Aiden Burley
The common perception of of track is it is easy 8/10/2012 8:56AM Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
From comments on another site:

Ben Graham's GhostSouthwest

Good for Bolt for clearing up what an "athlete" is. We won't even get into how swimming and track and field require near zero finesse compared to, say, gymnastics, basketball, tennis, and boxing. (I write this as a former competitive distance runner. Track is easy.)
What an idiot
RE: The common perception of of track is it is easy 8/10/2012 9:07AM - in reply to Aiden Burley Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Good for Graham for clearing up what an "athlete" is. We won't even get into how gymnastics, basketball, tennis, and boxing require near zero endurance compared to, say, swimming and track and field . (I write this as a former competitive basketball. Basketball is easy.)


See, I can say things too.
Ghola
RE: The common perception of of track is it is easy 8/10/2012 9:10AM - in reply to Aiden Burley Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
"Swimming requires near zero finesse" == I have no clue what I'm talking about.
this is misleading
RE: The common perception of of track is it is easy 8/10/2012 9:15AM - in reply to What an idiot Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
yep, it is so easy, why, there must be 100,000 men out there breaking 10.0 in the hundred meters. Oh, wait, I forgot, it is easy. In a planet of near 7 billion people, that number should be in the millions, right?

These assertions are silly. Different sports take different skills. By way of example, no one really is going to state that golf is physically rigorous. But easy, heck no. They are few very people that can shoot 20 under for a tournament on a course that scratch golfers would find difficult to shoot 25 over par. And mentally it is oh so difficult. Extraordinary skill in an endeavor is just that - extraordinary. Bolt, Rudisha, Kemboi, heck, virtually any of these high achieving Olympians, well, they are extraordinary. Enjoy it for what it is.
lease
RE: The common perception of of track is it is easy 8/10/2012 9:20AM - in reply to Aiden Burley Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
No, track is *simple*. Run fast, turn left, hurry back. What could be simpler?

But it's not *easy*.

And I should have known that it was a distance runner (not a great one, either, I'd bet) who made the "easy" comment. Most of the people who run distance don't even know how complex *distance running* truly is, and they rarely have a clue about the other events, esp. in the field.

Yeah, pole vault and hammer throw are "easy"--no finesse required. Give me a break.
YWCA tanker
RE: The common perception of of track is it is easy 8/10/2012 9:22AM - in reply to Aiden Burley Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Honestly, who cares?

Track isn't a mainstream sport in the USA and we shouldn't be constantly looking for affirmation from the media and American sports "fans" to make us think otherwise. If someone doesn't want to respect track, that's fine with me. I don't respect a lot of sports that I'm sure others value.

Track and field has a world wide following larger than baseball and football. Track is the most highly participated in sport by American high schoolers. World records are being smashed. American professional running is going through a renaissance. There is a lot to be happy about as a track athlete and fan these days. And Skip Bayless or JA Adande not liking track should be of no concern to anyone.
Aghast
RE: The common perception of of track is it is easy 8/10/2012 9:30AM - in reply to YWCA tanker Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Skip Bayless has a lot of respect for running and distance running in particular.


YWCA tanker wrote:

Honestly, who cares?

Track isn't a mainstream sport in the USA and we shouldn't be constantly looking for affirmation from the media and American sports "fans" to make us think otherwise. If someone doesn't want to respect track, that's fine with me. I don't respect a lot of sports that I'm sure others value.

Track and field has a world wide following larger than baseball and football. Track is the most highly participated in sport by American high schoolers. World records are being smashed. American professional running is going through a renaissance. There is a lot to be happy about as a track athlete and fan these days. And Skip Bayless or JA Adande not liking track should be of no concern to anyone.
Lenny Leonard
RE: The common perception of of track is it is easy 8/10/2012 9:54AM - in reply to What an idiot Reply | Return to Index | Report Post

What an idiot wrote:

Good for Graham for clearing up what an "athlete" is. We won't even get into how gymnastics, basketball, tennis, and boxing require near zero endurance compared to, say, swimming and track and field . (I write this as a former competitive basketball. Basketball is easy.)


See, I can say things too.


You might have had a good argument going until you put boxing in there. That's the ultimate combination of strength, agility, finesse, and endurance.
io-zs-94s
RE: The common perception of of track is it is easy 8/10/2012 10:06AM - in reply to Lenny Leonard Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Lenny,
While I agree with you, if you are going to claim that basketball and tennis require ZerO endurance, it is conceivable to think that if you could knock out all your opponents with 1 punch that boxers would not have to have any endurance.
logic
RE: The common perception of of track is it is easy 8/10/2012 10:44AM - in reply to Aiden Burley Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Sorry, I've never heard of you. Please remind us how many races you won easily?