David in SHM wrote:
Amby Burfoot wrote:
1--I credited the LetsRun message board with alerting me about possible FM transgressions when I first looked into his situation in mid April.
2--I did a little journalistic digging myself at that time, and contacted Derek Murphy, who I recognized as the expert in the field. He told me he had not had time to focus on FM.
3--I debated for several days whether or not I should write something about FM without more objective evidence than the photos and videos I had seen on the message board. I asked a handful of friends what they thought. My friends split about 50/50. Some advised: "A cheater is a cheater. Go for it." Some said, "What's the point? What are you adding to the goodness in the world?" I chose the second.
4--When Derek came up with strong evidence in the last several weeks, I got back in touch with him to offer what additional info I could. His work deserves support.
5--I have great respect for what it seems FM has contributed to local medicine, high school athletics, etc, in Pasadena.
6--At this point, I have no respect for his running.
Respecting someone and what they do is one thing, but no one is above anyone else, even Amby who is a guy who wrote about a cheater and gave his personal opinion, which he is entitled to do.
Amby's time in 1968 was nowhere near being a record, but if he had lost the Boston Marathon to a cheater in 1968 and was robbed of that first place...I think he'd feel differently.
Ed Whitlock is a very well-known runner who sadly passed away. It doesn't matter if Frank's time doesn't qualify as a record, it's a slap in the face to the memory of an amazing runner, Ed Whitlock.
When Oscar Miranda crossed the finish line in an age group record time in the 1979 Boston Marathon, they didn't let it go. Will Cloney gave him the chance to run a 10k at the same pace that he allegedly ran the marathon. Oscar would not do it for obvious reasons.
There was no video back then, it was the runners behind him that said you know damn well who's ahead of you as the race got under way and that guy was never ahead of them till the end. That and him not being seen at checkpoints was enough to DQ him. Now we have clear and conclusive video evidence and it's not enough! Shaking my head.
Having respect for anything that he's done besides running is a separate thing altogether, but that doesn't give him the right to cheat let alone cheat with a time that rivals Gene Dykes and the late great Ed Whitlock.
Shame on a lot of you.
And for the record, I have the right to my opinion too.
Nice post mate! Excellent point about the very little evidence back 40 years ago and he still got disqualified, I did not know that till now.
