Re: conformation and the NBA

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Well, since we're using the NBA analogy, guess I'll throw in another
thought.  My brother played in the NBA for the Jazz and although I admit
I'm highly biased, you never saw such a conformationally perfect guy for
basketball.  Seven foot two, 230 pounds of lean muscle, smart as a whip,
runs like a deer and never, EVER gets tired.  The reason why you hear
about other NBA players and why my brother isn't pulling down ten
million a year stilling playing for the Jazz (he played for one season)
is because when he was in high school, the basketball coach nearly
fainted when he saw my brother and ran him ragged all four years,
constantly practicing, practicing, practicing.  More running, more
weights, do this, do that.  Keep in mind this was in a sixteen year old
kid that was growing an inch every four months.  By the time Bob
graduated from high school, he was already having trouble with stress
fractures in the long bones of his legs, and a few years later---after
more college b-ball and more pounding and pushing---when it came time
for the Jazz to decide on who to offer a million-dollar contract
to---either my brother with tricky legs or Mark Eaton, who runs like a
buffalo and has the brains of a soapdish (and who's still a friend of
the family, so I'm allowed to insult him), they took the guy with the
lesser talent but sound legs.

Talent or not, conformation or not, seems to me that it's the brains of
who's driving that makes as much or more difference as anything else. 
In humans as well as endurance horses.  Maybe that's why horses that
LOOK like conformationally they have no business being out there are
still out there, and great horses like Cash and Rio ARE great because
they have it all--the genetics, build, heart AND someone really smart to
point them in the right directions at the right times.

Just my .02 of course.  Your mileage may vary.

Susan Garlinghouse (who will still defend to the death her opinion that
Bob Evans is God's Gift to Basketball)(and everything else, for that
matter)


Truman Prevatt wrote:
> 
> >I don't have the "hands-on" experience with "Cash" that I do with "Rio" but
> >must say that "Rio" is an extremely well balanced and well built horse, and
> >also has a pedigree with several family lines that have been noted for their
> >metabolic capabilities.  No surprises there...
> >
> 
> This is the classic discussion of the genetics vs. training.  Did Rio look
> like he does now when he was 4?  Probably not.  In human athletics it is
> work that does the trick.  There are many players in the NBA today that
> shouldn't be there because of their "ability".  They are there because they
> have made the best of what they have.  Michael Jordan is a fantistic
> basketball player - but it is not from raw athletic ability alone.  If it
> were he would have done better in baseball than a bad (actually very bad)
> class A minor league player.  Why has Barry Sanders (a very little guy for
> a football player ) never been hurt.  He is probably the hardest working
> player in football.  He is in shape and he is strong.  He works his butt
> off.
> 
> It was stated when Michael Johnson starting running that he would not be
> around long - his body build and running form were wrong.  That is, poor
> conformation.  Also the 200 meter and the 400 meter were different type
> events and required different type of conditionings, different muscle
> types, etc.  Well the rest is history made in Atlanta,
> 
> So yes there was talent there in Cash and in Rio, but I would be willing to
> say there was probably other horses out there with as much or more raw
> talent.  But raw talent is only the starting point.  The rest comes from
> good hard work.
> 
> Truman
> 
> Truman Prevatt
> Mystic "The Horse form Hell" Storm with a lille hellion on the ground
> The Rockman, a.k.a Misty Jr.
> Jordy - Finaly getting his shot
> 
> Sarasota, FL