Now people post long impassioned diatribes to defend their attacks on the single most interesting and multi-faceted American elite distance runner, a woman who doesn't seem to have done anyone a bit of harm. Nice use of "free speech." What patriots!
Now people post long impassioned diatribes to defend their attacks on the single most interesting and multi-faceted American elite distance runner, a woman who doesn't seem to have done anyone a bit of harm. Nice use of "free speech." What patriots!
>>She will never be a great runner
I have met LF in person and she is a truly nice, genuine, and wonderful person. She's the typical Jewish girl I grew up with in Hollywood back in the 1980's. I've been told her parents work in the business in Hollywood. If finishing 7th in the WCs doesn't make you a "Great Runner" then ...
Apparently you haven't read the other posts. If the top 3 women from the US wanted to run the 5000, Lauren would never be there taking 7th in a weak field, hence the 15:09 for that place. Obviously you aren't a real runner.
Only a few people have HATED on her, and that's their prerogative. But...several others have pointed out facts, facts that you truly don't understand or you wouldn't have pointed out such rubbish. If she took 7th in London and broke 15 by at least 15 seconds, THEN you would have a valid point. Unfortunately, you don't. Thanks for posting Lauren or having your friends do so.
Picky Bars for everyone!!!!!!!!!! Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She's a 14:58 5000-meter runner, Bobby. Maybe you missed that.
Unfortunately Lauren is hated like so many Los Angeles runners.
Too bad you don't know our sport.
Nobody cares about times at Worlds or Olympics.
She was in the finals at Worlds.
14:58 is her all-time pr from over 4 years ago! She broke it once. What are the best times by US women in front of her and when (how recently) did they accomplish it? Look it up yourself and wait for the lightbulb to go off but please don't hold your breathe as it may not happen.
Too bad you don't know a sport that you claim to.
She was in the finals for one obvious reason. Don't think too hard, it's beyond your grasp...let it go dude.
Lastly, how stupid are you not to understand reality versus the world that you pretend to live in?
Which is your problem ?
A) Hatred of Jews ?
B) Hatred of Stanford University graduates ?
C) Hatred of Southern Californians ?
Thanks.
You do know Fleshman was one of our fastest 5,000-meter runners in 2011, when she won in London in 15:00.57?
Faster than Huddle. Faster than Davila. Faster than Rhines. Only Flanagan ran faster that year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwZ7wUw1nio
She was also 2nd fastest over 3K in 2010 (only Rowbury ran faster) and 6th faster 5K'er that year.
Her career is hardly over fools.
Which is your problem?
A) Reality
B) Reality
C) Reality
D) All of the above.
He or she spelled it out pretty well. Her time in 2011 is irrelevant as it's not an eyeopener by any means. She is nowhere near Huddle or Flanagan in terms of time as she is a long way off.
Goucher ran a pr and got 10th in Beijing. Fleshman is 7th in the World's when many athletes skip it or chose other events because it wasn't the Olympics. You people really don't know your sport. Dumba**es!
So Nike ends sponsorship with Lauren Fleshman, then trolls and posts 15 messages slamming her from the same Beaverton, Oregon I.P address. Great job, Nike!
I believe that her or her friends posted and that you may be right, that Nike did as well...but who knows for sure. My take, she's not worth the attention but I believe that she will DEFINITELY run a marathon in 1-2 years as that's where she will get the most exposure for her product, picky bars. In the end, it's about $$$$$$$$.
Yes, it's over! Done!
D.C. runner wrote:
there's a history here; Fleshman has rubbed people the wrong way in the past (me included!)-
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4650420in which she implictly put her competitors down as less tough than herself. Not saying she did it on purpose, but she might be a bit self-absorbed, grandiose, and not really have the credentials to back it up.
