Manzano is the man!

Johnboy - don't you feel foolish responding just for a few dollars a day?

DaveW wrote:

Sorry - you still didn't answer the question:

Is it acceptable for a USA runner in the Olympics to wear the uniform of another country during a race? Is it acceptable for a USA runner in the Olympics to wear the uniform of another country during a victory lap?

The only non sequitur would be the lack of response to this direct question.

Sorry - you still didn't answer the question?

You're talking to different people.

Is it acceptable to wear a different uniform in a race? No, that's not even legal. Is it acceptable to wear another uniform in a victory lap? Seems like a bit much. A flag alongside another one? That's perfectly fine.

DaveW wrote:

You can respect your family culture from another country at your next family reunion, but not while you are representing the USA. If you represent the USA at a national or international championship, you should no longer be able to compete under the USA flag if you pull out another countries flag for a victory lap.

What are you-- like eight years old?

Respect, love, affection, caring, consideration, and whole bunch of other niceties are not a zero sum game.

It is possible to respect more than one culture/nation/ethnicity/skin color/whatever at the same time.

Just because your mommy and daddy loved your little brother does not mean that they didn't love you.

Ciaron O' Lionaird, Alister Cragg, Eamonn Coghlan, David McNeill, Anne Kesselring, Hannah England, Zoe Buckman all went to college here on US dollars, were trained by US coaches and put on a uniform of a different country. But that's different white, I mean right?

take a chill pill wrote:

DaveW wrote:

If you drape a flag around you during an Olympic victory lap, it is the uniform that you are wearing. I didn't didn't mean to imply that he also had time to change into a Mexican jock strap.

He was not draped in the Mexican flag. He was draped in the American flag. He was merely holding the Mexican flag.

http://www.letsrun.com/photos/2012/olympicsleo/thumbnails/tnManzano_LionelFL-OlyGame12.JPGhttp://www.letsrun.com/photos/2012/olympicsleo/thumbnails/tnDSC_4019.JPG

Seems like a good way to make fans from Mexico (who didn't have anyone in the 1500 final) excited without taking anything away from the Americans

Well, most Americans

DaveW wrote:

Sorry - you still didn't answer the question:

Is it acceptable for a USA runner in the Olympics to wear the uniform of another country during a race? Is it acceptable for a USA runner in the Olympics to wear the uniform of another country during a victory lap?

The only non sequitur would be the lack of response to this direct question.

Sorry - you still didn't answer the question?

Let's start with an image of what Leo actually did:

He's wearing his USA uni and carrying an American flag aloft while also carrying a Mexican flag hanging off of the American flag.

The particular article I found most quickly that this image accompanies agrees with DaveW but I don't. I agree with Leo - he's an American but also has feelings for the country of his birth. Fine by me.

But whether you agree or disagree with Leo's decision to run a lap with a Mexican flag, let's be clear that the "money shot" was of him in a USA uni with the US flag displayed prominently and the Mexican flag displayed in a secondary way, not of him taking a victory lap that created confusion about which country he was representing.

p.s. I'm not a fan of this whole "victory lap with flags" thing. I could be wrong but I believe it started with Bruce Jenner in 1976 and escalated from there. I stand ready to be corrected if it has a deeper Olympic history than I'm aware of.

p.p.s. If Leo's action had something to do with why Nike didn't make more of an effort to keep him as a sponsored athlete, I think it says something about how stupid Nike can be at times. The US has a substantial Mexican-American community, Leo is someone who could help Nike sell shoes etc. to that community, the guy makes a very public statement of his affection for that community. If the Nike response was, "We don't really want someone like that around", that's just plain stupid. How many pairs of shoes will Galen Rupp ever help them sell? How many pairs of shoes has Meb already helped Sketchers sell? How much apparel will Kara help Oiselle sell? How much more valuable is Ryan Hall to Asics than Centro is to Nike? IF Nike didn't get to put their swoosh on every damn US national team uni, the calculation would be different, but given that they do get to put their swoosh on those uni.s, wouldn't it make sense to actually sponsor athletes who can help you sell shoes? Apparently not.

Berliner wrote:

DaveW wrote:

Good luck getting anyone to believe that it is OK for a runner to carry the flag of another country in a national or international competition.

Everyone already does believe that. You're the only nutjob here.

