Out of character comment by Steve Scott

We do all have preferences. When those preferences are based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc. then it is bigotry.

I immigrated to the US 10 years ago. I am now a citizen and I identify with most Americans. I am clearly not anti-immigrant. However I agree with Steve Scott's statement. Somehow it seems a little less authentic to have an american record set by a dude who competed for Kenya 2 years ago. Nothing against Lagat - he seems like an intelligent and decent guy. It seems that for American running to return to its glory days of the 70's, we have to develop runners from the junior ranks. I'd rather see a guy like Webb break the record - maybe because then the rest of Americas youth could see that we can compete with the rest of the world.

We do all have preferences. When those preferences are based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc. then it is bigotry (Quote)

I am attracted to 22-26 year old white females. Am I a bigot? Am I racist? Are we supposed to ingnore race like it doesn't even exist. By the way, your def of bigot is a bit off.

by the laws of citizenship, lagat should obviously be allowed to hold the record. however, anybody who says they are excited about lagat breaking scott's record is just lying under a facade of PC bullshit. how could that possibly excite you?

Big problem herein is that no one really knows what Scott thinks. He didn't say Lagat should be disallowed from breaking his record, just who he'd prefer broke it. I interpret that as his pulling for the next generation of white kids who are finally running a bit faster, the way he did. That's not racism, that's pride.

I think that many of the people who cry about racism are closet racists themselves.

Scott voiced a common US opinion and a fact of life for every non-Caucasian (immigrant or not) in the US:

GLASS CEILING

This is his preference. Its not uncommon. People take great comfort in group-think, and go to great lengths to rationalize it.

National records are about as significant as the stats spewing out of Peter Gammons' mouth. The only time that matters is the world mark. And from a middle/long distance point of view, Scott and Lagat are not in the conversation.

Formosan Joe wrote:

Scott voiced a common US opinion and a fact of life for every non-Caucasian (immigrant or not) in the US:

GLASS CEILING

This is his preference. Its not uncommon. People take great comfort in group-think, and go to great lengths to rationalize it.

The issues of Black and White are not always "black and white."

and could this be more about EPO than citizenship?

How would you feel if you were in Scott's shoes?

"I may look like a farmer

But I'm a lover

Can't judge a book

By looking at the cover" - Willie Dixon

If this record goes down, i see no problem even if Lagat was not raised here in the states. If we were to think in this manner, then does it mean that if you are from a specific country that is known to have good runners and win a gold medal you wont get it just because you are from a country with good runners? not at all. so i hope that he breaks it.

MNApologist wrote:

We do all have preferences. When those preferences are based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc. then it is bigotry.

Ok, then what exactly are we supposed to base our preferences on, Mr. Morality? Masters runners getting extra geeked about a 40 year old who might beat the younger crew is bigotry? Or is it just one group of people identifying with an individual and cheering for that guy? Chinese-Americans are bigots if they cheer for Yao instead of Shaq because Yao is Chinese? The NAACP are a bunch of bigots because they have a preference to supporting the advancement of only colored people?

Christ this is like a big White-Guilt convention...

It would seem more awkward to me that Lagat would compete for Kenya, after having lived here for all those years. I'm proud to have Lagat represent our country, as he is a nice guy, and a great runner, who has been living here for quite some time. That being said, I think that main reason why people aren't excited about him breaking the AR, is that he has already run 3:26.xx. Webb breaking it would be moving into new territory, but Lagat breaking it is doing what he has already done, just in a different uniform.

scott fan man wrote:

I think the people that are bashing Scott are idiots because they haven't even taken the time to read the entire article and his quote. The quote on the front page that has been talked about a lot might show a little bias but a bias that I think anyone with the record would feel. What people have failed to read is the next sentence he says, "But on the other side of the coin, almost all of us came here from somewhere else. My mother's parents came over from Germany, so I'm just a second generation here. That's how this country is set up. Just one of those things that happens." So if you see this Scott makes it clear that he is not racist, a bigot, or many of the other things that people have said about him.

Man, I can't believe this has apparently escaped all but one person's attention.

"Somehow it seems a little less authentic to have an american record set by a dude who competed for Kenya 2 years ago." ...while he was an American citizen!!!

Silverback wrote:

Chinese.... are bigots if they cheer for Yao instead of Shaq because Yao is Chinese? .

Yup, and I guarantee you that is the case. So in MNApologist's world, there are over a Billion racist Chinese in the world, because if they followed basketball at all, at leat 90%....I GUARANTEE....would cheer for Yao. And I see nothing wrong with that, but in MNApologist's world it is a truly awful, horrible thing.

Seriously MNAp, what do you think of the Chinese people now, knowing how they would likely prefer Yao over Shaq? Are you disgusted?

Steve Scott simply stated that he would prefer having his record beaten by somone raised in the US, who has represented this country in Olympics or World Championships, and who he has watched come up through the American High School system, like he did over someone who lived and trained most of his life somewhere else and who he KNOWS IS ALREADY FASTER THAN HIM!!! Lagat has run a 1500 over FIVE seconds faster than Scott.

Steve Scott was fine to express those feelings, and I am sure Lagat understands where he is coming from.

I hear what you're say about Yao, but interestingly enough, his number is no longer the highest selling jersey in China. It dropped to third behind McGrady and someone else's I can't remember.

Iverson

Lagat is the second fastest 1500m runner of all time. Whether he breaks Steve Scott's record or not is somewhat pointless, as he has ALREADY run faster than it.

Possible solution:

just as state road race records make a distinction between the resident state record (being someone from that state) and the state record (being someone from any where who has run the fastert time within the state boarders).....and like Track & Field News has always listed foreign collegians (attending a US school) on their top American preformance list,

would it also make sense to allow for a foriegn-born US citizen and a US-born citizen footnote with a record. That doesn't seem unfair. It still recognizes each athlete.

to respond to the original post, i agree with scott.

i think you should be a product of america. growing up in a different culture changes things. he's an american, but his times should not count as american records. if you think of it, his records are a small part of who he is as an american, so i don't really think it should be an issue.

don't count the records unless you were raised in this country.