The Million Dollar Race
Page 10
But now it feels like everything’s changed. If we go through with the race—if we keep our mouths shut because we want the money—we’re no better than everyone else Babblemoney has paid off along the way. We’re accomplices.
And yet… what can we do? What power do we—a bunch of kids—really have?
“Maybe we should just tell everyone now,” I say. “We blast it out to our citizens with some pictures and—”
“Yeah,” Jay says, “but if we tell everyone now, the whole race might get called off, right?”
“So?” I say.
“So think about it. What happens? It causes a little stir for like a day… it trends for like twenty minutes… and then everyone forgets.…”
“But Babblemoney doesn’t,” I say, finishing his thought, “and with all her connections we get blacklisted and never get another sponsorship ever again.”
“Not to mention her factories go right back to doing what they were doing,” Franny says.
“But there has to be a way,” I say.
Frustrated, I tip my head back and stare up at the constellation of TV cameras. I imagine all the other kids lining the track for the final races. I imagine Babblemoney in her red tracksuit, waving to the crowd. A plan starts to form in my head. I smirk.
“Or what if…”
GIRLS’ FINAL FOUR
BOYS’ FINAL FOUR
Excerpted from ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary, “Crossing the Line: The Incredible True Story of the Million Dollar Race.”
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
All the kids who’d already been eliminated stayed to watch the finals. This wasn’t like the NBA championship that happens every year, or even the Olympics that happen every four. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
It was this perfect summer day. The girls’ final four was supposed to start at ten a.m. I was by the track, looking up at Babblemoney’s luxury box, waiting.…
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
But she wasn’t up there. I started getting nervous. I looked over at Mom and Dad and Franny like, What the heck is going on?
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
Suddenly this shadow passed over us—whoosh! There was this huge blast of wind. We all looked up—
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
A helicopter. A black helicopter with the Babblemoney B painted on it. The B with the dollar sign through it.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
Babblemoney was arriving in style. It was like her property was so big she had to take a helicopter from one end to the other. [Laughs.]
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
The helicopter landed on the end of the track, about twenty yards past the finish line. She came down the ramp in her electric scooter, waving like a queen. Of course wearing her red tracksuit and her pearls.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
All these security guards started pouring out of the helicopter like commandos. They were carrying black briefcases, looking super serious.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
They opened the suitcases and set them on what looked like Olympic medal stands.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
My eyes almost popped out of my head.
Diane Falloon, Mom
They were filled with cash.
Esther Babblemoney, Sneaker Queen
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Welcome to the final day of the Million Dollar Race! Behind me, in the cases guarded by these nice gentlemen, are two million dollars, one for our girls’ champion, one for our boys’! The instant the winners are decided, you will be immediately flown in my private helicopter to the nearest bank, where you will deposit the money in a trust fund created in your name!
Leonard Lish, Emmy-Winning TV Producer
No one had seen anything like this before. That was the point.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
It almost felt like a game show.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
Or a WWE match or something.
Leonard Lish, Emmy-Winning TV Producer
Babblemoney was always an advertising genius. Even at age ninety or whatever she was, she still had it.
Sefina Fa’atasi, Jay’s Mom
She said some boring stuff; then she was like—
Esther Babblemoney, Sneaker Queen
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
[Looks right at camera.]
And that is why we wanted to bring the whole world together for this competition. We like to imagine that, in the years to come, as we humans push ever outward, there will be not only global competitions, but intergalactic games. With an eye on that dazzling future, we are proud to introduce the ZeroGravity3000s!
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
They brought out the silver sneakers.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
It was funny. It looked like they were displaying a product on The Price Is Right. I started hearing that music in my head. Da-dunt-da-da, da-dunt-da-da.
Franny Falloon, Brother
I mouthed to Grant, Told you!
Esther Babblemoney, Sneaker Queen
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
[Smiling.] That’s right. Every pair of ZG3s is custom-fitted using our revolutionary new Scan Your Foot app™. Every pair will fit you, the runner, perfectly! You’ll feel like you’re racing on the moon!™
Dave Falloon, Dad
Their app was available on Apple and Android platforms the same day. There were one and a half million downloads the first hour.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
The camera people were following the girls around, filming their feet.
Franny Falloon, Brother
While everyone was distracted, Jay’s brother and I had a secret mission. He was my lookout. I ducked under a rope and army crawled toward the TV truck.
