We merged two threads into 1. 1 was called "Masalela celebrates and almost loses at the like" (sic) and the other "Masalela DISQUALIFIED for pretending to shoot Habz on finish line". The first thread was started before the DQ. We have added in a full video link to what happened yesterday here: https://x.com/gabyandersengz/s....
When a gangbanger type makes hand gestures indicating gun violence, it should not be taken as “taunting”. It should be taken as a serious threat of harm from a person who has the natural proclivity to act on their threat.
What does this have to do with Masalela?
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Yes, because why should the team be penalized just because 1 guy is being an a$$. Also, the punishment has to fit the crime/offense; taunting and unsportsmanlike behavior is bad, but it's not as bad as say spearing or punching another player (which merits an ejection).
Look I don't exactly like Habz for certain reasons - then again I'm not sure someone from Botswana should be pointing fingers (literally or figuratively).
But you can't do this and WA needs to stop it immediately before it becomes a pandemic of stupidity like we see in other sports where athletes see it, think it's "badass" and then start adopting it. Just like the idiots in football that drop the ball at the goal line because they saw someone else do it and think that it's the ultimate display of showing up your opponent - like "you made this so easy for me I didn't even need to hold on the ball".
If you want to pull the Steve Ovett and wave to the crowd with 80 to go? Fine - it's not directed at anyone and people will decide for themselves if you are a dickhead or not. But pulling out the "gun" and figuratively "taking out" someone? No. Can't do it.
Nice performance for Masalela to get the win in 3.32.5 - too bad that performance is dissolved from the record books, as well as the $3000 bucks for the win. F-around and find out young fella.
well you are disgusting for not wanting Black people to make any money
Charmin soft. Let them taunt; if athletes want to look stupid and risk getting caught at the line, that's on them. They're professionals, who cares.
Don't like the taunt? Run faster and don't get kicked down the final 60.
The second any of these guys or girls show emotion in a race, people jump down their throats. I enjoy some emotion and good, or bad, natured hate towards an opponent.
So where is everybody’s line for celebrations now? Now everybody is claiming it was because it was the gun gesture, and saying Noah’s wasn’t similar okay. We have another video of Noah literally saying “pow pow” pointing two fingers at every competitor in the Adidas Atlanta meet if I’m not mistaken. There should be consequences but the DQ is always harsh.
He actually crossed the finish line first without impeding anyone; therefore, the win dnd mark should stand. A rule of losing ALL of your prize money for taunting would instantly stop all such behavior.
Just do the F-ing running and leave your BS theatrics at the door. Oh and that includes Hockers "put to sleep" crap. Win arms in the air....fall down on the track withering with joy and congratulate your competitiion..... and show up to the next meet and do it again. Leave all your stupid A-S BS for your social media posts
Just do the F-ing running and leave your BS theatrics at the door. Oh and that includes Hockers "put to sleep" crap. Win arms in the air....fall down on the track withering with joy and congratulate your competitiion..... and show up to the next meet and do it again. Leave all your stupid A-S BS for your social media posts
I say the opposite. Our sport is so underfunded and overlooked because it has almost no theatrics. Such a physical activity, yet has no teeth whatsoever.
Bring in the taunting, trolling and celebratory gestures.
There is one big difference, which is that Masalela simulates the recoil of shooting. That’s just enough to nudge it from pointing to simulated shooting in my mind. See ~6:03 in the video.
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You guys are all soft as sh*t. No wonder no one watches this sport anymore. Your sport will stagnate into irrelevance while you guffaw about "sportsmanship", and you will deserve it.
As silly as it sounds, I think there is a difference between a one-finger and two-finger motion. To me, Lyles' one-finger motion (along with his smile) seems to be saying "HA got you!" and feels like pointing rather than an execution.
Introducing a second finger is unequivocal though, it's unambiguously a gun motion.
100% agree here.
And there is also a fine line between removing all emotion and joy from an athlete at the end of a race and allowing it - it's not easy.
With Lyles I think this is definitely a "point", and more likely a point at the infield clock as if to say "look at the time", and we've seen this before from many athletes over the course of history.
So it's not a "gun" and it's not being directed at anyone specifically - at least that's my opinion. Masalela makes such an effort to put his "gun" up and direct it at Habz that he puts himself off balance and nearly loses the race. That's a problem.
Back to Lyles, even though I think these are still different, even after that incident I think someone should have had a quiet word about it to him. It's just too close to the line (directly taunting another athlete) and it just doesn't need to happen. Some people think this is "good for the sport" - I disagree and think that's a very immature way to look at it. You can have a great rivalry without crossing the line or even approaching it (Coe v Ovett, Kerr v J.I, even Johnson v Lewis).
I don't know where people get this idea that "theatrics" or showboating is going to suddenly make this sport popular. You think that's why people watch the NFL? To watch people celebrate excessively after a sack? No, they watch it because almost every football game is entertaining. The stakes are almost always high.
