Why athletes talk trash before an event has always been one of sport’s great mysteries. All it ever seems to do is fire up an opponent and offer motivation. France’s Alain Bernard learned this lesson, embarrassing himself before a worldwide TV audience watching the men’s 4×100 freestyle swimming event.
Bernard had bragged about how the French were going to “smash” the U.S. in the event and when Bernard dove into the pool for the final leg of the race, it appeared he would be more prophet than fool. But in the final 20 meters Bernard tightened up and was touched out at the wall by American Jason Lesak for the gold. All Lesak did was swim the fastest 100 leg in Olympic history and NBC swim historians called it the greatest relay in Olympic swimming history. I watched with Jim Allen and we were both screaming.
The scene afterwards was one reason to watch sports. Lesak’s teammate Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones and a guy named Michael Phelps (right, who won his second gold) went ecstatic as Lesak came down the stretch. They jumped up and down like kids at Christmas, hugged each year, flexed a bit and then mocked the French. “That’s what we’re talking about!” Phelps yelled to the French. Weber-Gale, mimicking the heavily muscled Bernard, flexed his biceps. The French looked stunned and Bernard spent a long time in the water, head down. What is French for “getting schooled”?
By Jim Buzinski
10 responses so far ↓
1 Laugel // Aug 11, 2008 at 5:53 am
” getting schooled”= recevoir une leçon, congratulations to the US relay team…that was stupid of Alain Bernard, he should know better you have only won when the game is over. Hope will teach him a lesson. JL
2 Jonko // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:34 am
Lezak’s finish was truly awesome — exactly what makes watching the Olympics so worthwhile. But just about as awesome was the sight of Phelps when he saw the results posted. Yelling his head off, chest thrust forward, arms stretched out, every muscle flexed — it was a truly amazing and powerful image of the male body. Wow.
3 Gabe // Aug 11, 2008 at 11:03 am
Laugel said: ” getting schooled”= recevoir une leçon”…I was hoping it would rhyme with “smash”. :-DSeriously though, trash-talking has never accomplished anything. Even if the French had won, it wouldn’t have made the victory any more glorious because at that moment, the “I told you so” attitude doesn’t really apply. However, when the reverse is applied……….
4 aj // Aug 11, 2008 at 5:21 pm
“Getting schooled” just doesn’t translate into francais without losing something. I think a picture, say the one of Phelps above, is necessary for the right connotation.
Someone forced me to watch the Olympics, and I’m so glad they did.
5 John // Aug 12, 2008 at 6:44 am
The french as usual are being theirselves, rude and obnoxious. Maybe they should look at their gold medal count , which is 0. Take that frenchy.
6 Florent // Aug 15, 2008 at 2:09 pm
“The French as usual are being themselves, rude and obnoxious.” It is really interesting to see how some Americans, in a country which shows such enthusiasm for political correctness, allow themselves to such stupid prejudices… I wonder how the same Americans would react if one were to write the same things about any other people or community… If A. Bernard said this, then it indeed was very stupid. But the American team did exactly the same before the relay in 2004, and the Australian team won. Is this enough to say that Americans are rude and obnoxious… I really do not think so… So please enough with the stupid prejudices and low IQ arguments.
7 Jim Buzinski // Aug 15, 2008 at 3:26 pm
I like the French (who can’t like Alain Bernard?!) and have ripped U.S. jocks when they trash talk; it is just dumb and only serves to motivate the opponent.
8 Robert Preskop // Aug 16, 2008 at 12:16 pm
This should teach the French a good, hard lesson not to trash talk Olympic athletes from other countries before a match. It is typical obnoxious, “holier than thou behavior” from the French especially towards the Americans. The hypocrisy of some of these foriegn athletes annoys me because when they win gold medals, they cheer and celebrate out loud. But when American athletes win gold medals and they loudly celebrate their victory, many foriegn athletes especially the French criticize the Americans for being too loud, too juvenile, and highly offensive. I say that is too damn bad.
9 Tempo // Aug 17, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I don’t see anything wrong with the way the French talked before the competion. Everyone does it. We all did it before our supporting team compete against others, whether it’s the team from highschool, college, national, or yes, olympic. I think it’s shameful that we American turned it into a big deal while we have been as guilty.Weren’t we all seem to be so sure that Phelps was going to get his 8th gold medal? What does that tell the others? Didn’t it mean that “We are going to smash you guys?”
10 Gups // Aug 31, 2008 at 7:48 am
I’m neither American or French. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun watching the French trash talker lose to the very same people he dissed. That was great!
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