Best USA Men's Cross Country Team Ever To Be Assembled...

tegenkamp

abdi

hall

ritz

culpepper

meb

goucher

Can you tell me the last time fam ran a solid XC race with good comp? I would take out teg and hall because i don't know when they really ran a great xc race other than nationals but they are doing to much to improve our sport on the road and track.

Those of you in high school saying that the 80's teams could not compete in today's world environment do not know the history of our sport. The African influence was just as strong at that time, as evidenced by the fact that in the late 70's/ early 80's, Washington State had 2 world record holders running the 10K for them (Henry Rono [look up his numbers]and Samson Kimombwa [sp.?]). The US was loaded at that time, and Cross Country was a priority.

The best of the US ran in the meet, and the team aspect was strong. This feeling does not seem to be as much of a factor today. The reality is that many of today's athletes do not run as fast as their predecesors, due to many factors

(such as fewer miles, and less strenuous activity when they are younger). If today's runners were better, why haven't times improved dramatically? Could the '07 team be good? Certainly, but for many reasons it will not be as good as it could be, and it still wouldn't beat the '81 or '85 teams.

"to be assembled" seems to ask about the future.

The interesting topic is to discuss how that might happen for a USA team in the world cross.

It seems that money is the thing. What company or organization could profit from backing such a team? What is the advertising or public relations value in a USA team winning the world cross? Is it worth a million dollars to some company?

So if team USA costs a million bucks and still might not beat the much less expensive team Kenya or Ethiopia could there be a return on that investment to anyone?

Who wants that risk?

Tom

If they are healthy what about guys like Broe and Lincoln... tough competitors that have done well in XC in the past.

Although we will be lucky to see Broe at all this year - maybe by the end of the season. unfortunate but true

wineturtle wrote:

It's a different kenya now. Even if we could man a team equally as good as '81 & 85 (adjusted to today) I doubt it could take the top spot from a Kenyan team.

BTW we did not win in 81 we took 2nd 114(1,8,17,18,19,51malmo) vrs 81(2,7,13,15,30) Virgin did win. 85 saw the team in 3rd(153) with Bickford first US in 10th

Err ... never said we won. And I agree, it is a different Kenya now. The US hasn't improved as much as they have. Our best teams were in the early 80's; their best teams have been the more recent ones.

(Though John Ngugi ripped up world cross for about 5 years in the late 80's. It's not like they weren't good then.)

the430miler wrote:

why isnt adam culpepper in the mix??

Even better, get his brother Alan!

the430miler wrote:

why isnt adam culpepper in the mix??

he is the best american xc runner ever.

There is no Adam Culpepper. There is only Tim Culpepper.

Thanks, I looked it up. There are dozens of Kenyans that would wipe the floor with Rono, let alone the Ethiopians, Ugandans, Eritreans, Morrocans, etc. Your Africans sucked, ours are better & unlike the 80's, we can't count them on one hand.

You must be a troll.

Henry Rono couldn't hold Tergat's jock strap.

The best African in the 80's wouldn't touch the best Africans today. That's a fact.

The world competition ACROSS THE BOARD is stronger today than it was in the 80's.

Period.

digg wrote:

Get rid of that Mcdougal punk.

Relax diggie. If don't like him, don't watch. In other words, shut up.

living in reality wrote:

Thanks, I looked it up. There are dozens of Kenyans that would wipe the floor with Rono, let alone the Ethiopians, Ugandans, Eritreans, Morrocans, etc. Your Africans sucked, ours are better & unlike the 80's, we can't count them on one hand.

Maybe you can't count them because you're clueless and uninformed.

If you didn't have the internet (and let's run, to be honest) today, could you do name all of the Ugandans, Eritreans, so forth? Name recognition doesn't make a fast squad.

Let's take a little test:

Quick! Name the top 10 Kenyans from '01-'05!

Can you do this without your friend Google?

You sound like a child. AND, since you seem like a numbers guy, you haven't reconciled the fact that a 27:23 guy was 4th man on the '81 squad. Chew on that youngin.

Ultramiler wrote:

There is no Adam Culpepper. There is only Tim Culpepper.

We do not mention his name around here. He's like Racer X: He disgraced himself years ago and now is reduced to helping Speed and Trixy (i.e. Adam and Alan) fight crime from the shadows.

You throw around that 27:23 like today's guys couldn't touch it. Abdi is right there. Web and Fam have only raced the 10k once. Lagat and Goucher never. Mr. Rupp is still in school. Hall hasn't raced it seriously - debuting in the marathon in 2:08 (and I heard he NEVER wore 3 pairs of sweat pants - can you believe that?)

Hell, half the US field at Stanford ran on par with your 81' squad.

And because it's impossible to recognize the top 10 africans 01'-07' doesn't argue in YOUR favor. Of course it's impossible. You could take the TOP 100 and they'd all be as fast or faster than your 81' squad. And guess what? they're not getting slower.

indian wrote:

You throw around that 27:23 like today's guys couldn't touch it. Abdi is right there.

Abdi has never run XC anywhere near the level of his track exploits.

Try this team (12k XC)

Shorter

Pre

Salazar

Virgin

Chapa

Porter

Rodgers

Since we're on the subject of US 10k's...Why no mention of that guy called Meb? Didn't he run 27:13 or thereabouts.

Oh yea, he's the American record holder....

Any one on the 81' squad touch that?

thewhatif wrote:

Since we're on the subject of US 10k's...Why no mention of that guy called Meb? Didn't he run 27:13 or thereabouts.

Oh yea, he's the American record holder....

Any one on the 81' squad touch that?

What's the highest Meb has placed in world cross?

At or before age 24, Webb was at 27:34, Ritz 27:35, and Rupp 27:33 at age 20. Pretty comparable to Virgin's 27:29 and Nenow's 27:36 at 24. Hunt's PR was 27:59, Donakowski 27:58, and Bickford 27:37. There are a ton of dudes in those time areas, just look at the recent Stanford meet: Torres 27:42, Moran 27:43, Carney 27:43, Culpepper 27:50, not to mention Hall, Teg, Lagat, Abdi, and Meb. Today's guys at the moment are not much better or much worse than '81, but they've got a lot of time and room to improve. As for our placings amongst the Africans, you're just plain biased towards the guys of your heyday if you don't think the competition is on a whole different level today. Sure you had some standout Africans back then, but the depth today is incredible and incomparable to the running world before the 90's.