I disagree with an earlier hypothesis that people are jealous of her because they've worked really hard and have not gotten nearly as far and delude themselves into thinking they'd be wiser and better in her shoes. This is going to be impossible to prove, but I think Fleshman reminds us (the haters) of people who annoyed us on cross country teams in the past. she reminds me of the people, generally girls, who were always really peppy about running, always doing a million things to prevent injury like rolling and static stretching and that all which struck me as pointless, and then, whenever it counted, always seemed to be injured with something or other. They'd show up to the meets! Cheering on the sidelines! Never mind that five months ago they were nagging you about not rolling, or not stretching, or not being serious enough about the team because you didn't show up to team discussions and team movie nights- anyway. maybe that's just me.
Whereas Andy Wheating annoys people beacuse he seems like the super cocky, talented soccer player who shows up one season and absolutely kills it and then always finds excuses for why he blows it in races. THAT is closer to jealousy. With Fleshman, she's just kind of annoying.
And for real, let's not even start down the road of ivy-league/other top academic school athletes showing a truly baffling lack of English fluency. Too many potential targets.
You are projecting a ton of your own shit on others.
1. Fleshman is not annoying at all. I've read her blog and tweets for a long time -- and she is entertaining. Period.
2. People do not find Wheating annoying because "she seems like the super cocky..." (Great writing there, dude!).
Wheating happens to be a truly humble, gracious, non-cocky guy. To think or state otherwise show's you to be an idiot.
Wheating is a times a little too goofy and small town. But he is certainly not cocky.
He's enthusiastic about his sport, goofy, and suffered with a lot of injuries the last few years. Even in doing so, he made the WC's and the OG's.
And he's humbly appreciated all those opportunities and his blessings.
Haters gonna hate, and evidently you are a hater.
Take a look in the mirror and do some hard thinking dude.
letsrun reader wrote:
It's incredible how the internet's anonymity promotes stupid, immature and jealous comments from people. Do you ever consider that the running community is extremely small, and is always in danger of being marginalized? Why would you hate on the successful runners? Knocking them down does not necessarily translate into your gain. It might just mean a further decrease in the public consciousness of running as a viable sport to follow, and thus an even smaller advertising budget by the big companies that provide endorsement support for folks.
Yes, Lauren Fleshman may grate on some people. And perhaps she doesn't use correct grammar on her blog. And, yes, she has for sure forged a stronger brand and identity for herself as an athlete than many who have more medals than she. However, she's managed to do this via smarts and personality. Oh, and some small accomplishments as well, such as multiple NCAA, national, and Diamond League titles.
So drop the hating. Try doing something positive and useful with yourself. Or were you the types in high school who bullied others and dumped them in trash cans, just because you were young, and stupid, and because people can't fight back?
Agree with everything except her grating on some people.
If someone as innocuous as LF grates on you...you got issues. It is more about you, than her.
stick with eharmony wrote:
Why do we have to be so positive. Why do we have to support them? Look in other professional sports athletes get critized by average joe's all the time and nobody says anything about them. It's just how it is. If you want the spotlight of being a professional you have to take the criticism as well. I won't hold back just because she is a runner. I play basketball too, should I not call out Lebron James for being a punk?
The logic on this board is incredibly inept.
Everything you post is inept, and almost invariably an attack on others. You're sick dude. It's freaking basic psychology, dude! --You are sick.
orbitboy wrote:
dartmoth graduate wrote:Good Lord, the butthurt is strong in this thread.
