What's the purposes of even writing a new book like this as we know Pre's "story". Is this to tell us the secret of running well is to be created out of abuse? lol.
If I were the parents / sister I would already have a libel lawsuit launched.
It seems like many top distance runners may have been abused when young.
Thinking about Frank Shorter, Ingebrigtsens, Mo Farah (trafficked and forced to work as a servant), Lynn Jennings and now Pre.
Who else?
First of all we seem to have changed the definition of “abused.” I guess I was “abused” too then but so what? Maybe we could all benefit from a little abuse.
Well I stayed in an Airbnb that was the closest house to where Steve died. The woman there told me that she believed a local doctor's kid was driving drunk and that Steve swerved to avoid him. It wasn't even debatable to her what happened.
I believe that has been floated by others. Is it in print? I should have Jonathan make sure and write an article.
Her husband at the time was the guy who found Steve I believe.
Two things are fairly certain:
(1) Another car was present, and it fled the scene.
(2) Steve had been drinking a fair amount, though his friends did not think that he was too drunk (by 1970s) standards to drive.
The only person who knows what happened is the driver of the other car.
It mentions Arne Alvarado describing that he was actually the first to the scene and that there was another car involved that fled the scene. Arne says his dad, Bill Alvarado, attempted to chase the car.
Steve Roland Prefontaine (January 25, 1951 – May 30, 1975) was an American long-distance runner who from 1973 to 1975 set American records at every distance from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. He competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics...
may not be accurate, it says "One of the first people at the scene was 20-year-old Karl Bylund, who raced from the scene in his car to his residence to fetch his father, a doctor." It confirms that Bill went after that car.
So there's your "doctor's son."
There's a lot more work to be done if rojo/LetsRun really wanted to investigate.
Also Gerry Lindgren was abused and possibly Seb Coe according to a book I read about him.
One thing that no one has mentioned from the book was that Pre was a binge drinker, which has a possible link to abuse. The other point was that he was such a reckless driver that people wouldn't get int he car with him. There is a story in the book about Steve Bence (I think) turning down a ride from him because of his driving style.
Oh, so maybe he "only" had five beers before getting behind the wheel on a highway and risking the lives of others.
(Apparently not for the first time, if "plenty of people at the party thought he was fine to drive" through their apparent regular evaluation of alcohol impairment in their friends before driving.)
The efforts to rehabilitate the image of a confirmed drunk driver are fascinating.
What's also fascinating is the idea of applying modern morality to a different era where an entire different morality existed. If you weren't alive and of drinking age then, your modern lens doesn't apply no matter how strong your virtue ray gun is. Pre didn't kill anyone except himself in the accident. It's tragic, period.
Context: In a different era (early 80s) while totally wasted on 3.2% beer (18 y.o. drinking age in CO for 3.2) and only a junior in hs, the cops "busted" my girlfriend and I for underage drinking out in the antelope fields South of Denver (modern day Highlands Ranch). They made sure I could walk, then had me drive myself home while they followed to make sure I got there safely, then drove my girlfriend home. No ticket, only warned us, then I drove (drunk), got a pat on the back, then they drove my girlfriend home (and didn't even inform our parents of what happened). Different times.
Pre's accident was tragic, period, drunk or not. So was Chris Severy's bike accident. So was Kevin Kiptum. Bright lights extinguished way to early. Your modern morality doesn't apply...nor matter.
Context: In a different era (early 80s) while totally wasted on 3.2% beer (18 y.o. drinking age in CO for 3.2) and only a junior in hs, the cops "busted" my girlfriend and I for underage drinking out in the antelope fields South of Denver (modern day Highlands Ranch). They made sure I could walk, then had me drive myself home while they followed to make sure I got there safely, then drove my girlfriend home. No ticket, only warned us, then I drove (drunk), got a pat on the back, then they drove my girlfriend home (and didn't even inform our parents of what happened). Different times.
Absolutely true. Back in the day, being drunk/stoned and driving while in HS was a finger-wagging offense. One time, my friends and I were drinking beer and smoking weed at night in an isolated field, we had driven to get there. A cop came by and caught us, we were 17 or so (in a state with a 21 year age for drinking). He made us put the weed on the ground, pour our beers on them, and then (yes) drive home. Different times.
