Race Page #6

so I guess I'll just settle

for coaching the guy who does.

Shorty won't get four.

You seen the way he go over them hurdles?

I'm not going.

Like a bullfrog

with his ass on fire.

What did you say, kid?

I said I don't know if I can go.

To Berlin?

What the hell are

you talking about?

I mean, well, think about it.

I go down to Berlin,

it's like telling them Nazis it's okay,

like I don't care nothing about

what's going on over there.

Hey, I get it.

You're nervous, kid.

No, Coach.

Look, I've thought this through.

Now, come on.

You're going, okay?

Trust me. Believe me.

You're going. That's it.

All right?

You've worked too hard.

And if you don't go over there,

you're gonna feel awful.

All right? If you were

to pull out now, you...

Yeah, I know. I'll regret it

for the rest of my life, right?

Exactly. Yes, sir.

And my wife,

she'll walk out on me,

'cause she realizes

what a loser I really am.

And I'll probably end up

drinking myself stupid

until my coach,

he gets so sick of the sight of me

that he gives me a goddamn job!

Larry!

You get a chance to

be a part of history,

and you're gonna

walk away from it?

Throw it away?

Look, I got people looking

at me for an example.

What do you mean, people?

What people? Black people?

Come on. I don't give

a sh*t about any of that!

Yeah, well, you're white!

You don't have to!

Come on.

It's okay.

What happened to you?

Look, you're right to be angry.

I've,

never been good at listening.

They're asking too much of you.

A man competes to prove

something to himself.

That he's the best

he knows how to be.

Nothing else matters.

It just...

Jesse, I don't know

anything about the kind

of pressure that's being

put on you right now.

But I do know what it's

like to be an athlete.

And I know that if you don't go,

it's gonna feel like the biggest

mistake you ever made in your life.

Maybe.

But you gotta let

me make it on my own.

All right.

You don't have to decide anything just yet,

but at least do the trials.

Qualify.

Give yourself the option.

It has been quite a day

for you here

in New York, Mr. Owens.

You have qualified

in three events,

the 100 and 200 meter

sprints and the broad jump.

I'd like to ask the coaches,

who are the guys you've gotta beat?

Well, Carl Long,

the broad jumper.

We're keeping

a real close eye on him.

And, you know, I mean,

the guy's got every damn record in Europe.

Mr. Glickman, Mr. Stoller,

as Jewish Americans,

did you ever feel pressure not to

take part in these games in Germany?

For the record,

the only pressure

they're under is

winning their races.

We don't discriminate

on the US Olympic team.

I think we've heard

enough about politics today.

We're here to talk about medals.

They need to

answer the question.

Mr. Owens, so,

does this mean you're going?

How can you justify taking part in Germany

when there's so much

discrimination here at home?

You know, that's a very good point.

When we get our

own house in order...

Whatever you need from me,

wherever you need me to be,

whatever you need me to do.

I just wanna help.

Well, that's,

very nice of you to

offer there, Larry,

but, you're not

an official American coach.

Yeah, but you don't

know Jesse like I do.

Now, Mr. Owens is not the

only runner coming with us,

and this isn't our first games.

Jesse Owens can beat any

sprinter over any distance,

and you know it.

You can't afford to

have him off his form.

So you're saying

he needs the best coach.

Is that what

you're saying, Larry?

Thanks all the same.

You should know he may not

get on that boat tomorrow,

and there's nothing

anybody can do about it.

I couldn't believe when I

heard you got injured, Eulace.

How's the leg holding up?

It's good!

It's loose.

Yup, tore the

hamstring right up.

But I'm training again,

so a couple months...

It's shot.

It's over.

For me.

I read the papers.

All them people yelling

and screaming at you.

It can really get in the way

of a man's concentration,

but all that means is there's a

lot of people counting on you.

To do what?

To get on over there to Berlin

and stick it up Hitler's ass!

Courtesy

of Eulace Peacock.

Ruth.

Ruth.

What'll she think

of me if I don't go?

You're her daddy.

She gonna love you no matter what.

And what'll you think?

Don't put this on me, Jesse.

I promised you a better

life than what we have now.

I mean, how else am

I supposed to get it?

I like our life just fine.

You're the only damn person in the

world whose opinion matters to me,

and you ain't got one.

I ain't gonna tell

you what to do, Jesse.

That's why you love me.

Jesse?

Say I go.

What if I lose?

You're the fastest

man on the Earth.

But you won't be there.

My family won't be there.

My coach won't even be there.

Larry's not going?

No.

He tried, but

they won't let him.

I'm gonna be

there all by myself,

the whole world watching.

And if I lose...

If I lose,

it'll mean those

Nazis were right.

Quit thinking so much, Jesse.

It's not what you're good at.

You was put here to run.

Don't listen to any of them.

Listen to you.

You listen to your heart,

all right?

Okay?

Ruth, I have everything,

all right?

I'm sure.

Now, I'm always

saying goodbye to you.

Yeah, well, that just makes it

that much sweeter saying hello.

Now, here you go, sweet talker.

So you remember

where to keep looking.

Give Daddy a hug!

I love you both.

I love you.

You get your sea legs yet?

Coach? What the hell

are you doing here?

I mean,

someone's gotta keep an eye on you.

Can't have you laying around

all week getting fat.

No turning back now.

I'm gonna go find my room.

Coach. You're headed

the wrong way.

Everybody's in first class.

Yeah, not on my own dime.

No, I,

be staying down in steerage

with you and Dave.

See you in the morning.

You're kidding me!

How do you do?

Let's go, Jesse!

Ladies and gentlemen,

on behalf of Reich

chancellor Adolf Hitler

and the German Olympic Committee,

welcome to Berlin.

Here, take a flower!

Thank you!

Come on, Marty.

Shalom!

Sir, where are

the colored dorms?

There are no colored dorms.

We're with y'all?

Now, don't worry.

We'll keep the noise down!

Well, well, well.

Food's good too.

Maybe these Nazis just

got a bad reputation.

We'll see.

That's Luz Long?

The man can jump.

Yeah.

He's got a hell of a home-field advantage,

too.

What do you think this is?

Mardi Gras?

Get back to work!

You got something

you wanna say to me, boy?

Now, hold on a second.

"You're not fit to

train fleas on a dog."

You actually said

that to Dean Cromwell?

Hey, you hear

the mouth on this boy?

Now, Dean, hold on a second.

Don't know what

you're teachin' him,

but it sure as

hell isn't respect.

All right, all right.

Now, what's this about?

What is it you want?

I want a goddamn apology.

That's what I want.

Jesse.

Jesse, what do you want?

I wanna be able to

train the way I'm used to.

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