profile on lingren was 7 minutes long....

And also Gerry, you should at least know how to spell a name right... it is

Jim RYUN

irony man wrote:

but it's not a "cop-out" for Gerry's wife and kids to blame him for their equally miserable lives?

I'm just putting this out there. If you like it you can take it, if not, send it right back.

Generally, a father walking out on his kids and never calling is quite sufficient reason for a "miserable" life.

But we all know how these sticking up for Gerry love to put out the "don't judge" schtick. But here you've done and judged the Lindgren kids.

Hypocrisy, anyone?

The guy has by all accounts had a pretty rough time of it as it is and people like us continuing to rip him apart this many years later is hardly helping. At least he dared post.

At any level, even local..Hall of Fame?, Coach?...whatever. The questions and investigations are all proper. If you wanna be a leader, these things will show how you lead and how you may make decisions.

I hope for another book. I think he was a GREAT runner. This time i sure would like to hear about his cross country races, his teammates at WSU, his coach...everything.

irony man wrote:

I find it ironic that you lambaste Gerry for having a horrible childhood to overcome, and call it a "cop-out", but it's not a "cop-out" for Gerry's wife and kids to blame him for their equally miserable lives? If it's not OK for Gerry to be affected by childhood trauma, why is it OK for Gerry's wife and kids to be affected?

Twittering debutante, normally I agree with you, but on this one the old saying "walk a mile in a man's shoes" before you judge him applies.

At least Gerry identifies himself while you take potshots from a far. I don't expect to see you ever identify yourself.

Lindgren's son apparently sought his father out in Hawaii, only to be rejected by Gerry (probably speaking in rhyme or in a Phillipno accent).

Another child (according to Kenny Moore's article) was fathered by Gerry circa 1980. Wonder how that 25-year-old appreciated the ESPN story? You think she had a good weekend?

For Lindgren (or you, irony man) to pass himself offas the "victim" is ridiculous. Victim of what? The fact that our society holds men up to certain minimal standards?

No, for us to deny Lindgren's wife and offspring their hurt feelings would make us no better than Gerry. You only get one father in life. Lindgren can't even get on here without plugging his book. That's more than likely the only reason Lindgren agreed to the ESPN interview in the first place. Can you say "scumbag"?

Do you deny what they printed, Gerry? Or is it that you don't want your dirty laundry on display for others to see? You still won't address the issues being raised by all of those publications. You act as though your family does not exist and that your past consists of running races and beating the Russians. Your life, I hope, has been much more than that.

Address the issues and put it to rest once and for all. Be honest with yourself and with your family.

twittering debutante wrote:

For Lindgren (or you, irony man) to pass himself offas the "victim" is ridiculous. Victim of what? The fact that our society holds men up to certain minimal standards?

The abused son of an alcoholic father is not a victim, twittering debutantte? I couldn't imagine what his childhood was like. I sure wouldn't want to experience it. Sorry, I'm not Gerry.

" for us to deny Lindgren's wife and offspring their hurt feelings would make us no better than Gerry. You only get one father in life." Yes, and that's true for Lindgren - one father.

"Debutantte" is a fitting moniker for you. You sure sound like a sheltered deb to me.

I am trying to imagine what it must be like to grow up knowing that your father doesnt want anything to do with you. I wonder how good a hug from dad would feel to this young man and how much of a difference it would make in his life.

Did all the running make Gerry into a stooge? How much did he run anyway?

Ger, As I said you should 'Stir the Pooh' if you will! This many judges wanting to read about a mans divorce 35 years ago...give em something to read about! Maybe you should get with your Ex and your adult kids...you could all make some money on this stuff! Like you get with them on the QT and say hey lets really fire this up...'Greatest American Distance Runner' achieved greatness by bizarre acts of agression towards family! You put out say, "Well for example I had this two mile loop..I used to drag my wife out and tie her to a tree"..after I had stopped and purchased 10 banana nut creme pies." "I am sorry to say I would stack the pies close to her...then Id run a two mile loop if I did not break 8:30 on the loop..Id grab a pie and throw it at here!" Come up with real insane stuff, have your ex ready to charge for interviews on what horrible things you did to her. OH! the sexual antics you demanded between intervals! That would be great! Give us bored, dull, sad hurt judges something to spice up our lives so we can feel better about ourselves! Come on Ger, your 60, we don't want "Im sorry " we want SENSATIONALISM ..I'll be waiting to buy the next article or book or read interviews...fire it up Ger!!!! Please!!!

