Oscar Pistorius

[Fiery]

Sure he's trying, but why insist on running with able bodied athletes and diluting their competition for them? Its not like he's going to win and it proves nothing beyond what everyone already knows anyway. I'll say it again, attention whore.

The guys got no legs and is trying to run ffs. Calling him an "attention whore" is just offensive. This is tall-poppy syndrome (excuse the pun) gone totally pear-shaped. Have some perspective man

 

[short shorts]

The guys got no legs and is trying to run ffs. Calling him an "attention whore" is just offensive. This is tall-poppy syndrome (excuse the pun) gone totally pear-shaped. Have some perspective man

Who's denying him the opportunity to run? I'd be proud of a guy with no legs running. That is what we have the paralympics for. Sure we could have the New Zealand womens cricket team and the Pakistani hearing impaired cricket team and the Indian visually challenged persons cricket team in the ICC Cricket World cup, but why? They have their own events, and the separation works fine. What next, will we have the Worlds geriatric 100 metre champion and all the women allowed in the mens main event too, just because they're trying?

 

[Fiery]

Who's denying him the opportunity to run? I'd be proud of a guy with no legs running. That is what we have the paralympics for. Sure we could have the New Zealand womens cricket team and the Pakistani hearing impaired cricket team and the Indian visually challenged persons cricket team in the ICC Cricket World cup, but why? They have their own events, and the separation works fine. What next, will we have the Worlds geriatric 100 metre champion and all the women allowed in the mens main event too, just because they're trying?

Yeah fair points, I can't understand the vitriol being directed at the guy though. I have no problem with him competing. That's all I'll say as I've been arguing all day about it and have had enough. I respect your opinion and will leave it at that

 

[BoyBrumby]

Doesn't seem to have too much support from other disabled athletes tbh. I can understand why.

They've probably met him; comes off as an arsehole it must be said.

I say let him run. The fact is that he hasn't even achieved (or got within half a second of) the Olympic 400m qualifying mark, so just getting to the Olympics would be a pretty tremendous effort for him. His chances of winning are roughly zero. Moreover, whilst I don't pretend to be an expert on physiology, I am an empiricist: if his blades are such a huge advantage why isn't every other premier paralympian who uses them knocking on the door of their Olympic teams? I personally think that Pistorius just happens to be a supremely gifted athlete, but sadly a dickhead with it.

 

[Fiery]

They've probably met him; comes off as an arsehole it must be said.

I say let him run. The fact is that he hasn't even achieved (or got within half a second of) the Olympic 400m qualifying mark, so just getting to the Olympics would be a pretty tremendous effort for him. His chances of winning are roughly zero. Moreover, whilst O don't pretend to be an expert on physiology, I am an empiricist: if his blades are such a huge advantage why isn't every other premier paralympian who uses them knocking on the door of their Olympic teams? I personally think that Pistorius just happens to be a supremely gifted athlete, but sadly a dickhead with it.

You call yourself "O", Brumby? Is that for The Oracle or something?

 

[BoyBrumby]

You call yourself "O", Brumby? Is that for The Oracle or something?

Orifice, tbh.

 

[Fiery]

Orifice, tbh.

Suits

 

[Piper]

What good would it do to have him race with normal people? To show that state of the art technology limbs are better than the regular artcifial limbs other handicapped people have to use? To promote sales of expensive artificial limbs of a particular brand? Show off for mine.

The fact of the matter is, no matter how advanced they get (also his blades haven't been modified for 14 years), they are no where near as good as the real thing. The disadvantages far out way the advantages.

Why? If anything this is a poor joke he's pulling on all the disabled people who participate in the paralympics.

I'll think you'll find that there are a lot more disabled people who want him to succeed than not.

 

[short shorts]

The fact of the matter is, no matter how advanced they get (also his blades haven't been modified for 14 years), they are no where near as good as the real thing. The disadvantages far out way the advantages.

Why does that even matter? Whether he competes well or ends up coming last trailing by ridiculous time margins is not even a factor. It's the slippery slope argument. If you're letting him run with able bodied athletes, you're leaving the door open for any disadvantaged group to run the main event next. Its converting a prime sports event into a freak circus show.

