Cade Flatt just ran a 1:54 800 at SECs

I think Newbury Park is Drinking the Cade Flats smoothie now

The guy you're quoting very concisely explains why he is rooting on his downfall.

Flatt's continued arrogance is pathetic. "The best ever" can't get out of the SEC indoor heats as a sophomore. Excellent time for him to drop the schtick.

I'm surprised I never hear coaching brought up around this. Cade has a big personality so it makes sense that most associate any problems with just him, but in every other situation I think the coach would be taking a lot of heat on this. It's hard to fumble a 1:46 guy this much

It’s not the coach’s fault Cade bombed. He’s done nothing in 2 years. It happens but he may want to consider just being a student. He will lose his scholarship this year.

Don't worry he'll be top 3 in the SEC after party (hard to compete with Valby's BF) and all will be well.

Dude's obviously in the wrong program. Why would a guy who ran 46 in hs join a mid-d program? So stupid.

He went from 1:46 in hs (second-fastest all time) to not even breaking 1:50 his freshman year and you don't blame the coach?

Certainly not

this guy was a disaster waiting to happen

what color is that hair anyway

Its always been all about look at me look at me

We're splitting hairs but he waas closer to 47, actually. 46.8ish, IIRC.

He was obviously very mature, physically, in high school. Far more than most of his peers. Historically, those types of athletes don't improve as much as the kids that look age appropriate or even a bit young for their age.

If I'm a collegiate coach I'm going to take the kid that is a 1:50ish 800 guy and closer to 50 over a guy like Cade Flatt that look like he was in his 20s when he was in high school, That's a no brainer, every day of the week. The kid that is less physically mature has a lot more potential and room to grow and, again, those athletes usually end up doing a lot better over the long term.

I agree with others - the schtick is getting old.

Goatee... smh

Things are often multifactorial. It’s likely that both Flatt and his coach can be blamed for his struggles.

Doubt the hair color is the problem.

His form looked labored and a little uneven in that heat, and he had some kind of tape or wrap on his left lower leg. I’m guessing he’s been hampered by an injury. Maybe he’ll be able to turn things around and maybe he won’t. I’m not holding my breath.

If he got a DUI, rape charge or developed a drinking problem I'd agree with you that his personality got in the way of his success.... but that's not what happened.

He got injured and ran like sh!t at a program with a coach who probably has no clue on how to develop him. If you want to blame Flatt for his lack of success, it would be choosing the wrong program, probably because he watched too much Everett Smulders and wanted to be at a school with guys who fit his "alpha" persona over a program with a coach who is able to develop him.

How can you blame the coach when Flatt famously only ran 5 miles a week in high school? Did the coach cut his mileage to 2 miles a week?

Choosing a program because of Everett Smulders and wanting to be around "alphas" would be the epitome of letting your personality get in the way of success.

I think this would be a fair point if he didn't run f*cking 1:50 after getting injured running under a mid-distance coach. I don't think being tall and muscular at 18/19 means you'll never improve.

I never said that "being tall and muscular at 18/19 means you'll never improve."

What I was trying to convey is that the kid that looks age-appropriate in high school more than likely has more room to improve and historically has had a higher top-end. Flatt looked like a grown man when he was in high school.

Yeah but you can't directly blame his lack of success to that, he still could have run well with his alpha ole miss bros if his coach was smarter. Flatt didn't walk on to Ole Miss which means that a coach gave him a scholarship without realizing that a 400/800 type like Flatt wouldn't respond to his training plan or refused to tailor his plan to Flatt's abilities. Total waste of a scholarship and talent by the coaching staff. At this point if Flatt doesn't transfer to any one of the 800 power houses in Texas if things don't improve, the blame goes to him.

Talent does not disappear at age 19 or 20 or whatever.

Hope he bounces back

I agree. This looks like a coaching problem. Cade is much thinner and less muscular than he was in high school. That's what happens when someone switches from short to long training. Totally a guess, but I wonder if the coach has put him on high(er) mileage and his body type just can't handle it.

My personal experience as a short to long guy is that the endurance training is taking so much out of him that he can't put in the quality shorter intervals workouts that he was doing in high school.

He needs a new coach.