Christian Taylor shows again he doesn't give a sh** about winning a US title, should he?

Is this the same guy who didn't want to fly coach to a meet in Europe?

You can't fault an athlete for giving himself the best opportunity possible to win a world championship. Winning a world championship is huge for an athlete's bank account. Taylor is just making sure he can put food on the table for his family.

For all we know, maybe he's currently injured.

But nobody complains about Gatlin who took up a spot in the final at USA's and then didn't run. Someone else could have been in that final but Gatlin robbed him of that opportunity.

stop whining wrote:

You can't fault an athlete for giving himself the best opportunity possible to win a world championship. Winning a world championship is huge for an athlete's bank account. Taylor is just making sure he can put food on the table for his family.

For all we know, maybe he's currently injured.

But nobody complains about Gatlin who took up a spot in the final at USA's and then didn't run. Someone else could have been in that final but Gatlin robbed him of that opportunity.

Totally agree. Gatlin taking a spot in the final when he stated in advance he had no intention of running all the rounds was far worse. With his spot at Worlds guaranteed, Gatlin could have shut it down at 80 meters in the semis and let someone else line up in the final for a shot at Worlds.

Uncle dennis wrote:

Maybe USATF or his sponsor should provide an appropriate pecuniary incentive to win a national title. I bet Taylor would’ve competed if he stood to earn $200k by winning.

This.

If an athlete with a bye finishes top 3, does that mean that the US only gets to send 3 athletes to worlds instead of 4? If so, do you think athletes with a bye are encouraged not to compete so that the US gets more athletes to the meet?

And don't get me wrong. Christian Taylor is a REALLY nice guy just from my other interactions with him, really just observing him from afar and as the volunteer pointed out. Very thoughtful.

He must get much, much bigger appearance fees than we think to compete in Europe. Because winning USAs $8000 is just $2,000 less than a Diamond League. 2nd place is the exact same prize money as a DL.

He skipped the Rome DL meet this year because of money.

So while with Gatlin I see why he might skip it (Huge appearance fees) it likely is the same for Taylor at to why he is really skipping it. I don't buy the "i could get hurt" when 2 years ago he competed FIVE days in Ostrava (a non DL meet) after skipping USAs.

Dwightarm wrote:

wejo wrote:

I think it's a joke and shows everything wrong with our sport.

This term is so overused by you guys it leads one to wonder if you are happy about anything in our sport.

Perhaps I shouldn't use the term "joke" but I do think it shows everything wrong with our sport.

Everything but Worlds can be treated as preseason and everyone can look after their immediate short term interest and the sport suffers. We need more than 1 big event a year.

Thankfully the Olympic Trials is a big deal.

And also I can disagree with Taylor's decision and still think he's a good guy. I really think USATF needs to compel athletes to compete at USAs. Tie plane tickets, etc to finishing a certain spot. Taylor's travel shouldn't be paid to the meet if he's not going to put in an honest effort.

You can argue with its applicability here, but Duke would absolutely play tons of games voluntarily before the Final Four even if they had a bye....

wejo wrote:

I understand the point but I think it shows everything wrong with our sport.

***

I think USATF should require an honest effort in the event you get a Wild Card at Worlds. Thoughts?

For a site that is always attacking the USATF admin, I don't understand why you are not taking the athletes side on this issue.

I think it is ridiculous that the USATF admin play the power game and make the athletes, who already are in the WC, have to show for the US Champs. There is no one who can use the wildcard except the previous champ. So, it is just a bravado of Power that the USATF admin makes them earn their entry into the WC. They have already earned that entry by winning 2 years ago. The USATF admin pats themselves on the back about how many medals THEY (rolling eyes) won each year but do not appreciate the talents of the athletes and their hard work. (They like to feel overly important, "see we can make these superstars do tricks for us")

What is good for the sport is having the defending champs at the WC's. There are plenty of great competitors who are trying to make the team. Just because NBC and the press don't follow the sport on a day-to-day basis (even year-to-year) shouldn't make the star athletes have to compete at a meaningless event for them. But the US Champs should always be an event to make your name verse reliving the past. USATF should do a better job of marketing the US Team not living off the accolades of the elite.

You say that it is all a preseason, but complain about IAAF's changes to make the regular season more meaningful, with their new ranking system. Awarding bonus points for the top tier meets.

Lately, it seems Letsun is contradicting themselves and have no real true opinion. Arguing just to argue, a true tabloid press or social media mentality. Are you for or against the athletes rights? Are you for or against having a regular season? I can't tell from all the different opinions Letsrun seems to be having.

