Webb is #8 All Time in the World

Greg wrote:

Have any of these other miling greats achieved their times in such a "contrived" event? Might Steve Scott not have run faster had he made a similiar effort with similar pace-setting where he wasn't just worried about winning, per se?

like i said earlier nothing was more contrived, or set up, or rabbited than bannisters sub 4 mile.

unbiased observer wrote:

Since when is stating that he's the 20th fastest 1500/mile guy of all-time considered bashing him? There's nothing negative about that statement unless you want to interprete it that way.

i completely agree. great race by webb. he should happy to be the 20th fastest 1500m/mile runner ever, just as he should be happy to be the 8th fastest miler ever.

A VERY reputable friend hints to me all the time that Said Ahmed is the cleanest & fastest guy we have. That statement is an obvious dig at Alan Webb getting slower at Michigan and then faster after he left. But for those of you who believe he's a drug cheat, when do you think he started? I personally believe that a HS Soph running 4:06 equates to where he is now over the course of 9 years. And I can't believe he was a 15 yr old drug cheat. I think he's a balding dork and a shitty face of US running, but I think he's clean.

Yeah and how many of those people were on drugs? If Webb does drugs, its rogaine!

that is hilarious. he IS a DORK and a balding one at that...he is fast too. seb coe was a little slower, but much much cooler, even in the mullet days.

800M TO 5000M wrote:

kartelite wrote:

Tell me how many of the world's top 100 10,000m runners have come from the tiny countries of Kenya/Ethiopia.

Pretend it is 1976. What is the answer?

Now pretend it is 1950. What is the answer?

Now get your crystal ball and tell me about 2040. Tell me why you are ABSOLUTELY SURE that it will always be this way.

Yes you're probably right. I think we're likely to see some Morlocks come out of the ground and start dominating in 2040.

How many of those guys from 1950 or 1976 could run mid-26's? And don't tell me that 10,000m today is shorter than it was then.

Face it, in 1950 and even 1976, the African countries were not really exposed to international athletics competition. It is not like Ukraine is suddenly going to "discover" distance running 20 years from now. Pretty much everyone (except some small African countries) has by now had the opportunity to show what they can do. I'm sorry if your racist ass doesn't like it, but there are phenotypical differences between different populations. What a concept!

YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN A GIVEN ERA. 10000M IS STILL 10000M AND ALWAYS WILL BE. WR PACE WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.

Morlocks, according to H.G. Wells, don't show up until about 800,000 AD, so you've got a wait.

Spiral Cut wrote:

Is he still the fastest American born miler?

I really wish you guys would quit it with the "American Born" crap. Makes you sound close minded and racist. If you are, then congratulations. If your furthest ancestors were born on the area of land now known as the United States, then my sincerest apologies for being harsh.

BTW, Webb is the American Record holder thus making him the fastest American ever, regardless of where they were born.

Did any of you ever think that a Kenyan or Ethiopian family could be traveling through this country and have a child, thus making him or her a US citizen. That person could then return home to Kenya, train like crazy, and destroy all of your American-Born records you're all so proud of and perhaps make you see just how stupid that is. He or she could even do while wearing a USA singlet. What a world!

Web is 8th fastest, yes indeed. When racing against the best in the world he seems to come up empty most of the time. When he started using the Pre comparison, I knew he was doomed.

A little late to the game, aren't we?

Ok, not trying to bash Webb here. I hope here gets back into the shape he did around 07 BUT...

Why is everyone treating his mile time as equivalent to a world championship/olympic medal?

Oh man, Baala sucks because Webb kicked his ass in some race! So? Baala got a medal at the olympics making his career better. Fast times are a good thing because they make the chance at a medal and the ability to compete much better. The problem is all you fans get so worked up about times you make them them be all and end all to anything good. Just like Willis or even people like Snell who have good times, but not all time top times, it means nothing to you guys even though Webb has never won the same. I'll never understand the craze over times if they start to mean more than medals. Its the same to lose it over Johnny Gray. Fantastically fast runner, but where are the medals? Isn't that the point of running fast and training? To medal?

You can't honestly tell me medals at worlds or the olympics doesn't matter compared to fast times.

It's not all about the medals.

almost 4 year old thread........win.

What prompts someone to dig up a 4 year old thread? I'm genuinely curious how this happens.

Webb has never medaled at Worlds or the Olympics. And his career has definitely had its ups and downs. But I'll be a Webb fan until the day he retires. I don't know if he'll ever win, or even medal, at a major championship again, but I'm gonna keep rooting for him and hope a miracle happens. The talent is there, but a few more things have to go right for it to all come together at the right time. There is no logical reason for me to believe that Webb will be a world beater this year or next year, but his 1:43/3:30/3:46 suggest it's possible and being a fan isn't really about being rational anyways. I don't need to defend my Webb fandom. I've always wanted the kid to win and I still think he can. That's all there is to it.

kartelite wrote:

A little late to the game, aren't we?

He might be. What's your point? Is he not allowed to participate in a discussion that he wasn't around for when it first came up? That wouldn't be very cool.

Under Ultra wrote:

It's not all about the medals.

what is it all about then? in terms of times vs. medals, you can really only argue that breaking a world record is as big of a deal as winning a medal. and even then its a toss-up.