Sean Brosnan’s “4:20 is not that fast” shirt is stupid

I guess you’re slow if you’re not one the top 15 kids in your state. Those kids just don’t believe.

Ok and 269,000 hs boys run xc. So 0.2%

Doesn’t seem like that many when you put it like that.

(used xc instead of track because sprints, throws, etc)

Reading some of the posts. I agree with the sentiment that you should be telling kids * that have the talent to be a 4:0x-1x guy* that they should be shooting for faster times.

It does not need to be publicized to the entire “fanbase”, mostly high schoolers, that it’s slow to run 4:20.

Some of these kids will only ever have the chance to run in high school and are working as hard as everyone else. They aren’t riding on a scholarship. They are not trying to become pro runners. I just think it’s better for the sport if we let everyone reach their own potential and not shame teenagers for not being able to do something.

That is nothing. My new “4:00 isn’t that fast” tshirt will motivate high schoolers to a completely new level. They just need to understand it is not a real barrier. Expect a rash of sub 4s in the coming years.

I see both sides of this conversation. Are the shirts a problem? No, it's free speech.

But let's say Newbury Park attends a meet like Simplot Games and are strutting around their t-shirts.

I just checked the Simple times from 2020 (this years edition was canceled). Winning time 4:17.99.

No other competitors under 4:20.

With a powerhouse team like Newbury Park which might have 5 guys (off the top of my head, I don't follow them super closely) who could break 4:20, I could see a lot of coaches and athletes thinking 'what a bunch of smug pricks'

if they wore those around.

As a matter of fact, I could see the meet director taking issue with it and even declining them an invitation to the next years meet if it became a big debacle.

So, yes the words are quite outlandish.

But for this team of Newbury park it is a part of their belief system.

The t-shirts are controversial. So are a lot of things. The moon landing was controversial but it broke new ground.

Conclusion is you have an elite team that does things few other high schools can, they are going to stir some controversy.

If they wear the t-shirts at meets with a lot of runners who aren't capable of 4:20 I could see potential issues.

I don't think they care though, these are just t-shirts at the end of the day. Everyone knows NP has a great team and the t-shirts are only projecting their beliefs/greatness (or smugness if you want to call it that).

I didn't know who Brosnan was until seeing this thread, so I looked him up.

WHAT A TOOL! Every sub 4 miler first has to break 5 min, then 4:30, then 4:20. Should they not be proud the first time they break 4:20?

What makes him an even bigger tool is that he thinks this shirt is cool. This is his pathetic attempt to build a brand. Sad and lame, a total loser.

if you are a good coach, you will motivate and coach your kids to their potential. you won't hold 4:05 talents to 4:20. if you are a good coach.

it has nothing to do with a douchey slogan that you are unnecessarily sharing with the masses.

a 4:30 mile isn't that fast. a 5:00 mile isn't that fast. a 4:00 mile isn't that fast. so edgey. so motivational.

don't get me wrong. I get it. I've had to talk to my runners who put times that are beneath their ability on a pedastal. I've had to talk to my runners about mileage amounts that seem daunting being nothing. But I don't share that stuff with the newspaper.

My son's first mike was 4:47 in 7th grade.

Never heard of him. Don't care.

Is our society at a point where someone has to be mad or offended at EVERYTHING these days? He clearly uses it for motivation for his own team and could care less what other coaches do and only worries about what is in front of him. Is he supposed to wear a shirt that say 4:40 is FAST? Or how about 4:38 with a picture of a trophy underneath it? It's just awesome reading some of the posts in here. Gosh, coaches and athletes should be more worried about catching these guys rather than complaining.

Cringe as all get out but true in essence.

You guys aren't serious, are you? It's a troll based on what ONE coach said in an interview. How are you missing this?

local sheep wrote:

I get what you mean when it comes to kids who take the sport seriously and just have bad genetics or whatever and can barely break 4:30. I know on my old high school team, probably 5-6 kids were capable of breaking 4:20. But none of them really took the sport seriously. Little/no training during the offseason, inconsistent, low mileage, etc. I've seen a lot of 4:25 guys that could be sub 4:20 guys with adequate training and mindset.

What an uninformed statement. Plenty of guys who could barely break 4:30 in HS have perfectly good genetics. My teammate in college was like a 4:28, 9:32 guy, ended up his freshman year in college running 1:07 HM as an 18 YO his redshirt 1st year. Another of our athletes was a 9:40 HS guy who ended up with 28:xx track and 43:19 15K road (all-time US #6 at the time and WR for 21 yr olds).1:02:19 half.

For those that have an issue with the “4:20 is not fast comment,” is there a specific 1600m time that you are okay labeling as “not fast?” Is it 4:45, 5:00, 6:00, etc?

curious to know wrote:

For those that have an issue with the “4:20 is not fast comment,” is there a specific 1600m time that you are okay labeling as “not fast?” Is it 4:45, 5:00, 6:00, etc?

Fast is relative. In NCAA Division 1, 4:10 isn't fast. In pro running, 4:00 isn't fast. If you're a high schooler competing at the national level, 4:20 isn't fast. The problem isn't that he's labelling a relatively good high school time "not fast." How fast or not fast the time is does not factor into why I don't like the slogan. I think it's a very negative way to convey the message. I don't think it's good to tell children that if you aren't in the .1% of achievers, you kinda suck.

The message isn't directed at kids. It's about the environment and expectations coaches create in their programs.

Josh439 wrote:

The message isn't directed at kids. It's about the environment and expectations coaches create in their programs.

The programs that contain kids? The environment the kids are in? The expectations for the kids?

number one sean hater wrote:

Josh439 wrote:

The message isn't directed at kids. It's about the environment and expectations coaches create in their programs.

The programs that contain kids? The environment the kids are in? The expectations for the kids?

The message is that coaches who allow a team culture that 4:20 is fast aren't going to be as successful as coaches who hold their kids to higher standards and establish higher expectations. The focus is on the coaches. He's explained this many times and you guys are taking it too literally. He's not putting down kids, he's putting down coaches who don't hold their athletes to higher standards.

Josh439 wrote:

number one sean hater wrote:

The programs that contain kids? The environment the kids are in? The expectations for the kids?

The message is that coaches who allow a team culture that 4:20 is fast aren't going to be as successful as coaches who hold their kids to higher standards and establish higher expectations. The focus is on the coaches. He's explained this many times and you guys are taking it too literally. He's not putting down kids, he's putting down coaches who don't hold their athletes to higher standards.

Dude, you’re not getting it. Whatever his intentions are , it’s still offensive to a massive proportion of the kids running high school. Eat your words and think of another way to say it as all the Brosnan apologists have in this thread that isn’t being a d!ck. Don’t double down, make t-shirts and stickers to rub it in people’s faces at every opportunity.

True. But he has created the best team in history.