About 10 years ago I was in Kona for the Ironman World Championships and I was on Palani cheering on athletes going up the hill. Since I speak both English and German I offered support in what I considered the most appropriate language for the athlete approaching. At one point Stephan Vuckovic (silver medal in 2000) came up the hill and since he grew up near where I was born I could actually yell in the regional Swabian dialect. So I screamed "Stephan, komm hau rein, und jetzt aber volle Sahne", which roughly means "Get on it and give it the stick." A few seconds later an older guy (who turned out to be Stephan's dad) who was riding his bike on the course right behind him stopped and really started yelling at me. He basically lambasted me for my "inappropriate amateur coaching." Something along the lines of "You are crazy, what do you know about how much he has left in the tank, and who the fcuk are you anyhow?" He yelled some more and then went back on the course to follow his son. :-)
All the folks near me were stunned and puzzled.
All the folks near me were stunned and puzzled.