Shane Hamman

[Dave_Allen]

With respect, it seems to me that guni had the right idea - weightlifting needs a feeder system, and with the ubiquity of football in America, it might be the best feeder system available. Then again, the recent CF/USAW event in CoSpgs might work pretty well, too.

[51M0n]

Is NFL recruiting all the amazing female athletes too??

No, but the US college sports scholarship system does. The lack of weightlifting scholarships at the university level would almost inevitably have the effect of driving young, strong, athletic girls towards sports which do offer scholarships (basketball, track & field ect.)

With respect, it seems to me that guni had the right idea - weightlifting needs a feeder system, and with the ubiquity of football in America, it might be the best feeder system available. Then again, the recent CF/USAW event in CoSpgs might work pretty well, too.

It's only a partial solution, the cream of the genetic crop is still going to get drafted to the NFL (but there's probably still some considerable talent in the leftovers).

A proper university driven scholarship feeder program would no doubt have a positive effect on the talent of American female weightlifters.

[beast]

I don't actually think all the talent goes into the nfl, yes running backs with 50 inch verts would make good weightlifters, however some people like pat mendes for example may have good strength ability, speed, size, mental toughness ect but may be a crap footballer no skill, can't throw, run well or have aspirations to play football.

However whether what I said is right/wrong I don't know just guessing! However i think the main difference in US weightlifters between other countries is they are lazier, they have multiple off seasons where they do light swimming, go out, workout in fancy training halls. I remember Shane hammond saying they just let him work up in the squat- as if they weren't pushing him to the max. People like Shane know there are not many others like him in the country so he doesn't have to work his hardest due to people coming in, prove himself so he can get fed and accommodation, plus he already was fairly respected squatting a raw squat record ect, so mentally/sibconsiously there is less at stake if he doesn't do well, also at the back of everyone's mind is the fact they could retire when they want and set a gym and make some bucks, in Bulgaria things like that don't happen- most end up being alcoholics and can't take not having the competition, they are obsessives.

However there is another reason countries like the usa and commonwealth nations don't do as well is because we are more moral and have stricter testing ect, which probably has been mentioned before. Russia, Greece, Turkey, Eastern European countries are still as corrupt as shit and don't give a crap other than winning, in the US and England it is considered better to be a good sport than to win and cheat, boiling down to the traditional ideals of gentlemen ect within out cultures. Unrelated I still love the statistic that when the Georgia (Europe) police force went on strike the crime rate went down!

But on a more positive note you americans should all be grateful that overall in the olympics both winter and summer you both do quite well, swimming, skiing, rowing ect.

[WaWa Bird]

Maybe it's not the average coach, just the ones that coach the national team. As an addendum to my earlier comments, here are the US placings at the worlds, just finished up:

48Kg Women (1st TUR 93Snatch 121 C&J)

17 REXROAD Kelly 30.03.1978 USA 47.89 B 71 84 155


53Kg Women (1st CHN 100/122)

USA did not have an entry

58Kg Women (1st CHN 102/135)

15 SANDOVAL Amanda 01.05.1982 USA 57.85 B 86 109 195


63Kg Women (1st KAZ 105/143)

12 BURGENER Natalie 07.11.1983 USA 62.82 B 96 114 210


69Kg Women (1st RUS 116/140)

19 RUE Layfield Danica 14.07.1982 USA 68.49 B 90 115 205

75Kg Women (1st KAZ 134/161)

27 CRASS Rachel 06.07.1985 USA 74.95 C 83 106 189

+75Kg Women (1st RUS 145/170)

10 ROBLES Sarah 01.08.1988 USA 122.24 B 111 140 251 Our highest placing in the meet, by the heaviest lifter in the weight class.

56Kg Men (1st CHN 132/160)

USA no entry

62Kg Men (1st PRK 147/173)

20 LEE Alex 18.11.1988 USA 61.83 C 115 145 260

69Kg Men (1st CHN 160/198)

USA no entry

77Kg Men (1st ARM 173/200)

20 VAUGHN Chad Thomas 11.05.1980 USA 77.00 C 144 175 319

85Kg Men (1st POL 173/210)

25 BRUCE Matthew 11.07.1983 USA 84.80 C 150 180 330
--- FARRIS Kendrick 02.07.1986 USA 83.89 B --- --- ---

**Note:Kendrick Farris failed his 3 attempts at 150Kg Snatch

94Kg Men (1st RUS 185/218)

USA no entry

105Kg Men (POL 188/227)

25 BURGENER Casey 15.08.1982 USA 103.30 C 162 189 351

31 SHANKLE Donald 18.03.1982 USA 104.81 C 155 189 344

+105Kg Men (IRI 208/245)

13 JUDGE Patrick 03.06.1986 USA 155.05 B 173 223 396


25 ITO Collin 05.04.1987 USA 130.81 C 146 200 346

Yep. We're just too fucking strong. No doubt about it.

You must realize that the Chinese 53kg female snatched 220lbs and C&J 268. She weighs 116 lbs. Awesome technique, eh?

Rip

Do you know what the foreign athletes squat, bench, dead lift, and press compared to the American athletes?

.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'm not as familiar with powerlifting.

[51M0n]

I don't actually think all the talent goes into the nfl, yes running backs with 50 inch verts would make good weightlifters, however some people like pat mendes for example may have good strength ability, speed, size, mental toughness ect but may be a crap footballer no skill, can't throw, run well or have aspirations to play football.

Pat got offered a football scholarships, turned it down. Most wouldn't.

However i think the main difference in US weightlifters between other countries is they are lazier

As far as I know US weightlifters are no less keen to win than any other athletes. I think it's far more likely that a relative lack of genetic talent, possibly combined with an inefficient coaching methodology is responsible, rather than it being the case the US athletes aren't willing to work as hard.

[Mark Rippetoe]

They are not lazier. Not at all. I have never meant to imply this. Their coaches are the problem.

[beast]

You're right it was wrong of me to presume, how can I know if I haven't been there. To be honest I don't really know what I'm talking about (I'm not being sarcastic). So sorry guys for messing up the debate.