John Hancock's blanket was more important than the American flag

The person with the John Hancock towel was NOT Tommy M. It was an employee of John Hancock. His job (along with his team) is to ensure that the top winners have the towel draped around them.

I did go to college "bro" - one of the best in country in fact. I just didn't waste time on the pseudo-sciences like psychology and sit around and debate the 4 stages of morality. Your reading comprehension needs some help though. I said nothing about "codes of power". And you think you are morally superior and you know what is right ? To you maybe the flag is just a piece of cloth. To others it represents something much greater - something you you would obviously never understand in your pop psychology world.

I don't know who that guy was, but he was a real jackass. When Jeptoo won, some kenyans tried giving her a flag and he just started screaming at them "NO, NO, NO, NO!" and then manhandled her away.

When Meb won, his wife ran up and hugged him. This jackass then tried prying her away from him, just moments after crossing the line. Meb asked for a flag. Jackass then manhandles Meb everywhere and keeps putting that stupid towel around him.

This was a moment for America, for the people of Boston, and for Meb, not a moment for John Hancock.

Let the man have his fvcking moment. Christ.

Deadman Running wrote:

I did go to college "bro" - one of the best in country in fact. I just didn't waste time on the pseudo-sciences like psychology and sit around and debate the 4 stages of morality. Your reading comprehension needs some help though. I said nothing about "codes of power". And you think you are morally superior and you know what is right ? To you maybe the flag is just a piece of cloth. To others it represents something much greater - something you you would obviously never understand in your pop psychology world.

Bro,

Chill out brosky bro broseph. Choomsky did say that the symbol of the flag was more appropriate than the symbol of the Handcock towel. He said nothing about it being just a piece of cloth. He had a problem with the symbolic flag not being used in a patriotic moment. I agree with him and would rather see the flag in a moment of glory than sterilized and clean, following some arbitrary protocol.

The guy that kept placing the towel around them was a psycho who was trying to take Meb's training and re-approbriate his efforts into profits for his company. I think there is a line between sponsorship and control and that guy found it.

I was talking about the flag code. First he said he didn't exist. Then he said it was irrelevant. Just pointing out that a lot of people take the flag seriously - unlike him. I'm absolutely chill. I wasn't commenting at all about the Dbag psycho at the line.

Deadman Running wrote:

To you maybe the flag is just a piece of cloth. To others it represents something much greater - something you you would obviously never understand in your pop psychology world.

Pop psychology, pop jingoism.... po-tay-to, po-tah-to.

This is really something that is bothering me. I am rather unnerved with the Handcock towel. There needs to be some sort of statement made by the running community. Paying for an event does not make an athlete your property.

Hate the flag BS.. No way should they be draping the flag over anybody. I've said this to USATF and made them aware of the flag protocol almost 15 years ago. I included comments from veterans of 4 wars. They chose to ignore it.

That being said, I don't have a problem with John Hancock being front and center, but that disgusting display by Tommy Meagher yesterday was inexcusable.

The whole "flag/no flag" argument is idiotic at its core. I'd prefer we'd drop the nationalist bullshit, stop "respecting" inanimate objects, and instead celebrate the human victory that took place. Nation borders have jack-shit to do with any of it.

Christ. Sorry I didn't study the "rules of the flag".

I can't imagine Meb expressing his emotions with support of his country could be construed as disrespect.

Dobby wrote:

Nation borders have jack-shit to do with any of it.

Tell that to terrorists who bombed the finish line last year.

runletusrun wrote:

Christ. Sorry I didn't study the "rules of the flag".

I can't imagine Meb expressing his emotions with support of his country could be construed as disrespect.

Exactly, the "rules" go out the window when an athlete has such a great effort with such profound symbolic importance.

I am not trying to turn Meb's individual achievement into a nationalist symbol, the bombers from last year did that. I am just pointing out the fact that his effort is symbolic due to the circumstances.

My biggest problem, I am starting to realize, is that the force in which the Handcock flag was placed into the athletes shoulders when they were verbally asking for their nations' flags. That finish line psycho did the swapping of flags, not me.

Wrong! Yes, Tommy is the guy who "handles" the winners when they cross the finish line, but he is hardly "heavy handed". Obviously someone needs to be there to make sure the winner knows where to go and what to do. But it was not Tommy who was forcing the Hancock towels on the finishers. That was someone else. It was Tommy who encouraged the winners to take their time and catch their breath and start rehydrating before they moved on to the awards ceremony. This was clearly visible to anyone who watched the finish line activities.

And for those of you who want a glimpse of what Tommy is really all about, just go back 1 year and observe his actions after the bombings. You hear about self-promoters like Carlos Arrodondo, but Tommy was also instrumental in saving lives, though quietly.

The guy is a class act. Period.

The question remains... Who was that guy? I don't want to just be a complainer, I want to send some emails to the appropriate people to try and advocate for some change.

You're telling me the guy at 1:44 in this video is not Tom Meagher? Seems to me it is. At any rate, the most "controlling" guy in this video seems to be someone else. I did some searching and couldn't find anything, but it is probably a John Hancock employee. His job was probably to make sure their logo is plastered everywhere, no matter how obnoxious he has to be. Just watching it again bugs me.

http://youtu.be/Nm3thC4m5fQ?t=1m44s

fair enough wrote:

You're telling me the guy at 1:44 in this video is not Tom Meagher? Seems to me it is. At any rate, the most "controlling" guy in this video seems to be someone else. I did some searching and couldn't find anything, but it is probably a John Hancock employee. His job was probably to make sure their logo is plastered everywhere, no matter how obnoxious he has to be. Just watching it again bugs me.

http://youtu.be/Nm3thC4m5fQ?t=1m44s

That video does show some of the awkward Handcock towel moments (2:45) and the man-handling of Meb, but it does not have a horrible moment that I am thinking of. It is when Meb and Jeptoo are standing side by side w/ the towels stretched out like flags. They try to shut their arms but someone forces them back out.

Any news on who the guy is who has his hands on Meb the whole time (even during the interview?). He is different from the guy I am thinking about but he is still pretty bad.

Also, half the crowd at Boston had American flags and were wearing them as capes, waving them, draping them over fences, etc.. I hope a Letsrun thug (deadmanrunning) doesn't go to a major marathon. He will have a lot of people to fight. (What a clown).

fair enough wrote:

You're telling me the guy at 1:44 in this video is not Tom Meagher? Seems to me it is. At any rate, the most "controlling" guy in this video seems to be someone else. I did some searching and couldn't find anything, but it is probably a John Hancock employee. His job was probably to make sure their logo is plastered everywhere, no matter how obnoxious he has to be. Just watching it again bugs me.

http://youtu.be/Nm3thC4m5fQ?t=1m44s

That's definitely TM, but I don't see anything wrong with what he is doing. As mentioned above, he is the point guy at the finish. And he wasn't the Hancock towel guy, as that video clearly demonstrates.

Given the amount of money Hancock puts into the race -- and into the pockets of runners like Meb -- I can understand that they'd want some name placement. I wouldn't be surprised if it was contractually obligated for the winners to wear the towel.

If you think there is a chance you'll win and would like to use the US flag as a blanket (something I'm in agreement with the old timers with on being ill advised but certainly a forgivable offense), it is probably best to arrange this in advance.