So wejo, what do you have to say about the rupp interview?

After watching both interviews again a thought about each comes to mind.

Lagat - No matter what you think about where he came from, the disputed test etc., he handles himself well and at least comes across as a pretty classy individual no matter what the situation.

Rupp - Timing might have been the biggest issue. It looks like he's just taking his spikes off after the race. He was probably still in race mode and hadn't had much of a chance to fully process his own race, much less someone elses. The deflection about future plans basically shows he realized he shouldn't say much off the top of his head.

Bustered wrote:

I do not remember that. Link?

I don't have a link, but that was the best interview ever. Basically the Flotrack guy walks up to Mottram and launches into his questions. No introduction. No "hi, can I interview you." They just stick the camera in his face and launch right into the interview.

Mottram looks at the Flotrack guy and says, "Who the f#ck are you?" He then proceeds to explain interview etiquette to the Flotrack guys and makes them start the interview over with a proper introduction.

I remember that. Arms crossed. "No wait, Introduce yourself first." I believe that was Mark F.

It's too late to 'pologize wrote:

You've upset quite a bit of people on here, and have even lost some posters. What do you have to say about the situation?

I haven't read this thread. I just now saw it, but I guess it makes sense to post my comments first before being swayed by your opinions. On race day I saw a few comments on the other thread where I posted there was an interview with Rupp.

I didn't think much of the interview at all.

There as zero media at the Arkansas meet outside of the Arkansas newspapers, me, and college SIDs. So there was no interview area.

I was instructed by USATF to just grab someone where I could. That is easier said than done as athletes can just disappear off the track. USATF said they were going to try and get a quote from the winners as well. After setting the record, Rupp was the story of the night. I got a few quotes from him when he was interview by ESPN.

Rupp was over by the track and people were asking him for autographs. Probably 10-15 minutes had passed. I debated do I go over there or wait longer as he had some family members and Alberto nearby. I don't want to invade a personal moment but I don't want to let him leave without getting some comment. I started to go over there once and realized the guy who I thought might be a reporter was the USADA guy so I waited. Finally I figured I'd better try and talk to him now as more time was passing. I saw some guy who I thought was a reporter talking to him while Rupp was on the ground changing his shoes. (It was the USATF intern getting quotes I found out) So I kneeled down next to them and asked a couple questions at the end. I was curious what he thought about his 5k record being broken. So I told him it was broken and he didn't have much reaction.

Not the ideal place to ask someone questions but I got enough of his time and that was that. It worked out relatively well. In an ideal world I'd be there at the beginning and not have to jump in on the end while squatting on the ground, but its not that unusual to piggyback on someone else already talking to an athlete. It's best when you can introduce yourself. Perhaps I could have not used the video recorder but some of you all like to see the athlete and it is what I use as a recorder for audio.

I then saw Alberto, shook his hand, congratulated him and asked him a few questions off the video.

So those are my thoughts. Now I'll read the thread.

I'll defend both wejo and Rupp. Rupp is a soft spoken man, and wejo asks hard-hitting, direct questions. When put together, it either looks like wejo badgering or Rupp pouting. In reality, they're just awkward together.

No, he asks weak questions and makes inopportune statements. Time and again.

I finally watched the video and just don't understand what all uproar is about. The statement made by Wejo was kinda abrupt and Rupp's reply was even more abrupt. Big Deal. People are making a mountain out of a mole hill.

agip wrote:

Point is, I am sure that if Rupp read this, he would be shaking his head at the misinterpretation.

I concur. I think you guys are making too much out of this.

If I were Rupp, I would have been so happy with my performance that that happiness would have governed my response to the question.

I would have said something like "Oh yeah? Fcuk! Well, I got his, so that makes us even--he's just lucky I chose to run the 2 instead of the 5,000."

I don't quite understand why the question has to be perceived as a drag, or as hurtful--I would see it as challenging more than anything else, and with my personality I would have risen to the challenge it posed.

I guess Rupp is different. He ran away. Whatever, that's probably why distance guys get into a lot less fights than sprinters.

It's his decision when to fight, according to his personality. As far as his being a runner is concerned, as long as he fights while on the track, that's OK by me.

The question was OK--Rupp is an adult, and should be sufficiently mature and comfortable in who he is to treat this situation with aplomb. Rupp's response was OK, too. It wouldn't have been my response, but I don't expect everyone to be like me.

Go Rupp.

I've now read the thread.

a) Being there I didn't think it was that awkward. The whole situation wasn't ideal but he was squatting down on the track I think changing shoes and I wanted to catch him before he left. The whole thing was less than two minutes. I don't have any rapport with Galen so it's going to be a bit awkward to begin with but that's not going to stop me from doing my job. My job is not to be buddy buddy with the athletes and the more I realize that the easier it is. I've been led to believe Galen isn't a fan of LetsRun, and that probably affects me more than it should, but that shouldn't matter, and I still have a job to do. I personally apologized to him in Scotland for some of the comments some of you all made on his online wedding page after we linked to it on letsrun but besides that have had no personal interaction with him.

b) The only awkward part for me was squatting down after he was talking to the USATF reporter and not wanting to act like I'm ambushing him. I asked a question, told him his record was broken, I thought he answered perfectly fine. I could have done a better job on my end of having a question about his record but was just looking for his impression.

