Wrote this passage about Steve Prefontaine in a review of Without Limits for my Journalism class. Thoughts?

Reeks of douchey fanboyness.

An Econ Major wrote:

.... Meanwhile, the modern education system punishes normal boyhood activities, like rough-play, restlessness, and bragging.

On college campuses, those achieving academic, athletic, or social excellence are advised to ‘check their privilege’ to avoid offending marginalized groups of people.

How does the modern education system punish bragging? Who on college campuses are advising those who achieve excellence of checking their privilege?

reviewer wrote:

An Econ Major wrote:

.... Meanwhile, the modern education system punishes normal boyhood activities, like rough-play, restlessness, and bragging.

On college campuses, those achieving academic, athletic, or social excellence are advised to ‘check their privilege’ to avoid offending marginalized groups of people.

How does the modern education system punish bragging? Who on college campuses are advising those who achieve excellence of checking their privilege?

Good point. I'm intentionally being broad, since this is a big picture conclusion to a film review, not a thesis on cultural trends. That said, you're right that those two passages are a bit vague and could use some clarification. Thanks.

You better change the words...they'll search on it and find this thread.

PitBull2 wrote:

You better change the words...they'll search on it and find this thread.

I'm not too worried about that. Years ago, someone posted an entire book review of Once a Runner on here to get feedback.

reviewer wrote:

An Econ Major wrote:

.... Meanwhile, the modern education system punishes normal boyhood activities, like rough-play, restlessness, and bragging.

On college campuses, those achieving academic, athletic, or social excellence are advised to ‘check their privilege’ to avoid offending marginalized groups of people.

How does the modern education system punish bragging? Who on college campuses are advising those who achieve excellence of checking their privilege?

Yeah, your quote reeks of whiney complaints of oppression coming from a likely relatively well-to-do college student. The idea that athletic success is shunned on college campuses is ludicrous. Check the hundreds of rocking stadiums and arenas on any given weekend.

Another troll post from Hong Kong where Nike World Headquarters is situated

An Econ Major wrote:

"Pre’s arrogance and unabashed masculinity are lost arts in the modern world. Athletes who today dare make brash predictions to the press or display excessive pride on the field, like Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, are labelled as brash bullies by the media. Meanwhile, the modern education system punishes normal boyhood activities, like rough-play, restlessness, and bragging. On college campuses, those achieving academic, athletic, or social excellence are advised to ‘check their privilege’ to avoid offending marginalized groups of people. One can imagine Pre, if alive today, as a renegade, rebelling against our stifling societal dogma of mediocrity."

I can't tell if you are trying to make the statement that "arrogance and unabashed masculinity" is a lost art because similar athletes today are criticized by the media. I think what you're trying to say is that this type of behavior is not encouraged and appreciated today in the media. That doesn't necessarily make it a lost art as you say, though.

observer of nutjobs wrote:

Yeah, your quote reeks of whiney complaints of oppression coming from a likely relatively well-to-do college student. The idea that athletic success is shunned on college campuses is ludicrous. Check the hundreds of rocking stadiums and arenas on any given weekend.

You're probably right. But watch closely the next couple of years. In the words of Nietchze's madman: "I have come too early, my time is not yet. This tremendous event is still on its way, still wandering; it has not yet reached the ears of men. Lightning and thunder require time; the light of the stars requires time; deeds, though done, still require time to be seen and heard."

"Athletes who today dare make brash predictions to the press or display excessive pride on the field, like Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, are labelled as brash bullies by the media."

Read more:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=7737738#ixzz4MAFjG1yo

Are you purposely using 'brash' 2 times in the same sentence??

DKCCC wrote:

I can't tell if you are trying to make the statement that "arrogance and unabashed masculinity" is a lost art because similar athletes today are criticized by the media. I think what you're trying to say is that this type of behavior is not encouraged and appreciated today in the media. That doesn't necessarily make it a lost art as you say, though.

How about: "The arrogance and unabashed masculinity that defined Prefontaine are often castigated in today's world."