I'll think you'll find that there are a lot more disabled people who want him to succeed than not.

Succeed at what exactly?

 

[open365]

I would love it for you to have no legs for a day and then say that

I'm sick of this ****ing "I'm disabled" card, sure i enjoy having my legs and i'd be a bit pissed if someone took them away from me but for godsakes havign no legs does not make you some kind of saint who gets special treatment.

The guy can run quicker than a hell of a lot of people anyway, he's hardly doing badly for himself is he

 

[PhoenixFire]

I'm sick of this ****ing "I'm disabled" card, sure i enjoy having my legs and i'd be a bit pissed if someone took them away from me but for godsakes havign no legs does not make you some kind of saint who gets special treatment.

I have no idea how you can comment on that, considering you've never been in that situation. As Fiery said, I'm sure you wouldn't be too smart towards disabled people if you had your legs amputated.

 

[Piper]

Why does that even matter? Whether he competes well or ends up coming last trailing by ridiculous time margins is not even a factor. It's the slippery slope argument. If you're letting him run with able bodied athletes, you're leaving the door open for any disadvantaged group to run the main event next. Its converting a prime sports event into a freak circus show.

It's not really a matter of him not being able to beat the best in the world at this point, it's about being given the opportunity to at least try. If they are good enough to compete against able bodied athletes, why should they be stopped?

I'm sick of this ****ing "I'm disabled" card, sure i enjoy having my legs and i'd be a bit pissed if someone took them away from me but for godsakes havign no legs does not make you some kind of saint who gets special treatment.

That is why he doesn't consider himself to be disabled he ''just doesn't have any legs''.

 

[short shorts]

It's not really a matter of him not being able to beat the best in the world at this point, it's about being given the opportunity to at least try. If they are good enough to compete against able bodied athletes, why should they be stopped?

Because
(1) He probably isn't good enough (on that note, please define 'good enough' ?)
(2) For the last time, because of the slippery slope argument. Now you'll allow him, next time if an 80 year old wants to run with the worlds elite, on what basis (if at all) will you deny him? We'll have all sort of disadvantaged folks lining up to run with the best of the best. Its supposed to be a prime sporting event, not a novelty freak show anyone can participate in.

 

[Piper]

He came second in Rome a few weeks ago. Yes, it was the 'B' side but he still came second. His performances in the paralymics etc have shown that he can completely blow his competition away. What's to say he can't do that in the able-bodied world? If he was to run the Olympic qualifying time, would you be happy to allow him to run then?

 

[short shorts]

He came second in Rome a few weeks ago. Yes, it was the 'B' side but he still came second. His performances in the paralymics etc have shown that he can completely blow his competition away. What's to say he can't do that in the able-bodied world? If he was to run the Olympic qualifying time, would you be happy to allow him to run then?

No, not even if he ran the fastest time ever by a human, bionic or natural. I fail to see why you do not consider the slippery slope argument.

 

[Piper]

As far as I see, if they are good enough to compete against able-bodied athletes they should. The IAAF can make regulations to make it as fair as possible.

 

[open365]

I have no idea how you can comment on that, considering you've never been in that situation. As Fiery said, I'm sure you wouldn't be too smart towards disabled people if you had your legs amputated.

Oh yeh, because it's compeltely impossible to imagine yourself not having legs

 

[open365]

As far as I see, if they are good enough to compete against able-bodied athletes they should. The IAAF can make regulations to make it as fair as possible.

Does that mean you think if he were to run with able bodied athletes it would not be as fair as possible under the current regulations? What regulations could they invent to make it 'as fair as possible'?

 

[PhoenixFire]

Oh yeh, because it's compeltely impossible to imagine yourself not having legs

Tbh, this deserves the

 

[open365]

Why? In my origanal comment i said i'd be a bit pissed of if i didn't have legs, you said "How can you comment on that, you have legs".

What the **** is wrong with saying i'd be a bit pissed of if i didn't have legs? Don't you think the same?