 |
| Rosie Ruiz winning the Boston Marathon - almost |
The WABAC has taken countless people throughout trips in cartoon history, mainly in the Mr. Peabody toons which looked at Improbable History via this time travel device.
It is the spring of 1980,
A 26-year old woman, Rosie Ruiz, a Cuban immigrant, finished first in the women’s division in near-record time. This incredible feat left the throngs of marathon fans and participants awestruck. Having a relative unknown finish that well in such a major race spoke volumes.
She was quickly ushered to the presenter’s podium for placement of the traditional laurel wreath upon her head when it was noticed Ruiz was not even sweating. Although physically appearing weak, her hair was still well-coiffed, and her complexion was not strained red from the 26-mile run.
One can only imagine the diversity-identity
crowds cheering for the winning woman, the
News organizations were agog and her photo was splashed across major newspapers and magazines, alike. She was our new hero, uh, heroine. Yeah!
Unfortunately, some busy-bodies
stuck their nosy noses where they didn’t belong. Witnesses came forward to identify Ruiz as a
subway rider during the
She explained to her fellow passengers that she sprained her ankle during the early part of the race and had quit.
But quit she did not. Rather, she disembarked the subway a few blocks away from the finish line, only to join the runners approaching the end. Her timing was impeccable as she slipped into the dwindled pack of remaining athletes to luckily finish first.
Following an inquiry, Ruiz admitted to her abbreviated run, cut from 26-miles to roughly one. An in-depth inquisition revealed Ruiz was a participant in a similar scam during the New York City Marathon, too. Her legal troubles continued throughout her life with theft and narcotics arrests which only cemented her life of woe.
Rosie Ruiz came to mind when I picked up this morning’s newspaper. Its headline proudly announced that Joe Biden had won the general election against incumbent President Donald Trump.
This was baffling to me as all the states had yet to complete their tallying of the voting ballots. It seems there are allegations of cheating by counting incomplete ballots, late ballots, and non-postmarked ballots.
Gloating throngs have been
gathering in the streets of
Shenanigans abounded back in 1980 as in 2020. Although not as critical as the presidential contest, the Boston Marathon is an important component in tradition and history of American competitiveness.
The Presidential election is much more important to the mechanics of a free nation than a sporting event; it is the pavement on which a nation moves smoothly from day-to-day. And any disruption, either accidental or intentional, significantly disturbs that trip through history.
Let’s wait until the final count is in before Rosie Ruiz, uh, Joe Biden is called for taking the subway to the finish line.
