The demise of U.S. Track and Field

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by creekster

THis makes no sense to me. WOUldn't their accomplishments presumably be buried by the onslaught of the non-elitist athletes, in your world view?

no, swimming will have more parity if it gains traction with poorer people.

[Runner Coug]

Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute

I missed his interview and his race so I have to ask - what is it about him that you hate?

That's a good question. You know how sometimes you just can't stand someone, but you're not totally sure why? That's how I feel about him. He comes of as an arrogant a-hole to me, which is fine if you at least have a personality.

My suspicions were confirmed when he got his butt kicked yesterday and instead of taking it like a man, he acted like a spoiled little brat. The interviewer asked him how dropping his coach a few months ago contributed to him losing, a completely legitimate question, but he just dismissed and walked away, like he's above being questioned.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by Runner Coug

That's a good question. You know how sometimes you just can't stand someone, but you're not totally sure why? That's how I feel about him. He comes of as an arrogant a-hole to me, which is fine if you at least have a personality.

My suspicions were confirmed when he got his butt kicked yesterday and instead of taking it like a man, he acted like a spoiled little brat. The interviewer asked him how dropping his coach a few months ago contributed to him losing, a completely legitimate question, but he just dismissed and walked away, like he's above being questioned.

I know exactly what you mean. It's how I feel about Kobe.

It sounds like he's a prick. (Did I just say that word?)

[bluegoose]

Originally Posted by Runner Coug

My suspicions were confirmed when he got his butt kicked yesterday and instead of taking it like a man, he acted like a spoiled little brat. The interviewer asked him how dropping his coach a few months ago contributed to him losing, a completely legitimate question, but he just dismissed and walked away, like he's above being questioned.

No, it wasn't a legitimate question. At least not at the time it was asked. It was an antagonistic question by a sideline reporter who has shown very little courtesy and professionalism toward most of the athletes that he's interviewed. Did you see him interviewing Spearmon the other day (who wasn't exactly Mr. Class himself)? The guy just got dq'ed in the Olympic finals and he is egging him on, trying to get a good soundbite out of him. "You're going to WHAH?!?!?!? PROTEST??? Why???"

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Ideally, sports should be open to all, for them to be meaningful.

Racing yachts may be a great sport, that I would enjoy. But it is not meaningful.

This is why soccer is the beautiful game--it requires very little resources.

Running, as well, requires little.

Swimming is an elitist sport. And one day in the future, we will look back on Phelps and Spitz and put an asterisk next to their accomplishments, as they were done in the era of virtually all-caucasian swimmers.

You are all over the place today, esp. in this thread.

A few days ago, you were knocking the broadcast team for denigrating Spitz when they said "Move over Mark Spitz." Now you are saying that his records are mostly meaningless.

You started this thread saying that track and field has gone downhill and now have migrated over to some sort of race-based attack on swimming.

Didnt you ever take a critical writing class? Or a basic writing class?

Try 1-2-2 paragraphs. They may suit you more and are easy to compose.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by bluegoose

No, it wasn't a legitimate question. At least not at the time it was asked. It was an antagonistic question by a sideline reporter who has shown very little courtesy and professionalism toward most of the athletes that he's interviewed. Did you see him interviewing Spearmon the other day (who wasn't exactly Mr. Class himself)? The guy just got dq'ed in the Olympic finals and he is egging him on, trying to get a good soundbite out of him. "You're going to WHAH?!?!?!? PROTEST??? Why???"

ah yes, another person who thinks Jim Gray was out of line with Pete Rose. Should have kissed his butt.

The two color commentators for NBC for track (Bolen I think, and some other guy) have been ripping the American team up and down, and if the sideline reporter asks a question 5% as tough as the things that Bolden is saying, then people get their panties in a wad).

I didn't see the Spearmon interview, but if I were the person I would say, "When's the last time you stepped on the line to disqualify yourself? Why did you lose concentration?"

The CEO in charge of the USA debacle is the person I want to see questioned.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

ah yes, another person who thinks Jim Gray was out of line with Pete Rose. Should have kissed his butt.

The two color commentators for NBC for track (Bolen I think, and some other guy) have been ripping the American team up and down, and if the sideline reporter asks a question 5% as tough as the things that Bolden is saying, then people get their panties in a wad).

I didn't see the Spearmon interview, but if I were the person I would say, "When's the last time you stepped on the line to disqualify yourself? Why did you lose concentration?"

The CEO in charge of the USA debacle is the person I want to see questioned.

YOu got the right issue but the wrong repsonse. Jim Gray has been trying to replicate the notoriety he recevied following his Pete Rose interview ever since, thinking it was his excellent quesitoning and clever mind as opposed to a lucky confluence of subject and location that led him there. All he has done is alienate viewers and athletes with preciouslittle to show for it. His encounter with Rose may have been the owrst thing that ever happened to him.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by bluegoose

No, it wasn't a legitimate question. At least not at the time it was asked. It was an antagonistic question by a sideline reporter who has shown very little courtesy and professionalism toward most of the athletes that he's interviewed. Did you see him interviewing Spearmon the other day (who wasn't exactly Mr. Class himself)? The guy just got dq'ed in the Olympic finals and he is egging him on, trying to get a good soundbite out of him. "You're going to WHAH?!?!?!? PROTEST??? Why???"

I am with bluegoose here. I think the reporter was being a dickhead.

It also bothered me that so much attention was paid to Wariner's "failure" than to focusing on the great race ran by his US team-mate than won the race. Very unprofessional.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

I am with bluegoose here. I think the reporter was being a dickhead.

It also bothered me that so much attention was paid to Wariner's "failure" than to focusing on the great race ran by his US team-mate than won the race. Very unprofessional.

If some no-name guy beats a known guy who is favored, then of course they are going to focus on the known guy.

i.e. Carl Lewis say gets beat by John Drummond. Doesn't mean John Drummond is the story.

They did speak to the winner, and he was even more arrogant than Wariner.

You guys probably wonder why the newspaper doesn't have more good news than bad news.

[Runner Coug]

Originally Posted by bluegoose

No, it wasn't a legitimate question. At least not at the time it was asked. It was an antagonistic question by a sideline reporter who has shown very little courtesy and professionalism toward most of the athletes that he's interviewed. Did you see him interviewing Spearmon the other day (who wasn't exactly Mr. Class himself)? The guy just got dq'ed in the Olympic finals and he is egging him on, trying to get a good soundbite out of him. "You're going to WHAH?!?!?!? PROTEST??? Why???"

Fair enough, but you're at the Olympics for crying out loud. Surely the athletes know that if they fall short, someone will ask them for an explanation.

I for one have no problem at all with a reporter asking tough questions, that's his job. Don't you ever get sick of pointless interviews like "So, how do you feel"? Tyson Gay has stood on that same sideline with that same reporter all week and answered tough questions like a grown up.