- HELLO, TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT JIM THORPE.
JIM THORPE WAS A NATIVE-AMERICAN.
HE ENTERED CARLISLE HIGH SCHOOL IN 1907.
HE WAS THE BEST AT FOOTBALL.
THE BEST.
HIS COACH, POP WARNER, WAS SAYING,
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BE AN OLYMPIAN,
AND SO HE STARTS REALIZING THAT, AND HE'S LIKE,
I THINK I AM GONNA WORK HARDER
THAN YOU'VE EVER SEEN ANYONE WORK,
AND I'M GONNA BE YOUR MOTHER[bleep].
SO HE STARTS TRAINING FOR THIS NEW EVENT,
THE DECATHLON.
UH...
- SO HOW DID HE PREPARE?
- HOW DID WHO PREPARE? - JIM THORPE.
- FOR THE OLYMPICS?
HE WOULD WAKE UP IN THE MORNING
AND RUN 20 MILES,
TAKE A NAP, EAT A MILD LUNCH,
AND THEN RUN EVERY [bleep] EVENT
IN THE DECATHLON.
THAT IS CRAZY.
[chuckles]
THAT IS--
[chuckles]
[chuckling] THAT IS CR-AZY.
1912, SWEDEN, YOU KNOW, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.
THIS IS THE OLYMPICS.
THIS IS--THIS IS THE BEST OF THE WORLD.
THIS AVERY BRUNDAGE GUY, IS-- WAS THE FAVORITE.
HE WAS A WHITE GUY, AND HE'S LIKE,
I'M GONNA BE THE MAN, THE DUDE.
AND JIM THORPE WALKED IN OUT OF NOWHERE.
PEOPLE WERE LIKE, WHAT THE [bleep]?
LIKE, HOW IS HE THERE?
HE'S THERE, AND AFTER THE FIRST DAY,
JIM THORPE HAS THE POINT LEAD,
AND AVERY IS LIKE, WHAT THE [bleep]?
WHO IS THIS GUY FROM? WHO IS HE?
ALL OF A SUDDEN, THIS INDIAN IS IN THE LEAD.
AVERY BRUNDAGE IS THE FAVORITE.
I MEAN, IT'S BEEN IN THE PAPERS.
IT'S BEEN IN--IN--IN EVERYTHING.
WELL, THE NEXT DAY, WE WAKE UP, AND JIM THORPE WALKED IN,
AND HIS SHOES WERE GONE.
AND HE'S LIKE, WHERE ARE MY SHOES?
SOMEBODY TOOK MY SHOES, MAN.
AND NOBODY ANSWERS. NOBODY ANSWERS.
NOBODY TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACTIONS,
BUT HIS SHOES ARE GONE, MAN.
EVERYONE POINTED THE FINGER AT AVERY BRUNDAGE,
BUT JIM SAYS, WELL, GUESS WHAT, YOU KNOW?
IF I CAN'T FIND MY ORIGINAL CLOTHES,
I'M GONNA BE RESOURCEFUL.
I'M GONNA NOT GIVE UP, 'CAUSE I'VE TRAINED SO HARD,
AND I'M GONNA COMPETE, AND GUESS WHAT.
I'M GONNA WHUP ASS.
SO HE FINDS TWO RANDOM SHOES FROM THE TRASH AND COMPETES.
DAY TWO IS 110 METERS HURDLES.
SO WE'RE JUMPING.
DISCUS THROW--FOOM.
POLE VAULT.
JAVELIN THROW--VOOM.
AND THEN 1,500 METERS.
DESPITE HAVING SHOES THAT HE FOUND IN THE GARBAGE,
JIM THORPE WON THE GOLD MEDAL FOR THE DECATHLON
AND PENTATHLON.
WHAT HE DID WAS UNBELIEVABLE.
IT--HE WAS LIKE,
I'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT I COULD DO.
I'VE DONE EVER-Y-THING.
I'M TALKIN' ABOUT EVER-Y-THING.
I'M TALKING ABOUT...
[clapping]
EVER-Y-THING.
I'VE DONE EVERYTHING.
THE KING OF SWEDEN, HE CAME UP TO HIM
AND HE SHOOK HIS HAND, AND HE SAID,
JIM, YOU ARE THE BEST ATHLETE IN THE WORLD.
AND JIM SAID...
THANKS.
THAT'S WHAT HIS RESPONSE WAS, JUST "THANKS."
HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY,
'CAUSE HE'D TRAINED SO HARD.
HE WAS A INTERNATIONAL HERO,
AND IN NEW YORK,
HE HAD A PARADE ON BROADWAY STREET.
YEARS LATER, HE PLAYED PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL,
PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL, PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL.
JIM THORPE, COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME,
PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME,
TRACK HALL OF FAME, OLYMPIC HALL OF FAME.
AND THEN IN 1999, CONGRESS GETS INVOLVED,
AND THEY SAY, GUESS WHAT.
GIDDY UP.
WHO'S THE GREATEST ATHLETE OF THE 20TH CENTURY?
PERIOD.
JIM THORPE COMPETED IN 17 EVENTS IN THE OLYMPICS.
THAT HAS NEVER BEEN MATCHED
AND WILL NEVER, EVER BE MATCHED AGAIN.