds the 95-year record. The record has stood for 47 years this year.
The Belmont - June 9, 1973
The greatest race of all time.
The horses have had over 3 weeks to straighten up. The field is now down to 5 horses, nobody's really bothering at this point. It's important that there is an odds contender, so Sham is there, ostensibly to be whipped mercilessly by Pincay just in case Secretariat gets blown or suffers a leg injury and the Bookies get rich.
This race has inspired not a few books and at least 2 great films, based on the call by Chick Anderson made as Secretariat blazes across the final two turns.
What is this race? Well, remember that pulse of acceleration Secretariat displayed on the first turn at the Preakness? This race is that acceleration from the 3rd turn until the finish line. Not only is there a LOT of room under the gas peddle, there's a lot of gas in the tank. The Tremendous Machine thunders ahead and runs for the sheer unadultered joy of it. One is impressed that Secretariat himself determines to ring Flank Ahead and transit to the finish line leaving the escorts in his wake. Ronny Turcotte has said as much: this is Secretariat's race.
The race speaks for itself,
Horses start gating at 3:00, race beings at 4:10
So, Secretariat is the Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century, and the 1973 Belmont is the Greatest Race of the 20th Century. The Ford vs Ferrari races were sadly marred by the marketing duplicitiousness of Ford and the cheating by the Europeans which cost Ken Miles his deserved place. But then Ken Miles was not the dominant racer or athlete that Secretariat was, so it's not in contention anyway.
The non-motorsports Athletes have all been overshadowed by their modern counterparts, except perhaps Gretzky, who might remain forever The Great One.
The great Motorsports athletes like Bubba Stewart, Schumacher, Jackie Stewart, Louis Hamilton, Emerson Fitipaldi, Don Garlits, Ricky Charmichael, Richard Petty, were never as dominant as Secretariat by their talent and skill alone. I don't even think Artyon Senna is the greatest driver in his period of Formula 1, depending on how you measure the Era. I love Aryton Senna: This is a man who used the bouncing of the car on non-aerodynamic braking to set the car up for the next turn. The first time you spot him doing it, you're in disbelief that this is what he's doing. But he does again and again... in rain or shine. Senna deserves a post of his own, but even so... he's not Secretariat.
There are other Motorsports athletes like Ari Vitanen who had their opportunities cut short by the end of Group B, but even Ari is rivalled by many incredible talents inside and out of the Death Rallys.
Nope, Secretariat, who for fun opened a 93 yard, THIRTY-ONE LENGTH lead in 2640 yards at the 1973 Belmont Stakes is the clear-cut GOAT athlete, hands down.
Secretariat as an athlete enters a rare, thin atmosphere where the GOAT cannot meaningfully be named. This space occupied by the likes of Wayne Gretzky (they simply called him, without fanfare... The Great One), Wilt Chamberlain, and Babe Ruth.
But here's the deal: Babe Ruth, Wilt Chamberlain, and maybe even Wayne Gretzky, would be bested by today's athletes. Perhaps only Gretzky can stand with Secretariat in terms of being truly the Greatest of All Time, regardless of context or time period. The Sultan of Swat would get hammered by small-balled roid-heads like Jose Conseco, but 'maybe', with a good Enforcer and great Defense, Wayne Gretzky could still be Great in today's NHL.
For Secretariat, this is not even an issue. Secretariat holds all 3 speed records for his length in The Triple Crown. For the '73 Belmont, wikipedia puts it this way:
Because that's simply a fact. The race has been shortened to 1 3/8, then 1 1/4, and now it's run at 1 1/8. But Secretariat ran it at its longest, A Mile and Half, and still holds the fractional records against horses who sprint a 3/8 mile shorter track.
Races:
The Kentucky Derby - May 5, 1973
Secretariat enters the 1st turn 3rd from dead last, in a crowd of 13 horses. He makes 9 passes from the outside to set a 1 1/4 mile Derby record of 1:59.4.
Here's the important part: For each 1/4 mile length, Secretariat runs a faster 1/4 throughout the race. This kind of muscular acceleration bodes of things to come.
The Preakness - May 17, 1973
Ok, we've got a player. The bookies are paying attention and the only horse which can possibly make odds with Secretariat is Sham, himself a great horse and sadly overshadowed by the Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century. The field is down to 6 horses, because nobody really thinks they can beat Secretariat.
Secretariat exits the gates and cruises down the front straight Dead Last by at least 3 lengths entering the 1st turn.
But then things happen. The world knows that there is a lot left under the gas peddle, but only Ronny Turcotte knows how much. Secretariat darts ahead, on the outside, on the turns, and gains 1st place by the 1st 1/4 of the back stretch. It's like Nitrous. But question is, is he gassed?
Here's the important part: Entering the final stretch, listen to what Chick Anderson says:
Horses start entering the gate about 1:30, and the race starts at 2:30.
The Preakness has been run at 1 3/16 since 1925, and Secretariat holds the 95-year record. The record has stood for 47 years this year.
The Belmont - June 9, 1973
The greatest race of all time.
The horses have had over 3 weeks to straighten up. The field is now down to 5 horses, nobody's really bothering at this point. It's important that there is an odds contender, so Sham is there, ostensibly to be whipped mercilessly by Pincay just in case Secretariat gets blown or suffers a leg injury and the Bookies get rich.
This race has inspired not a few books and at least 2 great films, based on the call by Chick Anderson made as Secretariat blazes across the final two turns.
What is this race? Well, remember that pulse of acceleration Secretariat displayed on the first turn at the Preakness? This race is that acceleration from the 3rd turn until the finish line. Not only is there a LOT of room under the gas peddle, there's a lot of gas in the tank. The Tremendous Machine thunders ahead and runs for the sheer unadultered joy of it. One is impressed that Secretariat himself determines to ring Flank Ahead and transit to the finish line leaving the escorts in his wake. Ronny Turcotte has said as much: this is Secretariat's race.
The race speaks for itself,
Horses start gating at 3:00, race beings at 4:10
So, Secretariat is the Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century, and the 1973 Belmont is the Greatest Race of the 20th Century. The Ford vs Ferrari races were sadly marred by the marketing duplicitiousness of Ford and the cheating by the Europeans which cost Ken Miles his deserved place. But then Ken Miles was not the dominant racer or athlete that Secretariat was, so it's not in contention anyway.
The non-motorsports Athletes have all been overshadowed by their modern counterparts, except perhaps Gretzky, who might remain forever The Great One.
The great Motorsports athletes like Bubba Stewart, Schumacher, Jackie Stewart, Louis Hamilton, Emerson Fitipaldi, Don Garlits, Ricky Charmichael, Richard Petty, were never as dominant as Secretariat by their talent and skill alone. I don't even think Artyon Senna is the greatest driver in his period of Formula 1, depending on how you measure the Era. I love Aryton Senna: This is a man who used the bouncing of the car on non-aerodynamic braking to set the car up for the next turn. The first time you spot him doing it, you're in disbelief that this is what he's doing. But he does again and again... in rain or shine. Senna deserves a post of his own, but even so... he's not Secretariat.
There are other Motorsports athletes like Ari Vitanen who had their opportunities cut short by the end of Group B, but even Ari is rivalled by many incredible talents inside and out of the Death Rallys.
Nope, Secretariat, who for fun opened a 93 yard, THIRTY-ONE LENGTH lead in 2640 yards at the 1973 Belmont Stakes is the clear-cut GOAT athlete, hands down.
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