Darrel Brown (PB 9.99) & former 100m WJR Holder Aug 2003 to June 2014 @10.01

[gawd on pitch]

For the past 5 years he has been coming of injuries and still running under 10.10 each time. Come on. You really think that we should give up on DB after that? If MVP give up then I am pretty sure somewhere else is available for him.

I guarantee if any of those world class runners were to have as much injuries and adversity, they would not be coming back and running within the 10.0 range. Many of them would have packed it in after the first 3 seasons with injuries.

Last I heard he was in good shape just regaining form. If any one else has heard otherwise please post.

Trust me, all it takes is one injury free season for DB and he will be back!

[Conquering Lion]

While I always believe there is hope, we must also accept the following realities

1. Darrel has not had just one, but has had several injury plagued seasons. These have no doubt taken their toll  (i.e, toll on the body, lack of race fitness, down time due to rehab, and the the mental aspect). The mental part is also one to consider because that is often the difference between 1st and 2nd.

2. Yes he has run under 10.10, but now he has to run sub 10 consistently to even place 4th.... far less medal

3. The freak of nature that is Usain Bolt has now pushed the envelope even farther. Can Darrel "close the gap" as they say?

I wish him all the success..............but I recognize that it's now a very steep hill to climb.
 

[STMB]

Any sprinter (whether 100, 200, 400; whether current or 1970/1980/1990) knows that to minimize injuries you have to train, run or compete over-distance (this is no NEW approach). Doing so strengthens and makes resilient those muscles you need when you have to switch into high gear - plain and simple.

Remember when you were sore, your coach will tell you go for a 2 mile run? Remember running countless 600s and 500s as a quartermiler during training and indoors? There is a reason for that.

If Darrel's team suspects his injuries emanate from an early career lack of fitness, yet he has been with them for 4-5 years, then maybe he HAS to move on from there, because they couldn't be serious and be holding him in as high regard as Asafa et al. Yes he is still only 26 and may still have time to regain, but he better get up and get, and hopefully surround himself with smarter advisors.

As talented as he IS, I have heard that he "fraid" to run quarters like you asking him to bungee jump. The youth man has to wake up one day SOON and realize, no pain/no gain/glory. If he continues with the same formula how on earth does he or his coach expect better results?

Look, I know the hills and roads in Arima he used to run as a youth during offseason, and how his then coach and peers used to challenge him. I would not question his love for his craft, but I am not sure he has the same passion that he had back then.

He still has time, but he has to confront himself with some hard, honest questions, man up and do the right thing for himself, not anyone else around him.

Come on Darrel man!!!

[gawd on pitch]

Yeah I agree with both posts. But as I said the reality is that this you is coming off injuries and running world class times. That is in indicator that he's still got something, so lets not write him off as yet. And I know that he will still be around for the next 4 years at least, regardless. All the best for DB! Prove these haters wrong!

[STMB]

Dude, if we were "hating" would we waste our breathe posting something even remotely "constructive"?

Any trini knows when people hating on them - somewhere in the post would have been the word "sh*thound".

I don't know about you, but many times a cut arse from my mother or father would set me straight, open my eyes to something I did not realize beforehand, and get me to thinking more clearly.

Providing only positive reinforcement when there is clearly a problem only compounds the problem.

Peace

[jusbless]

It amazes me at the level of criticism eched out by Ato towards Darrel, some justified and some not justified but as a patriotic trini. What makes a true champion is overcoming adversity and negativity even though it may come by those who pave the way before us. While criticize is good, it must be constructive and a person of your stature and your vast experience what are your comments design to do, are they constructive or destructive. From my reading of your comments it seems to me that you do more harm than good to Trinidad athletics, probably all that time away has dwindled your level of patriotism. But again I know you are going to find that I am disrespectful  and that I have a vendetta against you. Then I remember everyone has their own moral standings. I must say what a "role model" , A fine example to the youths of our country to live up to , But again if it is impossible for you to see the perceived conflict of interest on you being on RT's management team and advising on the make up of the relay team. But to each his own. I guess in this dwindling society as we know it , role models aint what it used to be .

