Usain Bolt-The next Bullet Bob Hayes?

[Mike the Brit]

Straight-line track speed doesn't account for all that much UNLESS he can catch while running AND can deal with contact. Hayes and Willie Gault were track guys who made it work; Bolt isn't even an American who grew up around football.

He does have a great name, though. I'll bet the Chargers would love to have him.

Yeah, I love Usain too.

 

[gomezcat]

I agree that Bolt won't go to the NFL. Tunescribe is right to say that he has probably never played Football. I doubt he has played Rugby either so he probably has no history of taking hits.

Then there's the route running, catching etc etc.

It would be interesting to see his 40 time. It's worth noting, though, that he got a "slow" start so his 40 time might not be all that great (hat duly tipped to the fact that a sprinter's slow is our seriously rapid).

 

[gomezcat]

Yeah, I love Usain too.

I wonder if he would have been a fast bowler in the Windies' better days...

Edit: from Wikipedia: "The first sport to interest him was cricket and he said if he wasn't a sprinter he would be a fast bowler instead".

 

[Mike the Brit]

Well, he's certainly got those fast-twitch muscles -- and the run-up would be a sight to behold! :scared:

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

[BTW--interesting fact: 40 times tend to be less than 4/10 of 100-meter times, so Bolt should have a 40 time of under 3.9 seconds.]

He was pretty even with the field for the first 25-30 meters. It was 30-80 meters where it found another gear, so on a 40 yard dash he might not get there.

Then there's the question of what happen when somebody smacks him getting off the line.

For every guy that successfully goes from track to FB there are 10 that try and fail.

 

[AdamJT13]

I agree that Bolt won't go to the NFL. Tunescribe is right to say that he has probably never played Football. I doubt he has played Rugby either so he probably has no history of taking hits.

Then there's the route running, catching etc etc.

It would be interesting to see his 40 time. It's worth noting, though, that he got a "slow" start so his 40 time might not be all that great (hat duly tipped to the fact that a sprinter's slow is our seriously rapid).

When Bolt set the world record at 9.72 seconds, he ran the first 40 yards in 4.22 seconds. Considering that he wasn't the fastest starter when he ran that 9.69, he probably wasn't any faster through 40 yards this time.

Maurice Greene's 4.18 remains the fastest first 40 yards in any sanctioned 100-meter race.

(And before people start comparing football 40s to Greene's 4.18, remember that no football 40s use fully automatic timing. Even the Combine uses a hand start, which typically lowers times by 0.10 to 0.20 -- the reaction time for the timer.)

 

[primetime]

Patchick is correct...we in the United States have just no idea how big track and field is over in europe and elsewhere...these track stars make a boat load of money after they turn pro...

Track and field isn't very big in Europe or anywhere else. He'll make the vast majority of his money off of endorsements - showing up in Nike or Adidas ads or something.

 

[patchick]

Track and field isn't very big in Europe or anywhere else. He'll make the vast majority of his money off of endorsements - showing up in Nike or Adidas ads or something.

Tiger Woods makes the vast majority of his money off of endorsements. Does that mean golf isn't very big anywhere?

Why would advertisers pay Bolt for endorsements if track and field weren't big business?

(FWIW, I believe track stars also make a lot of their money from the in-between revenue stream of "appearance fees," where the meet sponsors pay the big-name athletes just to show up, thus raising the quality/profile of the event.)

 

[IcyPatriot]

I was like 9 years old playing football with kids who were 12-13.

I was always "Bob Hayes" ... I was the fastest kid so nobody could take my being Hayes away from me.

Bob hayes was my first football idol ... that was when the "bomb" was a thing of beauty.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

more likely to succeed in the transition would be Walter Dix, the bronze medalist, who played football in college and has a much thicker perhaps more durable build (5'10" 196 lbs).

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/trackandfield/article702348.ece

 

[primetime]

Tiger Woods makes the vast majority of his money off of endorsements. Does that mean golf isn't very big anywhere?

Why would advertisers pay Bolt for endorsements if track and field weren't big business?

(FWIW, I believe track stars also make a lot of their money from the in-between revenue stream of "appearance fees," where the meet sponsors pay the big-name athletes just to show up, thus raising the quality/profile of the event.)

Track and field athletes are paid in America, too, regardless of whether it's a big thing or not. Your argument is assuming that golf and track are essentially the same. They're not. I don't know how much time you've spent in Europe, but I can assure you that it's about as big as it is in the United States. For what it's worth, there is a sizable track and field subculture here as well, it's just drowned out by more interesting professional leagues, just as it is in Europe.

Track and field is a big business because running is a big business. Lots of high school aged kids the world over run track and buy shoes. Stars do make a good deal of money off appearance fees, but they also make alot off of their contracts; Nike, for example, pays people to train at its facility in Eugene.

Regardless, Usain Bolt isn't going to be joining the NFL anytime soon.

 

[Holy Diver]

Bronze medal winner Walter Dix is a rich man:

Although terms have not been disclosed, the multimillion-dollar, 4½-year sponsorship contract Walter Dix signed with Nike following the Eugene Olympic Trials is reported to be among the most remunerative in the history of the sport.

Dix's agent, Kimberly Holland of Icon Management, reportedly said the contract was for "much more" money than a deal that Dix rejected a year ago--a six-year, $6-million contract. Hopefully, the lesson will not be lost on young athletes: It can pay off big time to stay in school and graduate, rather than quitting school at the first opportunity to turn pro.


So I'd say that Bolt can lock up a few million dollars without having a safety smack him in the mouth. I'd say thats a no-brainer. Run straight fast, cash your check, enjoy your life.

Unreal to watch this guy though....he wasn't even trying...

 

[patsfan13]

Because if you have an ego as big as his you want EVERYONE watching you....not just the hundred or so track fans in the stands. And I dont think Rodney would have much chance to hit him unless he was being held by someone else...

Track ib BIG around the world. He will make a ton being the fastest man in the world for the next 4-6 years...