Sydney McLaughlin Emotional Post on Lack Of Support And Respect After Breaking The WR At The Trials

Yall talk about the marketability of black athletes as if the NBA isnt a thing. As if Track and Field isnt a thing. As if Athing isnt a thing.

gunk wrote:

Athing will be a huge test of this issue. My gut tells me she won't give a flipping fluck.

I sure do hope Athing will be a test of it.

That still doesn’t mean colorism doesn’t exist in who the media chooses to promote in and out of sports.

Beautiful women have a leg up on popularity, 100% It is what it is. People are enamored by beauty. IT is different for women and men. Michael JOrdan is blacker than the ace of spades and is the most popular athlete ever.

OF course, Sha'Carri Richardson has more instagram followers than any other track athlete, so her blackness is not holding her back.

OozmaKappa wrote:

Yall talk about the marketability of black athletes as if the NBA isnt a thing. As if Track and Field isnt a thing. As if Athing isnt a thing.

One perspective not mentioned is the marketability of personality. Usain Bolt is a good example of that. His personality was a huge catalyst in his marketability. He is very animated and engaging, but that only works in conjunction with his G.O.A.T. talent. If he didn’t raise the bar and break records and win those gold medals, his personality would have done nothing for him. Because in sport the spot light goes to the victor on the stage and while the light is on you sell your personality, because that is what makes you likable and therefore marketable.

One of the criticisms of Centrowitz and Rupp was their personalities. Some perceive them as unlikeable don’t interview well or have other qualities that make them less personable, like being standoffish or reclusive. But the other caveat is the athlete’s event. The 100 meter dash is the premier running event with biggest stage and hype. It’s the fastest man on Earth. No other event in track draws the same level of attention.

That is another issue with Track and Field as a sport. It just doesn’t have the audience of other organized sports. It only gets popular exposure during the Olympics every four years. So, it is hard as a track and field athlete to get commercial success because the masses only take notice every four years. So, you add the other factors brought up by Sydney, it’s an dog eat dog world trying to get those promotional gig fringe benefits as a track and field athlete and the corresponding levels of stress and anxiety.

Lot of factors, but it's so much easier to just blame racism and call it a day.

agip wrote:

OozmaKappa wrote:

Racial stuff? Who mentioned that?

in her video Syd talks about the color of her skin - I think she even notes that she is light-skinned

Her father is black her mother is white. She is bi-racial. Why she would let anyone make her uncomfortable about something she had no say in is weird.

gunk wrote:

.

Athing will be a huge test of this issue. My gut tells me she won't give a flipping fluck.[/quote]

If you are centered and know who you are, faceless people on the internet and social media will not bother you.

OozmaKappa wrote:

Lot of factors, but it's so much easier to just blame racism and call it a day.

True, but unfortunately racism is a factor though, as well as physical attractiveness and charisma. Lolo Jones’ commercial success was often criticized as a function of physical appearance and not her athletic accomplishments. She would have won the gold in Beijing if she didn’t trip on the hurdle. Dawn Harper Nelson was the winner of the gold and she did not get the commercial accolades of her medal performance. That is one example that has been brought up as an example of the perceived unfairness of the sport with regards to the commercial bennies.

itsadamnshame wrote:

Anyways, I think she’s amazing, talented, and beautiful. Hope she keeps her head up and keeps breaking those records.

Sure, she’s all that, but I tune out when she starts on about “giving glory to god”, bah! But if it helps her, great, shower god with glory all you want and amaze us with the performance boost you think He gives you.

NYDCRunner1 wrote:

agip wrote:

in her video Syd talks about the color of her skin - I think she even notes that she is light-skinned

Her father is black her mother is white. She is bi-racial. Why she would let anyone make her uncomfortable about something she had no say in is weird.

Say " I know nothing about human nature" without saying " I know nothing about human nature."

jeff tallon wrote:

shes young,and shes still growing up,but after watching that clip im thinking shes not gonna have a long career in athletics.she'll most likely go onto the next olympics and probably win gold,but after that,i think shes gonna get sick and tired of it all.

