Jurek calls out Dean Karnazes

Flagpole Willy wrote:

If it's only about doing your best and winning titles (as Jurek said) then why bother with mentioning Dean K. at all?

Remember, Jurek was asked what he thought about Deano and then gave an honest answer. He didn't purposefully bring up Dean himself so he could then spout off about how he's a better runner (which he is).

Flagpole Willy wrote:

I thought the mid-pack PGA player was a great analogy. What if some mid-pack PGA player only won 2 tournaments in his career, despite having entered dozens and dozens and dozens. And he hyped himself ad nauseum. And he pulled all kinds of bizarre golf stunts to draw attention to himself and sell his book.

Two words, Anna Kournikova.

And the comparison to a mid-pack PGA golfer may not be perfect but it really isn't too bad of an analogy. A mid-pack PGA golfer is much, much, much better than the average Joe, just like Dean is probably a better than average runner. However, a mid-pack PGA golfer should not receive ESPY's and get all sorts of publicity ahead of guys like Tiger Woods.

Flagpole wrote,

"A mid pack marathon runner finishes in about 4 hours or slower. Dean's better than that."

Are you really comparing someone on the freakin' PGA tour to a 4 hour marathon runner? Cmon, that's absurd. A four hour marathon equiv. to golf is me slapping the ball around on a Sunday. Dean K. is not even remotely close to a PGA mid-packer in terms of success in sports.

What does John Mark Karr have to do with this thread?

I can't get passed the "batting .500" comment. After reading that the whole post lost everything for me, that is something that any guy in the US should know about. At least know that noone has hit .400 in many years and no one probably will ever hit .400 again.

MAYEROFF wrote:

FLAGPOLE WILLY YOU ARE WAY OUTTA LINE FOR COMPARING ME WITH THAT FUDGEPACKER/MIDPACKER DEAN KARNAZES.

IF I EVER MEET YOU I AM GONNA REMOVE YOUR TESTICLES WITH A RUSTY BUTTER KNIFE. (IF YOU DON'T APOLOGIZE)

Jason,

Didn't mean to offend brother, so I apologize if you were. Threats to my testicles aside, I DO believe you to be a superior athlete to Dean -- WAY better even. The comparison was as you are a 2:18 marathoner (compared to the 2:04+ guys), Dean is in about the same league compared to world class ultramarathoners.

Compared to each other though, you are way better, and I mean that sincerely.

My only point is that Dean is NOT a mid-pack ultramarathoner just as you are not a mid-pack marathoner.

so glad im not banned anymore, so i can finally say what i wanted to say. flagpole, you are an asshole

Danica Patrick is another good example.

Hurrykls wrote:

so glad im not banned anymore, so i can finally say what i wanted to say. flagpole, you are an asshole

Not sure why having an opinion which is obviously different from yours makes me an asshole, but whatever.

Here's hoping you find a way to LOVE.

Flagpole Willy wrote:

He's wrong. Any of you who think he's right are wrong.

Wow, your rationale for coming to this conclusion is on the verge of hysteria. You misconstrue Jurek's point, leap to conclusions then ostensibly hold your ground. Not a lot of thinking going on here FPW.

Dean is a mid-packer as it relates to the ultra-marathoning elite. He's pulled off one win but has finished mid-pack (excluding the weekend warriors) in everything else.

Jurek is the only one who should call Dean out. It will be better for the sport if the top guys stop laying so low. If some hack like Dean invades their territory they have to kick back. They should kick his ass back to self proclaimed feats of greatness like his "running" 300 miles "non stop" deal.

How could you not respect Scott? He is a phenomenal athlete that has accomplished some incredible things in his career. He also seems to have impeccable standards that would seemingly come close to your own lofty standards.

Fast marathoners do not make fast ultra-marathoners. They are not built the same. It takes a special physiology and mentality to succeed in Ultra's.

Flagpole Willy wrote:

My only point is that Dean is NOT a mid-pack ultramarathoner just as you are not a mid-pack marathoner.

FW, you really ought to just admit you missed the mark with this one. Jurek didn't compare Dean to just any mid-pack golfer. He compared him to a mid-pack PGA golfer. BIG difference. If anything Dean probably doesn't have the skills in his sport that a mid-pack PGA golfer has in his. It was a pretty good analogy by Jurek. Now as for the baseball thing, obviously he doesn't have a clue. In baseball, Dean might make a major league roster, but I doubt he would be a starter and certainly not even a .300 hitter. He'd be like a role player with a lifetime .260 average. He might go 3-4 with a homer every now and then, but he shouldn't get more press than A-Rod or be called the greatest to ever play the game.

Sorry FW youre wrong wrote:

He might go 3-4 with a homer every now and then, but he shouldn't get more press than A-Rod or be called the greatest to ever play the game.

Agreed. I said right from the beginning that Jurek is WAY better than Dean and that Dean deserves NONE of the accolades he's been given. He's still better than a mid-pack PGA golfer though. Badwater win. Vermont 100-mile win. He's full of cheese and the view of himself that he portrays on his web site is no where near accurate, but he deserves at least a LITTLE respect. Not everyone wins Badwater. Jurek could have answered that question better -- or better yet, said "no comment".

Flagpole, they might be calling you an asshole because in an earlier post you said

"He's wrong. If you think he is right, you're wrong."

Yeah, that's pretty much an asshole/elitist thing to say. You're quick to defend your opinion but anybody who doesnt agree with your stance is automatically wrong. Way to go, that should make for a healthy debate.

Dean K is definitely a midpack marathoner in comparison to the elites of the sport, no doubt about that. If you don't believe that, you're wrong. If you're Flagpole Willy, you're wrong. <-- that's not opinion, it's the generally agreed upon consensus of these forums.

Pot meet Kettle wrote:

I\'m sure that there are a lot of true track \"athletes\" that could call out Jurek on the same thing. I\'m sure there are a lot of 2:15 marathoners or sub-4 milers that get less publicity than him and are better true athletes.

Please. Go listen to the whole thing instead of basing your comments on a horribly transcribed interview. And the end Scott says about who should win \"America\'s best distance runner\"

and I quote

\"There are marathoners and other distance runners who I feel….I put them on a pedestal. I’m a nobody compared to Ryan Hall, Meb or Deena and some of the greats in distance running right now.\"

I have a feeling that Jurek knows baseball and that he simply misapplied a metaphor. If you're an NFL kicker and "only batting .500", that's not good. If you're shooting free throws in the NBA and "only batting .500", that's not good. If you're a laser-eye surgeon and "only batting .500", that's not good. Jurek is batting WAY higher than .500 since he wins nearly every ultra he enters.

How can you compare someone who holds a record for the half marathon to someone who runs 100 Miles? You are comparing apples to oranges. It's like comparing Joe Montana and Barry Bonds. Who is better?

When we talk about the greatest distance runner let's then talk about distance.

ahhh. my friend but that's the key...

YOU CAN COMPARE APPLES TO ORANGES

oranges are nice juicy with a sweet citrus taste (Hmmm)

and

apples are bleh!

there you have it...

someone else wrote:

I have a feeling that Jurek knows baseball and that he simply misapplied a metaphor. If you're an NFL kicker and "only batting .500", that's not good. If you're shooting free throws in the NBA and "only batting .500", that's not good. If you're a laser-eye surgeon and "only batting .500", that's not good. Jurek is batting WAY higher than .500 since he wins nearly every ultra he enters.

I have to agree here. Using the colloquialism "battin' a thousand" to mean nailing it everytime, "batting .500" means he only gets it half the time.