He doesn’t seem arrogant. He seems like every other semi-autistic runner nerd. That was just awkward.
Yeah, but he at least is pretty down to earth. He gives simple interviews and seems like someone the everyman can actually relate to. Grant Fisher and Ethan Strand sound like politicians on the campaign trail when they interview. Graham Blanks is like that too. They are too cerebral and overly detailed and don’t sound natural at all. Everything with them sounds like a rehearsed speech. Cole seems like your cool hippie cousin you can open up a beer with.
Wrong. Politicians aren't cerebral, those guys you mentioned are thoughtful and intelligent. Those aren't rehearsed speeches, they are able to think and speak meaningful sentences.
This post was edited 3 minutes after it was posted.
Yeah, but he at least is pretty down to earth. He gives simple interviews and seems like someone the everyman can actually relate to. Grant Fisher and Ethan Strand sound like politicians on the campaign trail when they interview. Graham Blanks is like that too. They are too cerebral and overly detailed and don’t sound natural at all. Everything with them sounds like a rehearsed speech. Cole seems like your cool hippie cousin you can open up a beer with.
Blanks Fisher and strand give fine interviews. Hocker too. hocker is obnoxious and there's no remedy for adults with obnoxiousness. His obnoxiousness comes from deserved confidence but no knowledge of how to express it in a meaningful way. Some people have confidence and express it in modest ways, others in brash ways. Hocker is stuck in the middle and it's obnoxious (or awkward, choose your adjective)
Hocker isn’t obnoxious at all. The arrogance people may see if ONLY in response to some Jakob comment.
Reporter: “Jakob says he wins that race 9 out of 10 times.”
Reporter: “Jakob says xyz is just the next up.”
Reporter: “Jakob says he was sick.”
Almost none of the athletes offer up anything but responses to Jakob.
Jakob is the only obnoxious one but he is delusional.
Yeah, but he at least is pretty down to earth. He gives simple interviews and seems like someone the everyman can actually relate to. Grant Fisher and Ethan Strand sound like politicians on the campaign trail when they interview. Graham Blanks is like that too. They are too cerebral and overly detailed and don’t sound natural at all. Everything with them sounds like a rehearsed speech. Cole seems like your cool hippie cousin you can open up a beer with.
Wrong. Politicians aren't cerebral, those guys you mentioned are thoughtful and intelligent. Those aren't rehearsed speeches, they are able to think and speak meaningful sentences.
I’m not denying for a second that they are intelligent. Of course they are. My point was that they fit the nerd persona more than Hocker does. I was responding to a poster who said Hocker was nerdy. When Strand gets interviewed he gives all these details like he is writing a sports writer play by play of every move in the race and how he was feeling at every point. Every Fisher interview sounds like a deeply thought out campaign speech. Blanks gives a lot of exogenous details about things in his life that are remote from the race. It’s fine. They just sound much more nerdy than Cole who talks like a traditional athlete would speak. That’s all I am saying.
Didn't make the final and lost at 1500m all year in 2025.
He’s the best the world. Get over it.
People moaning about an Olympic champ in a popular event not being humble enough is a choice. I prefer it to fake humility. Off the track he doesn’t seem like trouble either so good for him.
Wrong. Politicians aren't cerebral, those guys you mentioned are thoughtful and intelligent. Those aren't rehearsed speeches, they are able to think and speak meaningful sentences.
I’m not denying for a second that they are intelligent. Of course they are. My point was that they fit the nerd persona more than Hocker does. I was responding to a poster who said Hocker was nerdy. When Strand gets interviewed he gives all these details like he is writing a sports writer play by play of every move in the race and how he was feeling at every point. Every Fisher interview sounds like a deeply thought out campaign speech. Blanks gives a lot of exogenous details about things in his life that are remote from the race. It’s fine. They just sound much more nerdy than Cole who talks like a traditional athlete would speak. That’s all I am saying.
I think they are all honestly just a bit more well spoken than Cole in some settings*... you have a Harvard, a Stanford, and two UNC grads... and a University of Oregon (drop out?). Surely he got his degree on the side though??? He's not an idiot and you can only run for so long.
Though of course they all possess the basic level of intelligence necessary to be a professional runner so it's a moot point really. I'd imagine (as a generalization) younger runners may love listening to Cole's bravado while some older fans may appreciate the more thoughtful nature of some of the others.
Different preferences, all great runners. Only one champion today (and a DNS).
*but he's always impressed me in long form podcast interviews. maybe he just keeps things more tight lipped in the pre and post race clips.
No. Is Steph Curry too arrogant because he did the night night? Now go find all of the threads on here that talk about nobody wants to watch track because it's boring.
I don't know where y'all are getting your definition of arrogant, but I watched the on-track and post-race interviews, and he didn't come across that way to me at all.
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No. Is Steph Curry too arrogant because he did the night night? Now go find all of the threads on here that talk about nobody wants to watch track because it's boring.
I don't know where y'all are getting your definition of arrogant, but I watched the on-track and post-race interviews, and he didn't come across that way to me at all.
The move Curry stole from at least 244 boxers before his heist?
Made a sleep sign after finishing ahead of Kerr, is this bad for the sport?
His post race interview with JG was more arrogant, saying he is fit enough to run close to the mile WR. I'm always suspect of people who talk about WR shape. The only people who break WR's are those who just come out and get the job done, like Hoey, Jakob, SML, Kipyegon.
Hocker is confident, not arrogant. Maybe you could say he's stubborn with the rail running (and other assorted tactics) but I don't detect arrogance, just belief in his coach, talent, and finish.