Did Mike Rossi (viral marathon dad) cheat his way into Boston?

RainMiker wrote:

I can see him setting up his lawyer with potential cash cows.

I don't see how? The general allegation is that he is a cheater. The facts strongly support that he did cheat. He can't win that legal fight as he can't prove he didn't cheat or he would have done so already. So, he's not going to go after anyone for saying he's a liar and a cheater, the evidence is just against him.

So, if he accepts the allegations that he is a liar and a cheater, and he is therefore widely known to be a liar and a cheater, how much more damage can you do to his reputation?

At this point, I'd pull a Lance Armstrong and just admit it, give a sob story about why (he did it for the kids, or to cure cancer, or whatever) and people will let it go. I always hated Lance because he was a cheater and was just to aggressive about getting lawyers to go after people who outed him - but, now that he came out and admitted it, I totally let it go. I appreciate what he achieved now (albeit on drugs - but everyone was on drugs) and just don't mind him at all. Funny how that works.

Mike - if you're reading this - seriously, just admit it, say sorry, and let this whole unfortunate episode fall into the past. Become an advocate for preventing marathon cheating or something. Turn it into something positive. Most importantly, do it for yourself and do it for your family, not for all the people on at you - peace of mind is a really good thing. And, it takes a big man to admit when they are wrong. Anyway - talk to your wife about it or something, see what she says, but, people do forgive, you just have to ask. But, getting lawyers and threatening to sue everyone - you won't fix this situation that way. You know this to be true. Just own up and live the rest of your life without this lie.

kiprossi wrote:

Has Kip Litton made any comments on the Mike Rossi situation? Also a victim of falling under the letsrun crosshairs. Seems like MR has a stronger backbone, or less shame.

I follow Kip on Twitter along with about 7 others. He has been quiet on the Rossi front but did send an educational tweet on the dangers of sodas on your enamel.

He gets precisely what he deserves.

Where is the DQ? wrote:

He did not share your compassion when he was throwing the school principal under the bus. In fact, he backed the bus up and ran over her several more times to extend his time in the spotlight regardless of what it did to her career. And this is someone directly charged with the care of his kids.

So F him. He brought this Karma on himself.

#DouceNozzleMikeRossi

Just Stop wrote:

No kidding. Harassing him on Facebook/Twitter, contacting his place of work, posting fake reviews of his business, creating a blog about him, etc... Is there no line you guys won't cross?

After hearing about the letter to the principal and then his alleged cheating, I was against him. Seeing what the cyberbullies are doing, I'm much more sympathetic toward him.

MIKE ROSSI - since you obviously read this board given that you called your attorney yesterday regarding an innocuous quote from the movie Animal House, I want to take the opportunity to call your bluff and see how truthful you are. You mentioned several times, captured here -

http://imgur.com/a/i5ZqU

, that you are willing to share your MRI to prove that you are in fact injured. An individual's words are only as good as their action to back up those words. So, I am respectively requesting that you please provide a copy of your MRI and technician's or Dr. Richard Goldberg's report with the diagnosis.

If you choose not to fulfill your prior offer, I think that will not only speak volumes, but also confirm many of the allegations about your character.

Even I am uncomfortable with crossing this over to his job. He's a wedding D.J, not a cop, or a politician. His job doesn't require ethics. We don't need to mess with his gig--and by extension his family.

He messed with the principal. Our response was to make everyone aware that he cheated to get into Boston. Continue that fight..but the rest of it is too far. The punishment should be disqualification and public shame equivalent to that he put the poor principal through.

You mean like this kind of cyber bullying?

Doubler wrote:

Even I am uncomfortable with crossing this over to his job. He's a wedding D.J, not a cop, or a politician. His job doesn't require ethics. We don't need to mess with his gig--and by extension his family.

He messed with the principal. Our response was to make everyone aware that he cheated to get into Boston. Continue that fight..but the rest of it is too far. The punishment should be disqualification and public shame equivalent to that he put the poor principal through.

Two words - Kenneth Stillman.

It was Mike's choice. Still is.

Two words. wrote:

Doubler wrote:

Even I am uncomfortable with crossing this over to his job. He's a wedding D.J, not a cop, or a politician. His job doesn't require ethics. We don't need to mess with his gig--and by extension his family.

He messed with the principal. Our response was to make everyone aware that he cheated to get into Boston. Continue that fight..but the rest of it is too far. The punishment should be disqualification and public shame equivalent to that he put the poor principal through.

Two words - Kenneth Stillman.

This is only partially about the cheating. It's mainly about what he did to that poor principal. Hate mail, death threats, midnight pranks calls. He messed with her life. She didn't fight back once and for all we know she might be have a nervous breakdown over what he did to her and might just have to retire from her job. We don't know because she handled this whole thing with class while he kept piling on and going on all the talk shows.

When the whole thing went viral he could have refused interviews and TV appearances, but he carried on for over two weeks and made that ladie's life a living hell. Her own son had to beg the press to leave her alone.

So if you think we are being too hard on Mike Rossi then you are being ridiculous.

If Mike Rossi came forward and admit what he did this would all go away. His wife, children and friends might actually respect him for being humble for once in his life.

