Failure To Leap

The big problem I have with the Leapers is that their activities, while named after the Leap Year, have nothing to do with the calendar event at all, save the fact that they only start their mini crime waves around the time of the Leap Month (February) and more specifically, the Leap Day (Feb. 29th). 

Similarly, the Leap Year (or, as I prefer to call it, the bissextile year) has nothing to do with leaping per se. The name springs from the fact that while a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar normally advances one day of the week from one year to the next, the day of the week in a leap year will advance two days (from March onwards) due to the extra day added at the end of February (thus "leaping over" one of the days in the week. 

So basically, the Leapers are just a bunch of criminals who like to jump around, and are only active once every four years.

What else happens only once every four years?

The Olympic Games.

On a Leap Year, in fact.

So could it be that the Leapers are in fact a group of disgruntled ex-Olympians? 

No.

They are a group of disgruntled ex-athletes who never quite made the cut for their country's Olympic team, and have been seething about it ever since.

So deep is their anger over being snubbed by their coaches and Olympic selectors, they have decided to wreak revenge in Olympic years only.


After doing a little digging, I discovered some of their identities.

Larry McGarrigle, failed hurdler...

Lester Square, high jump pratfalls his speciality.

Lewis N. Hyland, not much cop at high jump either.

Lionel Flair, equally talented.

Louis Banzai, long jump cock-ups on request.

As you can see from the file photos I have been able to find, the Leapers were clearly passed over by their country's Team Selection Committees with good reason. It seems, however, that the Leapers themselves are clearly deluded as to the extent of their abilities and now hold a grudge. 

However, why they choose Olympic Years to commit small-time larceny is still a mystery. Perhaps Michael can unearth some more info about them on Friday.