Disturbing - USA national uniforms @ NYC Marathon

mzungu wrote:

Didn't most of the NIKE athletes in the race wear some sort of quasi-national uniform? The Americans had those "USA" singlets, Bairu sporting Cananda, and Caroline Rotich and Moses Kigen Kipkosgei (neither of whom has made a Kenyan national team?) in Kenya "uniforms." I noticed Abel Kirui, who actually won a world championship, wasn't wearing one, but I think all the other top athletes from Nike were, so maybe the anger should be directed in a Pacific Northwesterly direction.

This is absolutely correct. Nike gave all of their athletes "country" jerseys and suggested that they wear them instead of their normal kits. It wasn't just the Americans and Canadian. It was all Nike athletes.

Who says Bairu was running for himself? HE WAS WEARING A CANADIAN JERSEY! Pretty sure if he was running for himself he would have worn some other type of singlet instead of wearing a singlet that has a name on it like Canada or OTC. Bairu was representing his country; he was representing where he came from. Do you know how big of a deal it would have been to all of Canada seeing Bairu crossing the finish line, winning the NYC marathon in a Canadian jersey?! He wore his jersey because he’s proud to be Canadian and wanted to represent where he came from.

SOF, as a veteran I understand where you are coming from and also think that only veterans and those who have defended our country should be able to fly or wear the American flag. All those pathetic civilians who don't love their country enough to fight for it have not earned the right to do so.

Silly Old Fossil wrote:

Is it too much to ask for the USA national uniform to be worn when you are REPRESENTING the USA???????

SOF,

I think your confusion lies in the venue. During sanctioned international running events there is a required dress code...your national team kit. During non-sanctioned international running events there is not a required dress code...wear whatever the hell you and your sponsors like.

Now you would inject your own brand of ‘mericanism here by saying anything except something that looks like an “official” national team uniform – even though they change season to season, sponsor to sponsor.

Now, let's agree that there are runners who feel deeply about representing themselves and their country in non sanctioned events.

Is it too much to ask you to not project your sanctimonious urges on these athletes?

If it is too much to ask, you go tell Meb and I'll go tell my 6 year old to take off his "Official US National Team Soccer Jersey” when we kick the ball around in the front yard?

Oh, and you never replied to the poster who linked the Ryun/Liquori SI cover. Will you please call out Jim Ryun as an athlete who desecrated the USA jersey?

Is this uniform thing really the most of our worries in American marathoning? Really?

If you ask me, it's pathetic that someone would care so much about this. I have a US jersey myself, which I got at a legitimate running competition. Would it be shameful for me to do my local 5k in this singlet? Who's going to stop me? You can talk about honor all you want, but who in the hell is actually going to look down on us for wearing US singlets except for the people like the OP who actually notice this stuff? Foreigners, I don't believe, would care about it any more than they would care about what color someone's shoes were. It's just a convention, and ultimately means nothing to anybody except those who make a big deal over it. It's just a damn singlet and if you have one, good for you.

Besides, even if it does cheapen the US singlet, what does that do? Make them obsolete? Championships are still going to use the singlet and it's going to mean just as much as it did when the uniform was worn EXCLUSIVELY at championships... which is to say, almost nothing. The singlet doesn't matter because it has absolutely no effect on anybody's performance or how the US is viewed at championship races. We will be the same team regardless of what we did with our uniforms 2 months ago.

So, yeah, in summary, the OP is a big f***ing cry baby.

Crystal Cube wrote:

Who says Bairu was running for himself? HE WAS WEARING A CANADIAN JERSEY! Pretty sure if he was running for himself he would have worn some other type of singlet instead of wearing a singlet that has a name on it like Canada or OTC. Bairu was representing his country; he was representing where he came from. Do you know how big of a deal it would have been to all of Canada seeing Bairu crossing the finish line, winning the NYC marathon in a Canadian jersey?! He wore his jersey because he’s proud to be Canadian and wanted to represent where he came from.

So the Canadian Federation SELECTED Simon to run NYC marathon....is that what you are saying???? Whom, other than Simon, was on this "official" Canadian team to the NYC marathon?

Silly Old Fossil wrote:

malmo wrote:

Why?

Why???? Malmo, because every Tom, Dick & Harry will be wearing the USA national uniform at their local hobbyjogger 5km....classless though that is.

Malmo, didn't your heart "a flutter with pride" the first time you pulled on that first USA uniform at 1977 World Cup in Dusseldorf? Didn't Euan Robertson give you a measure of respect because you "earned" that USA vest, and not because you paid some entry fee????

To wear the USA national uniform shouldn't you be representing the USA...how is Meb/Ritz representing the USA at NYC marathon????? They didn't go through any selection process.

Malmo, following your logic Robin Quivers was equally within her rights to wear a USA vest. Why not the Chilean miner????

Pardon me for being a purist.

In fact, I will not pardon you for this ridiculous assertion. Yes, the Chilean miner or any f***ing joe blow had the right to wear it if he had one. What is the effect of this ultimately going to be on our sport? We'll lose that "flutter of pride"? Big f***ing deal. I for one, would still have a flutter of pride, and have had one, not because of the symbol on my chest but because it was me out there that people were recognizing by that symbol. Will people stop recognizing people at championship races because the symbol has been devalued? No, people will still see it as meaning the same thing. You act as if no one can tell the difference whether they're watching a national championship or their local 5k. Honestly, this is the most trivial matter I have ever read brought up by someone on Letsrun.

