my old mate's gran
thought that a lot of the best sprinters, usually black guys, were such good runners because they had to run away from lions and tigers, when they came from Africa.
(Bear Pookie The Frankly Challenged. Halloween is coming to town., Wed 28 Nov 2007, 15:02, 14 replies)

I've
been lied to all these years!
Balls!!!!


(Mr M@ Probably not that difficult!, Wed 28 Nov 2007, 15:23, closed)

I remember...
...a quote from bash.org; 'Have you noticed that all the best competitive runners are black, and all the best competitive shooters are white?'

Me? Saying nothing.
(thatblokeoverthere not quite as much an arsehole as I thought, Wed 28 Nov 2007, 15:32, closed)

swimming
My brothr once said to me that you never see many black guys in the swimming events. Something to do with muscle / bone density.

I thought he was speaking from betwixt his buttocks, but a bit a research shows there are two opinions on this. It's either physiological differences (body density means they don't float as easily), or social differences (swimming is expensive to get into and black people tend to be less affluent) but I think that's bollocks, there are plenty of black people in well-to-do communities.

Any thoughts anyone?
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Wed 28 Nov 2007, 15:48, closed)

Black swimmers
I've noticed this too. The pool I go to is at the university, which has the ethnic mix you would expect. However, I have only ever seen one black person in the pool. There are plenty of other races, orientals, Indians etc, but just this one black guy. And he is a crap swimmer.

Maybe black people are just genetically less disposed to swimming. I don't know. Swimming's not really expensive in the UK, especially in terms of equipment. All you need is some sort of garment to cover the bits you don't want to have on display and perhaps a pair of goggles, and you're away. And primary schools all teach swimming I think (or they did in the 1970s when I was there) so there's no reason I can see for it.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 28 Nov 2007, 16:07, closed)

I never
knew/heard the thing about relative densities. Is it true, or an urban myth?
(Bear Pookie The Frankly Challenged. Halloween is coming to town., Wed 28 Nov 2007, 16:17, closed)

Physiological differences
are quite real. I don't know about the bone density thing, but I do know that the pelvis of a black man is shaped differently than the pelvis of a white man, so the hip joint works more efficiently for a black guy- hence black runners being faster and black basketball players being able to jump better.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 28 Nov 2007, 16:21, closed)

Aren't we missing the point?
Lions and tigers aren't usually found in pools.
(frankspencer, Wed 28 Nov 2007, 16:29, closed)

Its not bone density
My mate found out the answer, when hes was a kid, from the horses mouth. He went into work with his dad and was speaking to malcom the black guy at his dads work.

My mate: why can black people run so fast?
maclcom: casue of all the lions in africa
mate: ah, well why can't they swim?
malcome: cause of the sharks.

Case closed.
(Hello?, Wed 28 Nov 2007, 16:30, closed)

|I've just asked a black mate
the reason black men don't swim and I quote "it fucks with your hair"
(DefyingDarwin Old, untalented and white,, Wed 28 Nov 2007, 16:34, closed)

this is actually partially true
now I'm prepared to be corrected as I can't remember exactly where I read this. but there's a particular region in africa (some part of kenya I think) where a huge percentage of the worlds top long distance runners come from.
Nobody is 100% sure why but the top theory is that this group of tribes, historically speaking, aren't hunters or farmers or fishermen, they're cattle rustlers.
So they make a living by running into neighbouring territory and stealing cows and runnings back (presumably chasing the cows, not carrying them) and the ones that are better at running are successful rustlers and thus have more cows to impress the ladies with as they pretty much use cows as currency, and the most impressive ones have the most wives and thus the most kids and because their dad was a good runner the kids are better runners and so forth and so on for hundreds of years

Also, I believe this region is at a pretty high altitude which is also a factor
( VampireMonkeyOnSpeed a super sexy sexual sex terrorist sex, Wed 28 Nov 2007, 16:46, closed)

Up to about ten years ago
you never saw a black guy on a bike.
(Couriers are an exception. To most rules. And laws.)
( Farmer Geddon - is on his way., Wed 28 Nov 2007, 16:47, closed)

A tiger?
In Africa?
(keeferreefer, Wed 28 Nov 2007, 16:50, closed)

K2k6:
ostensibly, yes, swimming is taught in primary school. In truth, you're put into a tank of cold water while some tubby bitch screams at you for not being of Olympic standard on your first try.
( Bob Todd whee, Wed 28 Nov 2007, 18:01, closed)

EAst vs Wset
I heard taht sprinters come from West Africa and Long Distance runners from the East.

Is there a difference in animals stamina across Africa thus causing this division of running skills.
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Thu 29 Nov 2007, 9:18, closed)