There are quite a few of us that don't believe that. This article captures it perfectly, and it was written by a man of Mexican heritage.

meb fan wrote:

DaveW wrote:

I don't hate Mexico and would have no problem if Manzano ran for Mexico. I would cheer him on in any international competition. But I will not cheer him on as a USA runner if he carries a Mexican flag while running for the USA in a national or international competition.

Good luck getting anyone to believe that it is OK for a runner to carry the flag of another country in a national or international competition.

I certainly don't think its a good idea but meb did it back in the day and I don't remember him getting similar backlash.

I wonder why. Any ideas?

http://www.dahlak.de/Keflezighi.JPG

Cool shot of Meb. Interesting about the flags but my immediate reaction was "Damn, look at those ABs!"

4runner wrote:

It is possible to respect more than one culture/nation/ethnicity/skin color/whatever at the same time.

If Leo carries a Mexican flag the terrorists win.

Hoosier Daddy wrote:

Berliner wrote:

Everyone already does believe that. You're the only nutjob here.

There are quite a few of us that don't believe that. This article captures it perfectly, and it was written by a man of Mexican heritage.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/10/opinion/navarrette-olympics-flags/

Navarette is a conservative columnist for the Washington Post and a big supporter of Clarence Thomas. He writes nutjob stories because it pays his salary.

Stop the justifications.

He ran for the USA and then held the Mexican flag in his victory lap in one of the most important stages in the world ... or is it?

I would love to see how Mexico would deal with him if he ran for the Mexican team and then draped himself in the good old red white and blue.

It's ridiculous to me to be happy to go run at Oxy but then skip USA Nationals.

Get over the flag B.S. and move on. The guy is a stud and Nike made a blunder not renewing his contract with a bonus. His championship record speaks for itself. Isn't that what counts: racing that is versus time trials.

DaveW wrote:

Stop the justifications.

He ran for the USA and then held the Mexican flag in his victory lap in one of the most important stages in the world

Manufactured outrage to make a yourself feel important.

DaveW wrote:

Stop the justifications.

You mean stop giving perfectly good answers to your wackjob questions?

DaveW wrote:

I would love to see how Mexico would deal with him if he ran for the Mexican team and then draped himself in the good old red white and blue.

It wouldn't be a big deal then either. You have a strange imagination.

DaveW wrote:

Stop the justifications.

He ran for the USA and then held the Mexican flag in his victory lap in one of the most important stages in the world ... or is it?

I would love to see how Mexico would deal with him if he ran for the Mexican team and then draped himself in the good old red white and blue.

Dude, you're entitled to your opinion, but I've seen 0 video evidence that Leo "draped himself" in the Mexican flag at the Olympics. If you have such video evidence, link please; if not, please stop implying it.

wejo wrote:

Does Leer really think he's going to pass half the field in a 3:38 race on the final lap?

It had to have been on purpose, he drifted to almost DFL while the pack was 3 wide.

DaveW wrote:

Stop the justifications.

He ran for the USA and then held the Mexican flag in his victory lap in one of the most important stages in the world ... or is it?

I would love to see how Mexico would deal with him if he ran for the Mexican team and then draped himself in the good old red white and blue.

I don't recall Leo draping himself in the Mexican flag. Do you have pics? My understanding was that he ran a victory lap with a tiny flag in hand that a fan gave him, and that he also displayed a large US flag, while holding a Mexican flag that was hanging from his hand. I don't think the scenario you describe above ever happened.

The Olympics are in interesting event, in that they highlight global unity through competition. I find this displayed in no greater way, than representing your home country in competition, and making a nod of affection to another nation during the post-race celebration. I saw his actions with the flag as a gesture of international good-will, and an acknowledgement of Americans who have a deep appreciation of their Mexican heritage and ties.

In any case, your attempt to de-rail this discussion is pretty pathetic. The thread topic revolves around the national-level race that occurred earlier today, and I think it's about time that LRC gives Leo some love. I've said it before, but Leo always comes up big when it counts. There are lots of guys that were on here a year ago claiming that he was done, was woefully inconsistent, would not be a factor in major competitions again, etc. Yet again, they have been proved wrong.

Look for big things from Leo in 2015 at the World Champs. Our sport does not revolve around time trials, but championships. In those scenarios, Leo is one of the most dangerous runners in the world.

One Love big man, Olympics are about bringing countries together, what he did was fantastic and completely in the Olympic spirit... now go hate jerk-it to a Rupp poster, ya d-bag