Carl Lewis Ahead of His Time Maybe?

English: Carl Lewis in midair during a long jump for track and field as an athlete at the University of Houston (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Carl Lewis at the “green carpet” for the Save the World Awards 2009 (Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant, Lower Austria). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I wish I could remember all that I thought I remembered about Carl Lewis, the talented Sprinter who actually equaled Jessie Owens Record as the fastest Male Sprinter at that time and winning an equal amount of Medals as Mr. Owens, which was Four.  So many circuses and rumors were swirling around that to think of it reminds of pure confusion, swirling rumors and criticisms from people.  Nothing truly convinced me, because when confusion and rumors arrive, usually I shut down.  I am one of those individuals that love answers in black and white and to talk in black and white.  When folks start muddling around with he said and she said, I usually leave the building.   What I do remember was that he did have an attractive face, however did appear effeminate, he did have flair.  But did that mean that he really had to be banished?  Or was his attitude the true contributor to that?  I have no idea.  Kind of wish I knew now because to look at Mr. Lewis, he doesn’t really look like hat man today and it’s not because he had to change for me either.  It’s just that I wish I knew more about him.  People forget how young he was too.

Bottom line, maybe Mr. Lewis came along in the wrong decade to make such an impact  in Sports and then denied contract, after contract.  It is said  that Nike dropped him from their contract after the Games in 1984 because of poor public image and as one of Nike’s Representatives said “Nike probably wanted a more macho image of the person they contracted”, a loose quote of course but close.  Maybe Nike thought he’d run around squealing on his tip toes while twirling a Baton too, in their shoes or something.  I just don’t know.  Would it make any difference if the man was still in a closet, so to speak, but very Macho?  It would have.  So actually what was done to Mr. Lewis was Discriminatory if you look at it.

What I do know is that I like the look of a Macho man.  But what is also true is that I people should not be denied complete success because their sexuality.  Mr. Lewis constantly denied rumors of his homosexuality while using Mascara on his self-described nice eyes.  Wellll……  You pretty much got me on that one but still, without the levity, I wish his Athletic Merits would have prevailed. Reading his scores in the High Jumping and Sprinting areas, awe me.  He wanted to match Jessie Owens in Medals, he did so easily.  He regained some titles after he turned 30 in 1991.  He is a heavily Awarded man, who was accepted into the 1980 Summer Olympics but didn’t participate because of the Moscow Boycott but participated in the 1984 and garnered Medals there as well for the High Jumps.   We all have our own little universe twirling around and we have no idea what this man was challenged with.  He was young, talented and also pretty boisterous but I believe that a lot of things happened because of his flamboyant image more than anything.  He was still a man, a human one focused enough to win Medals and Awards.  He was and is someone special. Today, his orientation would not have mattered so much and I do hope, not at all.  His sexuality wasn’t winning, he was!

Carl Lewis during the Save the World Awards 2009 (Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant, Lower Austria). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mr. Lewis did not come from a Trash Heep either.  He was heavily trained by his father who ran an Athletic company coached other young men, one which went on to Wins as well.  His mother participated in a Sports Challenge in Helsinki in 1952 and his sister, also a once Athlete is in Broadcasting.  Maybe, just maybe this talented, handsome guy wanted acceptance the only way he knew how and maybe just maybe a Publicist could have helped a little along the way, so he would have received all the glory this widely Awarded man deserved.  Personally, I like his smile.  Peace to Mr. Lewis.