Tua Fa’atasi, Jay’s Brother
I was like, “Bro, what are you doing?”
Franny Falloon, Brother
I guess I didn’t really have to army crawl. I stood up and did my thing with the wires.
Tua Fa’atasi, Jay’s Brother
At one point this security guard came over to see what was going on. I blocked him and pretended like I was lost until Franny got out of there.
Franny Falloon, Brother
Mission accomplished.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
Me and Jay watched the girls’ races from the side of the track. The girls looked over and nodded before the race, and we nodded back.
Adriana Santos, Brazil
Grant and Jay had come to us early in the morning, before the broadcast started.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
We told all the other athletes at breakfast. Real quiet, holding our phones low so we could show them the pictures and the videos from the factories.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
The videos spoke for themselves. But we also had a translator app, because a lot of the kids didn’t speak English. We probably couldn’t have done it twenty years ago.
Maggie Olinyk, Ukraine
They told us everything. How workers had been hurt making the shoes that we’d be helping to sell.
Adriana Santos, Brazil
At first we were just in shock.
Maggie Olinyk, Ukraine
It’s like all these emotions hit you at the same time. You’re mad at what you’ve just seen, but you’re also afraid, and disappointed, and another part of your brain is saying, Well it’s not like you’re going to be able to change anything anyway.
Adriana Santos, Brazil
And then comes this moment of truth. You have all the facts, and you have to decide: Okay, what am I going to do?
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
We didn’t want to pressure anyone into anything. We knew how much everyone had invested in the race, both the time they’d already spent training and what it could mean for the future.
Jay Fa’
atasi, USA
We just said, “Look. Here’s what’s up. Here’s what we’re thinking. If you want in, awesome. If not, we totally understand.”
Franny Falloon, Brother
The races went off as scheduled.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
The Brazilian girl beat the Ukrainian girl in the first race.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
The Australian girl beat the Chinese girl in the second.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
The Brazilian girl won the final. She was jumping around with her family… and that was real, man. Real joy. She had worked really hard for that moment. I honestly had a tear in my eye.
Franny Falloon, Brother
And then it was just like Babblemoney had said. The girl was whisked off in the helicopter with the money.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
I have to admit, seeing that… I started having second thoughts. I started daydreaming about that mansion with all the flat-screen TVs and the sneaker-shaped pool.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
I elbowed him and told him to stay focused.
Diane Falloon, Mom
The closer it got to the boys’ races, the more nervous I got. Babblemoney was up in her luxury box, waving to the crowd, the belle of the ball. I thought, Just you wait.…
Franny Falloon, Brother
Yeah. We’d told our parents. It’s always risky turning information over to the adult world—you never know what they might do with it. But we felt like we had to. We’d come so far. We were all in this together.
Dave Falloon, Dad
When they told us, I wanted to call the cops right away. But the boys convinced me there was a better way. A way to use the spectacle of the race to our advantage.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
The helicopter came back and landed at the end of the track. The money started blowing out of the briefcases. It was funny watching the guards chase after it. [Laughs.]
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Okay, folks, here we go! Looks like they’ve got the track cleaned up, and we’re almost ready for our next semifinal! Very soon one of these four boys will be flying off to a whole new life. First up, it’s Japan versus Grantsylvania!
Natsu Watanabe, Japan
It’s true, yes, Grant and Jay talked to us that morning. But they never asked us to lose. I feel that is important to say. We were all trying to win.
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
There they are, folks, Falloon and Watanabe. Just a fraction of a second separates these boys. Buckle up. Anything could happen.
Natsu Watanabe, Japan
They filmed us lacing up the new Babblemoney sneakers.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
I was rolling my neck just before the race. I peeked over at my family. I didn’t say anything. But I nodded. They nodded back.
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Okay, looks like the boys are all laced up and ready to go. Ms. Babblemoney watching from her box. Here we go. Falloon and Watanabe.
Rebecca Moffet, Color Commentator
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
I’m nervous, Dan, and I’m not even racing! Here we go.
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
And they’re off! A clean start for both runners!
Rebecca Moffet, Color Commentator
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
They’re neck and neck! Thirty meters. Fifty meters. Seventy meters.
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Falloon pulls ahead, now Watanabe, now Falloon! Here’s the finish—oh it’s close!
Rebecca Moffet, Color Commentator
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Falloon! Falloon takes it by a step!
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
Just short of the record again. 10.74.
