otherwise El G's domination is over.
otherwise El G's domination is over.
Don't be surprised if within the next year or two someone comes along who makes El G seem just a little less invincible. Perhaps Cram's 5 years isn't quite right, although I would suspect that the shelf life of a sprinter is a bit less than that of a middle distance runner.
I think he would agree that there are exceptions to the rule. Geb is past 5 years also. There are tons of runners who lasted about 5 years and then fell off a bit. Some who lasted longer too, but I don't think it was a crazy statement. Not like the Galloway stuff.
Cornelius Chirchir; certainly one to watch in challenging for 1550/mile dominance-far better than William Chirchir and already, for my money, second best about. And he's a junior.
Junior ha,ha thats a funny one.
Obvious: Some Kenyans and Africans are not sure of exact age.
Not so Obvious: With all the overwhelming, undeniable, complete dominance of Kenyan distance runners, do you homers think they just might produce a youngster faster than than our Americans juniors. Maybe at least one sometime?
Chirchir junior? You are right. That is funny. Take a look at him. Closer to 24/25 than 20. And Cram - he is right in most cases. Of course there are exceptions. It is quite possible someone could come along - just like El G did when he knocked Morceli off the pedestal. El G may be able to keep it going and nab Gold in '04, but I wouldn't count on it. Same goes for Greene. To be honest, I am hoping Greene gets knocked off. He is generally classes, the epitome of the sore-losing American sprinter. Win or lose, El G, Geb, Tergat, Bucher, etc. have CLASS.
I meant "classless ..." describing Greene. Typing a bit too fast. Sorry. Should take time to proofread. Then again, I am sneaking board time in at work ...
Carl Lewis?
800 Fan wrote:
I meant "classless ..." describing Greene. Typing a bit too fast. Sorry. Should take time to proofread. Then again, I am sneaking board time in at work ...
Should take time to think. How is Greene classless?
How is he classless? Do we go into some of the victory stand shenanigans he has been involved in, or just his "poor loser" attitude whenever he doesn't win?
Take time to think and remember.
Yeah, Greene is totally lacking in class. Ru4real can't be for real if he thinks Greene is any kind of upstanding person, role model or example. The guy is talented, and an idiot.
How could anyone NOT think Greene is a "classless" ass? Talk about not thinking.
"Well golly gee I guess he's just better than me. I'll try and do better next time Mr. Reporter"
That's really interesting.
I suppose you dinosaurs from the 50's and 60's want Greene to sound as whitebread as that.
Ever watch a college or pro football or basketball game?
Maurice Greene every year spends hours upon hours signing autographs and hanging out with the fans at Penn Relays. Not a single other elite athlete does this to the extent like Greene does, with perhaps the exception of Drummond because he is from Philadelphia. Michael Johnson was gone before you could blink after his races, and Marion Jones the same. I can't imagine Carl Lewis sticking around either when he was zooming around Franklin Field. Meanwhile, Greene (surprisingly short in height when I met him) tirelessly signs autographs until his hand practically falls off. If you go to the 2001 photos and find the picture of Johnson edging Michael Blackwood at the finish, you'll see another US athlete in the background with his hands up by the wall on the turn. Its Greene, who not only stayed to watch the 4x400, but was trackside going nuts with the fans. He's been known to climb the wall and sit in the stands during the high school races between his elite ones. Not a single distance runner from the evening program ever sticks around for Saturday to sign autographs.
Greene talks trash because he's the fastest in the world, but when the race is over he doesn't make excuses. The fans aren't asking for a brain surgeon, they're looking for a competitor who respects the fans. Greene is a very sincere athlete who I have quite a bit of respect for.
(Note, this does not comment on potential illegal drug use, which is a different matter for a different thread)
He's great, no doubt about it.
Different sports, but I never saw Michael Jordan or Larry Bird act like that. Don't recall ever seeing Barry Sanders spike in the end zone. I think Coach Bird even pulled Mark Jackson from a game once because of showboating.
You can be good and a class act.
Good ol days, it wouldn't hurt for Greene to admit someone "kicked his ass', instead of the stream of lame excuses we're getting from him this season. Greene is great with the fans on occasion, a real attention hog. But he is also rude beyond reason on occasion also. If you have been around him at meets, you are fully aware of this.
Mo Greene was up in the stands watching and cheering the other races at USA's this year, and my little bro went up and got his autograph. That made my brother's day, and I think it's pretty cool. Michael Johnson seems like a class act in the sense others have been describing, but I've seen him appear in a limo just before a race and take off in it just after a race, totally inaccessible (granted, this was just one time at one meet). I know it pumps people up to be able to associate with an athlete, as Greene has allowed them to. Having said that, the 4x100 Sydney incident is inexcusable.
politically correct wrote:
Different sports, but I never saw Michael Jordan or Larry Bird act like that.
Gotta laugh at this comment. You apparently never sat near a basketball court when Jordan was playing. Bird's rep amongst trash talkers was not much better.
You're right, I never did. But Jordan and Bird never showboated (is that a word?)