The priest who disrupted the Olympic marathon

August 30, 2004 7:00 AM

Father Cornelius (Neil) Horan doesn't just spread his end-of-the-world message by running onto the track during Formula One races and accosting hapless Brazilian marathoners (more here, here and here) -- he writes books, too, excerpts of which you can download for your edification and salvation. From what he says, better hurry. (Via Colby Cosh)
posted by mcwetboy (19 comments total)

How the hell did this nutcase get into Greece during the Olympics?

And if he could, who else could (and did)?
posted by tommasz at 7:58 AM on August 30, 2004

Oh man not him again. I remember seeing the British GP and gah he messed that up for Michael Schumacher. Lucikly Rubens won.
posted by riffola at 8:11 AM on August 30, 2004

The GoogleAd, 'Running for Morons' seems quite appropriate here.
posted by sciurus at 8:19 AM on August 30, 2004

The guy's a douchebag
posted by magullo at 8:19 AM on August 30, 2004

My father's comment upon hearing he also interrupted the British GP: "The end was almost closer than he thought."
posted by yerfatma at 8:31 AM on August 30, 2004

He needs to be committed and removed from society. Bye, bye Father Horan.
posted by caddis at 8:55 AM on August 30, 2004

But what... just what... if he's right, my friends? You'll all be singing a different tune, won't you? Nutcase? Douchebag? Perhaps. But then again, consider Emily Davidson who performed similar antics in the early 20th Century, and who is now honored as a martyr and prophetess of feminism. Difference?
posted by Faze at 9:37 AM on August 30, 2004

consider Emily Davidson who performed similar antics in the early 20th Century, and who is now honored as a martyr

So if we kill him everybody wins?
posted by zelphi at 9:39 AM on August 30, 2004

It's so much easier to just keep an eye on him and stop glorifying his positions.

Now that we know he dresses like a Morris Dancer on crack, he's easy to spot, and all we do is deny him entry and hogtie him if he pulls a fast one.

What great advertising for apocalypse fetishists this dude is. Sure, Padre, I'll buy your vacuum cleaner. Now get out of my sports.
posted by chicobangs at 11:12 AM on August 30, 2004

What a travesty...the jackass isn't even going to jail.
posted by rushmc at 12:11 PM on August 30, 2004

Should the gold medal winner have passed his medal onto the luckless Brazillian?
posted by Keith Talent at 12:44 PM on August 30, 2004

Should the gold medal winner have passed his medal onto the luckless Brazilian?

If he were a man of honor, he certainly would have tried to. The Brazilian, as a man of honor himself, would have refused it, but the moment would have been very satisfying to all, and helped to undo the "Morris dancer's" damage.
posted by Faze at 1:22 PM on August 30, 2004

As far as Brazil the country is concerned, things are even, since Rubens Barichello, a Brazilian won the British GP thanks to this priest, and now this Brazilian runner lost a race thanks to the same guy.
posted by riffola at 2:03 PM on August 30, 2004

Tell that to the runner.
posted by chicobangs at 2:28 PM on August 30, 2004

I have a question for him:

"Father, will I go to Hell for secretly wishing one of those GP cars would have just clipped you?"

Faze, if he is right, then it will be egg on my 20,000 year old maggot infested red face.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 2:39 PM on August 30, 2004

Wow...this is the rainbow-wigged, John 3:16 guy taken to a whole new level. That level can only be reached by going to the first Ghost House using one of your feathers. Go backwards instead of forward and fly up to the sky. Continue on the platform in the sky until the end of the level where there will be a new exit. Go through the exit to unlock an extra level which you can stock up on unlimited mushrooms, fireballs, feathers, lives, Yoshi and the Second Coming.
posted by RakDaddy at 2:55 PM on August 30, 2004

You can't say however, that the brazilian would have won the race if that nutcase hadn't grabbed him. He finished 2 minutes off the lead.
posted by bob sarabia at 3:16 PM on August 30, 2004

Isn't this what no-fly/travel lists are for? Known hooligans are prevented from traveling to World Cup countries, so why not for the Olympics?

I think the Brazilian would have had trouble hanging on to the lead, but it is unfortunate that he was tackled by this nut. I can only hope the spectators that subdued him did it in an aggressive manner.
posted by Frank Grimes at 3:42 PM on August 30, 2004

bob sarabia, presumably it's quite a shock, and knocks you completely out of your competition headspace. I'm surprised he came in third.

Another question: So why does Horan not have to do time, but this guy gets five months?
posted by Vidiot at 10:18 AM on August 31, 2004