Meb speaking to Baldini

Marathon Man wrote:

Hey, good to see that all serial rapists aren't born in America!

Easy there. Born in America, in Italy for 8 or so years before HS. Has been accused of one rape. LetsGetTheFactsStraight.com

He can not be a real American and speak another language.

Like Lance and French. It was supposed to be sarcasm about Meb.

Free IT help wrote:

So does anyone here have first-hand knowledge of Meb's fluency in Italian, and can anyone explain the "part-time work at Home Depot" claim?

Dunno about the Italian, but here's an article that mentions his Home Depot sponsorship:

If you watched US coverage of the Olympics on NBC, Home Depot ran a bunch of ads saying they are the biggest sponsor, or was it employer, of olympians in the USA. They have a program where you can work part time. In the article it says they let Meb work 20 hours but HD gives him full time pay (40 hours) and benefits.

Eritrea was colonised during the early twentieth century and the Itians left in the 1940s. There is a strong italian influence in architecture and some engineering - the narrow gauge railway from massawa to asmara is awesome - and big 1930's capuccino machines everywhere.

Although there is still a very small italian community in Asmara and obviously some mixed race folk Italian is not widely spoken. Indeed for Meb's generation, English was taught to many of the freedom fighters by the EPLF.

Result is that younger people, certainly in the towns, speak some English. I would be surprised (but its not impossible) if Meb learnt Italian as kid in an eritrean village. He was more likely to have been forced to learn Amharic as a second language (the main language in Ethiopia) on top of his mother tongue which I'm guessing at being Tigrinya.

B]Ivory Wayans wrote:

Meb: "Lets go get that Lima Bean"

Baldini: "Mama Mia, mee no English"

Meb: "Avanti!!! Avanti!!! that Lima Bean, comprehendo?"[/quote]

Funniest thing Ive read in a long time

And if it was not the USA involevement in WWI and WWII they would all be speaking German including the Greeks if the Germans diddn't kill them all first. Now quit booing Americans at the Olympics and extend an olive branch you bastards.

Sorry jxz, I wasn't responding to you directly...I got your humor...I was responding to the others.

For those that have trouble reading the stories for themselves. This is from the story on SI.

Keflezighi and Baldini spoke in Italian as the two chased de Lima.

"I told Baldini, `Let's go get him,"' Keflezighi said.

Ninety percent of the posts on this thread are BS, some intentionally, some not. The simple pertinent fact is that Meb lived with members of his family in Milan before coming to the USA

Are the majority of you RETARDED? Educated people usually can speak more than one language. You should be PROUD that he is not the typcial pompous American and was able to speak to his competitor in his native language. That shows intelligence and empathy. Didn't anyone take a foreign language in grade school? Has anyone ever studied another language or travelled abroad? Talk about f***ing sheltered and narrow.

IT's pretty impossible to assume mr.baldini is not fluent in speaking english.

He was a runner up in London Marathon twice.

And heck that should be a real life proof his ability to say ,"Thank you London, I love the babes here, they're hotties!"

My thought:

Baldini :"Meb are you on HGH?"

Meb :"Usually yeah, but not this time in Athens"

Baldini :"Im on this thing now, it's now never. Show some kick to Tergat"

Meb :"But ill just follow you kay, just to keep you accompany, the rest of the mile, you're on your own, Im just not on HGH right now."

Baldini :"Okie dokie"

They passed Tergat.

At km 38, few american and italian fans were chanting :"Hey dudes, you can screw in that guy at front cos he was f***ed by some irish guy just now, was so horrible."

Baldini : "Meb it's our chance of a lifetime.... now... kick now"

Meb :"Ok at least 10% of your cash ok.. this pace is just too fast (14:39 - last 5km in a hot athens marathon, now thats fast)"

Baldini : "why you're fading?"

Meb :"Ill settle for silver, even if I grab the gold, those letsrun posters wont have a word about me, f*** USA"

Baldini : "ADIOS AMIGOS PAL!!!"

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