Bill Rodgers - the most liked and respected runner on the Lets Run message boards?

what would the definition of pointless whining be? Complaining about something that is not going to change............for the rest of your life.

I've nothing against Frank Shorter. He is a smart thoughtful guy. But when I say I got tired of hearing about how he should have got the gold medal in 1976 I mean I've gotten tired of hearing about he should have gotten the gold medal in 1976. You cannot really tell me that I should not be tired of it. I am. I imagine there are others like me. As someone else pointed out, Kardong has a far bigger complaint and i have never heard a peep from him about it. I think all of the 1980 Olympians have far bigger complaints as they did not even get to compete.

I think it is unfair that Shorter did not get the gold, but I also think that given the knowledge and testing situation there were LOTS AND LOTS of people (women and men; Americans and others) who both got medals based partly on PED use and people who denied medals by PED users. Go look at Hal Connolly's testimony to Congress in 1973. It is a situation that cannot be universally rectified.

Frankly, it is also sport and perhaps I just do not take it as seriously as others. It's fun, but really. It's just a race.

I'd much rather have dinner and beer with Rodgers than Shorter. I'd much rather have dinner wiht Kardong for that matter. But I don't think ay of then really wanna have dinner wiht me so it is rahter a mute point.

I've had the pleasure of speaking with Bill a couple of times, and can't add anything to what's already been said. Super nice person, to the point where it can almost take you aback. If you're not expecting it, you might wonder WHY he's being so nice to you!

Glad to see someone mentioned Dick Beardsley. I've never seen him anything but over-the-top friendly. (If you ever get the chance, run his race in Detroit Lakes, MN. Great event.)

But I can't help but vote Billy Mills to the top of the list. I first met him many, many years ago, while in high school. Later, when I saw him while I was in college, I said, "You probably won't remember me, but..." and explained when we'd met before. He very convincingly acted like he remembered. Having run into him a few more times since, he never fails to be humble, friendly and so inspiring.

That's one of the great things about our sport-- the great runners tend to be great people, too.

Comparing what happened to Shorter in '76 and what happened to Rodgers in '80 just won't wash. Shorter actually RAN the race and beat everyone who was not verifiably on drugs. "Verifiably" is the key word; there's PROOF Cierpinski was cheating, just as there is prof Marita Koch and Barbel Wockel, the sprinters, were cheating.

I disagree.

So...you see no difference between a race result that Shorter actually had and one that Rodgers theoretically MIGHT have had? Interesting.

No drug tests were done for his races were there ?

If Nick Willis were American he'd probably be getting a little love in this thread. Super nice guy. Never met a person who didn't like him.

I don't think it's much use debating who had it worse. Shorter had the chance to run, and at least has a silver medal. Bill had to watch the Olympics on TV when he was in his prime. They both got screwed, and it's safe to say that both have beefs that would drive any one of us nuts if it happened to us.

I'd like to give my two cents on why Rodgers is the most respected or at least the most sociable.

While I was in High School I went to the Zap Fitness camp in Blowing Rock, NC. Rodgers comes to the camp every now and then to speak with all of the runners and just hang out for a while.

Now my experience might be unique in that I had no idea who Rodgers was when I met him and just thought he was some hilarious dude who really liked running. The guy was an absolute riot. Every conversation I had with him was great and one time I was sitting next to him outside when he saw a beetle struggling upside down. He exclaimed "Oh! A beetle" picked it up, looked at it for a moment and then released it into the air in a be free motion.

He was also the first person I ever met who always ran with toilet paper in his sock. Something that is quite brilliant.

70sRunnerGuy wrote:

People have accurately described the personality traits of

Bill and Frank. Quite different fellows. One can begin to understand a little of why Frank was aloof and not as endearing by reading this article about his abusive childhood

The fact that he is as sane and reasonably normal as he is, is a testament to his character. I like Frank and Bill both, but reading about Franks past brought me to tears and gave me a whole new level of respect.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/printer/1,7124,s6-243-297--14056-0,00.html

Just read this link, I had no idea at all!!!!.....goes to show..each of us is fighting their private demons...very sad for F. Shorter who I will say was, back in 1972 watching that classic race, the prime motivator for me as a 24 year old to get so entrenched in running

i see a difference...one was denied the opportunity to compete at all. he never had any chance at all to even try. given the testing we have no idea if any of the athletes except the e. germans were using peds....including shorter,,,not that i think he did...be really, no one knows. none of us really know. Connolly testified in 1973 about ped use ot congress...read it.... at teh 1983 pan american games after the american athletes were warned that there was new testing taht would detect some use and they did believe the usoc. all of a sudden people starting failing tests so scores of US athleets went home early wiht bogus injuries and finished what appeared to be intentionally bad to not medal so they would not get tested. in Running Scared Downes and McKay cite an America physican who prescirbed peds to a number of track and field medal winning american olympians. this is impossibel to unravel in any kind of fair manner. that is my point. it cannot be fixed and i peronally found the decades ir complaining about something that cannot be fixed to be annoying. you can say i should not be annoyed but that is really up to me and not you.

i see a difference...one was denied the opportunity to compete at all. he never had any chance at all to even try. given the testing we have no idea if any of the athletes except the e. germans were using peds....including shorter,,,not that i think he did...be really, no one knows. none of us really know. Connolly testified in 1973 about ped use ot congress...read it.... at teh 1983 pan american games after the american athletes were warned that there was new testing taht would detect some use and they did believe the usoc. all of a sudden people starting failing tests so scores of US athleets went home early wiht bogus injuries and finished what appeared to be intentionally bad to not medal so they would not get tested. in Running Scared Downes and McKay cite an America physican who prescirbed peds to a number of track and field medal winning american olympians. this is impossibel to unravel in any kind of fair manner. that is my point. it cannot be fixed and i peronally found the decades ir complaining about something that cannot be fixed to be annoying. you can say i should not be annoyed but that is really up to me and not you.

No USADA, WADA, blood tests, urine tests, so forth, in those days.

trained for a bit with both.

worked for one for two years.

frank always trying to prove himself at the highest level.

billy always trying to prove himself with the guy standing in front of him.

Do some research on Frank's dad, then you will understand.

Boston-Billy wrote:

Does anybody on this board NOT like and/or respect Boston Billy?

My favorite runner, but I think he is a draft dodger and that always bothered me, lost a little respect there.

Few runners then and now served as a grunt (rifleman, mortarman, heavy weapons, sniper, recon, intel, underwater exposives, etc.) in a U.S. front-line ground offensive combat unit. I was against U.S. genocide in South East Asia and faked out a deferment. My siblings joined the National Guard, Air Force and Navy to get out of being a grunt.

Marine Aviator.

Your response makes no sense, how is "intel" a grunt? What are you basing your comment on about few runners serving as grunts?

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Haji wrote:

You won't find many that don't like BR but the same can be said for Shorter. With Frank's Olympic achievements I give him the nod on most respected runner.

They are both great role models for today's runners.

I think Shorter is also widely respected but I've often heard people say that he was a jerk--arrogant and stand-offish. I've also heard many people say they like Shorter.

Got to chime in with the obligatory lrc answer: You do realize that Frank was physically abused by a monster (his dad).