The McGorty (FL South winner) conundrum, what would you do?

juyvyk wrote:

I think it's not necessarily a bad thing to call him selfish in this situation. The kid has obviously worked very hard to get where he is and so he's earned the right to determine what he wants to do with the fruits of his labor. I'm about 87% sure that at least one person in that 5 who ran at the Nike regional hasn't worked half as hard as McGorty. It would've been a great gift to the team for him to run at Nike and give those guys a free trip to Portland. But if I'm one of those Chantilly guys then I'm only blaming myself.

What an absolutely ridiculous thing to say. Have you ever heard of talent?? You're insinuating that anyone who is slower than someone else just doesn't work as hard? These aren't hobby joggers. Chantilly's varsity runners are all sub 17 guys. A quick glance on milesplit show last spring they had four or five guys sub 10 and sub 4:40. Those are all good, serious runners. To degrade their work ethic and diminish their own individual accomplishments is completely disrespectful and displays an ignorance to the highest degree about competitive running in general. You are like Skip Bayless on espn saying that certain players win because they "want it more"

Mark Cuban told him how absolutely absurd and insulting it is to suggest such a thing. To then go on and say that therefore, he deserves a trip to nationals and they don't is equally insulting.

To answer another posters question, I am from the dmv area. Mcgorty does not coach himself. Chantilly has a very good program. This also goes to put to bed juyvik's claims. His teamates go through the same program he does and work just as hard.

You took my speculation as an absolute. Don't do that.

Check out SteveU's rankings or XCnation in addition to milesplit.

oooopps

Leaving your team behind is an absolute douche move. I hate how people in this world put themselves before the team. He will have to live the rest of his life knowing that he put himself before 5 of his "once-closest" friends. I personally know a number of runners who put themselves before others. Just remember, when you are 80 years old, it will be the team accomplishments that you remember. If you are self centered and run for yourself, when you are old and unable to run, you will NEVER be able to reminisce the good old days with anyone.

I know someone who ran at the state meet with the flu and a broken foot just so her team could do well-this is achievement, and this is something people will be proud of you for. If you are self centered and put individual accomplishments before your team's then people will always remember you for being the one who left others behind, and who didn't give a rats about anyone other than themselves. If you are reading this, and this is you, change before it is too late.

I think their coach made the right decision putting Sean into Footlocker. I agree that Chantilly hardly had a chance making it to NXN with only 5 runners racing, but they gave it a shot and almost made it. Early in the season their number 4 runner got injured, he had run a 15:52 earlier in the season. Even at that the course in Cary, mid-season, he ran just near 16:00. If he was healthy, the Chantilly boys would have made it to NXN without question.

If, woulda, coulda, shoulda....Not. This is running and if Midlothian's #2 had run his usual 16:00 flat instead of at the #4 spot at states, Midlothian would have won AAA states. That would have been an upset on paper, but that's how racing goes.

Midlothian competes in AA States. They're not in the same league as Chantilly, figurativley and literally.

I pity the fools who have nothing better to do than to attack teenagers and their decisions. Instead of intruding on their lives, please get your own.

Good Luck to Sean McGorty at Footlocker Nationals and Logan Miller at NXN.

dude, you clearly have no idea what you're talking about. midlo is in triple a.aa

Nice, If I'm not mistaken, you broke McGorty's decision to go to Stanford on LRC, so you know what the deal is. Congrats to Chantilly on their first ever state XC championship-I'll be there for them to defend it next year ;)

You're rather sensitive, so be a good boy and go back and read the post...

VHSL wrote:

Midlothian competes in AA States. They're not in the same league as Chantilly, figurativley and literally.

I pity the fools who have nothing better to do than to attack teenagers and their decisions. Instead of intruding on their lives, please get your own.

Good Luck to Sean McGorty at Footlocker Nationals and Logan Miller at NXN.

Blacksburg is the good 2A school.

Midlothian was second to Chantilly at 3A state.

You are right though, there was a significant gap between Midlo and Chantilly... good races by all of Midlo's runners wouldn't have been enough to pass Chantilly at NXN-SE.

another Chantilly fanboy I see. Before you attack the likes of Midlothian, remember that they have like 10 state championships since 2000 and have never acted like they were podium newbies. Notice how Lake Braddock isn't on here whining and don't forget Oakton and their million podium finishes...Go back and read my message-I think you'll find it to be much different than your initial retort.

is it better, in this situation, to have been Lake Braddock(4th at Nike South w/o FL South Champ Sophie Chase) or Chantilly (tied for 2nd aka 3rd at Nike South w/o FL South Champ Sean McGorty)

How else is it to be taken? Do you know the chantilly team personally? Do you know for a fact that one of their top 5 has done less than half the work of mcgorty?? Of course not. So, your 87% certitude comes from your notions about high school cross country or running in general. Your statement is completely unfounded and you are either a complete douchebag or complete idiot.

Eight pages?! Really?!?! This topic has now stretched to eight pages?!?! Ugh.

Back in the seventies, when I first started running, Runners World published a once a year shoe survey. Nike shoes never did very well. Instead of working harder to manufacture better shoes, Nike's response was to take their ball and run home crying. When I lived in Eugene in the late eighties, I got to meet and run with some of the guys who had run for AW. Every one of them told me that Nike worked hard to ensure that their runners had access to the best pharmaceuticals available. When faced with competitive pressure you can either double down, do your best within the rules and accept the outcome, or, you can behave like a petulant unprincipled child. Nike, consistently, has chosen the latter course. As they are doing now, in this thread.

I don't know McGorty. I really hope, though, that the toughness of his skin is as great as his talent and work ethic. I'd hate to think that threads like this,filled with vitriol from corporate drones aimed at someone who is, essentially, still a child, might interfere with the promise of someone like him. McGorty might be - probably will be - really really great some day. I believe we will see him in an Olympic final or two.

The Nike shills on here should work also to improve the sport, instead of only their already unjustifiably large bottom line.

That is all.

McGorty has read this thread

What I admire the most about Footlocker is their focus on providing the best possible experience for the young people attending their National Championship cross country event.

Nike's focus is on running down kids who choose to not run in Portland.

Footlocker never does that. They leave the decision up to the kids. Good for them.

troot wrote:

McGorty has read this thread

If you are, still, Sean, then you should know that just about all of the negative comments on here were written by people who are paid to do so by Nike. If for no other reason than that you are pissing off Beaverton by doing so, I am very glad that you are running FLN. Knock 'em all down there. I have nothing against Cheserek, but I hope you win and set the record there.

Regardless of any of that,though, you are destined for great things.

Link wrote:

If you are, still, Sean, then you should know that just about all of the negative comments on here were written by people who are paid to do so by Nike. If for no other reason than that you are pissing off Beaverton by doing so, I am very glad that you are running FLN. Knock 'em all down there. I have nothing against Cheserek, but I hope you win and set the record there.

Regardless of any of that,though, you are destined for great things.

Is this a joke? I'm sure my comments earlier would have been perceived to be "negative" yet I have not been contacted nor received a single dollar from Nike. However, if Nike is paying people for "negative" comments then please remind them to send me a paycheck.