[AirMan]

EVERY year is the same shit will darrel brown and Triniman..every year dey say we hating on him..every year the same few on here saying Ato hating on him..right now Darrel brown struggling to run 10.20 seconds but yet we must treat him like some superstar hoping he runs a 9.99 tommorow like if he is the same fella from 5 years ago..until he proves me wrong I will continue to say he is not the same athlete from 2003....injuries has help derailed his career..its sad but it is true ..his career is heading towards the end and a few of allyuh need to just face the facts

[gawd on pitch]

EVERY year is the same shit will darrel brown and Triniman..every year dey say we hating on him..every year the same few on here saying Ato hating on him..right now Darrel brown struggling to run 10.20 seconds but yet we must treat him like some superstar hoping he runs a 9.99 tommorow like if he is the same fella from 5 years ago..until he proves me wrong I will continue to say he is not the same athlete from 2003....injuries has help derailed his career..its sad but it is true ..his career is heading towards the end and a few of allyuh need to just face the facts

Right now RT running 10.20s and we still backing him. So if DB runs 10.20 this year i dont see why we cant continue to support him. Maybe not treat him likea superstar but lets not knock him and say he is a write off.

I think what most of us want is for DB to have one injury free season. Regardless if he runs 10.20 or under 10. Just one injury free season we looking for.

[STMB]

I agree - let's see what DB can do injury-free. Hopefully he will excel; if he does not, HE has to check himself, not any of us here arguing.

Regarding RT, he has to run more 200s and 4x400m relay legs as well - no favoritism here. When he was running more 200s (including rounds) on the collegiate circuit at LSU his early season 100 times were much more impressive, providing him with a platform of confidence for later in the season. He is a pro now which means less racing in the early outdoor season, but that has dropped off a bit much in my opinion.

I would be tempted to say well these guys are pros and are saving themselves for the Euro circuit, or that it's 2010 and they are saving themselves for 2011/2012, but then I look at Tyson Gay who year after year continues to push his limits and frankly surprise he hell out of me. Just when I think he can't do better he surpasses Asafa, then he starts to run quarters even if it means throwing up after races. But the man is courageous and is on a quest to catch Usain even when most everybody thinks it is impossible.

I am a trini, but like most of us who enjoy great cricket regardless of the origin of the batsmen or bowler, I really admire Tyson Gay even if I would like to see a trini beat him everytime.

So if the man is prepared to puke his guts out in order to become the best then RT, DB, EC, RS, AA, KB, MB, etc better take note or resign themselves to shooting for relay medals like Australia, Japan, etc.

[gawd on pitch]

Well said STMB

[fLaSh]

This debate is tiresome and always leaves folks attacking each other personally so I'll just stick to the facts as they stand currently.

I was VERY RELIABLY informed that Darrel Brown did not run at Penn with the T&T 4x100m team due to injury. In fact T&T's participation in that race was in jeopardy up to four days before the race as the NAAA tried to scramble for a replacement.

As such the FACT is that Darrel Brown has now had an injury setback for the 7TH consecutive season...the year 2010. Infer from that whatever you want but based on that streak it is hardly surprising that a sprint legend turned international broadcaster with some of the best sources around has heard that Darrel's current club has thrown in the towel.

[Trini1]

Seriously i just feel like giving up on darrell but something wants to pull me back in every time and i dont what it is. But I think as well as injury his downfall has been dedication. Until he is willing to fully commit then we wont see him for the near future or the future at all.

[Storeboy]

So that means he is 25 now and two more years have gone by without success.  The clock is ticking!!!

[A.B.]

I always mark the date every year when I am labeled a Darrel hater and my personal favorite, which I hear quite often now - non-patriotic. Jusbless says it's my "time away" why my patriotism has eroded.  Please show me where this bad talking of anyone happens. Quote it.

I get to do more and have done more now than I ever could as an athlete.  Wait for it, Jehue is next up to bat.  He ran a near-PR yesterday already.

We had this SAME discussion last year. HOW DID THAT GO? You remember? Remind me nuh.....HOW did all your talk end up when the 2009 season was over?

Yuh come back this year??? Same nonsense? The problem with you is you can't get over the Richard thing for some reason, so somehow it becomes a Rich vs. DB thing.  It really is not. My agenda is medals. Period point blank.

First, this dotishness you like to talk about role model is particularly funny. If you find I am less of a role model because, in your opinion, my truth or my opinion is against whoever you wave a flag for, so be it. Someone made you "moral corporal" I guess. get over yourself.

I know how reviled I must be by you who can't swallow not even a half teaspoon of truth. So be it.Are you a tea bagger? Only them idiots in the TEA PARTY here think if you patriotic you must'nt dare speak the truth. 

I not tellin' you who to back or not back.  Don't tell me if I doh back who you like suddenly the sky is falling.  Was it you who got Darrel paid when they wanted to shut him out of the money after Beijing? Didn't think so.  Trust me, quit while you ahead this year.

