Contemporaries of Pre How Do You Rank Him as a Runner?

You guys have no idea what you're talking about. Football fans will never forget Sean Taylor or Pat Tilman as a player.

Not pertaining to the subject, but as a criticism of you writing style... don't speak in hyperbole so much. Many times you referred to Pre as teh greatest to do this, the greatest to do that and even that he was on track to be the greatest American athlete of something along those lines. I think Jack Nicholson, Bill Russel, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Jim Brown, Jessie Owens... would all take issue with that statement.

Declaring things the greatest when they probably aren't takes away from your credibility.

I know this thread is supposed to be about what Pre's contemporaries thought of him, but they don't seem to be on here. Perhaps they just don't feel like sharing. Too bad. I thought this would be a good thread. Aside from that, I think it's questionable to put Benoit on the list. "Sports entertainment" is not the same as what we're talking about here. But then again, I may be wrong.

Why are we declaring a bunch of other sports deaths part of Pre's comtemparies in the first place?

HRE wrote:

Eventually he'd have retired, gotten internet access, and maybe had a few goes at telling the next generation of runners what he thought they were doing wrong and instead of idolizing him as many do now they'd call him an old fart who doesn't understand how much tougher it is now than in his day.

Huge, massive, obscene, gargantuan, towering, earth-shattering POST OF THE DAY.

the don wrote:

Not pertaining to the subject, but as a criticism of you writing style... don't speak in hyperbole so much. Many times you referred to Pre as teh greatest to do this, the greatest to do that and even that he was on track to be the greatest American athlete of something along those lines. I think Jack Nicholson, Bill Russel, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Jim Brown, Jessie Owens... would all take issue with that statement.

Declaring things the greatest when they probably aren't takes away from your credibility.

Why would "Jack Nicholson" take issue with that statement? Maybe you meant to say, JACK NICKLAUS. Seriously, you are an idiot.

luv2run wrote:

Stringer's death kick off a maelstorm of lawsuits and was directly related to playing his sport.

Exactly. The OP is still in high school so he couldn't have been older than about 7 years old when stringer died but that was a big deal at the time. In terms of the overall American sports community, way bigger effect than Pre's death as it led to common-sense precautions at basically every summer practice for every sport at every level. Anyone remember the timing of Stringer's death relative to the college kid who died of an asthma attack at a college football practice? I seem to recall the asthma death was about a year later and had a similar effect, just didn't generate quite as much publicity as he wasn't a famous professional.

As a friend and teammate, I think what often is missing in any discussion about Pre, especially among the trolls and others who simply want to criticize was his incredible courage and charisma. Pre had an enormous capacity to deal with the pain. He could go to an area where so few dare to tread. I saw most of his races and was always proud at the courage he showed and how competitive he was. He never backed down from anyone. Those of us who were present to see his preparation for Montreal were really eager to see him race. He might not have won or medalled, but he was definitely ready to compete. He had come a long way since Munich and definitely respected his competition, but didn't fear them.

Since when is running about intimdation?

I'm sure if I was to Race Viren, he'd come damn close to lapping me in the 5k. Doesn't mean I'd bow out.

Being a brave runner is nothing, being able to break a man's will by leaving him behind on the last lap of a 5k so much that he falls all the way to 4th.

Now that is something.

I rank Pre number one American because he contributed so much to our sport and created so much interest in our sport. So much so that we are still talking about him 34 years later!

People still talk about Teddy Rosevelt...

Does that mean hunting is the most popular sport ever?

Just want to say I do vaguely remember Stringer's death, though I was young (11 years old). I know how he died and what his death led to (changes in the NFL and other sport's practice regimens, etc.) but in my opinion, I believe Pre's death was more "tragic," or had a greater impact on the sport as a whole (American distance running especially). I feel that Pre ment more to running than Stringer did to football. Though Stringer was a pro bowl lineman, I believe Pre's accomplishments (all the records and impact on U of O, Nike, and distance runners, plus 4th in the Olympics) goes beyond Stringer. Just my opinion and wanted to throw this out there.

Thanks!

I watched Pre race at the White City in London in 69. He ran the 5K in the GB vs US match up. The race was won by Dick Taylor from Ian Stewart in around 13.29 to Stewart's 13.33.

Pre trailed home way over 14 mins and looked like being lapped at one point. It was a race at the end of a long season for Pre.

Ian Stewart the same age as Pre went on to win the European Championship 5K later that year and in 1972 took the bronze ahead of Pre's fourth place in Munich.

Pre went on to improve and became one of the worlds best at 5K. It is logical to assume that he would have run faster given a few more years to develop. However there is no guarantee that he would. He was brilliant on the domestic scene in the US but was beatable in international competition.

Ian Stewart ran his fastest 5k 13.22 in winning the Commonwealth Games in 1970 ahead of Kip Keino and Ron Clarke. The odds were that he would have run much faster in the years that followed but he did not.

I use this example to point out that it is not a given that Pre would have greatly improved given more time.

malmo wrote:

"Pre was the first Nike athlete. He was the first to wear co-founder Bill Bowerman’s spikes with the famous "swoosh" on them. Nike grew because of Pre."

The Nike Koolaid bin hadn't yet been built when Pre was running. Pre was wearing Adidas.

As far as I know, the first athlete to wear Nike in International competition was a high school kid from Lebanon Illinois.

um youre an idiot.

N.O. wrote:

malmo wrote:

"Pre was the first Nike athlete. He was the first to wear co-founder Bill Bowerman’s spikes with the famous "swoosh" on them. Nike grew because of Pre."

The Nike Koolaid bin hadn't yet been built when Pre was running. Pre was wearing Adidas.

As far as I know, the first athlete to wear Nike in International competition was a high school kid from Lebanon Illinois.

um youre an idiot.

How is he an idiot?

Everyone knew Pre preffered Adidas over anything else.

He started wearing Nike clothing in preperation for 1976

I would say as someone who was a high school and collegiate runner of the same era that in terms of the popular press, Jim Ryun, because he was a miler, Shorter, because of his Olympic performances, Prefontaine, because of his collegiate and Olympic efforts, and Mary Slaney because of her races against the Russians, were the most well-known distance runners of the era. Before Mexico City, Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Lee Evans probably got as much press for their world-class performances as collegians in the popular sports press.

This is not about the class of the athlete, but the tragicness of their deaths.

Pre was to distance running in this country in what David Beckam is to soccer in this country now. He was not the greatest, but was the most popular because he had a certain charisma that trancended sport.

I saw him win his 1st NCAA Championship as a freshman, at Drake in 1970 in the 3 mile; with a gashed foot that would have kept many runners from even starting the race. I next saw him win the OT 5k in 1972 in Eugene, in an American record in a place that can only be described as supercharged and electric! He left a huge impression on this senior in high school in July of '72. He was the benchmark in American middle distance running from 1970-1975. A guy who ran all out and left nothing in reserve. He oftentimes staggered to the finish line leaving mere mortals only wishing we could wring that much effort out of our abilities. When he died he held every American record from the 2k to the 10k. Think about that! No, he wasn't fast enough to beat the best in the world in the early 70s, but in America he was 'the man'!