An Econ Major wrote:

How about: "The arrogance and unabashed masculinity that defined Prefontaine are traits often castigated in today's world."

Saw this article from the Harvard Business Review this morning. My immediate reaction was that it summed up your passage very well.

https://hbr.org/2016/10/stop-trying-to-sound-smart-when-youre-writing

This is a great article that all students (and professionals) should read and review from time to time.

I hate when runners do this. When all they can think about and talk about is running. Pick something else and give a bona-fide effort toward your classes. It will help you prepare for the future.

Running, while healthy for you, does not give you career prospects. If you have a journalism class, why not take on a different movie that exercises your brain a little more?

You could have picked a better thread title. Your passage isn't about Pre or the movie, it's your misguided attempt to critique contemporary society--a critique that has nothing to do with Pre and to which you associate him very tenuously at best.There are numerous figures in sport who demonstrate attitudes similar to Pre's. Half of the elite sprinters in track and field, for instance. And was Pre really that arrogant? Or that masculine? These claims are meaningless without evidence.

An Econ Major wrote:

"Pre’s arrogance and unabashed masculinity are lost arts in the modern world. Athletes who today dare make brash predictions to the press or display excessive pride on the field, like Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, are labelled as brash bullies by the media. Meanwhile, the modern education system punishes normal boyhood activities, like rough-play, restlessness, and bragging. On college campuses, those achieving academic, athletic, or social excellence are advised to ‘check their privilege’ to avoid offending marginalized groups of people. One can imagine Pre, if alive today, as a renegade, rebelling against our stifling societal dogma of mediocrity."

And in fact there is one athlete who embodies much of Pre's spirit today in track: Nick Symmonds. He has his detractors, largely because of publicity stunts like asking out Paris Hilton, but he was hugely successful on the American scene in his prime, raced balls to the wall whenever he could, never backed down from a fight and, most significantly, has been a consistent advocate for the rights of athletes and a thorn in the side of USATF.

So, in fact, we tolerate athletes like Pre just fine still today. They're controversial now as Pre was in the '70s. Less has changed than you might think.

not a coach wrote:

You could have picked a better thread title. Your passage isn't about Pre or the movie, it's your misguided attempt to critique contemporary society--a critique that has nothing to do with Pre and to which you associate him very tenuously at best.

There are numerous figures in sport who demonstrate attitudes similar to Pre's. Half of the elite sprinters in track and field, for instance. And was Pre really that arrogant? Or that masculine? These claims are meaningless without evidence.

As I said in an earlier post, this is a concluding "big picture" passage from my film review of Without Limits. My review discusses the movie's theme of Pre's arrogance, and contains plenty of evidence from the film. I might post the entire thing once I'm finished revising it.

not a coach wrote:

And in fact there is one athlete who embodies much of Pre's spirit today in track: Nick Symmonds. He has his detractors, largely because of publicity stunts like asking out Paris Hilton, but he was hugely successful on the American scene in his prime, raced balls to the wall whenever he could, never backed down from a fight and, most significantly, has been a consistent advocate for the rights of athletes and a thorn in the side of USATF.

So, in fact, we tolerate athletes like Pre just fine still today. They're controversial now as Pre was in the '70s. Less has changed than you might think.

Errr... highly disagree. What made Steve so amazing was that he combined his arrogance with an undying loyalty to his passion, the sport of track. His arrogance permeated into his racing strategy, leading to the dynamic style of front-running and "gutsy racing" that entranced his generation.

Symmonds, like Pre, does seem quite arrogant, but he lacks Pre's undying love for the sport. Symmonds has said himself, something to the effect of "I'm a businessman first, a runner second". Pre, at least the side of Pre that he exhibited in public, would never say anything like that, nor would he forgo racing at the World Championship over some silly brand dispute. Pre might've protested that whole Nike thing, but he would've found a way of sending a message without interfering with his own compulsion to compete.

Wow, look at that. I just unwittingly proved my own point -- athletes who display arrogance, or the gumption to fight for a cause, like Symmonds, are criticized. I wish I could take back what I said about Nick...