It sure helped Lance Armstrong's image. I actually respect him now. Sure he cheated but he raised a f***load of money for cancer research, and when push came to shove and the sponsors started to pull out he did what was best for the Livestrong Foundation. He let the good of many outweigh the good one one.

But honestly, I don't see Mike doing that. I wish he would. But so far he's done nothing but threaten people and try and stop people from writing bad things about him. We all know he's reading, and yet for some reason this dumb*** doesn't see that he can't change our minds about this. He still thinks he can make a magic post and we'll all go, "Okay, now I see that Mike didn't cheat."

We saw the pics. We didn't see him in those pics.

The only way for this to end is to hold a press conference, apologize to that principal, and admit he cheated. We will all make sure it goes viral and he will feel the sting of embarrassment for a couple weeks.

Or we just plug away and pressure the RD and sponsors until they DQ him. This could go on for a very like time. Mike should do the right thing.

I don't care about GPS watches and what have you. But when he was allegedly asked about his half way split by the RD and refused to give it, that's when I knew something smelled fishy. He didn't want to say a halfway split because then he could be pinned down as to who he was allegedly around at that point, probably no one;). No honest person who just set a pr for the marathon forgot their 13.1 split or would not share their split with anyone who asked. Wow, and I mean wow. Ask the guy who finished in front of him in the video and I bet he knows what he hit halfway in, among other splits. Refusing to share that speaks volumes and any serious runner knows that.

How do you know this?

Just da facts ma'am wrote:

I don't care about GPS watches and what have you. But when he was allegedly asked about his half way split by the RD and refused to give it, that's when I knew something smelled fishy. He didn't want to say a halfway split because then he could be pinned down as to who he was allegedly around at that point, probably no one;). No honest person who just set a pr for the marathon forgot their 13.1 split or would not share their split with anyone who asked. Wow, and I mean wow. Ask the guy who finished in front of him in the video and I bet he knows what he hit halfway in, among other splits. Refusing to share that speaks volumes and any serious runner knows that.

It was on a facebook link from page 220 on this thread. He allegedly would not share times...that's what I read. I wanted to believe the guy, I really did, till one thing after another kept coming up, not just the lack of photos.

You nailed it. I may be overly sympathetic in wanting him to come clean. The pain of trying to continue this charade has to be overwhelming. Yet the longer he continues to use lawyers to intimidate people and post ridiculous "just stop" and "let it go" comments, the more he probably deserves the hell he is perpetuating. Mike, take the high road and come clean. You can perhaps even turn this into a positive of some kind.

This thread saddens me even more deeply than before. The vitriol against a stranger elicited by the possibility of cheating at a marathon, this thread has become more about the reaction of the posters than the allegation against one person.

It is like watching viral road rage and everyone who urges a pause, a breath, perspective, or compassion gets shouted down.

I feel like I am watching a stoning in the Middle Ages of someone alleged to be a witch or the flaying of a man who stole bread.

Stolen honor and glory is wrong. So is zealotry.

There is no longer anything but shame in this thread. Unbelievable.

He's had every chance to do this. The only way he *might* do it is if he is cornered and that is unacceptable because he has to, not that he needs or wants to.His wife shoud leave him, take the kids, and expose him for what he is. A cheat. Just like Lance, a liar and a cheat and a terrible human being.

Just an average runner wrote:

This thread saddens me even more deeply than before. The vitriol against a stranger elicited by the possibility of cheating at a marathon, this thread has become more about the reaction of the posters than the allegation against one person.

It is like watching viral road rage and everyone who urges a pause, a breath, perspective, or compassion gets shouted down.

I feel like I am watching a stoning in the Middle Ages of someone alleged to be a witch or the flaying of a man who stole bread.

Stolen honor and glory is wrong. So is zealotry.

There is no longer anything but shame in this thread. Unbelievable.

And what Mike did to that school principal is okay with you?

Anyone who feels bad for Mike Rossi needs to think for a second how many lives has he probably ruined along the way. He shows no remorse for throwing people under the bus, cheating and stealing a hard earned BQ spot, trying to ruin others careers and so on.

Mike Rossi represents everything that's wrong with this society and that's why this thread continues to live on.

Doubler wrote:

Even I am uncomfortable with crossing this over to his job. He's a wedding D.J, not a cop, or a politician. His job doesn't require ethics. We don't need to mess with his gig--and by extension his family.

He messed with the principal. Our response was to make everyone aware that he cheated to get into Boston. Continue that fight..but the rest of it is too far. The punishment should be disqualification and public shame equivalent to that he put the poor principal through.

Lehigh Valley doesn't seem to be willing to do the right thing so Mike is succumbing to mob justice instead. He's the one who's choosing to draw things out for himself by not admitting to cutting the course and accepting a DQ from the race. Based on all of his actions put together, I am now convinced that Mike is a terrible person, however I promise to leave the guy alone if and when he confesses.

Also, if Mike loses clients, that means that some other wedding DJ, who is undoubtedly a better person, is going to gain business and make more money. I'm only too happy to help this person, who may be struggling to get by and support his family, rather than blowing money on lawyers, out.