Letsrun bias for white athletes?

While I wouldn't pretend that racism doesn't exist on these boards, on top of the nature of the evidence, I think the letsrun community is also more sympathetic to Landis because he is a distance athlete. Even though Gatlin runs track and cycling is a different sport, the distance guys I know are more invested in the Tour de France than sprinters because the mentality is much more similar. If a suspect A test came out about Bekele, Geb, Meb, Lagat, etc. I think you would see a lot more faith from letsrun posters because they want to believe they are accomplishing what they do clean. That being said, I think just about every major runner has been implicated by letsrunners at some point in his/her career. Except Rexing of course.

LCP wrote:

I think the letsrun community is also more sympathetic to Landis because he is a distance athlete. Even though Gatlin runs track and cycling is a different sport, the distance guys I know are more invested in the Tour de France than sprinters because the mentality is much more similar. If a suspect A test came out about Bekele, Geb, Meb, Lagat, etc. I think you would see a lot more faith from letsrun posters because they want to believe they are accomplishing what they do clean.

You are only partly right: distance runners are more apt to believe distance runners than sprinters I think, but only by a little. Why is that ? (why do they believe distance runners more, BUT....only "by a little" ?) And why do the really support Landis so much?

Because yes, maybe there is some "distance bias" exhibited on these boards. But what other types of bias come into play and offset other biases?? Why, contrary to what you suggested and going against the "endurance bias", do so many LetsRunners NOT believe in the innocence of the average cyclist, but DO believe in Landis' innocence? Well-

a) because of the reality of doping in cycling AND

b) 2 other biases come into play: a "sport bias" (we tend to like runners better than cyclists), and a "nationalism bias"- despite America's recent success in cycling, the majority of top cyclists have been European, so we don't trust them. This second bias is why Letsunners, on the average, will trust Lance and Landis over the top Euro cyclists who have some drug rumors surrounding them.

So there are all types of biases: sports bias, event bias, nation bias, and of course race bias(racism). And these race and nation biases comes into play when we examine your statement of: "If a suspect A test came out about Bekele, Geb, Meb, Lagat, etc. I think you would see a lot more faith from letsrun posters because they want to believe they are accomplishing what they do clean. " I don't think that is really true! Think about, that IS what happened with Lagat, and it appears that Lagat did indeed have a "false positive" test A, yet tons and tons of posters on here still think he is guilty? Why? Because he was NOT born in America, and is NOT white. And despite pratically zero evidence of drug use by Bekele, Geb, and some other top Africans, tons of LestRunners are wholeheartedly convinced that these guys are on drugs! Why is that? Do they think the same about Webb and Ritz? Of course not. Race and nation bias are at play her for sure.

And that is why it is silly for wejo to talk about people he knows that "swear" that that Irish guy Turnbull (?) is clean as being evidence in his favor. Every person whoever used PED's could find people that "swear for their innocence". It means nothing. Wejo doesn't know anyone that "swears" for the African runners innocence?? Of course he must (well, Renato comes on here all the time and does it). But it doesn't stop wejo from looking for any loose connection between top African runners, their coach, and drugs (remember the thread wejo started about Hermens' brief mention in the Spanish drug raid article? ) And rojo once printed his statistical analysis of WR's that pretty much demonstrated that he thought the top African runners were on drugs, despite many people in the sport "swearing" for them.

So of course all sorts of biases comes into play when people accuse other athletes of using drugs, and race is certainly one of them.

[quote]LCP wrote:

(While I wouldn't pretend that racism doesn't exist on these boards, on top of the nature of the evidence, I think the)

I am an American and if my words or actions are perceived by you to be racist, that's too damn bad for you. I am an American and I will like or hate whoever I choose.

If anything, blacks are given the kid glove treatment at Letrun as they are in the rest of the media. Of course, the PC brainwashed lickspittle lapdogs will jump and scream that the truth is otherwise as they have been trained to do throughout their years of socializing in US schools. This is why they fall all over themselves trying to show how much they hate themselves, hate whitey. Waiting for that pat on the head from their stinky, fat arsed, red diaper baby Soc Professor - who deep down sees them as obedient sheep, animals, who live only to serve the needs of he and his ilk. Wake up, punks. Ignore weepy, weak, ineffective cowards like the one who started this thread. If he saw a group of blacks attack his mother, he'd run away and then explain their actions as a result of oppression suffered under slavery.

If anything, blacks are given the kid glove treatment at Letrun as they are in the rest of the media. Of course, the PC brainwashed lickspittle lapdogs will jump and scream that the truth is otherwise as they have been trained to do throughout their years of socializing in US schools. This is why they fall all over themselves trying to show how much they hate themselves, hate whitey. Waiting for that pat on the head from their stinky, fat arsed, red diaper baby Soc Professor - who deep down sees them as obedient sheep, animals, who live only to serve the needs of he and his ilk. Wake up, punks. Ignore weepy, weak, ineffective cowards like the one who started this thread. If he saw a group of blacks attack his mother, he'd run away and then explain their actions as a result of oppression suffered under slaver

All right Yoda. The words, we get.

I agree, but don't fire off twice under different names. Although I can see the dig in each name also. Itz coming, for sure. But I don't think the self haters will believe it until it hits. Gatlin has been nailed before, but his, eh, background allowed him to claim stimulants were being used for ADD. Sure. Ranks right there with Lagat's 'false positive'. We all know who really gets the protection. The brainwashed say it's one way, but look at what happens.

Just don't post the same thing twice in a row. Repetitive, itz.

I need to make a couple points.

No one whether white, black or whatever are without bias and much of that bias is unfair. If you deny your bias, you are deceiving yourself. You may have biases against Italians, white policemen, democrats, Mexicans, ugly people or fat people. Our biases will affect many of our judgements in sometimes subtle ways.

The problem way rest in the degree of bias that we have. It might progress from mild preference, some bias, racism, to outright irrational hatred for some particular group.

I rooted for the Italian soccer team because I am of Italian descent. I don't see anything wrong in that preference. If I hire someone because they are Italian, that bias is wrong.

Generally bias is not a good thing. Bias is probably expressed on Letsrun and in many other ares too. Its part of life.

Guppy wrote:

I think it's only natural to root for the guy most like yourself. Most distance runners in America are white, so we want to see whitey win. I don't think it's really racism, or at least not hatred. I have plenty of respect for the africans and admire them, but that doesn't mean I wasn't screaming for Goucher and Lincoln to run down Kipchoge and Limo. Also, most white Americans were born in America, unlike Lagat and Boaz. They're great runners, and they should be allowed to live and train here, and apparently even represent this country and break its records. Still, if it comes down to Webb, Willis, and Lagat, I'm rooting for Webb, then Lagat, then Willis.

Couldn't have said it better myself...

I see what you mean...

I agree with you 100% Moe, but for most whites its not the same story. They have to feel superior in every aspect, and many of them hate to see a black man win. Thats why if its JW and X-man, they will always want JW to win. Many of the people above me, have already stated that they think this way. Me on the other hand, I think its very childish to pick one athlete over another, because of there race and not there nationality.

exactly..i feel ya..

rainbow wrote:

Racism has always existed and will continue to exist. Deal with it and move on.

It's easy to say that when you are white...