Sell on Ritz

I thought that they were sooo blue collar that they didn't need weights or any core stuff. No stretching, no massage, no physio, no water, no breathe rights, no under watter treadmills, no..............

After reading your last three posts, it's incredibly transparent that your dislike for the Hanson's organization stems not from Mr. Sell's "blue collar" image, but rather from a shortcoming in your own running and personality.

My quick conclusion of you is that you expressed an interest to be on the Hansons team, they turned you down, and you're now a bitter little beeotch. In the alternative, you are a 15 year old high school kid on the junior varsity squad and you engage in sword fights with your buddies in your parents' basement. Under either scenario, you are a total piker.

Nice response and typical. Since you are unable to defend "the hanson hypocrits", you simply attack me. I have never been turned down by the blue collar association. However, for the sake of argument, lets say I have. How does that change the fact that you have this group of well sponsored athletes crying about how rough they have it? The worst in the bunch is Brian Sell who receives the most. CRYING IS NOT BLUE COLLAR.

I Hate Hansons wrote:

CRYING IS NOT BLUE COLLAR.

You're the only one I see crying.

Check out www.athleticore.com and then tell me that I am the only one crying.

Is there a specific example, or should we just look at 6000 days worth of 15 logs??

I see a lot of blue collar comments posted, but I'm missing all of the crying done by the Hansons runners. Just where are you seeing this?

I don't see Sell doing any "crying." I never have.

I Hate Hansons wrote:

I thought that they were sooo blue collar that they didn't need weights or any core stuff. No stretching, no massage, no physio, no water, no breathe rights, no under watter treadmills, no..............

Clearly you don't know what blue collar is. Would you call Larry the Cable Guy "blue collar?"

You have the right to think that the blue collar label of Hansons runners is cheesy and misleading, but don't claim that the runners in the program gave themselves that label. The Hansons runners are no different from other runners around the country who are chasing the same dream. They all work very hard and most of them make very little money from running. Lots of people seem to think that Hasons runners are rolling around in free Saturns and a pimped out bus, but in reality most of them are scraping by just like every other runner on the fringe of the elite.

Many elites (even the fringe guys) don't know how good they have it. I lost my job 3 months ago and will likely lose my house in the next 6 months.

Is there any chance you will not have a roof over your head?

I am 36 years old and haven't been able to afford airfare to fly anywhere in the last 3 years,

Have any of you been on an airplane in the last 3 year or stayed in a Hotel or eaten a decent meal out?

If you have a guaranteed roof over your head and the ability to travel and eat out, you are in much better shape financially than most guys in their mid 30's. Be thankful as I am jealous of all of you "fringe guys".

I Hate Hansons wrote:

I hate Hansons and Brian Sell for just that reason. They have a great sponsorship deal and as many perks as any place in the country but they always try to act like they are the hardworking underdogs. They pull up in a pimped out bus or spend the winter in Florida and then cry about how rough life is. Cry me a river. How many guys are on food stamps? How many guys are living out of their cars?

1) They do not spend winters in Florida, they spend winters in Michigan, running outside everyday at 7am regardless the temp or conditions. (They do go to Florida at times to train before races in Florida, such as the 15K champs)

2) They do not have a team bus. When they did it was at Saturn's discression.

3) Underdogs is probably right for the vast majority of the team. We've all heard of the Brian Sells and Mike Kilburgs but have you ever heard of Mike Morgan when you were in college? How about Nick Arciniaga? Pat Rizzo? Carol Jefferson? Paul Jellema? Fred Joslyn? ect? I think Morgan was a 30:30 10k runner! I would call that an underdog!!!

4) Guys on food stamps? Possibly three. Also, housing is included in the deal... So I would be very surprised to find one of them living in their car, but I hear many are just getting by day-to-day. The Hansons do NOT pay the runners a salary for running. It is performance based bonuses.

5) How many normal runners are living in their cars, on food stamps? Just your Hollywood hero Steve Prefontaine...

In conclusion, it is stupid to make assumptions based on your gut feelings. Please keep your ignorance to yourself, this is a big boy conversation. But I agree that the term "blue collar runner" is dumb. What runner isn't tough or 'blue-collar' at the professional level? NONE.

What makes you think that attractiveness has anything to do with blue collar? You've said it three times already. What, blue collar workers can't have hot wives?

Ducks SUX wrote:

Many elites (even the fringe guys) don't know how good they have it. I lost my job 3 months ago and will likely lose my house in the next 6 months.

Is there any chance you will not have a roof over your head?

I am 36 years old and haven't been able to afford airfare to fly anywhere in the last 3 years,

Have any of you been on an airplane in the last 3 year or stayed in a Hotel or eaten a decent meal out?

If you have a guaranteed roof over your head and the ability to travel and eat out, you are in much better shape financially than most guys in their mid 30's. Be thankful as I am jealous of all of you "fringe guys".

What? Sorry you suck, but that's not any of the athlete's faults. They can't afford to fly themselves to races either, the race directors and sponsors who HIRE them pay those for them. Running is their job. Some will lose their jobs, just like you. They will complain about their daily troubles just like you and they will run 100-160mpw, unlike you, to chase a silly dream. What a bunch of wimps, trying to do something they enjoy and are good at. Heck they shouldn't get anything in return for the advertising they do for the races and sponsors they run for.

A job is a job and you chose yours.

Go professional running!

I hate Hansons has created a straw dummy so that he can continue to tilt at windmills. Sad little bitch.

Larry,

Are they just "getting by"? Don't these athletes ever travel? If you have the ability to travel and stay in nice hotels and eat out, you are doing far more than just "getting by". That is a quality of life that is EXPECTED amongst "fringe athlete". Most of us in the real world would give up an awful lot to ever be able to do that.

Ducks SUX wrote:

Larry,

Are they just "getting by"? Don't these athletes ever travel? If you have the ability to travel and stay in nice hotels and eat out, you are doing far more than just "getting by". That is a quality of life that is EXPECTED amongst "fringe athlete". Most of us in the real world would give up an awful lot to ever be able to do that.

Yes they travel, of course they travel. That's part of their JOB.

Like my friend Harry explained, "if someone else is paying for it, it doesn't mean you're not just scraping by." These athletes get meals and a hotel for a few days per month. While they are gone they still have bills to pay.

Of course runners would expect to be treated well by their employers. If you worked for IBM and they had a conference in Newwark, NJ they would be expected to pay for your travel and a hotel if they expected you to be there. Same is true for these 'workers'.

Blue collar propoganda wrote:

I think that Brian Sell is trying to live up to an image. He is not a red neck or a blue collar runner. This is simply an image that Hansens and Brooks has made for him. His working is simply to help portray this image.

Spot on comment.

He reminds me of an 80's teen idol like Corey Feldman or something that was hot for a while, then his act died real quick and everyone knows it but him.

Sell can take his act and shove it up his ass.

Sell's email is readily available on the Hansons website. Why don't you tell him yourself, instead of hiding behind a fake name on letsrun?