70's Distance excuses Gerry's actions because his own past is blemished. Sure, we all have problems in our past and things that we would like to hide from others. I am no exception, but the tragedy in Gerry's case is that his offense caused great pain to others. I too have caused pain to others, not to this degree, but part of being responsible is that you own up to the offense, admit your error, ask forgiveness and make a real effort to overcome your shortcomings.

Most people here are offended at Gerry's actions after his great running career; not because it is their business and they want to hear outlandish stories, but because when your business is published and makes its way into the public domain for everyone to see and your business is offensive to the common decency of most it will generate a response. I think most people here would agree that what Gerry did to his family is wrong. He, however, wants to talk about his running and book and expects potential consumers to go out and buy his book despite his offensive past. He wants to publicize himself while not talking about who he really is. Gerry's achievements in life were finished when he was 22 years old. Perhaps he is again making something of himself and is back on the right path, but for many years Gerry was uninvolved with the running community and living a life in disguise.

My point is this: Gerry, you had your time in the spotlight. If you want to regain it again and be looked at as being good for the sport and being a good role model for youth, then you need to be willing to take the heat. Answer the questions and be forthcoming when your own family is attacking you. Resolve the issues with them first and then no one will have anything to say. Sure, they will always talk about it but you will have handled the situation responsibly.

It is funny that you mention Jim Ryun in your previous comments. He is a guy who is more interested in talking about what has happened since his running career ended than about his running career and all his successes. I think that is a testament to his success as a person and speaks to his humility.

Gerry,

Please listen to me. Please consider what I am going to tell you.

You have so many people who want to help you. People who are working hard in your corner to clear your name and help you reclaim your spot in the running community.

Can you see this? Even with the organizers of your high school races and getting you involved with the national high school championships. Do you see those peoples caring and eagerness to help you?

There are two realizations and realities.

#1. You are the greatest prep distancer unner ever and one of the greatest American distance runners ever.

#2. You disappeared and now are coming out of exile.

For those who looked up to you those many years ago your disappearance was difficult to understand. You owe none of us an explaination. God knows life can be pressure filled and over whelming. We do not fully grasp the magnitude of why you left and what you were dealing with. You do.

But there is a son and an ex-wife who are still left with unanswered questions. You owe them an apology, explaination, and reasons for your disappearance and how and why you went about leaving. This can be accomplished through a simple phone call.

Make it personal, keep it private. From what I can tell your son just wants to know his father. You have a great opportunity here Gerry. You can be the father you never had or you can choose to repeat a cycle. This is a critical point in your career. You are at a precipe.

You can either show your true character by how you treat your family or ignore them and have all these good things go away and be further outcast and shunned by the running community.

There are those who are trying desperately to show you the life that you could have if you would only be a man of honor and integrity. Is this too much to ask? There is a race in seattle in your honor, can you believe there are young people who look up to you so much to put something like this on? And to think these same young people got the national high school championships to name the high school two-mile in your honor? Amazing!

Has your son done anything wrong to you? Has he ever disappointed you? Has he ever said anything badly towards you? If you saw him at the meet in seattle a simple hello, shake of the hand, I am sorry, can we talk would suffice. It is no one else business, but you do have unfinished family business.

Life is a two way street and I am sure your ex was not perfect and I am sure she contributed heavily to your leaving. I know the 80 games frustrated you, that life frustrated you, I know you fight against personal demons. But times have changed, this is the future, a simple call would do, you have to admit you owe her an apology. You owe no one else an apology or explaination than your son and the women whose life became very difficult when you left.

Times were tough but she did love you and she envisioned a life with you as a family. A family that over night was taken away from her. Can you see in a way how her dreams were shattered with your leaving? Of course she is scorned, the worst enemy in life is a scorned women.

Do you have any idea how difficult that must have been on her? To think all she wants is for you to talk with her privatly. You can do this! Call your son, invite him to come and watch your race in seattle. You have a choice to change and correct a few things.

Here is my promise, if you do the right thing you will be rewarded. If you persist in not doing the right thing your character will be revealed and you will be ostracized from the sport you love in such a profound way your name will forever be disgraced and looked upon with judgement and disdain. Whether you like this or not your story is public.

Stop with the justifications, it isn't that you should of left, it is how you left. This story isn't about a reporter, or angry journalists, or Jim Ryun. This story is about you correcting your problems with your family. Problems that are, THAT ARE tied and directly related to the reemergence of Gerry Lindgren into the running community.

Gerry, do the right thing. Show you have changed, show you have grown. The choice is yours. Make the right decision Gerry. Your sons phone number and address are in the phone book and online at worldpages.com.

Sincerly,

A long time friend

I don't really have great interest in hearing what whatever problems occurred between Mr. Lindgren and his family. He doesn't owe anyone, except likely his own family, any explanation.