As for Galen, throughout college I thought he didn't have the finishing speed to be a star and said as much but starting his senior year he sure proved me wrong. I was extremely, extremely impressed with his run Saturday. I told Alberto as much. He was really impressive. I've gone to enough meets that during the races I generally have an idea what's going to happen and I figured he wasn't going to get he record when he was behind pace and by himself.

I've heard I'm unfair to Solinsky's group, I've heard I'm unfair to the Alberto group, I had someone ask last week ask if I had a financial relationship with Nike. I think that's a good combination.

Generally speaking about fan perception of the "media" in track and field, I think some of this reaction and perception of bias by fans just shows how minor track and field is as a sport. Because track and field is so minor everything is supposed to be 100% positive and everyone is supposed to be buddy buddy. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys lose a game and everything is 100% negative.

The farther I get removed from being an athlete the easier it is to be a "journalist". Tim Layden of SI and others have helped by pointing out my goal is not for the athletes to like me. He said you're doing your job when you can write a critical article about someone and then go in the lockerroom the next day and face them.

Back to this situation, I definitely wasn't trying to be sensationalist at all.

joho wrote:

I finally watched the video and just don't understand what all uproar is about. The statement made by Wejo was kinda abrupt and Rupp's reply was even more abrupt. Big Deal. People are making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Instead of writing 4 paragraphs. That's my impression.

best interview ever wrote:

Bustered wrote:

I do not remember that. Link?

I don't have a link, but that was the best interview ever. Basically the Flotrack guy walks up to Mottram and launches into his questions. No introduction. No "hi, can I interview you." They just stick the camera in his face and launch right into the interview.

Mottram looks at the Flotrack guy and says, "Who the f#ck are you?" He then proceeds to explain interview etiquette to the Flotrack guys and makes them start the interview over with a proper introduction.

you're welcome...

I just noticed this and might as well comment, not being critical but just giving my impressions.

First of all, I don't get the adversarial positions. I think if you feel your job is to attack people and be enemies with those you are doing interviews with, then you need to give it up and let someone do it who cares.

If my best friend in the world had just run her/his best race, I would be very happy for my friend, and would not have mentioned a word about anyone else. I would certainly not have said some competitor of hers/his had just smashed one of her/his times somewhere else.

Why would you do something like that anyway? Don't you care about people and their feelings? In the scheme of things, it doesn't matter what someone else did, especially not in that moment. The only thing that mattered regarding Galen after he broke the record, was Galen and his breaking of the record.

It's a mistake to take advice from football games on how to interview world class distance runners. Personally I hate football and think they're all stupid. If someone came up to me and tried to interview me in a rude obnoxious manner, I would tell them to get away from me and that I wasn't going to talk to them.

Perhaps these armchair journalists can interview the armchair quarterbacks and show you how it's done.

I've worked with both Flotrack and LetsRun (among others), interviewed both Rupp and Lagat on several occasions, plus have an educational background in journalism. I don't claim to be an expert, but I am qualified to back wejo up. Sure, it wasn't the best interview, but that's not entirely wejo's fault. Some athletes give better interviews than others. Nothing against Rupp, but he is not always as outgoing/personable as Lagat, especially in a situation like this where there is no mixed zone. The Lagat interview was not only in a mixed zone, but it was done in a press conference type environment. Yes, it's usually more awkward to chase someone down and try to get your questions while they're on their way to cool down, change or whatever.

I'm not buying it was no big deal.

There's NO DOUBT he was stung, even hurt, by the immediate transition from his AR to "You know Lagat got your 5k record today..."

Wejo has rapidly established himself as the TMZ style attack journalist of the distance world.

But if he really had guts he would have asked about Thyroid replacement and low dose SARMS.

Bearded Beast wrote:

He chose to act like it was an insulting question. It was poorly put out there by Wejo I will agree, but Rupp's response was that of a crybaby.

Rupp saying "good for him" was the response of a crybaby? WTF are you smoking?

It wasn't so much what Rupp said, it was the way he said it-- like a little betch trying to man up, rather than a baller.

Watch the vid.

"Why would you do something like that anyway? Don't you care about people and their feelings? In the scheme of things, it doesn't matter what someone else did, especially not in that moment. The only thing that mattered regarding Galen after he broke the record, was Galen and his breaking of the record."

Give me a break.

Grow up.

Who are you to decide for everybody concerned "what matters"?

Rupp is a grown man, not a fragile 6-year-old.

of course wrote:

Lagat > Rupp wrote:

Handles it in a completely different way and that is why Lagat is Lagat and Rupp is a whinny bitch. Yes Wejo made the situation awkward, but had Lagat been in Rupp's place it would have gone down completely different.

Wow. You're saying that a guy who is nearly 40 handles the press better than a guy in his mid-20s?

Yes, because back in his 20's Lagat was a whinny bitch...it's only now that he's older that he's developed class. [/sarcasm]