Katelyn Tuohy and NC State blasts Flotrack's Gordon Mack

Totally wack responses by many on Instagram.

The reality is that one runner can decide a team's chances -- especially if they finish well behind (or ahead) of expectations. And the fact that one important runner may be trending in one of these directions is both valid and interesting analysis.

I don't want to tune into coverage about the meet just to hear "everyone's going to try their best and we'll see what happens."

Everything he said is true. You don't realize that it is complementary to NC State. Their other runners are going to score in a very small range. Tuohy is scoring 1 to 3 points for example. But he mentioned the one runner who appears to be dropping off which makes it hard to predict her performance. I doubt anyone woud have said anything had he said that OK State's 5th runner could win the meet for them.

so there is no importance to how any of the other runners on any of the other teams (or this team) do? Really?

I don't get why people even watch 2 middle-aged men who lack passion for the sport that only relies on TFRRS and stat pages to have something to say. Most of the time they are blabbing and repeating the same thing. Has no respect for runners.

Ridiculous how distance runners are off limits especially female distance runners. Oh, except if named Valby. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have taken the majority of the blame for their teams' sides.

The youtube video is a full 3 minute segment on Seymour and said a lot more too... I felt bad for her.

That's obviously not the point here. Potential outlier (or unexpected) performances are interesting to consider during pre-race analysis.

Where's the line for you?

Is it too outrageous to specifically mention any single runner? Is no one allowed to say anything that could apply "pressure" to an athlete?

Have you ever watched ESPN? Try it once after a college basketball or football game. Gees.

For clarification, i am referring to the longer YouTube video, not the short Instagram clip.

My point is the premise is false. Whether it is appropriate to key on any one runner, I will leave up to others. But I could equally argue the same point on many other runners on the top teams.

It is not unusual to pinpoint one athlete but he said that of all the 255 runners, it is Seymour's performance that will decide the winner. In cross country, there are five scorers, and there are other teams with a 4th or 5th runner like Seymour who will also affect the team title results greatly. The team title is not decided by one person only, he should know that.

Of course they all matter. If Tuohy has an uncharacteristically awful day like Jenny Simpson did in 2009, then NC State won’t win. But that’s not the point.

The point is Seymour is her team’s X Factor. This is a common and valid talking point in many team sports. The idea is teams contending for a championship often have stars they can rely on to perform at their usual level of excellence. In close contests, then, the ability to win the title can come down to the less heralded athletes on the team.

Think of it this way. If a team has a star runner who wins every race, then on their best day that runner can score 1 point. A subpar performance gets them 3 to 5 points. A bad but not disastrous performance gets them 10 points. Not a huge point swing in either of those scenarios. In contrast, a team’s fifth runner might finish 30th on their best day, 50th on a mediocre day, and 70th on a bad day. That’s a huge point swing that could absolutely decide the outcome.

Nope, that's clearly not yourpoint. You said:

And:

You're clearly implying that the take was inappropriate, which is fundamentally different from arguing that it's incorrect.

However, you can't articulate where the "appropriate" line is (or how it was crossed).

It has to be okay to have a take that is "incorrect" (according to you) or "unpopular" -- that's basically the premise of every sports-related show ever.

These are Tuohy fans. They go nuts if she or NC State is talked about unfavorably.

If it matters any, most every female cross country runner at the D1 level I have ever met, from redshirts to superstars, are all genuinely nice people. Superstar young ladies who balance running, school, family and friends. When recall 2022 NC State women's xc, I see big smiles and feel vibrant energy that inspires me. If they win, they win. If they implode, they implode. It doesnt really matter, I will always remember them for their beautiful smiles.

I would watch it just to see how bad it gets but I don't want to give this guy another "click."

Actually all I did was express my opinion on whether it was appropriate but I will leave it to others for ultimate decision. But if you think the premise that 1 and only 1 of the 255 runners will decide who wins is true I question your knowledge or judgment. As far as him getting interviews, from the reaction of other runners I think my good luck statement has a good basis. There are times this site gets tiresome and this is one of them. If flotrack thinks depending to Steven a Smith type of provocative opinions is good for their business good luck to them too.

Does he still have the dog in him?

Inappropriate or incorrect?