Maybe the NYC Marathon is not the Olympics but it's the largest sporting event in the history of the world.

All of these athletes HAVE represented their countries on the world stage, the singlet belongs to the runner, they earned it, their choice to wear it or not. Are you proposing the usatf issues USA uni's for world level events and asking for the uni to be returned post competition. I hope you are a troll this is ridiculous.

Jim Ryun has been called out for plenty on LetsRun (mostly unjustly), so why not this. You will notice Jim didn't run the 1972 Olympic trials in a USA vest....why not?

And to others who say the USA national uniform is just another singlet....okay. And the Stars & Stripes is just another tea towel....so why has the burning of it (flag) ended up at the Supreme Court?

Look, there were 43,000 runners in NYC marathon; 28,000 were 'merican....wouldn't it look stupid if they all ran in the USA uniform....wouldn't that taint the uniqueness of said USA uniform?

Do you really want Robin Quivers wearing the same USA uniform that Teg wore in the Beijing Olympics?

When did a singlet become an institution? I get the point made by that statement, but, it just sounds stupid.

Your insistence on keeping this view of our uniforms as some sort of restricted gem is laughable, not to mention that it was doomed from the start. If you can make a USA uniform, and it is deemed special, people are going to want it. There are no restrictions, so obviously, people are going to get their hands on it. The fact that you now have a problem with this shows that you can't accept the harsh reality of the world... that people aren't always going to see things the way you do.

I feel sorry. You must have a really hard time getting upset all the time over the smallest things in your everyday life like you do with this. What a bitter old fart you must really be.

The LetsRun message board wouldn't be WORLD FAMOUS if it wasn't for the petty and trivial....and that is a fact!!!!

This is just my take...but didn't Ritz, Meb and Nelson all EARN the right to wear a USA jersey by making an Olympic or World Championship team?? Doesn't that give them the right to wear our colors when and if they want??

They don't give those jerseys to just anyone. So if they've earned it then they should be allowed to wear it when and where they see fit.

No if some random guy bought if off ebay and wore it at a local 5K...then I have a problem with that (and I've seen it done). But, these guys trained hard and were the best of the best in the US and EARNED that jersey...who are you to say when they can where it?

You keep flipping back and forth. Is your problem with anyone wearing a USA singlet while running? Or just the elites who earned it?

The elites who earned it can wear it to the movies and the gas station, who the hell cares.

If you're complaining about anyone wearing the singlet, what about someone who wears a singlet that says NY on it, should we look down on them since they never ran for the state of NY. I'll make sure to tell the guy running in my turkey trot that he shouldn't wear a t-shirt that says USA on it because it cheapens it.

One of the greats wrote:

You keep flipping back and forth. Is your problem with anyone wearing a USA singlet while running? Or just the elites who earned it?

The elites who earned it can wear it to the movies and the gas station, who the hell cares.

If you're complaining about anyone wearing the singlet, what about someone who wears a singlet that says NY on it, should we look down on them since they never ran for the state of NY. I'll make sure to tell the guy running in my turkey trot that he shouldn't wear a t-shirt that says USA on it because it cheapens it.

Let me give you all a slightly different scenario that may help you understand my position a little better.

You competed for THEE Ohio State University back-in-the-day. You kept your team uniform (even though you were supposed to turn it in to the team manager). Would you wear that TOSU singlet in a road race, years after you graduated, and the fact that you no longer compete for the TOSU collegiately?

My position is you shouldn't be wearing that old college vest....unless you write ALUM in crayon underneath.

Remember, you don't compete for Thee Ohio State University currently.

Now, doesn't that clear things up for you?

You shouldn't run in it because it's stolen property of the TOSU Athletic Dept, not because of what it says.

Tweak your scenario:

Ditto for everything you said, except for at the end of the four years, the coach says "Nah, keep the uniform. It's yours. You earned it."

The uniform is yours. Wear it to any road race you please. If someone says "oh, do you run for them?" You can say "No, I did when I was in college, though" and any reasonable person would go "oh, cool! I competed for ______" instead of going "Wah wah wah you don't compete for them ANYMORE do you?"

Meb and the rest earned their US singlets. They can wear 'em whenever they damn well please. It's like a candle. You can light a thousand other candles from a lit candle. It doesn't make the first candle any dimmer.

Thank God someone can shut this idiot fossil nut up!

It is really a gray area in which events you should or should not wear your USA uniform or for any person for his/her country.

During the summer league, athletes rarely wear their countries' uniforms. Maybe because it is just another track meet or something. Also, athletes go to these meets to get these experience, set a PB, or go for the jackpot. There is no national pride involved.

You could say the same for marathons and think "oh its just another marathon". But these major marathons are held in large cities and even non-runners come out to support the people running. It is popular with the general public and televised around the world.

An athlete running in this might feel pressured to think "i should wear my country's singlet because millions are watching" or maybe they just are proud of their country.

But then again, people like Moses Kipkosgei wore his country singlet and maybe he just wanted to win or maybe he felt that he needed to rep his country as well.

Its a very wish-washy issue but I think that if the athlete feels proud of his/her country, especially in these big marathons, let them.