good talk

I know something that you people don't know, the farewell "Good Bye" is an Old English Contraction for "God Be With You." Oops. The most valued quality in Sports or any other aspect of Life is the Ability to do your best under the most intense pressure. Al Oerter passed away on October 1, 2007 at the age of "71" and he along with Carl Lewis and some guy in Sailing were the only Olympians to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the same event in 4 Consecutive Olympics. Alfred Adolf Oerter, Jr. was born September 19, 1936 in Queens and went to Sewanhaka High School. Naturally big at 6'4" and 280 pounds in 1954 he won a Track Scholarship to the University of Kansas where he competed in the Discus. At only "19" Oerter made the U.S. Olympic Team and competed at the Melbourne Olympics (I've been inside the Stadium) in 1956. There for the first time he won the Olympic Gold Medal in the Discus setting an Olympic Record. Al Oerter was to compete in 4 consecutive Olympics, Melbourne in 1956, Rome in 1960, Tokyo in 1964 and Mexico City in 1968 and each time won the Gold Medal in the Discus and each time setting an Olympic Record. In doing this he overcame a number of injuries even to the extent of passing up his last throw in Tokyo due to torn cartilege in his ribs, he said that he would visualize himself making the winning throw. Retiring at "32" after the Mexico City Olympics Al Oerter made his living as an abstract painter of all things. In his Old Age Al Oerter passed up a heart transplant that would have prolonged his existence saying, "I've had an interesting Life."