does Rupp train with Oregon or Salazar?

I apologize that I forgot Bloom was a skiier not a snowboarder. I was going from memory and was obviously wrong.

My point was the situations aren't comparable. Bloom wanted to keep receiving endorsement money for skiing while playing NCAA football. I don't see any correlation with Rupp.

Some people will believe what they want to believe, but I'll just make a couple of points and end my debate.

Rupp was never a pro. He always tried to maintain his eligibility by paying for items he should have in between his high school career and enrolling at Oregon. The NCAA ruled he should have paid for additional items, so he had to pay back all items that were ruled improper benefits prior to being eligible at Oregon. I don't remember the exact amount, but my memory is it was reported to be between $10,000 and $15,000 (please correct me if I'm wrong). Either way, it wasn't professional athlete money. This is not unique to Rupp. There are all kinds of examples of athletes at the NCAA level being alllowed to pay back benefits the NCAA ruled were improper, to maintain their eligibility.

I you don't like the fact that Rupp has Salazar as his primary coach, that is fine. However, other than that arrangement I don't see him doing anything that isn't something many other athletes at major programs could do. There is nothing stopping other athletes from having an altitude tent. Some schools have access to anti-gravity or underwater treadmills. Either way, those items aren't where most of Rupp's 100+ mile weeks happen. The same as anyone else, he's putting in the work. I wish him the best on the 24th.

hayward102 wrote:

Rupp was never a pro. He always tried to maintain his eligibility by paying for items he should have in between his high school career and enrolling at Oregon. The NCAA ruled he should have paid for additional items, so he had to pay back all items that were ruled improper benefits prior to being eligible at Oregon. I don't remember the exact amount, but my memory is it was reported to be between $10,000 and $15,000 (please correct me if I'm wrong). Either way, it wasn't professional athlete money. This is not unique to Rupp. There are all kinds of examples of athletes at the NCAA level being alllowed to pay back benefits the NCAA ruled were improper, to maintain their eligibility.

If Rupp had NOT been considered a pro, as you assert, then there would have been no need for Nike to send a significant legal team to Eugene for two weeks of intense negotiations with NCAA and UofO to get Rupp reinstated as an "amateur". Nike has since made a concerted effort to minimize the ongoing professional relationship between themselves and Rupp. Anything less would be an admission of Rupp's pro status.

What's going on below the waist in that pic? And I'm not angling for some lewd joke---I'm genuinely curious about that treadmill setup.

Rupp was never considered a pro. You are simply wrong. It is amazing how so many people on this board seem to know all the details of the situation better than the NCAA and the parties involved in the situation. If people don't like Rupp, that's fine. But, he was never a pro, and was never trying to be a pro. The NCAA reviewed his case, and like many other athletes, gave him a chance to pay back some benefits they ruled he should have paid for the first time around. Those are in addition to the other expenses he had already paid to make sure he maintained his amateur status. These expenses have been no small sum for the Rupp family. Obviously they have made the choice to take the route they've taken and pay the expenses, but it is disrespectful to them to get on here and suggest that Rupp has had his way paid for by Nike, and was enjoying a financial gravy train.

RUPP GETS LEGAL HELP IN DEALING WITH NCAA

Summary: The distance star's family, saying it has nothing to hide, hires a law firm familiar with the governing body's machinations

Galen Rupp's wait for clearance from the NCAA to run for the University of Oregon track and field team has moved into a second week, and his parents have retained the law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King to help.

"They gave us some advice," said Greg Rupp, Galen's father. "They told us we need to be completely honest with Galen's travel expenses, and things like clothes and supplements he might have taken. We have nothing to hide."

Bond, Schoeneck & King -- which has offices in Florida, New York and Overland Park, Kan. -- is a popular choice for athletic departments being investigated by the NCAA. In the past year, Fairfield, St. John's, McNeese State, Missouri and Mississippi State have used the firm to help with infractions cases.

The firm's Web site boasts the "first successful defense to an allegation of lack of institutional control in an infractions case involving a major violation."

Greg Rupp said his family submitted canceled checks, credit card statements and other documents for review to show that they have paid the runner's way during the time he trained with the Nike-funded Oregon Project since his graduation from Central Catholic High School last June.

"We were told it could take a few weeks," Greg Rupp said of the NCAA's review process, noting that it has been about two weeks already.

Galen Rupp, 18, has been no stranger to controversy since he rose to prominence in national meets as a high school junior, training under Alberto Salazar. He is a popular subject on Internet forums, as are his perceived advantages from working with Salazar, a Nike employee and Oregon alumnus.

Last summer, Galen Rupp set U.S. high school records for the 3,000 and 5,000 meters.

Greg Rupp said he hoped his son would have an answer from the NCAA this week. The length of the review might just be for the sake of being thorough, he said.

"In a way, it doesn't surprise me, just because of the controversy that he's caused throughout his running career," Greg Rupp said. "People delight in scrutinizing his every move."

Doug Binder: 503-221-8161;

dougbinder@news.oregonian.com

Who gives a crap who he's coached by ? What's with the envy anyway - enjoy the talent, its special and not seen everyday !

maybe Salazar should be the Oregon U coach? and coach the whole team?

Bekele wrote:

Who gives a crap who he's coached by ? What's with the envy anyway - enjoy the talent, its special and not seen everyday !

google St. Patrick's Kenya...

What the hell is that thing? What happened to just plain training?

