Hammmy wrote:
Let me break it down:
Symmonds, Wheating, Smith = 800 popularity on Letsrun
Jones, Grey, Kersh, Parilla, Robinson =who cares about 800.
Guess who has faster PR's and more medals?
Now guess who is white?
I don't disagree with you, but the spelling error gave me a chuckle in this context.
It doesn't hurt to be white in the U.S. That's not news. But the bottom line here is that Robbie Andrews is probably the biggest story in NCAA track right now. The German Fernandez [who, refreshingly, won last year's popularity contest over a very good white guy] of 2010. The guy who we can see breaking the junior, collegiate, and American records before he graduates from college.
GF is White as are people of Mediterranean origin such as Hispanic-Whites, Latinos, Cubans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Italians, Semitics, Jews, Arabs, Greeks, Tunisans, Morroccans, Egyptians.
Kaki vs. Rudisha, Wheating vs. Andrews. A lot of excitement right there.
GF is White wrote:GF is White as are people of Mediterranean origin such as Hispanic-Whites, Latinos, Cubans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Italians, Semitics, Jews, Arabs, Greeks, Tunisans, Morroccans, Egyptians.
Now that you have mastered Wikipedia, it's time to move onto some scholarly articles on the social construction of race.
O.K. It says there's only one race. The human race. Our original ancestors are from the Rift Valley in Kenya.
It also says a lot about why latinos don't usually think of themselves as "white," and why they are less likely to reap the benefits of whiteness.
Strategy is great as long as white people are in the race.
Whites are from the Mediterranean region.
Back to the original question...
I think it has a lot to do with the fact that athletes with a wide variety of talents ("toolboxes") can succeed in the race. It's not just the person with the most speed, the most strength, etc -- people can win from a variety of genetic and training backgrounds. Makes it exciting to watch, and surely enticing to pursue.
yet the reality is skin color has always been the #1 problem and is why they united states of america is considered the most racist nation in the recorded history of the human existence.you haven't been to many countries, nor studied much history, have you?
White are 2nd class citizens in the USA. Black on White crimes is 8000% more than White on Black crime. Whites are terrorized daily. If you are a poor white it's much much worse, nor do you get the cradle to grave welfare that blacks get.
Ignoring all of the dumb answers, I would say (1) it's an exciting distance because it's basically the fastest run race with runners not in their own lanes and a significant tactical element (kicking, positioning, etc. vs. the 400 and below where tactics play a smaller role and everyone is separated in their own lanes), and (2) the races are short so you watch them easily and the tension is high the whole race -- it's the closest you get to a human horse race. When you get to the 5000 and longer, it really takes a distance enthusiast to pay close attention the whole time.
Plus, there are a lot of good 800 runners out there now and some good rivalries which makes people pay attention to what is an inherently exciting distance.
the 800 is my favourite event.
and yes, it's because it's like a horse race.
it is also true that white people root for whites, blacks for blacks, browns for browns, etc.
This is it.
William Peterson wrote:
Perhaps it has something to do with guys like Symmonds, Wheating and Andrews. All three of these guys have charisma.
1 Race wrote:
O.K. It says there's only one race. The human race. Our original ancestors are from the Rift Valley in Kenya.
This.
There is only one race. This idea of there being different races has no basis in science and is a socially constructed concept, that has been brought upon by those who looked to gain from separating people based on physical characteristics.
And, like someone said these guys have Charisma and have strong finishes, which people like to see.
It is because anyone can look like hero for 400m.
Mlou wrote:
And, like someone said these guys have Charisma and have strong finishes, which people like to see.
It seems anyone who is white has charisma on Letsrun.
sprints hurdles are still the most popular t&f events. that's how l.a. county folk brought back 9 usa t&f medals from 2009 worlds just this past august.
sprints are always popular. people are finally realizing that the 800 is the longest sprint, not the shortest distance event