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Okay, Falloon is through to the final. But who will he face?
Rebecca Moffet, Color Commentator
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
It’s the American versus the Jamaican in our next semifinal. No secret who the crowd here in California is pulling for.
Devon Jones, Jamaica
Yeah, man, the crowd was definitely against me. [Laughs.] They were chanting “U-S-A! U-S-A!” It was really loud. There was only this one lady who was chanting—
Diane Falloon, Mom
Everyone do your best! Everyone do your best!
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
[Laughs.] Mom was doing her thing. I stayed by the finish line to watch. Jay made the sign of the cross and pointed to the sky. He looked ready.
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Here we go. The American and the Jamaican. The winner is through to the final. The runners take their places. They drop their heads. They’re set. And… they’re off! The Jamaican takes the early lead! He’s out in front! He’s flying down the track! But now here comes Fa’atasi! He’s gaining ground!
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
They had this giant HD screen at the end of the track. It was weird because, while you were racing, you could look straight ahead and… watch yourself racing. It was like how a football player can look up and watch himself on the Jumbotron as he’s crossing into the end zone.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
The finish was too close to call. They were replaying it on the HD screen in super slo-mo. The crowd gasped when they stopped it. I had to laugh.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
I swear I didn’t mean to do it. But there I was, leaning over the line like a lowercase r…
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
He stole my move! [Laughs.]
Leonard Lish, Emmy-Winning TV Producer
That set up the final everyone was hoping for. The American vs. the Grantsylvanian. For Babblemoney it was perfect, her two brightest stars.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
Babblemoney had come down onto the track.
Franny Falloon, Brother
She was on her scooter, just past the finish line, surrounded by her flex of security guards.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
Just before the race, Franny and Tua flashed thumbs-ups.
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Okay, folks! No more messing around! This is it! The Million Dollar Race!
Rebecca Moffet, Color Commentator
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Look at that, Dan. The stakes are so high Falloon and Fa’atasi won’t even look at each other. Intense!
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Both of them glaring down the track, eyes literally on the prize.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
Right before the race started, when we were down in the starting blocks, I reached out my fist.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
I did the same.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
We met in the middle.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
A no-look fist bump.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
I have this routine I do before every race. I imagine that my mind is a computer screen. All my thoughts are like files on the desktop. I saw Dad in his art studio. I saw Mom in her office late at night. I saw me and Franny making movies in our backyard. I saw Jay and Tua and Mrs. Fa’atasi at her party. It was like when you flick your phone with your thumb and your timeline flies by, you know?
And then everything went dark.
I was ready.
Rebecca Moffet, Color Commentator
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
>
Something slightly different here, Dan. Ms. Babblemoney is going to count down for the final.
Esther Babblemoney, Sneaker Queen
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Runners on your marks…
Get set…
Go!
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Wow! Look at that! Great start for Falloon!
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
I had the early lead. I had him by a half step. But I could feel him on my hip, pushing me. I kept my eyes forward. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again, like at the Penn Relays, lose concentration.
Louis Carlssen, Renowned Track Coach
Most people think that a sprint is constant acceleration, that you just keep building speed until the end. But that’s not true.
About a third of the way in, you’ve already reached your top speed. That “final burst” you see on TV, it’s an optical illusion, one person slowing down less than the rest.
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Fa’atasi’s charging hard! He closes the gap! They’re tearing toward the finish! Twenty meters to go!
Rebecca Moffet, Color Commentator
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
World-record pace, Dan!
Dan Rossum, Broadcaster
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Goodness! Falloon and Fa’atasi! Stride for stride!
Rebecca Moffet, Color Commentator
[Transcript from TV broadcast]
Mirror images!
Dave Falloon, Dad
They were nearing the finish—
Diane Falloon, Mom
And then—
Dave Falloon, Dad
And then—
Leonard Lish, Emmy-Winning TV Producer
I couldn’t believe it—
Dave Falloon, Dad
They both stopped.
Leonard Lish, Emmy-Winning TV Producer
Imagine a wave washing up on the shore. It’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming… and then it just stops right before your feet and hovers there. That was them just before the finish line. They stood there, chests heaving, looking around at the crowd.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
And then—like we’d planned—we sat down, back-to-back.
Grant Falloon, Grantsylvania
We locked arms.
Jay Fa’atasi, USA
Like, for that moment, we owned that little piece of the earth.