I am saying what the industry word is and what I have to go on from the last 7 frickin' years.  If, in your mind that knocks me out of "whatever you think I am", trust me, I will live.

You have no idea what my role is with Richard. None.

You only know what you think you heard, or read, and probably online, so we know how much credibility THAT has.

While you want to talk a pile of stupidness bout RELAY and my involvement in it, please tell me which team we ever had in our history to be as consistent as the one we have right now, YES that same one you have the gaul to talk bout my involvement in.

No, I not "involved", I have made the moves to make them now #3 COUNTRY OF all time, and winners of 4 WORLD AND OLYMPIC medals in the past decade, including the move to put Rich on anchor, which you all still haven't gotten over.  I guess that is working out so poorly from your expert vantage.

Next topic from jusbless: "Why the Lakers should NEVER have drafted Kobe Bryant."


Leave track alone, go back to 'all fours' - you hurting yourself trying to make sense in this arena.

[Bakes]

LOL!

Seriously, jussbless talk ah pack ah assness dey.  Plain talk is no bad manners and juss because Ato Trini dat ent mean he shouldn't criticize.  Me personally if I offer a negro a hand up and said negro decides to slap at, rather than accept that hand... should that limit my criticism of him because we navel string bury in the same zip code?  Not saying that is what went down with the parties concerned, but sometimes we need to remember  that there's more going on than meets the eye and unless we're armed with all the facts it might behoove us to not jump in the fray and drink tea fuh other people cold.

That said... hopefully there's still time for DB to fulfill his once vast potential.  I ent giving up on him yet... but that window of opportunity closing fast.

[jusbless]

I am all for you speaking the truth , I am worried about the effect of the way you bring across the truth,  the effect on the athlete. It is one thing for athletes reading comments made by people who are not in the sport or armchair critics, but reading it as how you put across it , How does that have a positive effect on the athlete. But I guess who am I to question, I should just stick to basketball as you have nicely put it across.Who knows the way you put across it is better that he retires. Who knows his breakthrough could be right around the corner, My opinion is once the athlete has belief in themselves that we should lend the support. When everyone was calling for you to retire and that you were washed up, Who was the one arguing taht your breakthrough was right arounf the corner and that we should have faith in you because you had faith in yourself. I never heard you complaining them, Check the records partner I was on the caribbean track and firld forum defending you when everyone wanted to throw you under the bus. It is so ironic how life turns out , that you are now in turn doing the same thing to another athlete . So get your facts straight. Even check your records at Atoboldon .com . So dont make it feel that I have a hate against you and a vendetta.

[A.B.]

You must be insane to even suggest I somehow needed everyone backing me, hence your "worry" for Darrel since he has so many doubters now.

This is sports, not hand-holding.

I would have been done in a year if everyone backed me. Like other sprinters now, I loved nothing better than doubters. Most athletes are like that. Michael Jordan invented "slights" from other athletes to motivate him....

Let we bring this to a close nuh. Quick.

4 step process.

1. You are still not showing us where I have torn down athlete X or Y, starting with Darrel, and again, your IGNORANCE concerning what I have done in support of him turns your entire post into the usual tripe. CUT and PASTE, prove yuh point.

2. Who tell you any of them reading in here anyhow (to feel this great despair from me not waving the flag for them)? I know of ONE sprinter who does. Not a single other.

3. Only someone totally oblivious to the mindset of a pro athlete would feel like any pro athlete worth their salt, anywhere, would be so discouraged by anything anyone said, and certainly on an online forum.

4. Thanks for your supposed "defending", but "they" were right, it WAS time to retire, and I did. In other words, YOU WERE WRONG, THEN, TOO!

Game over.

P.S. Glad to see you leave the Thompson/Relay-Stupid-Talk alone now.
It helps your credibility.

[jusbless]

1. If they were right you would of never won the 200M Gold medal.  . Wow they were writing you off since after Atlanta, as you said check your facts.
2. There is a difference with comments coming from us (oblivious to the sport) and from you someone who is heavily involve with the sport and also advises the NAAA.
3.The relay consistency has nothing to do with you or the order persay , when else in our country history that we had a core of 100m runners of this talent , so thereby it is misleading to bring that in your argument. In your era the core of runners was what ?. What was their PR.
4. You want me and copy and paste all the comments you madce , but that will take some time. But I will make it my pet project to prove my side of the argument. 
5. How come Hasely Crawford our only Olympic Gold medalist when asked about young athletes always make sure his comments are politically correct. It seems that he goes out of his way to make sure he does not maligned any athlete. I guess he just does not like speaking the truth as you are.
6. I guess not everyone cut out to be like Shaka, I probably expecting too much. So I apologise. All Hail the Greatest athlete Trinidad ever created "King Ato".
PS. I still disagree with your relay line up. I still believe you had it wrong , wrong, wrong, wrong.