The issue here is that he uses different facilities than what the other runners use and is coached by someone on the Nike payroll Salazar. How that's legal makes no sense to me. Yes he is coached by Salazar and no Salazar is not a coach at Oregon. Nike tried to force the old coaches hand to have him be the assistant coach, and Martin Smith fought it, in fact that's what caused him to lose his job. Martin didn't want the distraction of a runner on the team not being coached by him, but being coached by someone on Nike's payroll. Nike leaned on the AD to cut Martin loose and that's a fact. Call it what you want but those are the facts. In the end Rupp should have just gone pro and people probably would really like him and be behind him. Him being coached by a person who is shady at best when it comes to the coaching world, and is not a coach at Oregon, has not helped his cause.

While it's true that Rupp's parents consulted outside attorneys in the matter. It was Nike's legal team that negotiated Rupp's return to amateur status, not the parents council. You seem to forget, if you ever really knew, what a big deal getting Rupp declared "amateur" was.

How much do you think those two weeks of negotiating cost?

One hell of-a-lot more than was ever disclosed.

And who pays Salazar's salary as he spends a considerable amount of clock time with Rupp? The parents? UofO?

Rupp's parents did repay some token amount, although it's nothing even close to what Nike has spent on him.

I'll be happy when this whole sham is over. Once Rupp is out of college he'll have his fan boys like Mrr82 and hayward102, but I doubt it will take long until no one else even cares.

Bowerman and Pre would have hated Galen Rupp. Salad Bar is a shame and the whole situation is a joke. Buck Knight should be ashamed at himself for dishonoring his former coaches legacy by allowing this to happen. After Bowermans hand in getting Nike off of the ground they tarnish the image of Oregon. For shame Phil Knight for shame.

Bowerman hates Rupp wrote:

Bowerman and Pre would have hated Galen Rupp. Salad Bar is a shame and the whole situation is a joke. Buck Knight should be ashamed at himself for dishonoring his former coaches legacy by allowing this to happen. After Bowermans hand in getting Nike off of the ground they tarnish the image of Oregon. For shame Phil Knight for shame.

Rupp was the 1st non-African in the 10,000m at the Olympic Games at the age of 22. A special talent like this only comes around every once in a while. Who cares if he's coached by Salazar and has access to all kinds of expensive, fancy devices? If we want an American-born kid to have a chance to win a medal, let's all support him and wish him the best of luck.

Do you think the Arkansas guys in the 80's and 90's didn't get all kinds of "outside support" from Tyson and other benefactors? Big deal. We should be proud! Track and Field is on a similar level of big time college football and basketball!

Bowerman hates Rupp wrote:

Bowerman and Pre would have hated Galen Rupp. Salad Bar is a shame and the whole situation is a joke. Buck Knight should be ashamed at himself for dishonoring his former coaches legacy by allowing this to happen. After Bowermans hand in getting Nike off of the ground they tarnish the image of Oregon. For shame Phil Knight for shame.

Rupp is an amateur athlete being afforded tremendous opportunity to test himself against the best the world has to offer; Galen Rupp is everything Prefontaine wanted for American athletes. Now we just need to take Rupp as the perfect example, and make that the chance for all American athletes (baby steps).

I can't blame Rupp for taking the opportunities he's been given. It would be hard for anyone to turn down the resources he's been offered let alone a young man such as himself. The same I believe is true of Alberto. He found a great talent and Nike has the facilities and resources to pamper a talent like him so why not do so. So on both accounts I can't really blame Rupp/Alberto for doing everything that they can to make Rupp be the best athlete that he can be.

The thing that bothers me is how Nike completely rearranged the coaching staff twice at U of O just for Rupp and then he ended up working solely with Alberto anyway. The advantages he gets in facilities over every other collegiate athlete is immeasurable. It isn't that Rupp or Alberto are bad people per se, but it is just so unfair for every other college kid and its university to compete against Rupp and Nike.

Rupp went pro in 2004 and let's face it, he is still a pro. The NCAA schedule is simply an easy system to use to cherry pick races against some good competition.

Again like I said, can't blame Rupp for being lead in the direction that Alberto took him. And I understand that Alberto wants the best for a talent like Rupp, but it is not fair to everyone else.

who really cares? wrote:

How do you pronounce it....OreGON or OreGEN? I think neither is right or wrong, just wondering what the general consensus is.

The summer I took classes at U of O, I noticed there were shirts in the bookstore that said "Orygun".

You figure it out.

who really cares? wrote:

How do you pronounce it....OreGON or OreGEN? I think neither is right or wrong, just wondering what the general consensus is.

Neither. It's OR-eh-gun. Emphasis on the first syllable.

A thread by the430miler just made the front page of letsrun. Wow.

i think you are all forgetting a former duck by the name of joaquim cruz. EXACT same situation.

kebert xela wrote:

Once Rupp is out of college he\'ll have his fan boys like Mrr82 and hayward102, but I doubt it will take long until no one else even cares.

I\'m far from a Rupp fan boy. I do however, wonder where the vindictive spirit of many on here comes from. There are some legitimate criticism/points made about the situation at Oregon that, while I don\'t completely agree with, I understand where they come from. However, the majority of the criticism is people regurgitating stuff they\'ve heard from someone else and repeating it as fact. A lot of the stuff Rupp is criticized for, the insults, etc. are ridiculous. Luckily 95% of the people I\'ve met as an athlete and coach don\'t resemble those making the comments I read on here. I\'ll leave the rest of the debate for others.