Cole Hocker is the new Prefontaine

Hero to those who need a hero.

Actually, based on a story about Phil Knight, Geoff Hollister, Steve Prefontaine, etc in RW, it intrigued me.

Steve Prefontaine was fast but his brooding, sulky "what, fourth street??" Attitude was off-putting .

I didn't need to know him as I don't associate with alcoholics.

Then, after I read about his attitude even to Hollister.....what jerk inquires about a freaking sandwich after someone gets mad....i looked up information about him and the crash.

Facts are that he had an alcohol problem and died because of it.

Sure, he was fast..great! What more do I need to know based on an athletic vs. Character matrix.

This was not a good guy; he was only fast.

I love how you think you can judge a person's character who'd been dead for 20+ (30+?) years before you were born. That'd be like Pre judging Paavo Nurmi.

You've crossed over absurd into just a$!hole. Hocker ran great today. Can't we leave it at that? Or are you tugging on his willy so hard that you need to place him ahead of all-time greats, both in running and in life?

Let him have his day. The future is bright as hell. We don't need to compare him to Pre, Centro, or Ches.

Stoppit Smith wrote:

Cole Hocker is quick and rather unassuming.

Prefontaine was a dirty drunk who could run.

Cole Hocker is a decent guy.

Prefontaine was a loud mouth.

Don't diminish what Hocker is and can be by a foolish mindless Neanderthal who could run, apparently.

I don't care about the legacy of Pre...

Let Hocker have his own.

He's not an alcoholic.

U r ignorant. U know nothing about Pre... go back to watching your cartoons

Stoppit Smith wrote:

Hero to those who need a hero.

Actually, based on a story about Phil Knight, Geoff Hollister, Steve Prefontaine, etc in RW, it intrigued me.

Steve Prefontaine was fast but his brooding, sulky "what, fourth street??" Attitude was off-putting .

I didn't need to know him as I don't associate with alcoholics.

Then, after I read about his attitude even to Hollister.....what jerk inquires about a freaking sandwich after someone gets mad....i looked up information about him and the crash.

Facts are that he had an alcohol problem and died because of it.

Sure, he was fast..great! What more do I need to know based on an athletic vs. Character matrix.

This was not a good guy; he was only fast.

Why is this guy not banned yet lol

Stoppit has to be the worst poster on LRC

Pre showed his confidence outwardly in his brash personality. What I have seen of Cole in youtube videos (especially the training camp he did in Colorado over the summer), he's not that. Maybe even the complete opposite. But that's not important.

What's important is both runners lead/led races when it counts/counted: Championships. Both runners didn't/don't let it come down to a true kick. Both runners have CONFIDENCE. If you watched his interview after the mile race, Cole pulls a quote out of Pre's book..."I wanted it to be a true run race."

US Distance running is littered with guys who buckled in the most important championship races... Steve Holman, Alan Webb, and so on. Centro broke that mold but he can beaten by simply going hard from the gun.

Everyone is focusing on that last 200m 25 point kick but Cole struck for home many laps before that. He is the Pre v2.0 -- someone who can run hard from the front AND kick. Frankly, that mile race reminded me more of Bekele would have run it than Pre but still excited for how his talent will hell AMERICAN distance running.

libertariansarestupe wrote:

Stoppit Smith wrote:

Contrarian?

The fact is that he was an uncontrolled drunk.

I don't care how fast he could run...he wasn't clean.

For all intents and purposes, Hocker is.

It's not a fair comparison and i don't think he deserves an American legacy.

The fact actually is that you dont know anything about Pre. You speak as if you knew the guy. Just... stop. He was - and remains - a hero to many, and a friend to some on these boards. Don't pretend you know what kind of person he was because you watched a Disney movie about him.

Your hero was a loser drunk.

Runner10287 wrote:

Your hero was a loser drunk.

How was he a loser again?

And could you differentiate for me "liked beer" and "a drunk" again?

Because I ran against Pre, talked to him a few times. I remember a larger-than life, gregarious, warm person. And, like me, he enjoyed a few beers from time to time.

No, he's not my hero. But he's a lot of peoples' hero, and until Hocker places 4th in the Olympics - or hell, wins (Centro) - and holds ARs in multiple distances, he's merely an incredibly fast kid with promising international potential and a few NCAA crowns.

This is not to disparage Cole. I'm just not sure about the raging vendetta you have against Pre. Unless, I suppose, you're a 15 year old kid who sees the world only in black and white, right and wrong, and good and bad.

Who's next on your list? Jesse Owens? Is the LSU kid better? Jesse's character wasn't alway squeaky clean, and he liked beer too...

Pre was drunk, tiger is a philanderer, the patriots were no good loser cheaters... Yes we get it.. For most rational people there is a clear distinction between the on field performance and off field transgressions. Pre was good at running. Tiger was phenomenal at golf. And the patriots created a level of excellence never to be seen again. I don't put my athletes on a pedestal or claim them to be holier than thou.