[prodigy23]

This is sports, not hand-holding.

Great Post

[A.B.]

LOL. The order wrong, still? Yuh know what funny about that? Is who put DB on anchor in the first place? (didn't we go thru this last year?)) When he was 16? So the relay order change really is about you being vex a certain person not anchoring anymore, ent? Yuh can't win that one pardna. Stop, trust me.
 
Well fix the order, nuh. You have the experience. Look how much you know in here.

I suppose you trying to get a rise with the Hasely "the only Olympic gold...." that fail too, because only in your mind does that bother anyone.

If is only 100 PRs that = relay success, tell me all who was on the 01 team that won silver with them great PRs.

You making it worse by talking louder and longer with less substance.

Let we be honest nuh.

You hate the relay order (my fault)
You hate Richard's resume and his position on that relay now (my fault)
You have to find fault with anything I say that is not "Brown is going to kill everyone", which to be quite honest is yuh business so yuh reaching for poor Shaka (my fault again since is my fault he on ESPN too, so swallow dat), Hasely, who again yuh bringing?

I am not no adviser. I am asked for my opinion on rare occasions, they are free to take it or leave it. I have no official role in no NAAA.


Hasely is an officer of the NAAA and has been for some time. He HAS to say things a certain way.  That is the difference. I don't HAVE to conform to what you think I should say and say it how you think because that is yuh horse.  I say it like I see it.

All this ad hominem yuh bringing smells like.... desperation.

Pitiful.

Ok yuh boring me with the stupidness now.  Can't play anymore with you.

See you at the end of yet another great season. See how much corbeaux you eating then (yuh finish eat from '09 yet?)

Go back and look at yuh rubbish talk from 09 around this time and just cut and paste for yuh next post. Same outcome this year by the time it's all said and done.

You could blame me for whatever story it is/will be this year, too. It's ALL my fault since I am d KING as yuh said (Now I know how Manning does feel)

Oh and please don't apologize, you did get one thing right when you wrote...

(oblivious to the sport) 

[gawd on pitch]

Ok, I think that this is going to far. I just want to know what the latest is with DB. Last I heard he was doing well, and now he his injured again. Well, at least what are the details of his inury time? Is it season ending? Or is it something that will still give him a chance to compete this year?

I must admit that I am a DB fan, but for some reason I cant write him off any time soon. If any other athlete  was to go through what he has, I would have wrote them off after the 4th season.

Call me stupid, but as I ont think we heard the last of Mr DB.

[jusbless]

But wait nah - Since when you jump ship, You reach on the side supporting Manning , Then there is still hope for you . I must say your last post really shows your true colors, where every one can see what time did the 01 team ran , yest they won silver but in the olympics since and world games since where would that time place them?? .I will not lie , you make my day with those posts.

[A.B.]

Sad that you are not capable of recognizing sarcasm when you see it.

That's not surprising, given what else you don't know.
 

[jusbless]

My apparent hate for RT . Please copy and paste the proof of that hate. Get your facts straight I have always followed his career and marvel at his accomplishments. So because I find that he should not anchor our relay team I all of a sudden hate the runner. Look at any one of Richards running tape , he always seems to be ahead or to the top of the field at the sixty meter mark but his speed seems to fade in the latter part of the race. That is the only reason I questioned him being on the last leg because the latter part of his race seems to be the weakest, while burns or brown seems to be better finishers. Same way I said that KB would be a better first leg runner than DB as he is a very quick starter.
Secondly how can you say poor Shaka. He has risen to be one of the most respected ESPN commentators to date and is loved by the Trinidad public and the World . That is not poor in my book, that is rich. My favorite Trinidadian Sporting Personality.

[A.B.]

Some jusbless "gems" that you all may have missed....

