Bill Bowerman was, and is, and ever shall be a generous, ornery, profane, beatific, unyielding, antic, impenetrably complex Oregon original. As a freshman, I found him deeply disturbing. Once he bet me a case of Nutrament that I couldn't break 2.00 for the 880 on a freezing Saturday morning. I ran with control, hitting the 440 in 60. I could feel myself accelerating in the last lap. Near the finish I knew I'd done it. I slowed and turned, gasping to hear the time. "2.00,3" he said. "Good try." I leaped on him, screaming made insane with outrage. He allowed me to wrestle the watch away from him. It read 1.56,6.
-Kenny Moore
I absolutely love this. You can read more in "Bowerman and the men of Oregon" by Kenny Moore. A very good read.
1 comment:
You had me going there. I was just about to say "I didn't know you were on the University of Oregon track team!"
Donald Sutherland's interpretation of the Bill Bowerman character in Without Limits was very entertaining. Have you seen that movie?
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