In conclusion, I am all for what Taylor did this week. The TJ was a great competition without him and allowed other TJ's to get some tv time. If Taylor was competing, most likely would have just shown him and Claye. It's better when more of the USA athletes get some TV time and not just the commonly known stars.

The point of USAs, for the elite, is to make the Worlds/Olympic team. Taylor did absolutely nothing wrong. I can't believe I have to say that.

Dwightarm wrote:

wejo wrote:

I think it's a joke and shows everything wrong with our sport.

This term is so overused by you guys it leads one to wonder if you are happy about anything in our sport.

My exact thoughts when I read Wejo’s post. To think all along I was thinking it was Rojo’s shoe obsession.

zxczxczvz wrote:

Christian Taylor has done more for American track and field than just about anyone in the past 12 years. I don't see a thread here about Gatlin not starting his final. They both have byes. I don't like the very idea of the bye from previous world's, because it diminishes the value of the national championships and often leads to athletes not in their top form at the games (which is not the case for either Gatlin or Taylor this year).

You do know most countries don't even pick the athletes going to the World's in their national championships right?

Sure, there are exceptions like the US, Jamaica, Kenya and Ethiopia, but in most countries they get picked by their national federations from the athletes that have managed the standard...

And Wejo: Athletes not giving it all in their national championships symbolizes everything that is wrong with the sport?

Not doping athletes, lack of funding to anti-doping efforts and corruption in the IAAF?

You're overshooting the mark big time!

Nothing to see here, skip to next thread.

If you want the USA championship to be taken as a great meet don't hold it in Des Moines Iowa in July. Nice crowd on the back stretch, is the meet in competition with Major League Fishing or the Cornhole regionals today?

Gatlin taking a spot in the final and then not running it is far worse than anything Taylor did or did not do.

Hippity Hop scotch jumpadee doo. He should feel lucky that such an event still makes him money and sponsorships. He should always remember that without running his even wouldn't exist. It wouldn't sell tickets. Certainly ungrateful behavior.

[quote]wejo wrote:

He must get much, much bigger appearance fees than we think to compete in Europe. Because winning USAs $8000 is just $2,000 less than a Diamond League. 2nd place is the exact same prize money as a DL.{/quote]

Winning a DL also qualifies him for the Final, for a bigger pay day.

On the other hand, doesn't his contract have a bonus clause for winning the National Championship? Does it also have a bonus for winning a DL meet?

As We Speak wrote:

Gatlin taking a spot in the final and then not running it is far worse than anything Taylor did or did not do.

True.

After watching Christian's interview, I am not a fan. He did not take WeJo's comment well and obviously did not want to address the hypocrisy of complaining about a lack of diamond leagues but devaluing his own national championship. Go Will Claye.

mcvred wrote:

As We Speak wrote:

Gatlin taking a spot in the final and then not running it is far worse than anything Taylor did or did not do.

True.

After watching Christian's interview, I am not a fan. He did not take WeJo's comment well and obviously did not want to address the hypocrisy of complaining about a lack of diamond leagues but devaluing his own national championship. Go Will Claye.

First you applaud that he let another athlete compete in the TJ finals (unlike Gatlin). Then one moment in an interview and you shun him? Having been a lowly volunteer and all of us getting his full tuned-in attention and politeness, while he was gearing up for a serious event, I would say he was a favorite athlete from that side of the fence in Eugene. And the triple jump is amazing and under-rated. Essentially three 20 foot long jumps wrapped into one. If athletics were better at self-promotion it would be a big deal. Most reasonable athletes could not even reach 20 ever. But it’s a hard event, under-rated, in our sport that as it is gets too little attention. As another post said, he stepped away and the TV focus moved to Claye (his college teammate and friend) and Scott and others. They got the stage. I had never even known of some of them, but do now. They will be among his toughest opponents in Doha as well. It was a class move I think, too hard to explain in a moment to a distance-runner-journalist, and the need to do it at all was created by an arcane rule.

Taylor not good for the sport? He competes well in multiple events at a world class level (400, long jump, etc) and is a fan favorite for those who attend, in person, a competition not motivated by rulebooks. One of the best all around athletes we have ever had in our sport (build not made for decathlon). And yes, he was “go Will Claye” also, ironically. Maybe that friendship was part of his motive. But if he said so, might lose its value.

Why should he? He jumped in Europe fairly close to each other and only the first competition looked good. The triple jump is not a sit and kick mid/distance event. It takes a toll on the body. If you weren’t such a suck up, company man, the issue should be with USATF making him fly to Des Moines for this charade.