Stoppit Smith wrote:
But not based on the trials in question!
How can we realistically say that 2:09 is worse than 2:11?
If you want to know my deeper opinion...it's this. For years, people in the running community at large have put a secret asterisk on Ryan Hall because of his fresh-faced look, Christian upbringing and the fact that he was just flat out...good.
People forget the miles that he put in in major elevation for his racing. Ryan Hall was a workhorse but didn't make a big deal of himself.
He was just good.
In addition to setting an Olympic trials record that still holds, Hall had the American half marathon record for a long time and still has the fastest American marathon, though unofficial for records.
Galen Rupp has been dragged through the mud left and right on this forum. A lot of people questioned Rupp 's heart and toughness because he was quieter and not always willing to do interviews.
But now, suddenly, once Rupp is no longer with Salazar, people want to paint him as if he had more heart and speed than Ryan Hall because Rupp is suddenly that much better and stronger than Hall ever was???
So what I am seeing is that a vendetta against Salazar led to peripheral bashing of Rupp, but now that Salazar is out of the picture, people can go back to their initial prejudice about their feelings about Ryan Hall, which is now a vendetta that benefits Rupp.
This is precisely why running is a niche market just like, say MMA and the UFCs.
Everyone only cares about the next big thing and doesn't draw from expertise.
It can always be debated whether or not Jordan would beat Bryant or James, but when speaking of the best NBA players, Jordan, Bryant and James always come up.
Older Phil and older Tiger played a match to see who was the best to a 1up win. But when speaking of Golf, Woods and Mickelson always come up, along with Nicklaus, Norman and Player (and Snead if you're older,,).
The Babe vs Aaron debate will always be there, with people mentioning Babe and Aaron, and quite possibly Bonds for baseball.
Emmitt, Sweetness, Brown, Sanders, etc will always be talked about in dialogue with the best running backs in the NFL, and not to forget the iconic Montana, Marino, Elway, Brees, P. Manning, Brady, Rodgers, Favre debate for QB
People will debate Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Ovechkin and Crosby for years in the NHL.
They will debate whether Shaun White or Chloe Kim has/had better tricks.
Boitano vs. Orser, Fleming vs. Hamill, Lipinski vs Kwan
Li Ning vs. Scott Johnson, Gabby Douglas vs Dominique Dawes.
Bolt vs. Gay, Wariner vs. Merritt.
It could go on forever...but this is truly the first thread that tipped me off that American distance running is its own undoing. People want to forget and disregard Ryan Hall because of petty intangibles they don't like about Ryan and make it seem as if he sucks...so far as to disregard the entire premises of the thread.
And you wonder why distance running is hard to watch for the mainstay?
It is because, as indicated here, no sport more than American distance running is so self centered that they can't even respect their predecessors.
You're a god if you run 12:58, but run a 13:01 in 2 weeks and you're washed up.
Why?
Because I guess it's more fun to break someone like a Mary Cain or anyone else who is the flavor of the day to compensate for the records you can't break.
Some of you make me sick. I couldn't care less at this point who would win because the way some of you talk about Rupp or Hall is disgusting
Bullet_Proof wrote:
So which is it: are you arguing that hall is a better runner overall? Or are you cherry picking a race, with different climate conditions, different course, different competitive fields, and speculating on who might of or could have won?
Speculation arguments are weak because the opposing side can just as easily speculate on a different outcome. "It could have been this way..."
And if its the former, then it is clear from multiple smart posters here that Rupp simply has better results.