Canadian Simon Bairu embarrasses USA XC runners

info wrote:

If Canada is so great, which i'm sure you think it is, then why do your best athletes, singers and movie stars come to the US to hone their trade? In fact alot of them actually move to the US and leave Canada behind? Why not just stay in good Ole Canada?

Bairu was developed at the University of Wisconsin, and still lives in the US training under Jerry? Seems to me that the US had had more influence on him than Canada.

Good job by the way Simon...Badgers MOUNT UP!

because there is a large market of stupid americans for it, why else? (that is not to say that nobody in the US is smart)

COmmmmmeee ON wrote:Can you bigot Americans please stop calling Simon an 'Import.'

He moved here when he was 3.

Couldn't be more Canadian.

why are you quoting my post for......

i'm with you.....

Congratulations Mr. Bairu on an excellent performance! I've been following Bairu since his days at Wisconsin and couldn't be more happy for him. He's probably one of the only foriegn athletes I tend to find myself rooting for. Then again simon's probably more American then Canadian by now.

I realize it's a very small group of people but why are we criticizing the guy. he had the guts to compete at WXC and it payed off unlike our guys. where was retz, teg, rupp and the likes? they're the ones who should be embarrassed. Canada has every right to bask in the sun, it was a great performance by there athlete and he beat our guys bad enough to hopefully get some of these elites to take WXC seriously.

excellent performance simon

Thank you for the apology for runner38. Personally, I'm fed up with runners switching countries. I feel a person should be allowed to represent the country of their birth, only. Since he ran at Washington, I've liked Bernard Lagat. I can understand his desire; and, rationalization for his being a citizen of this country; but, I can't support, 100%, his representing the USA in international competitions. He missed my cutoff age by a few years {see below}.I could be easily convinced that a person who has lived in a country since 7th-9th grade being allowed to become a citizen and representative of the country in which he wasn't born. I don't know what would be a fair cut off age; but, I feel it should be long before he is eligible for collegiate athletics.For those who are yachting enthusiasts, I am not happy that management, building, designer, materials used to build an America's Cup yacht, crew/skipper, no longer have to be from the country the boat represents.I guess I just an old , conservative fart,Chris Barr

fere wrote:

As a Canadian I would like to say great job to Simon, this is a great result for our country. I would also like to apologize for runner39, his post is pretty stupid.

No, an athlete should represent the country that he lives and trains in. why the hell should someone like bariu or lagat use all-american training partners and coaching and resources then run for canada or kenya? please provide the rational for that?

goomb wrote:

runner39 wrote:

come on americano's don't cry, although Bairu is from Canada he trains with the Nike crew in Oregon so he is probably more american than us Canadians would like, you could probably adopt him, all in fun commrades

I'm not your comrade, chieftan.

I'm not your chieftain, viceroy.

thirty-two wrote:

No, an athlete should represent the country that he lives and trains in. why the hell should someone like bariu or lagat use all-american training partners and coaching and resources then run for canada or kenya? please provide the rational for that?

The process of 'trade,' whereby goods and services are exchanged in mutually beneficial transactions, turns out to be really good for all nations that engage in it. It's therefore wise to permit the free flow of such transactions.

In this case, America benefits from having Simon Bairu (or 'bariu,' as you wisely chose to spell it) in-country, coached by an American. A certain amount of his winnings and sponsorship money ends up right back in the American economy. Conversely, it benefits Simon to train with Solinsky, Teg and Jager under Jerry Schumacher (he does, right?). Both America and Canada are better off.

All of which is beside the point, because a better question is who has the right to tell Jerry Schumacher that he can't coach Simon, even if it weren't good for America?

One might follow up with a series of inquiries as to the precise nature and origins of your obsessive nationalism. We aren't at war with Canada, as you seem to think! In fact we're quite friendly. Same goes with Kenya.

Lastly, you might want to ask yourself what you think of Bob Kennedy, who made a significant breakthrough in his training after going to Kenya and (omigodNO!) training with the Kenyans. Of course, you're probably 12, so look him up first.

thirty-two wrote:No, an athlete should represent the country that he lives and trains in. why the hell should someone like bariu or lagat use all-american training partners and coaching and resources then run for canada or kenya? please provide the rational for that?

because they can

I'm not your viceroy, comrade

soon the USA will be bankrupt and we(Canada) will make you our 11th province

Basically, the USA could put AT LEAST 5 guys in front of Bairu on an average day.

