Yeah, there really is no deeper underlying reasons for the Rupp bashing other than the fact that he is the epitome of a total geeky runner nerd. He's not at all "cool" or manly but is rather dweeby, lanky and posseses some less than masculine qualities. And no not every runner is like this, its possible to be fast, cool and a total bro/baller (like myself) and still enjoy running.
How does a person get "reinstated" when they were never "instated"? Had this been a sprinter(with dark skin and no affiliation to Nike), this wouldn't have been allowed. What ethical standards are those: pay back the money and your ok. I don't care about his parents taking a out a zillion mortgages, it was underhanded. People recognized the situation for what it was and have zero respect for the guy. In his defense, Salazar was behind this whole thing, the guy has no standards. Is this the way a "born again Christian" should act. Lastly, using the excuse of a coaches change(they ran Martin Smith out of town), is all you got. Wow you must be on Salazar's payroll. Martin Smith had "won" everywhere he had been(check the record). If he were not adequate, why did they hire him in the first place?
I don't know if hate is the right description, but the guy is definitely disrespected on here. He looks look a tool (breathe right strip?), he comes off as a tool in interviews, and he's Alberto's prodigy: this is a very ripe combination for ridicule and disrespect. The guy is a great runner but needs to step it up with the big boys already or he'll never receive a benefit of the doubt. That or he needs to menace and beatdown someone like Carol Miller as a show of strength. Ah anyway, it's a crappy perception to have but that's where it stands.
there are not many Americans with better pbs at 5/10 than GR.
Martin Smith eliminated the distance program at Oregon and carried that tradition to Oklahoma? Where did Oklahoma finish at XC nationals again? 11th? Seems like the distance team is rapidly on the upswing. Such bullshit on this forum.
Unethical wrote:
How does a person get "reinstated" when they were never "instated"? Had this been a sprinter(with dark skin and no affiliation to Nike), this wouldn't have been allowed. What ethical standards are those: pay back the money and your ok. I don't care about his parents taking a out a zillion mortgages, it was underhanded. People recognized the situation for what it was and have zero respect for the guy. In his defense, Salazar was behind this whole thing, the guy has no standards. Is this the way a "born again Christian" should act. Lastly, using the excuse of a coaches change(they ran Martin Smith out of town), is all you got. Wow you must be on Salazar's payroll. Martin Smith had "won" everywhere he had been(check the record). If he were not adequate, why did they hire him in the first place?
Now we're getting somewhere. Nike/Salazar was behind Smith's ouster AND getting Rupp his "amateur" status. The whole thing was a big crooked cluster f#*k.
Rupp is a nice guy and a great talent, but will never be "the one".
What hurts Rupps image most on letsrun are the vapid drooling fanboys, screeching that anyone who doesn't profess high levels of irrational Rupp-love lives in their mothers basement and is crippled by dangerous and dysfunctional jealousy. I think it's the fanboys who are hiding in the basement.
You neglected to read the second half of the message, or didn't care.
I would be careful to say -many- other runners because Rupp has a whole lot of accomplishments, but you're correct in your core point that other runners do have many similar, if not greater accolades to their name. So what is the problem?
Well, as I stated before, it's jealousy COMBINED with Rupp's public persona. He's not well spoken, he's not particularly attractive (his breath right strips don't really help with his goofiness), and he has extremely careful standards about where he races. To the overly judgmental on these boards, it gives Rupp an effeminate, prissy, pampered quality that isn't helped by his shady pre-college pro dealings.
Thus, (and this isn't a psychoanalysis - just common sense) people get angry that Rupp is accomplishing things far beyond what they have and ever will. No one hates Solinsky because he's a little better spoken, and gives off a masculine, hard working aura.
I don't hate Rupp. I like to see Americans succeed so I'm happy when he does well. But I cringe every time he gets interviewed on TV.
Rupp portrays himself as the stereotypical geeky running nerd. As a high school coach, I see Solinsky, Wheating, Tegenkamp, Sell, etc. as the preferred image for the general public to see in distance runners: athletic-looking young men who aren't running just because they can't do anything else. As a coach, I'm trying to make cross country a legitimate choice, and get these types of athletes before the football coaches do. Rupp has the look of the kid who was too wimpy to play football, which reinforces the stereotype.
Honestly, I don't think anyone actually hates Rupp. However, Rupp does have fans that take their obsession to the extreme. So extreme that any mention of the realities surrounding Rupp like his effeminate geekyness, questions about eligibility, Nike Salazar getting Martin Smith fired, etc automatically elicit accusations of hatred, even "visceral" (oh my!), and the old rupp-love gem, jealousy.
Again, Rupp is a great runner and a nice guy with a bright future, but the controversy he's associated with will probably dog him forever. AND, no matter how good Rupp is, he is ultimately beatable.
Major Lazer wrote:
Martin Smith eliminated the distance program at Oregon and carried that tradition to Oklahoma? Where did Oklahoma finish at XC nationals again? 11th? Seems like the distance team is rapidly on the upswing. Such bullshit on this forum.