I do think Mr. Lindgren and some posters are completely missing the point.

actauuly i am disgusted with him as a father! his son was just about begging for him to come back into his life... very sad. he is a sad human being who is in emotional trouble..... ok then, WHY THE HECK would Univ Hawaii HIRE this lunatic to coach their team? I'd feel real safe having my daughter go on a long run with this psycho!

I don't have to excuse anyones actions...IT is none of my darn beeswax! If anyone goes back to the family to make peace, or not, that is none of anyones beeswax either. You don't know what I did in my past, and maybe we need to hear what you think is not as bad as Gerry's...that you did in your past. I think us judges need to determine that for you. Same posters same holier than thou judgements. Only my bible does not say I should judge any man...I have talked to several people on this and all I get is laughter and disbelief on the advise of us judges. One coach said " You guys are all crawling out of your dumpsters, going into one of these internet cafe deals and giving advise on the internet." I told him I resemble that remark! It takes an Evaluator, in custody battle, a year to really get to the bottom of what really was happening in a marriage. Usually it turns out the one claiming abuse,well the story is way off. The emotions, what one feels is abuse, mental states, the truth in such a marriage is so abstract. I was not there 40 years ago, it is their business...and anything that happens from hereon is their beeswax. I am not offended, no one I know is offended, not really asking Ger about his advise on marriage.....I just want to ask a man how the heck he came across 8:28 his junior year, in highschool, enroute in the 5000. I want to know why other countries call him the Father of Distance Running! I have run for 35 years and Ger gave me ideas I never thought of. Ill buy his books, and I know darn well Ger did not care in the least about coming out in the running community. People have been dragging him out, tracking him down, begging him for years to jump back into this community. I can see him easily saying " SEE ya" poof gone. I still say Ger, 'Kick the tires and light the Fires' Run with this and give us something to really get mad at. As far as your son etc. I wish the best outcome for you all...but I don't know the truth......and none of it is my business. So now let us all crawl back into our dumpsters...and give our glorious judgement and advise, on situations we think we know about ...because you would have had to be in that household, another day. I am gone ..got to go out of town.....God bless you and yours Ger,and may life get better and better for you all. Bless all you guys I know you are all good people.

PS Ger,Ah guess what,I got my National Champion, and a highschool soph boy (4:19 miler)to chase the mule deer. It was hilarious, exactly as you said, they spooked ran 80meters turned right 30 and settled, told my kids..it was like clockwork. Three spooks an they let my runners go by! Those two ran for 49 minutes, doing this and spotted another herd and wanted me to pull over so they could chase that herd!!! You started a wild trend here

you were right the Mule deer are a little dumb..I could not stay up..so I just watched my kids with binoculars, funny as hell watching thedeer burst over a rise and see these two great runners heads bobbing over the same rise. I was dying!!

Not really sure exactly what you are talking about, but most on here arent talking about the ex-wife and his decision to divorce her. Your post is the first I have ever heard about allegations of spousal abuse. Nobody is really getting on him about moving away from his ex-wife.

Its the decision to not have a relationship with his kids. So I wont judge the divorce or decision to move, I am sure there are very good reasons he had for doing this. But I will judge the decision to abandon his children and turn his back on their attempts to have some sort of relationship with him. His children have spoken out on this, but not Gerry.

What! you better read the posts! You haven't been thru a divorce...cause its Mental and Emotional abuse all day long. 90% of these posts are you took off Ger, you left just recently a few are starting on the only thing you really can...Ya got to have relationship with kids. Read the posts! If he went to court it would be nothing but The emotional and mental abuse all have suffered cause he left. Still no one should judge anything when they have not been in that household 40 years ago and since..I don't know what went on or what the truth is. His beeswax sure as heck not ours! I just want him to give us all something to really talk about! I know a guy who's son has demanded money and made threats for years...the guy stayed clear...but when a court deal came into play..then the adult son was crying and playing the victim, the emotional abuse this caused him...until this guy played the phone tapes..ooppps! I say you can't judge him, judge yourself.

We are talking about a man who denied he had children and still has nothing to do with him. I dont care how bad the ex-wife was, his oldest is an adult and made an effort, an effort that according to the son and Kenny Moore was brushed aside and ignored.

Doesn't Gerry remind you of another great American, who beat the Russians and then came out of exile...?

Bobby Fischer

./.. wrote:

We are talking about a man who denied he had children and still has nothing to do with him. I dont care how bad the ex-wife was, his oldest is an adult and made an effort, an effort that according to the son and Kenny Moore was brushed aside and ignored.

Kenny Moore is no one to be judging anyone when it comes to interpersonal relationships.