Solinsky in 10k at the Portland Track Festival

Hayduke wrote:

I thought Solinsky was tough working class blue collar runner?

Question for those of you who are big Solinsky fans and can't stand Rupp: Does this come down to physical appearance, personal style and dislike of AlSal or is there something more here I should be aware of?

Because when I look at Rupp and Solinsky, I see two athletes of the same generation with similar PRs and similar basic stories: HS distance running star in state that takes distance running seriously; go to college at big-time in-state distance-running power where each continues to run well; run professionally for Nike while living in Oregon and training under college coach.

One guy is fat, the other is not.

dkny64 wrote:

Question for those of you who are big Solinsky fans and can't stand Rupp: Does this come down to physical appearance, personal style and dislike of AlSal or is there something more here I should be aware of?

Because when I look at Rupp and Solinsky, I see two athletes of the same generation with similar PRs and similar basic stories: HS distance running star in state that takes distance running seriously; go to college at big-time in-state distance-running power where each continues to run well; run professionally for Nike while living in Oregon and training under college coach.

I have never really understood this either. My best guess is that it is largely Wisconsin posters on here who are just very vocal about their dislike of Rupp. NOP is not dirty, Salazar is just an excellent coach, who micromanages Rupp. I don't know why people have a problem with this; he is a professional runner, and that is his job. Solinsky is great, but I have never understood what is SO unlikable about Rupp. Stop being jealous.

Why is German listed under NBSV? Error in the entry?

dkny64 wrote:

Hayduke wrote:

I thought Solinsky was tough working class blue collar runner?

Question for those of you who are big Solinsky fans and can't stand Rupp: Does this come down to physical appearance, personal style and dislike of AlSal or is there something more here I should be aware of?

Because when I look at Rupp and Solinsky, I see two athletes of the same generation with similar PRs and similar basic stories: HS distance running star in state that takes distance running seriously; go to college at big-time in-state distance-running power where each continues to run well; run professionally for Nike while living in Oregon and training under college coach.

It very much reminds me of the ovett coe rivalry. Coe was considered a tool of his fathers invention while Ovett was a tough as nails working class hero. The reality is both had balls of steel. Same with Rupp/Solinsky. I think its funny to kid the Solinsky fans who hate Rupp. Clearly they are bigots who judge people on there looks and not their talent or work ethic. Coe and Rupp would still be great athletes with or without AlSal or Peter Coe.... Maybe they would be a little more inconsistent like Ovett and Solinsky, but successful none the less.

NOP is not dirty? hahahahahahahahahahah

I heard Chris just got back from another deployemnt in Afghanistan. Is he an officer? Which unit?

Not sure how many people on this board have competed before, but running has its ups and downs, even for the super elite.

I saw Henry Rono his senior year of college and it wasn't going well. Not sure he even qualified for NCAA's that year. I know I saw him run a 14:25 5K in Pullman, looking woefully out of shape. A couple of months later, I believe, he broke his own world record in the 5K, taking it to 13:06.

Not saying Solinsky has this ability to get back under 27:00, but he was brutally honest in the post-race interview. I like the guy and I don't expect he'll get cut any slack on this message board. One bad race does one in here, and one good race brings claims of doping. There's no winning on this board and I don't know why.

Why can't we just appreciate guys like Solinsky, who are giving it their all? Of course I grew up in the pre-internet era where we wouldn't dare bash guys like Shorter, Bjorkland, Wohluter, Wottle, Steve Scott, etc., we just simply respected their greatness.

I agree.

Hayduke wrote:

It very much reminds me of the ovett coe rivalry. Coe was considered a tool of his fathers invention while Ovett was a tough as nails working class hero. The reality is both had balls of steel. Same with Rupp/Solinsky. I think its funny to kid the Solinsky fans who hate Rupp. Clearly they are bigots who judge people on there looks and not their talent or work ethic. Coe and Rupp would still be great athletes with or without AlSal or Peter Coe.... Maybe they would be a little more inconsistent like Ovett and Solinsky, but successful none the less.