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Context: In a different era (early 80s) while totally wasted on 3.2% beer (18 y.o. drinking age in CO for 3.2) and only a junior in hs, the cops "busted" my girlfriend and I for underage drinking out in the antelope fields South of Denver (modern day Highlands Ranch). They made sure I could walk, then had me drive myself home while they followed to make sure I got there safely, then drove my girlfriend home. No ticket, only warned us, then I drove (drunk), got a pat on the back, then they drove my girlfriend home (and didn't even inform our parents of what happened). Different times.
Absolutely true. Back in the day, being drunk/stoned and driving while in HS was a finger-wagging offense. One time, my friends and I were drinking beer and smoking weed at night in an isolated field, we had driven to get there. A cop came by and caught us, we were 17 or so (in a state with a 21 year age for drinking). He made us put the weed on the ground, pour our beers on them, and then (yes) drive home. Different times.
Those were the days, but these are also the days. Pre. Severy. KIptum. and Wanjiru and Rebecca Cheptegei
who is this O'Meara fellow and why is he allowed to write go Linda
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What's also fascinating is the idea of applying modern morality to a different era where an entire different morality existed. If you weren't alive and of drinking age then, your modern lens doesn't apply no matter how strong your virtue ray gun is. Pre didn't kill anyone except himself in the accident. It's tragic, period.
Context: In a different era (early 80s) while totally wasted on 3.2% beer (18 y.o. drinking age in CO for 3.2) and only a junior in hs, the cops "busted" my girlfriend and I for underage drinking out in the antelope fields South of Denver (modern day Highlands Ranch). They made sure I could walk, then had me drive myself home while they followed to make sure I got there safely, then drove my girlfriend home. No ticket, only warned us, then I drove (drunk), got a pat on the back, then they drove my girlfriend home (and didn't even inform our parents of what happened). Different times.
Pre's accident was tragic, period, drunk or not. So was Chris Severy's bike accident. So was Kevin Kiptum. Bright lights extinguished way to early. Your modern morality doesn't apply...nor matter.
"Modern morality" does not matter. Alcohol had the same effect on the human body in 1975 as it did in 1875 as it does today. Just because it was often overlooked did not make it any less debilitating to human reflexes and decision making.
It was not uncommon for schools to perform corporal punishment on students a few decades ago and the kid usually got it twice as bad from his parents once he got home. Today it would be a lawsuit against the school district. Does that mean it was perfectly OK for the principal to beat school children with a wooden paddle?
The accident happened in 1975; the push for tougher drunk driving laws started just a few years later with the creation of MADD. But that does not mean drunk driving was "safe" in 1975. He was lucky that no innocent people were killed and he only killed himself.
The family absolutely should dispute this. However, they are also being hypocrites. For decades the family has pushed conspiracies that Pre was not intoxicated the night of the accident (despite his official blood alcohol content) and he was not at fault (the never found "other vehicle").
If they want to challenge lies about Pre's upbringing, they need to first admit that he was not perfect, made a huge error in judgement that night, and this bad decision caused his death. Until then, they have no credibility.
Well I stayed in an Airbnb that was the closest house to where Steve died. The woman there told me that she believed a local doctor's kid was driving drunk and that Steve swerved to avoid him. It wasn't even debatable to her what happened.
I believe that has been floated by others. Is it in print? I should have Jonathan make sure and write an article.
Her husband at the time was the guy who found Steve I believe.
I seriously give the book 2 thumbs up - (parental interactions aside), the author did a great job of providing insights about Pre that I had not read in Tom Jordan's Bio nor Kenny Moores "Men of Oregon"...specifically recalling how YOUNG Pre was during his (?) prime running years. Whatever the "truth" may have been from 50-60 years ago, I would strongly suggest we will never really know. PRE LIVES and has inspired so many runners - and will continue to do so. I would suggest the brothers can now put this thread to bed.
Weird how this thread has turned into an opportunity for old people to romanticize drunk driving.
What is funny is that forty years from now there will be some kid rolling his eyes at something you will be "romanticizing".... if you live that long.
Fact of the matter...right or wrong... Things were different back.... then as people have been describing in the thread. Hell, in some states it was legal to drink beer while you were driving. So people did so. And they drove in cars with leaded gasoline while smoking. Because cars had ash trays and cigarette lighters in them. Some models had armrests on the inside of the car doors with ash trays so that EVERYBODY in the car could smoke.