It is simple reason that USA best runners don't go to World XC. The finiancial incentive is not there. There are no appearance fees/prize money or commercial coverage. Also it hurts their appearance fee if they can't crack the top 25.

They rather train for the track (appearance fees) and marathons (appearance fees). It is rather sad since most these guys started off running XC. There is no pride in "laying it on the line" in the most competitive running event in the World! I don't know what Nike Project or Salazar are telling their athletes!

USATF and running shoe companies should make provide incentives for USA runners to compete in Worlds XC. It would be great that Nike would offer contracts with a huge payday if you cracked top 25 at Worlds or USATF offered prize money for competing at Worlds and placing in the top 25.

Also USATF could also let runners who place TOP 25 to autoqualify for World Champs trials and Olympic trials in the 5km, 10km or marathon.

IAAF could do the same by using TOP 25 placing at World XC as qualifing criteria for 5km, 10km and marathon.

The changes in USATF and IAAF would allow athletes to qualify for important competitions without having to post qualifying times in the 5km, 10km, and marathon.

Ritz > Simon

Lagat > Simon

Rupp > Simon

Pre > Simon

USA > Simon

get over the fact that you have only 1 Canadian that can beat our "B" Squad while no other Canadian, including Simon, can beat our "A" squad. i didn't see his @$$ earning a medal on the world stage. don't even pull the "well he has 2 NCAA xc titles!" well who gives a f***, Bob Kennedy won 2 xc titles also and THE MAN Steve Prefontaine won 3! don't bring up "well he's like a 10 time Canadian national champion!" reason why: Canadian xc is weak and has no talent when it comes to running.

sorry that you're an idiotic Canuck and can't get over the fact that Americans dominate Canadians when it comes to running.

runner39 wrote:

Bairu was over a minute ahead of the first USA runner, I know Ritzenslime wasn't running but Simon would have kick his ass as well.

GO CANADA, soon we we own the USA or at the very least our dollar will be much more than yours

_______________

I hope you do become more prosperous than us.

Then, the terrorists will sneak into your country, instead of merely passing through on their way to America.

As a Canadian I love rooting for our athletes, whether its one of the best, like GSP, Bairu, Bailey and Nash, or a lesser talented individual, they almost always carry themselves with class on the world stage. For this reason I think fans in all countries often find themselves cheering for our athletes.

However, it bothers me to no end when some loud mouth, who had absolutely nothing to do with an athlete's success, goes off and starts shouting as if he has accomplished something.

I'll be the first to admit that Canada, as a country, has some weird inferiority complex with the states. It started in my eyes with those molson Canadian commercials, and carried on with all of the "meet the Americans" segments on This Hour has 22 minutes, and for some reason many Canadians now solely express their patriotism by comparison to the United States.

Canada - A significant portion of America doesn't know all that much about you, get over it. Stop rubbing every single accomplishment in the face of the US. If Americans gloated to Canada about every single victory in every sport the way Canadians do, this forum would be nothing but a thread after thread listing of American victories.

Your A squad hey?

Everybody seems to forget Simon rolled your USA home boy Ryan Hall.

Bairu is a better XC runner than anybody in the USA and that's that

ok, you really think Ryan hall is the represents the whole USA's "A" Squad? i'm guessing you never heard of the NYC marathon winner Mebrahtom Keflezighi? you really think Simon can roll over him? HAHAHAHA no f****** way, stop with your dreaming and wake up to reality.

gymineer wrote:

Canada - A significant portion of America doesn't know all that much about you, get over it. Stop rubbing every single accomplishment in the face of the US. If Americans gloated to Canada about every single victory in every sport the way Canadians do, this forum would be nothing but a thread after thread listing of American victories.

ok you must be a tree hugger, you obviously did not watch the NBC coverage of the winter olympics

and the winter olympics has something to do with world cross country? or running period?