What is Rick Disneck?
1.
Rick Disneck is a fictional gymnast featured on a very well-known Australian comedy album from the 1980s.
The album, Wired World of Sports by the Twelfth Man (Billy Birmingham), is a parody of Channel Nine's Wide World of Sports, a Sunday sports wrap-up program that ran for many years. The album satirises the presenters and features footage or interviews with imaginary sports stars, usually with funny names such as "female" bodybuilder Anna Bolic ("Oh my God, Oh my God, a testicle has just popped out of her costume!" "HER costume???!!!"), the Russian weightlifter Popavalium Andropoff (who suffered the fate all weightlifters dread, when his guts came flying out of his
Rick Disneck, or "wrecked his neck" is based on American gymanst Brian Meeker, whose early 80's collision with a pommel horse is one of the most famous sporting accidents of all time (see youtube or a "Top 20 Sporting Blunders" show). The interview, hosted by presenter Darrell Eastlake, takes place with a presumably convalescing Rick. Throughout the interview, Rick barely talks above a slow, wheezy whisper as he discusses his many injuries ("I crushed my larynx and ruptured my spleeeen") and how the accident happened.
Well worth a listen if you can get it, although the
Ask any Australian male over 25 who Rick Disneck is, and if they don't respond with a wheezy groan followed by "No Darrell, I just fucked up", well, I'll eat my own head.
Mike Gibson: "Rick Disneck is the poor bastard you see slamming in the vaulting horse at a hundred miles an hour"
Darrell Eastlake: "So Rick, did you have a blowout in a sandshoe as many believe, or did you just fuck up?"
Rick Disneck: *eeeeeerrrgh* "No Darrell, I just fucked up."