Track (US Distance) is the only sport where 2nd and 3rd are celebrated

Almost every sport in the olympics regards all medals very highly. This FAR from the only sport where we celebrate medals.

speaker of truths wrote:

Track (US Distance) is the only sport where 2nd and 3rd are celebrated. Does anyone get excited over the 2nd placer at Wimbledon? Does anyone remember the guys who finished second to Michael Phelps 23 times? Who did Lance beat in all those Tour victories?

Discus.

That is because distance track is the most competitive sport in the world by far. Not even soccer is close.

Phelps competes against a much shallower depth of talent compared with distance track athletes; he is literally and figuratively a big fish in a small pool. To put it into perspective, all of Phelps' gold medals taken together are still nowhere close to just even making a final of one track distance event in terms of the talent that had to be defeated to reach that level of competition. He seems like a reasonable guy though.

beachmouse wrote:

The Lance years officially have no GC winner- the peleton was such a drug-filled mess that era that the UCI and race organizers agreed that it was better to just keep it as vacated rather than let it roll down to a convicted doper or someone who was very likely on the special sauce.

You really think it is any different today?? - look at team Sky with all their TUE cortisone abuses and testosterone patches. And they are not the only ones. Amazingly Lance looks like more of a scape goat today as the sport continues to try and market itself as "clean".

they still do it wrote:

You really think it is any different today?? - look at team Sky with all their TUE cortisone abuses and testosterone patches. And they are not the only ones. Amazingly Lance looks like more of a scape goat today as the sport continues to try and market itself as "clean".

Not perfect, and Sky is suspect as hell, but I do think the younger generation is significantly better. They keep time records for some of the usual mountain climbs on the Grand Tours and those times are slower these days. And you no longer get the guys who can go hard-hard-hard for 3-4 hilly stages in a row- they have to pick and choose where they're going to try to improve time because they don't have the same kind of 'enhanced' overnight recovery like they used to.

Just because T&F has more competitors and more people can pretend they can run a 400 in under 60, but not that many can competitively swim 100 M doesn't mean swimming doesn't have levels of competition. It is all relative to the sport itself.

They are different sports, and have their own challenges to be successful at. Some might say swimming is watered down (no pun intended) because of the number of events one can compete in, others would say T&F is because of how many people can compete. Both could be potential factors but the fact is they are just different sports.

RiseUP wrote:

suzyQ3480725 wrote:

What about the "Final Four"?

Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals: I would guess very few people remember which team won without also remembering which team they defeated.

As a Falcons fan, I can assure you nobody I know was celebrating our lovely second place finish in the Super Bowl...

Yes the only way that loss was worth it is if we use it use at motivation to somehow pull off a 19-0 season which won't happen.

Dirty Birds

Brazier is one of most trashed talked athlete on this site so calm yourself

speaker of truths wrote:

Track (US Distance) is the only sport where 2nd and 3rd are celebrated. Does anyone get excited over the 2nd placer at Wimbledon? Does anyone remember the guys who finished second to Michael Phelps 23 times? Who did Lance beat in all those Tour victories?

Discus.

Actually at Wimbledon the runner-up gets a huge trophy and is recognized in the ceremony afterwards...

There are many sports that recognize "podium" or top 3 finishes.

speaker of truths wrote:

Track (US Distance) is the only sport where 2nd and 3rd are celebrated. Does anyone get excited over the 2nd placer at Wimbledon? Does anyone remember the guys who finished second to Michael Phelps 23 times? Who did Lance beat in all those Tour victories?

Discus.

At both the Oly. Trials and Olympics, everyone says 4th is the worst place, not second or third.

Also, you see most people weeping (from all sports) when are on that podium. If you medal, you're immortalized. Gold you'll be remembered.

RiseUP wrote:

suzyQ3480725 wrote:

What about the "Final Four"?

Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals: I would guess very few people remember which team won without also remembering which team they defeated.

As a Falcons fan, I can assure you nobody I know was celebrating our lovely second place finish in the Super Bowl...

So your Falcons won't be putting up an NFC Champions Banner?

In nearly every sport that I can think of, winning the semi-final is celebrated, regardless of the fact that the athlete/team is only assured of being the 2nd best at that competition. Heck, quarter-final wins are celebrated...

My brother finished 3 spots outside of qualifying for the US Amateur golf tournament. He was pretty stoked.

In any event, whether someone celebrates a non-first finish in a sport mostly has to do with whether you compete in a head to head format. If you finish your season or tournament with a loss, you're naturally going to be a bit bummed about it. But even in European soccer, people go nuts over "great escapes" to avoid relegation, and those are the worst teams in the league.

Not sure what you are trying to say.

Some sports are tolerant of mistakes. T&F expectations are high.

CrossFan wrote:

In nearly every sport that I can think of, winning the semi-final is celebrated, regardless of the fact that the athlete/team is only assured of being the 2nd best at that competition. Heck, quarter-final wins are celebrated...

Both the Olympic and World Cup soccer both have a game between the losers of the quarter finals to determine 3rd and 4th place.

I guess if you are a Buffalo Bills fan you might celebrate that you won the AFC championship 4 years in a row (1990-93). You probably wouldn't celebrate that you lost the Super Bowl in each of those years.

Your point is well taken. If an American can't win than it's a non-event. Armstrong is of course infamous for stating that second place is 'the first loser.' However, it should be noted that American journal-jingoism goes all the way to the bottom regionally: somehow if the winner isn't the local favorite, it never happened. Now if you are a celebrity, say, Mo Farah, them the journalist can carry water, particularly if no American is in the hunt. Sports are only a business to Americans, don't expect any celebration of pure athleticism unless it is very very well compensated. Nature of the beast.

Track (US Distance) is the only sport where 2nd and 3rd are celebrated.

well I think that Kenyans and Ethiopians have a great reason for celebrations since Mo fu*ked them on every OG / WC race last 6-7 years so they have nothing else to celebrate.

Mo - GOAT.

foo wrote:

I guess if you are a Buffalo Bills fan you might celebrate that you won the AFC championship 4 years in a row (1990-93). You probably wouldn't celebrate that you lost the Super Bowl in each of those years.

Trust me, a true Buffalo Bills fan doesn't celebrate anything. We thrive on misery.

Eugenie Bouchard became well known when she got 2nd in Wimbledon. It's definitely well celebrated.

So is 2nd in the NBA and NFL. Everyone always mentions how many Super Bowl or Finals appearances their team has.