Nonetheless is one word.

Your post is spot-on nonetheless.

Wondering in the West wrote:

There's no winning on this board and I don't know why.

Why can't we just appreciate guys like Solinsky, who are giving it their all? Of course I grew up in the pre-internet era where we wouldn't dare bash guys like Shorter, Bjorkland, Wohluter, Wottle, Steve Scott, etc., we just simply respected their greatness.

....the majority of people who post here are immature and insecure, and they thrive off of others failing because it makes them feel better about themselves. They are negative people who are likely often de-friended on facebook because people get tired of their drama and negativity.

Because... wrote:

....the majority of people who post here are immature and insecure, and they thrive off of others failing because it makes them feel better about themselves. They are negative people who are likely often de-friended on facebook because people get tired of their drama and negativity.

I personally find the vitriol about professionals fascinating and I feel differently about its origins. First, track is just a really small world. I ran home from the Grand Prix yesterday and passed by Jenny Simpson on her cooldown. How many people would have recognized her? 20,000? fewer? Probably some large percentage of them has personally interacted with her. Of the people who post on letsrun criticizing Solinsky or whatever, I would bet that a bunch of them have had personal interactions with the guy, competed against him, been to meets where he ran, etc. So there's a bunch of stuff we're not seeing. Like Maya Angelou says, people remember how you make them feel...and a bunch of the vitriol, I'd bet, comes from bad interpersonal stuff that people don't talk about. Especially with the coaches, Alberto isn't exactly a Lebron James. People who hate him have personal beefs, I think. They're so vivid and all-encompassing when they come out.

Second, we've been following these athletes for years, and memories die hard. I remember vividly after Solinsky pulled out of the Olympic Trials, Sprintgeezer trashed him. Can't find the thread but it was a lot like this

. Said he was pretty much done. Two years later it looks like SG was right, and he said it was about heart, not about injury. So it's not just one bad race. We all remember the drama with Merga, the "ploy" comment, the excuses over the years, the fact that he seemed near tears after a 3k this indoor season which he dropped out of if memory serves? - his haters have had a long time to build up the narrative.

Also the anonymous internet message board thing is real too, lots of people are their worst selves online.

Agree with some of it, I don't buy that it's Solinsky's competitor's who get on here, or Rupp's for that matter. I think it's jealous lower level D-1 guys, or D2/D3/NAIA or fun runners, who aren't world class or national class. I think they're terribly jealous and spiteful.

One guy called Cheserek "a bum" this week. Simply amazing. You, me, and the guy next door knows the guy who called him a bum could've stay with Cheserek or Solinsky or Rupp for even half a lap.

I don't mind someone questioning race strategies or wondering why is a runner in a slump, but the constant bashing of guys (and gals) they couldn't even hang with has run its course. I think this board could be monitored better, but that's for another day.

Wondering in the West wrote:

Agree with some of it, I don't buy that it's Solinsky's competitor's who get on here, or Rupp's for that matter. I think it's jealous lower level D-1 guys, or D2/D3/NAIA or fun runners, who aren't world class or national class. I think they're terribly jealous and spiteful.

One guy called Cheserek "a bum" this week. Simply amazing. You, me, and the guy next door knows the guy who called him a bum could've stay with Cheserek or Solinsky or Rupp for even half a lap.

I don't mind someone questioning race strategies or wondering why is a runner in a slump, but the constant bashing of guys (and gals) they couldn't even hang with has run its course. I think this board could be monitored better, but that's for another day.

Not sure.

I do think this notion that it is fueled by jealousy does not really ring true to me. It is awfully easy to just call someone "jealous" when they write something negative.

Seriously, I have a hard time imagining anyone being jealous of Rupp for example. He is ten times the runner that I could ever be. But jealous? I just don't see it. But perhaps jealousy is a greater force in the world than I realize.