It's really hilarious to read all these jealous cowards who can't stand her because she's smarter, faster and more famous than they'll ever be. And the only way they know to vent their anger, frustration, and as you said, "butt hurt," is to whine incessantly and anonymously here at LRC in some vain attempt to sound morally superior. It's so predictably pathetic. She was seventh at worlds less than a year and a half ago; has won numerous national championships; has a masters from Stanford; a sub-15:00 5k; a successful business and marriage with a baby on the way. Oh, and she's way hotter than anyone that these guys could ever hope to date, let alone marry. Reading these jerks' "opinions" is like delving into the mind of a serial date-rapist. It's all there in black-and-white. Psychology 101.
ps--It's not difficult to figure out how her "break-up" with Nike went down: She told her agent that she wanted to have a baby this coming year. Her agent advised her that Nike would almost certainly not support her through another year on the sidelines. She then likely said, "Well, why don't you find out, that's what I pay you for, right?" He asked, and Nike said, "We wish her all the best, but if she wants to have a kid in 2013, we'll have to let her go." The agent went back to Fleshman with Nike's answer, and she said, "Fine. I'm having a kid anyway; so I guess Nike and I are parting ways then." Perhaps it's likely that Nike was going to reduce their level of support anyway. Who knows? She's also probably well aware that she may have seen her best days as a professional runner. So she's having a baby now. Why wait? If she's really done as a professional runner, she's got more to fall back on than anyone else I can think of.
Well stated, but I doubt that is how it went down.
I think Nike just did their post Olympic year review, and compared her age to the likelyhood of her doing anything big over the next 4 years and let her go.
While it is great that Nike and other shoe companies do something for athletes...and really, most other shoe companies would do less if Nike did not do so much...but it is too bad more shoe companies don't find a way to turn this athletes into employees..with a path into marketing and becoming lifelong brand ambassadors. Sure obviously the giants are always going to get that treatment....but it is a shame to cut loose athletes you've been associated with Nike for nearly a decade...
orbitboy wrote:
dartmoth graduate wrote:Good Lord, the butthurt is strong in this thread.
It's really hilarious to read all these jealous cowards who can't stand her because she's smarter, faster and more famous than they'll ever be. And the only way they know to vent their anger, frustration, and as you said, "butt hurt," is to whine incessantly and anonymously here at LRC in some vain attempt to sound morally superior. It's so predictably pathetic. She was seventh at worlds less than a year and a half ago; has won numerous national championships; has a masters from Stanford; a sub-15:00 5k; a successful business and marriage with a baby on the way. Oh, and she's way hotter than anyone that these guys could ever hope to date, let alone marry. Reading these jerks' "opinions" is like delving into the mind of a serial date-rapist. It's all there in black-and-white. Psychology 101.
ps--It's not difficult to figure out how her "break-up" with Nike went down: She told her agent that she wanted to have a baby this coming year. Her agent advised her that Nike would almost certainly not support her through another year on the sidelines. She then likely said, "Well, why don't you find out, that's what I pay you for, right?" He asked, and Nike said, "We wish her all the best, but if she wants to have a kid in 2013, we'll have to let her go." The agent went back to Fleshman with Nike's answer, and she said, "Fine. I'm having a kid anyway; so I guess Nike and I are parting ways then." Perhaps it's likely that Nike was going to reduce their level of support anyway. Who knows? She's also probably well aware that she may have seen her best days as a professional runner. So she's having a baby now. Why wait? If she's really done as a professional runner, she's got more to fall back on than anyone else I can think of.
PS...she's cute, not hot. Lovely personality, but she's just cute, not hot.
In general I am a fan of Nike and for what they do for the sport which overall is very good but in some cases they make supremely bone headed moves.
Case in point: letting Meb go. Bad move.
Letting Lauren Fleshman go, another bad move.
I had the good fortune to have met both these runners and coming from a running and business background I find myself shaking my head. Someone mentioned ambassadors which is exactly why they should be kept, they are great ambassadors.
On another point, in person at least; pics don't do her justice in my opinion, Lauren is most definitely hot.
she won't return
I've seen her in person as well. As others have said, not hot, cute at best.
Lauren, an ambassador????? That is one of the biggest running oxymorons that I have ever heard. 7th place in a weak WC year and suddenly she's an ambassador. I don't have any hate for her, it's just that you have too much love.
You don't know business at all if you think it was a bad move by Nike. Your business must be drowning and your running is 3 hours at best.