There's no doubt in my mind that Cole Hocker is simply a very good runner. He's not brash, uncouth, or mean, nor does he have a devil may care demeanor.

Whether or not the information on Prefontaine's DUI should have been released, the facts show that the BAC was .16. In Oregon, he was criminally drunk driving by .01.

Prefontaine may have been talented, sure, and some of you knew him, but comparison of a genuinely wholesome athlete to some who had transgressions is almost not appropriate.

In an analogy workshop, the comparison would be like this:

Dustin Johnson:Patrick Cantlay

Lyle Alzado:Tom Brady

Jose Canseco:Roger Maris

Steve Prefontaine:Cole Hocker

In other words, a comparison to an athlete with a substance legacy (even with alcohol), diminishes the possible and positive legacy of the athlete.

There's no general attitude from Cole Hocker, and I don't see why he has to be the next Prefontaine to explain his prowess instead of simply being the first Cole Hocker.

Most off the wall take ive seen in a while so congrats, i guess.

Pre's inspiring, and his quotes are legendary. Im glad i know a bit of his story.

Pre's diminished legacy includes two movies made about him and the most prestigious meet in the US being named after him. You can judge him by his accident, but most people don't. He was by far the most charismatic distance runner in American history.

Stoppit Smith, Cole Hocker's celebration was an embarrassment. Pre NEVER celebrated his wins. Just crossed the line, first.

Cole Hocker ran excellent yesterday and his potential is he COULD be one of the best. Too premature to compare him to any of the greats before him. Just let him compete and over the next 10 to 15 years we will have our answer

Let's evaluate this.

So, he had charisma...

Had he not died in a fiery wreck, it would be interesting how things played out.

But let's take a look at some names that died in tragic events

Drazen Petrovic

Roberto Clemente

Pat Tillman

Then there's Prefontaine.

Petrovic died in an accident that wasn't his fault.

Clemente died in a plane crash heroically bringing needed supplies to Puerto Rico.

Tillman died serving the United States.

For Prefontaine to be at a .16, he would have had to have been even worse when he started driving, which would mean willingly picking up the keys when drunk.

Of all four of those names, the only one that had full responsibility for the decision was Prefontaine.

And let us be clear that if Prefontaine had not run for Phil Knight, the race would not necessarily have had his name. Only because Prefontaine was backed by Knight and Nike..AND He ran for U of O in Eugene...AND he died in Eugene..is that name on that race.

If the Pre Classic were to be held anywhere but Eugene, it would make no sense.

It's not because he was a great man.

Cole Hocker has the potential to put the rock and roll back in American distance running. He's got the hair and the muscles. He can win running hard from the gun or leaving it until the kick. He has a "take no prisoners" attitude towards beating anyone and everyone, whether it is Olympic gold medalist Matt Centrowitz, stealing an NCAA title from his teammate Cooper Teare, or beating the entire NCAA. The kid knows how to run fast and win and look good doing it.

This kid needs some Guns N Roses playing every time he steps on the track. Welcome to the "Hocker" Jungle, baby!

sub sub elite local hobby jogger wrote:

Cole Hocker has the potential to put the rock and roll back in American distance running. He's got the hair and the muscles. He can win running hard from the gun or leaving it until the kick. He has a "take no prisoners" attitude towards beating anyone and everyone, whether it is Olympic gold medalist Matt Centrowitz, stealing an NCAA title from his teammate Cooper Teare, or beating the entire NCAA. The kid knows how to run fast and win and look good doing it.

This kid needs some Guns N Roses playing every time he steps on the track. Welcome to the "Hocker" Jungle, baby!

Also had a great name. Cole. Hocker. Here to kick your arse.

tuccone wrote:

Stoppit Smith wrote:

Hero to those who need a hero.

Actually, based on a story about Phil Knight, Geoff Hollister, Steve Prefontaine, etc in RW, it intrigued me.

Steve Prefontaine was fast but his brooding, sulky "what, fourth street??" Attitude was off-putting .

I didn't need to know him as I don't associate with alcoholics.

Then, after I read about his attitude even to Hollister.....what jerk inquires about a freaking sandwich after someone gets mad....i looked up information about him and the crash.

Facts are that he had an alcohol problem and died because of it.

Sure, he was fast..great! What more do I need to know based on an athletic vs. Character matrix.

This was not a good guy; he was only fast.

Why is this guy not banned yet lol

+1

Stoppit Smith wrote:

For Prefontaine to be at a .16, he would have had to have been even worse when he started driving, which would mean willingly picking up the keys when drunk.

You show your ignorance there.

Do you think Jamin should also die in a fireball?

You call Prefontaine a dirty drunk. What about you, you fat blob? He drank too much, you eat too much. You could end up crashing your car into other people while you have a heart attack behind the wheel of your car.