   

"What is the latest information on Darrel Brown, is he still out for the entire 2009 or has he recovered faster than expected. I know the critics have written him off but I still believe that he is the only runner that is capable of catching bolt" (2008)

"Why do people belive that a 4x100m requires 4 100 meters specialist , I always thought about putting renny quow on the 3rd leg he may be the fastest curve runner we have" (2008)

"I still think that the orderr should be burns then richard then bledman then brown. because i watch richard back straight runs for lsu , what was his split compare that to marc. Next how many big name runners has darrel brown caught over the years and name one person that has run pass darrel on the anchor leg." (2008)

"I think that we should concentrate more on the women 4x400 rather than the women 4x100 . I actually feel we have a better chance with the 400m women." (2009, before the women made the 4x100 WC final for the first time ever)

"For instance when I look at the development of Gavyn Nero I wonder the vision of the NAAA , what is the sense in having him compete in Carifta when there is no one there to give him competion , why not try to get him to compete in the African youth Games will that not benefit him better" (2009)

"Anytime Darrel can stay healthy he can surprise the world, just remember at junior level we talked about two phenom , Brown and bolt , Bolt was healthy, darrel was not once his injuries worries are behind him I think he can destroy bolt also." (2009)

"I hope the whole board tender in their resignations after the worlds when Darrel beats all of them , I think that would be the honourable thing to do but who am I kidding we dont have honourable people in the NAAA. No wonder athletes choode USA over us." (2009)

"The problem in Trinidad and Tobago Sports is that we have too many people who are running the organisations that do not love the sport, I would say they love what they can get from the sport. Oh how i wish it could have orgnisers who are die hard lovers of the sport and do all that it takes to make it prosper . I may only be 27 but I think I have more vision and Ideas than NAAA TTFF combined." (2008)

[jusbless]

  
I confused , am i supposed to be ashamed of those views , I am not and at each point ,readers can go back and read the article and read the reasonings behind my comments. Judge for yourself and come up with your own conclusions. By the way I am still waiting for the RT haters thread and the whole RT conspiracy theory.
"The problem in Trinidad and Tobago Sports is that we have too many people who are running the organisations that do not love the sport, I would say they love what they can get from the sport. Oh how i wish it could have orgnisers who are die hard lovers of the sport and do all that it takes to make it prosper . I may only be 27 but I think I have more vision and Ideas than NAAA TTFF combined." (2008), This is the funny part  about this look at Ato's response to the same post he now chastising. M

[willi]

Destroy Bolt??? What yuh drinking??? That is serious 'dotishness'.

Some people seem not to understand who Bolt is. Not surprising, as back in 2006, BOLT himself didnt seem to realize when I backed him up in Lausanne and cussed him out for feeling satisfied coming 3rd in that 200m that X-man won.

[A.B.]

It's good to laugh at yourself.  You should, with your opinions.

When your "knowledge" of the sport is going online to read results and fantasies of putting poor-short-sprinting 400m runners on 3rd leg, and you think that junior sprint success somehow should equal senior success, even when that is the exception rather than the rule. Ignorance is bliss.

'Til you figure that out, you are solely my entertainment.

[Deeks]

 
I confused , am i supposed to be ashamed of those views , I am not and at each point ,readers can go back and read the article and read the reasonings behind my comments. Judge for yourself and come up with your own conclusions. By the way I am still waiting for the RT haters thread and the whole RT conspiracy theory.
"The problem in Trinidad and Tobago Sports is that we have too many people who are running the organisations that do not love the sport, I would say they love what they can get from the sport. Oh how i wish it could have orgnisers who are die hard lovers of the sport and do all that it takes to make it prosper . I may only be 27 but I think I have more vision and Ideas than NAAA TTFF combined." (2008), This is the funny part  about this look at Ato's response to the same post he now chastising. M

jusbless,
            i have no doubt that you may have more vision and ideas than those in charge. But do you have plenty money?

[gawd on pitch]

http://www.iaaf.org/mm/document/competitions/competition/05/67/02/20100511112519%5fhttppostedfile%5fentrylistm@11may2030%5f20215.pdf

He is scheduled for Doha on the 14th.

PROVISIONAL @ 11 MAY ENTRYLIST BY EVENT - MEN IAAF Diamond League
14-May-10 DOHA DIAMOND LEAGUE - DOHA - QAT
Surname Name Country
100 METRES
COLLIO Simone ITA
DONATI Roberto ITA
CARTER Nesta JAM
CLARKE Lerone JAM
FRATER Michael JAM
POWELL Asafa JAM
HABEEB Yahya Hassan I. KSA
SAIDY NDURE Jaysuma NOR
FRANCIS Samuel Adelebari QAT
BROWN Darrell TRI
EDWARDS Monzavous Rae USA
KIMMONS Trell USA
PADGETT Travis USA
Num