5 or 6 years at a fully funded program for a double digit ncaa placing? wowee. talent falls off around 5th place and gets pretty shabby at the double digits.
consider that he went from at team at oregon who at least placed in the single digits to a team that didn't even make the ncaa meet, to a team at oklahoma who after 5 years on the "rapid upswing" finishes 11th at ncaa cross. how many runners did he have in an ncaa final in track over the past couple years?
if that is your definition of a good distance coach you have some very soft standards.
antipode wrote:
[quote]the bearer of truth wrote:
Allow me to clarify: he's a perfectly nice guy, not a jerk, but he's a specific subset of "nice guy": a sweet, pretty-boyish, non-masculine guy. Nothing wrong with that; it's just not the beau ideal of our time. And, as that, he reminds many of boys here of themselves: their skinny, gawky, non-masculine selves. So they project their hatred of themselves onto Rupp and make him a scapegoat for their own fears and insecurities. The "Rupp = g*y" insult is part of that. Posters here seem to feel that if they keep insisting Rupp is g*y, it will reasssure them that they are NOT g*y.
Older men secure in their masculinity and sexuality, like me, don't feel the same need to denigrate Rupp, his presumed sexual orientation, etc. We're able to cheer him on without feeling the hollow sense that, in making a non-masculine pretty boy an object of admiration, we're in danger of being sucked into some imagined g*y swamp.
Haha, hit the nail on the head and the funny thing is we've seen posters on this very thread display this (and their denial of it) to the fullest! It's actually amusing if it wasn't damaging to a top notch runner.
I dont like him and heres why
1. The connection with Al Sal and the grey area with regards to illegal use of drugs
2. How much resources he had in high school, such as Al Sal
3. The altitude tend, underwater treadmill and so on, all the resources that many runners dont have
4. While at Oregon he was essentially a pro, then allowed to run again.
5. He sits on people and then kicks for the win, never does any work on his own. But when its time to do work he complains
6. He's a sore loser
7. No charisma
8. He ran a workout at the 08 trials and took the spot of somebody in the finals
9. The shirt with the holes in it and the nose strip
10. He paraded his girlfriend around
I respect him and his great accomplishments, but because I respect something doesn't mean I like it, and I don't everything. Its my choice not to like him, and thats why.
haha wrote:
You guys are all trying to hard to psychoanalyze the "Rupp haters." Rupp just kind of comes off like a douche on a regular basis. That's all. People don't like douches.
Perception is projection, most of the time.
The facts and the records, and the numerous interviews show Rupp to be an individual of kindness and grace, raised in a religious family.
The fact that certain people are so psychologically sick that they choose to judge him for what they project as his not being square jawed or something -- says more about them, than him.
When you watch videos of runners who have been teammates or trained with Galen regularly, you can tell he is well thought of as a good person and a genuine friend.
He's also a positive person, and a runner who actually enjoys running, and is enthusiastic about it.
Those that immaturely and anonymously bash on someone like this on the web...well it says everything about you nadless tards, and nothing about Rupp.
Why everybody have to like every runner. Not every basketball fan likes every basketball player. Fans have who they like and who they dont like. Fans will also go out of their way to bash or pick on those players they dont like. This sort of thing goes on in every sport. But runners seem to have this mentality of cheer for everybody for the good of sport. I'm sorry guys we are not all one big team. This is an individual sport. When you are a pro athlete except to be criticized for any reasons, dumb or logical. Its what being a professional is. IT COMES WITH THE TERRITORY.
I'm not saying everyone has to like him, but the constant bashing of him on the message boards seems a little excessive. I was just asking what he did to deserve it all. I'm not a big Kobe Bryant fan (the rape charge, remember?), but I don't talk about him on the message boards. But Rupp really seems to push people's buttons in a way that is disturbing/amusing to watch.
And as far as his sexual orientation, as many people have brought up, so what? What difference does that really make. Even if he were not straight, does that make him less of an athlete/human being?
I liek tuhrtles.
Why some much hatred? wrote:
I'm not saying everyone has to like him, but the constant bashing of him on the message boards seems a little excessive. I was just asking what he did to deserve it all. I'm not a big Kobe Bryant fan (the rape charge, remember?), but I don't talk about him on the message boards.
If you went to a basketball forum you would see the same thing against Kobe bryant. But since this is a runners forum you don't see it that much here. When something big comes up like Lebron moving cities, then you will see a lot of bashing, as in the case a few weeks ago. Its just a part of sports and being a fan. The more people dislike you the more popular essentially you are. Thats why so many people dislike and say bad things about Duke and Coach K, Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees. It applies to all aspects of life too, such as the Jonas Brothers, Rolling Stones, Ryan Secreast. People love to hate greatness. Rupp and his fans shouldn't take it personally.
Look at this picture...if you never heard of this guy, what would you think of him?
stuck with match.com wrote:
I dont like him and heres why
[ 1. He was better than I am, or ever will be, in highschool. ]
[ 2. Thus he went to a top tier D. 1 program with Alter-G treadmills, etc., just like German did and all top highschool performers do. ]
[ 3. He has a life and doesn't troll the Letsrun messageboard. ]
[ 4. He has enough charisma to get a girlfriend.]
[ #5 - 9. See number 4. ]
10. He paraded his girlfriend around
I respect him and his great accomplishments, but because I respect something doesn't mean I like it, and I don't everything. Its my choice not to like him, and thats why.