Sydney has already talked about possibly marrying her boyfriend (a pastor) and becoming a pastor's wife. So she is already planning the next step.

Sydney lives in LA and the 2028 Olympics are in LA, so that would be great to see her win a gold medal in her own city. But I don't think that she will still be a professional runner at that point.

What a whiner

OozmaKappa wrote:

Racial stuff? Who mentioned that?

She literally mentioned it in the video. Said she has teammates who think she's where she is because of her following on social media and because she's light-skinned. America is such a mess. There's even colourism amongst black people.

I hope she has a long and successful career, and I'm sorry that her feelings were hurt by people she had expected to support her.

But I'm not a fan of this sort of 'complaint to the world'. It is the sort of over-sharing that I wish people would stop doing.

coachy wrote:

It was a struggle to watch and I skipped some. Anyone else watch the 4x4 and think these women don’t really like each other?

i thought the same thing

i bet they hate each other

dopedgills15 wrote:

coachy wrote:

It was a struggle to watch and I skipped some. Anyone else watch the 4x4 and think these women don’t really like each other?

i thought the same thing

i bet they hate each other

I definitely think there is tension between Muhammad and McLaughlin, specifically jealousy from Muhammad. It was evident in 2019 during a post race interview by Lewis Johnson at the United States championships at Drake. Muhammad defeated McLaughlin and broke the world record. Johnson was interviewing Sydney immediately after the race when she said she was happy for Muhammad breaking the world record. The camera remained on Sydney but you could hear something from Muhammad standing barely out of camera to Sydney's left. Sydney immediately looked in that direction and sincerely insisted, "I AM happy for you."

Lewis Johnson was either oblivious or had intentionally decided to totally ignore the awkward exchange. Muhammad was still off camera when she obviously made another dismissive remark or gesture. The interview ended at that point but you could hear Sydney say something like," Oh give me a break," again directed toward Muhammad.

I detailed all of that here at the time. IMO, that single exchange is more representative and accurate of the relationship between he two than anything said for public consumption. It has to be. Sydney is genuinely miffed that others on the team have long forged an opinion of her that is not based on anything she has said or done. Very familiar and predictable for anyone who followed Lolo Jones' career. The other American hurdlers spited her for many of the same reasons. It's basically...you don't fit girl. That clique in the sprint hurdles wanted everyone to be street tough not glamorous. Those mean girls are basically gone now. But the lingering degree of bitterness has been transferred to McLaughlin, who didn't anticipate it because it wasn't anything she experienced throughout school.

In 2019 I was very certain that Muhammad would defeat Sydney at world championships, despite 2/1 underdog status. That NBC interview clip revealed Muhammad as full of rage and intensity. Sydney wasn't mean enough yet. The two extra years were just enough. Muhammad comes across as satisfied after the Tokyo final solely because she was thrilled with her personal best time. That aspect enabled smiles and appearance of togetherness. But you could see the regret and emotion coming forward just a day or two later, when she was interviewed on the NBC daytime Olympic coverage and was losing the smile. Muhammad bemoaned the brief "check step" after clearing the final hurdle. She said that once they reached hurdle 9 she had been thinking, "Okay, maybe I've got this."

Sydney winning was the ideal result, IMO. The sport needed her as the young verified superstar. Sydney herself benefits far more than Muhammad would have. But it also guaranteed that Sydney would start sensing plenty of crap from nearby. My only surprise is that it's built so much momentum already, for her to voice like that.

Can you link video of that interview?

John Scott wrote:

I tried watching, but I honestly can't handle the religious inclination. There's an explanation for your level of fitness, results, and everything else related to your profession, and coming up short two years ago is not "god's plan for you to become more mature".

Two years ago she wasn't good enough, then she worked hard and intelligently and became the best. She did it herself.

I agree. I'm religious. But thinking that God somehow chose you to be successful is really arrogant, not humble. Its also cruel, since it implies God is choosing for others to be poor, starving, etc.

She has one in a million talent combined with tons of dedicated hard work and great coaching. End of story.