Rabbits- Just like Running Backs.

**skikola** · 03-09-2008, 10:23 PM

Strangest thing I've seen on SportsCenter in a while;

SportsCenter’s featured piece Sunday, March 9, at 11 p.m. will show how the Florida Everglades’ ritual of rabbit chasing has helped produce some of the country’s best football players. Belle Glade and the surrounding area are known as “Muck City” because of the large quantity of mud in which sugarcane grows. Each March, when the fields are set ablaze to burn leaves off the stalks before the cane is harvested, football players wait for rabbits to emerge. Then they chase and catch them. Fred Taylor of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Santonio Holmes of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Anquan Boldin of the Arizona Cardinals are a few who have benefited from the annual ritual that helps athletes become faster football players. ESPN The Magazine’s Eric Adelson explores "The Legend of the Rabbits: Does it actually make players faster?"

Excerpts:

“We chase rabbits in order to get faster. Rabbits are a lot faster than humans, so in order to catch rabbits, you would have to chase them. It will help build your speed." -- Santonio Holmes, Steelers WR

”The rabbit is elusive, like a running back, they make quick cuts. They really help me because if I can make the quick cuts like the rabbit does, it will be easier for me to track down the running back." -- Tate Miller, Pahokee High School LB

“Well, I would say that a guy that lives on the beach can swim better than a guy that lives in the Everglades. Now, I’d say a guy that chases rabbits has a chance to be better than a guy that doesn’t chase rabbits.” -- Bobby Bowden, Florida State coach

**lax** · 03-09-2008, 10:37 PM

that was an awesome segment. interesting and hilarious. there definitely is something too it though. only bad part was that they prefaced the segment with "may contain soem graphic images," so i was expecting something gnar.

**Sphinx15** · 03-10-2008, 08:00 AM

I saw the preview for it but had to leave for work before it came on. Seemed interesting but does this ritual happen once a year? I'd think you'd need to be chasing rabbits every day for that type of "training" to be effective

**warthog** · 03-10-2008, 10:58 AM

When I first moved here, that was part of my territory. Coming from suburban CT, it was a hell of an eye opener. Talk about poor. It is the worst hell hole you have ever seen. Those images they showed were the nice sections. They left out the "dorms" where the migrant workers live. Makes the projects in Philly look like the Ritz Carlton.

**booner** · 03-10-2008, 12:16 PM

I saw that too. My question is...how did they kill them? The last shot showed them carrying out a bunch of dead ones.

**warthog** · 03-10-2008, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by booner

I saw that too. My question is...how did they kill them? The last shot showed them carrying out a bunch of dead ones.

I am pretty sure they spike them in the "endzone" and then practice their touchdown routine for when they are famous running backs. Just a theory, though.

I loved the scene where they show them boiling the rabbit. Up until that shot, there was still a hope that they released them after they caught them. I was wondering if they would even cover that subject, and then BLAM- boiling wabbit. Classic.

**iceman** · 03-10-2008, 04:31 PM

Well it's not like we're about to run out of rabbits, and if those guys get a real meal out of it I guess I don't see the problem. Hell, they didn't even go hunting, they just ran the suckers down. Eat up, guys.