This is a serious quest. All my life - well, at least since I've been 12 - I've wanted to do a back handspring. And I've been paralyzed with fear. It's time to face that fear. (More after the video.)
Be sure to check out my interview with that other Olympic hopeful, Michael Phelps.
Mo Rocca has appeared on a bunch of shows, including 'The Daily Show,' 'I Love the 80s,'...
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My Olympic Gymnastics Quest: The Back Handspring
Posted Aug 16th 2008 12:00AM by Mo Rocca
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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1.
Yeah Mo,
I know how you feel. At my age I can still do a back-flip - but only into the water or on a trampoline.
It's a mental block. Our old minds can't remember doing such crazy things. You may have been better off learning as a child....then you're not smart enough to be afraid !
GOOD LUCK !
mac at 9:06PM on Aug 14th 2008
2.
My dearest Mo,
I can do a back tuck with only five people assisting me (two if it is underwater)
Well, you are on your way to crossing off one of your NY resolutions!
BTW Roccats-I finished Anna Karenina-anybody else?
Andrea at 11:28PM on Aug 14th 2008
3. Dear Mo,
As a former gymnaster, I can assure you that there are very few entertaining moves you are not capable of.
Your morphological balance between upper body and lower body scope and weight is amazing (no disparagemnet intended to any of your concealed appendages.)
And even if that bitch, Kathy Griffin, says you couldn't hurdle people magazine if someone removed all the advertisements is purt hogwash.
Now, if you could teach me how to juggle (my life-long ambition) I would be most appreciative.
* * *
On a separate note:
You really should rename this Blog "Mo Rocca, 180 Days Ahead of the Curve."
Not only have your topics and videos been prescient and another word like it, but also all the Roccats have been two steps ahead of the first step.
Case in Point: I have been talking about Frank O'Hara for almost a year now, but it takes Jon Hamm (ugh, I hear the jokes now) the star of "Mad Men" on an episode reading O'Hara's "Meditations in an Emergency" to raise public awareness and consiousness of one of Frank's (and not even his best--in my expert opinion)books from a rating from 15,565 to 159.
And on even a more separate note: Mo, you would be a perfect fit on "Mad Men" if only you could learn to smoke cigarettes without vomiting.
I hope the Law & Order thing works out.
JG:)
John Giza at 11:55PM on Aug 14th 2008
4. I'm so excited!!!!!!!
(A, I am sadly only 1/3 thru....)
ah,Clem at 10:45AM on Aug 15th 2008
5. Excellent!!! Beautiful form...kickin' Goonies shirt...attractive legs...I give it a 9.4!
gabrielle at 11:11AM on Aug 15th 2008
6. Mo, if they ever give out medals for graduating from Harvard despite falling on one’s head as a preteen, I think you’ll take home the gold!
SGS at 12:34PM on Aug 15th 2008
7. Clemmie,
Don't feel bad...only 1/3 of my comments made it through last night.
You know, it is hard to stay on topic after watching Mo do a successful backflip.
Andrea,
Congratulations as well!
JG:)
John Giza at 3:16PM on Aug 15th 2008
8. When I was a kid, I perfected the round-off then plateaued. Mo, I could feel your anxiety for you. There's still a bit of a tingle in my neck as I write this, imagining the "worst that could happen" during a faulty back handspring. And so I applaud you.
RE: AK, I'm a bit too simple-minded these days, so instead I'm tackling the Twilight series. I'm back in love with vampires!!!
mo-NEEK-a at 10:33PM on Aug 15th 2008
9. The best back handspring in the biz is still Thing from the Addams Family. He had the build for it - spatulate palm of the hand of a 6'4" man but with the short strong fingers of a 5'10" man's hand. His real name was Sam Handwich. My friend jackson's friend rosie knew him rather well...
Clif Kuplen at 11:01PM on Aug 15th 2008
10. Clif:
I've got to hand it to
Sam Handwich.
He certainly learned how to think
outside the box.
JG^^
John Giza at 10:10AM on Aug 16th 2008
11. When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet...
Y.H.G. at 1:13AM on Aug 17th 2008
12. Nice job, Mo! you could give those underaged Chinese girls a run for their money. (oh, i mean...) Watch out for the Russian judge, though; such a tough scorer...
~Shannon
Shannon at 3:18PM on Aug 17th 2008
13. He certainly learned how to think
outside the box.
JG^^
John Giza at 10:10AM on Aug 16th 2008
xxxx
sam sez, let's do lunch!
Clif Kuplen at 6:45PM on Aug 18th 2008
14. Olympics nude scandals video here:
http://pcelebvideo.com/video.php?v=Olympics_nude_scandals
Brad at 8:10PM on Aug 18th 2008
15. Mo Rocca smokes pole
dave at 8:15PM on Aug 18th 2008