Blind Item #7 - Reader Blind
At a recent film festival, during a Q and A after the showing of this action film that came out several decades ago and has had a number of sequels, a story was told that was one of the inspirations for the original novel. This story has bounced around for awhile but it was the first time it was confirmed publicly as true.
The decade before the film came out, there were a number of terrorist activities on this continent. This small tax haven had been spared so far but one day gunmen from this group with two names seized control of a luxury hotel which happened to be full at the time.
Staying at the hotel was this foreign born A+ athlete who at the time was the best in the world in his sport. He was also responsible for a boom in his sport that would carry over to the next decade as he had become a bit of a sex symbol .He was there to compete in an annual event.
This athlete was known for his unemotional calm demeanor when competing which he showed as he opened the cover of the vent in his room and crawled through the ventilation system down to the ground floor where he escaped and alerted the police. A team was able to disarm the terrorists without anyone being hurt. The athlete did not want any attention focused on this as he was very focused on event which he did end up winning that year.
A number of years later, the athlete, now retired, had financial troubles. He was helped with his debts by some of the other people who were staying in the hotel that day.
The decade before the film came out, there were a number of terrorist activities on this continent. This small tax haven had been spared so far but one day gunmen from this group with two names seized control of a luxury hotel which happened to be full at the time.
Staying at the hotel was this foreign born A+ athlete who at the time was the best in the world in his sport. He was also responsible for a boom in his sport that would carry over to the next decade as he had become a bit of a sex symbol .He was there to compete in an annual event.
This athlete was known for his unemotional calm demeanor when competing which he showed as he opened the cover of the vent in his room and crawled through the ventilation system down to the ground floor where he escaped and alerted the police. A team was able to disarm the terrorists without anyone being hurt. The athlete did not want any attention focused on this as he was very focused on event which he did end up winning that year.
A number of years later, the athlete, now retired, had financial troubles. He was helped with his debts by some of the other people who were staying in the hotel that day.
tiger woods
ReplyDeleteWas that freakin' Die Hard?
ReplyDeleteDie Hard was a novel and it seems somewhat similar in story.
ReplyDeleteMonaco? Maybe Ayrton Senna?
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia, the Die Hard novel was inspired by a dream the author had after watching the Towering Inferno
ReplyDeleteIs this PELLE, the Brazilian soccer player?
ReplyDeleteWas thinking Geneva,Switzerland... maybe a race car driver?
ReplyDeleteIvan Lendl? Was he involved in anything?
ReplyDeleteOr Bjorn Borg? He was a sex symbol in the 80s, wasn't he?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMichael Schumacher
ReplyDeletePelle or Maradona.
ReplyDeleteBjorn Borg sounds right. Not sure about the movie, though.
ReplyDeleteBruce Lee
ReplyDeleteIf the movie was “several decades ago” and the athlete was the inspiration, I guess it’s gotta be someone from earlier than the 50s?
ReplyDeleteMath is hard. LOL
DeleteThought of Shumacher but he would’ve been too young when this happened I think
ReplyDeleteMaybe Bjorg...in Switzerland,Monaco... ?
Bjorg won a WCT event in Monte Carlo in 1977. Did anything happen in Monte Carlo in 77?
ReplyDeleteWhat about Mark Spitz. The 1972 Olympics were in Munich.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but the Israeli team was killed.
ReplyDeleteI watched a Borg vs McEnroe sports doc that talked a bit about Borg's financial troubles. He even had to sell some of his prized trophies. I would bet this was him.
ReplyDeleteJoey Chestnut?
ReplyDeleteBjorn Borg popularizing tennis in Monte Carlo with the candlestick
ReplyDeleteBorg/French Open/Monte Carlo/Die Hard
ReplyDeleteSandybrook got them all.
DeleteThis one is easy. Bjorn Borg. He had troubles with his brand and was helped out of those troubles. Actually met him a few times back in the day. Cool dude.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young I had the biggest crush on Bjorn Borg. I'd love to meet him, but I am not sure I could speak.
DeleteI think this is clearly Borg.
Can't be Grand Prix because it's always been popular, just not in the US where they have Nascar.
ReplyDeleteGrand Prix would be WAY more interesting to have here than cars driving in endless circles.
DeleteWhy did I think of Chuck Norris and Jean Claude van Damme?
ReplyDelete@Low Key, I'd rather watch Dukes of Hazzard reruns than that boring circle sh!t, ain't no hill hoppin' at the track.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the athlete, but the movie sure does sound like Die Hard.
ReplyDelete"In the US where they have NASCAR?" Really? Many Americans do watch Formula One races, I've been to two of them myself, and many of us don't watch NASCAR.
ReplyDeleteAre you for real, lol? Formula One has never had a tenth of the fans/popularity as NASCAR.. I say that as someone who lives 2 min from a huge Formula One track & grew up 20 mi from Talladega, AL
DeleteI watch both... but saying that Formula 1 is more exciting than NASCAR is retarded. F1 is Ferrari vs Mercedes, the only two with a legitimate shot to win every race... and with almost zero passes on the track. Even the pit stops aren't an opportunity to make up ground. So the teams with the most money win. Almost every single race.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Bjorn Borg was a genuine badass! Did he fashion a bungee from his signature headband? Truly, this is amazing, genuine heroics, and I'm happy that people remembered when he needed it.
ReplyDeleteIs there a Swedish version of YipeeKi-yay?😃
Borg - know for his unemotional demeanor: https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=3381429
ReplyDeleteOkay for future reference, if anything bad goes down, cram a tennis player into an air vent.
ReplyDeleteI always thought ventilation systems big enough to crawl through were only found in movies.
ReplyDeleteDie Hard / Boris Becker / Monaco
ReplyDeletejoe montana?
ReplyDelete+1 Bradford
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Becker
I have to brag here. I not only got to meet Borg, I got to hit with him! I was a ball girl for the USTA back in the day so I met everyone. Conner, McEnroe, Nastase, Bjorn. Bjorn was very mild mannered and kind to all of the young people. McEnroe was a prick long before he was famous. He once blew up at me when I was tossing him the balls to serve. I was 14 I think/ Jerk. I also counted laps for NASCAR when I was young. THey probably don't even do that anymore. No drama there, just all the hot dogs and peanuts I could eat. We had to watch a particular car, each of us, and write down the number that clicked or literally flapped in front of us when they crossed a certain line. Pretty boring. Back in the days of Richard Petty et al. I am old. lol
ReplyDeleteMomo-- You've got so many great stories and experiences! Please keep the stories coming!
ReplyDeleteMy teen crush, 1973 Monte Carlo Open. Terrorist org.... Black September?
ReplyDeleteThis is Borg, but the story is BS
ReplyDeleteNo idea who the athlete was. Small tax haven: Liechtenstein or Andorra? Two-named Terrorist Group: Bader-Meinhoff? That's all I can think of.
ReplyDeletethe 50's were 70 years ago. several would be the 80's-90's.
ReplyDeleteDeath Wish
ReplyDeleteBjorn Borg
Monaco
Baader Meinhoff
Perhaps a WRC (World Rally Championship) driver? Event being the Monte Carlo Rally?
ReplyDeleteTricia13,
ReplyDeleteSwitzerland is not really known for racing due to a ban on racing other than Hill Climbs. Though they do seem to allow Formula E.