I just don't get these boards sometimes. You'd think a definition of a word, or a what a word means wouldn't have that much affect on people, or at least not enough to distract from the powerful running through injury that Harris showed. It's ok to commend people on pushing through adverse conditions, even if there are those who go through harder ones.
This is the type of person that would tell their children not to complain about having anxiety in school because there are starving children in Africa and they have it worse. Obviously we all know that Harris is not fighting a war, nobody claimed that he was on that level, but to think you need to put other people down to raise them up is a ridiculously antiquated notion that also shows the age/ignorance of the people here.
Anyways, kudos to Harris for running as well as he did in an event outside of his wheelhouse, even if he got injured.
And I hope next time the heroic-word purists gets injured etc. that somebody tells them to suck it up and not see the doctor because there are some people who deserve it more.
What you say makes some sense, I admit. However, I'd also like to point out that Rojo didn't just say Harris was heroic. He said he was "absolutely HEROIC". There's a difference, at least to me. If he'd said "Harris gave a heroic effort", I'd have no problem with that. But the way Rojo phrased it, it's almost like he's intentionally trolling people. And on a more literary level, I do believe that overuse of superlatives renders them meaningless. It's like, if an MLB player is deemed a "genius" for letting a pop fly hit the ground and then turning a double play, what's left to label a person who is extremely advanced intellectually?
How about "Harris showed great spirit and mental toughness"?
Cowardice is the new courage. Had he not shown up to race and cited "the flipsies" or some other made up mental problem he would receive a standing ovation on national television.
This should have been one of those rare and beautiful Letsrun threads where everyone agrees to appreciate something truly applause-worthy. It’s frustrating that trolls or people genuinely blockheaded enough (or bitter enough about life) to denigrate the heroism of that second lap have marred this thread.
That had to freaking hurt, kudos to Harris for being tough as nails and valuing his team over his own preservation.
One can "appreciate something truly applause-worthy" without finding the act to be "heroic" (a word that is almost always nonsense when applied to sports). Running into a burning house to save people who are trapped inside is heroic. Finishing a race with a pulled muscle is not.
Sports are just entertainment. Aside from some very rare events like Jesse Owens smacking down the idea of Aryan supremacy on Hitler's own turf, things that happen in sports aren't important enough to be heroic.
Not hating on Harris. I'm a fan and sis performance was, as you say, applause-worthy. But using the word "heroic" to describe finishing a race after pulling a muscle is just over the top. If anyone is "denigrating heroism," it's the people who devalue the word by applying it to sports.
Semantics. Just appreciate the human effort to the fight or flight response. Chill.
It'd be cool if for once an entire thread isn't overshadowed by somebody misusing a word and going on a huge tangent about it. Might as well rename this thread to "lets talk about the definition of 'heroic' instead of track and field".
I will say, however, that in the CONTEXT of sports, I'd call this a heroic moment (the literal definition of being heroic is showing extreme courage, which is exactly what Harris did.). Obviously he's not fighting in a war, nor is he a hero on the same level as a firefighter or something, but I think we can all use relativity here instead of being so painfully literal and anal about it.
Big shoutout to Harris for gutting through such an unfortunate injury and finishing though! Most would just drop out. Also a really stupid rule that only the winner of each heat advances with the 3 fastest losers...not every day someone placing second doesn't advance.
Semantics. Just appreciate the human effort to the fight or flight response. Chill.
I agree with LRC and others here: this is true grit.
Sad spectrum boys appear to be getting their laces tied in knots because of the word "hero" being used, making asinine comparisons to soldiers in combat.
(1) "Sports heroics" are widely discussed in mainstream society, and understood by adults not to be equal to wartime heroics.
(2) This isn't the point. The point is that he ran through surely tremendous pain and put his team and nation ahead of his own wellbeing.
WOW. My god as that was epically HEROIC as I LOVED that a LOT and a TON as I nearly fell off my chair as my friend agrees with me as it is now time for my hourly nap as I have just finished my hourly TV watching.
With all the things going on in the world, this is what you find to be "heroic"?
WTH. What's wrong with everybody on this?
No, running in circles is never "heroic" when compared to real life sacrifice, courage, and heroism. Of course not.
But this isn't real life, is it? It's sport. A contrived world where human limits are pushed; where rivalries are battled out; where we can worship our idols and loathe our enemies; where we can be amazed and inspired by phenomenal displays of the human spirit; where pain and, yes, sacrifice, are admired and applauded. Where heroism does exist; yes, here within the realm of sport.
This should have been one of those rare and beautiful Letsrun threads where everyone agrees to appreciate something truly applause-worthy. It’s frustrating that trolls or people genuinely blockheaded enough (or bitter enough about life) to denigrate the heroism of that second lap have marred this thread.
That had to freaking hurt, kudos to Harris for being tough as nails and valuing his team over his own preservation.
One can "appreciate something truly applause-worthy" without finding the act to be "heroic" (a word that is almost always nonsense when applied to sports). Running into a burning house to save people who are trapped inside is heroic. Finishing a race with a pulled muscle is not.
Sports are just entertainment. Aside from some very rare events like Jesse Owens smacking down the idea of Aryan supremacy on Hitler's own turf, things that happen in sports aren't important enough to be heroic.
Not hating on Harris. I'm a fan and sis performance was, as you say, applause-worthy. But using the word "heroic" to describe finishing a race after pulling a muscle is just over the top. If anyone is "denigrating heroism," it's the people who devalue the word by applying it to sports.
If not "heroic", what is a better word to use.
"applause-worthy" is when you do what is expected or better than expected. In Harris' case, he could have walked off the track the moment he felt a twinge and no one would have said anything. Perhaps that is what he would have done had he been in an individual race, but he was on a relay and literally put his entire career in jeopardy for the team. That's heroic.
Sports has it's bad guys and good guys it's villians and it's heroes, Add Isaiah Harris to that hero list and yes what he did was very heroic and that should be very obvious.
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