Pre's family is in denial and fools. Pre partied a lot. Was a DRUNK. Crashed his car against a rock because he was DRUNK A F. Threw his talent away on drugs and/or booze like Whitney Houston, Prince, George Michael and that ice skater Christopher Bowman. Such a shame.
Well I stayed in an Airbnb that was the closest house to where Steve died. The woman there told me that she believed a local doctor's kid was driving drunk and that Steve swerved to avoid him. It wasn't even debatable to her what happened.
I believe that has been floated by others. Is it in print? I should have Jonathan make sure and write an article.
Her husband at the time was the guy who found Steve I believe.
As for the lady who "knows" what happened, well, there are millions who "know" JFK wasn't killed by Oswald, who "know" 9/11 was planned by the US government, and "know" aliens are being studied at Area 51.
Yes, you "know" what happened with Pre's death. Murders are never made to look like suicides, police and coroners are never corrupt, the most current official story from authority (or favored political faction) is always indisputable truth, no matter how implausible, and how often it had changed before the current version. Everyone else is a "conspiracy theorist," as if conspiracy wasn't the most commonly charged federal crime in the USA.
Obviously, I don't have first-hand knowledge, but when I was a senior in high school, years ago, I did my senior project on Steve Prefontaine. I drove from Portland to Coos Bay and Ray and Elfriede Prefontaine were generous enough to welcome me into their home, sit down and discuss Steve, show me his bedroom, some memorabilia, etc. etc. I got nothing but a sense of price and appreciation of what Steve accomplished. I'm not sure the context of the "embarrassed" quote, but that was not at all my (admittedly limited) experience.
Had similar experience. Was an Oregon middle school teacher in the 1990's who showed "Fire on the Track" to a class on a day when the school's schedule was messed up. Afterwards, my students wanted to write letters to Pre's mom Elfriede to tell her what they thought of her son. The next day we did. Not only did Elfriede write back but she wrote 26 individual letters. Am having difficulty believing she was an abusive mom.
Caution must be taken with the last entry as it appears to be AI generated. And caution must be taken from what we read in the other books as there are so many rumors that have been somewhat accepted as fact (how did he cut his foot before NCAA's, how many pen-pals were there)
Pre pen-palled with me in 1973 twice when I was a HS sophomore. He said he wore adidas shoes with a "heal" cup and was supportive of my running. His letters were not long, written on steno pad paper, and his cursive was kind of girlish. If examined closely, one could see the outline of a previous letter written on his steno pad embedded in my letter. It seemed likely Pre answered his fan letters while sitting in a lecture hall at the U of O.
By 2003, the conditions of Pre's correspondence was deteriorating because I had not preserved the letters with plastic. They were in danger of falling apart. I sold each letter on eBay for about $500 to a doctor. He had a son with the same name as mine and felt the "Dear John" salutation atop the letters were a nice personal touch.
Pre pen-palled with me in 1973 twice when I was a HS sophomore. He said he wore adidas shoes with a "heal" cup and was supportive of my running. His letters were not long, written on steno pad paper, and his cursive was kind of girlish. If examined closely, one could see the outline of a previous letter written on his steno pad embedded in my letter. It seemed likely Pre answered his fan letters while sitting in a lecture hall at the U of O.
By 2003, the conditions of Pre's correspondence was deteriorating because I had not preserved the letters with plastic. They were in danger of falling apart. I sold each letter on eBay for about $500 to a doctor. He had a son with the same name as mine and felt the "Dear John" salutation atop the letters were a nice personal touch.
I read the book and found it quite interesting. While the Jordan book was entertaining it read as just a promotion of the Prefontaine Image. This new book was a more honest, mature look at his life including his good and bad parts. Obviously the source of much of the information about his childhood came from Neta. Linda's argument that she had pictures of Steve without a shirt on prove that he was not abused is laughable. Most abuse does not leave physical scars. Of course I can see why Linda is upset because it makes her parents look very bad and basically erases her from the story.
How much of a role does Linda play in Steve's story though. Maybe she got a mention in Jordan's book - don't remember. Anyways, that book is a classic, well worth a read for a hs or college runner. Did an extra play here in one of the pre movies, or she get a few clips in Fire on the Track, I don't remember.
What source does this new author site for his argument that Pre was abused? Its been decades now, so I think if that were the case, it would have come out. Strikes me as an up and coming author wanting to make a name for himself.
