What is a bandit?!?!

More Flagpole Insight? wrote:

So you advocate running a hard 10 miler just the week after a 2:55 marathon? Not to smart.

Dude, that was a fake Flagpole Willy who wrote that about pounding the runner the next weekend. I agree, it wouldn't be smart, so I didn't do that.

Reading the past:

Neighborhood kids playing kickball. Little Don comes by getting in the way.

Don: "I can go wherever I want and there is nothing you can do about it. It's a free world, it's my sidewalk too."

Kids: "Yea kid, whatever you say".

Don: Getting in the way on purpose. "I'm playing too whether you want me to or not. Look at me." Taking the ball and throwing to another yard."

Kids: "Come on kid. You can play if you want, but knock it off."

Donnie: "I've got a popsickle and you don't." Kicking ball again. "It's a free country, I can kick the ball if I want to."

Kids: "Look kid, we've asked you to play, but if you screw up the game again, we're going to send home crying."

Donnie: "You can't touch me, I'll tell. You'll be in trouble."

Kids: Hitting Donnie lightly on the arm to scare him. "Get out of here kid."

Donnie: "Waaaaaaa! I'm telling my mom. You're all in trouble now. Waaaaaa. I'm telling."

Flash to present.

Replace kids with adult runners and race directors. Replace kick ball with roadraces. Replace "I'm telling" with "I'm suing".

Geez. Just go away Donnie. Just go away!

The problem is that Don Malen is a fairly accomplished runner who has paid his entry fee numerous times in the recent past -- that being 7-10 years. You can find race results for him for many years back. However, he somehow feels justified to run without paying now. Why Don? Did the economy get too tough for you to pay the $12? Do you just like being an asshole now that you're slowing down?

i don't bandit, but sometimes i wish i did. there are some piece of shit races out there charging $25-$30. the course may be off, the prizes suck, etc. even if it's a good race, they're pretty expensive nowadays. and throwing in an ugly shirt doesn't make things any better. i always enter, though, just so it'll be "official." that's not important to everyone, so who cares?

so what if someone bandits? you make the decision whether or not to pay the entry fee and everyone else should be able to do the same. people get all bent out of shape and start with the personal attacks over bullshit on this board. it cracks me up.

The attacks only get personal when someone tries to defend outrageous behavior. Something like banditing, then attacking someone who offers thier opinion by saying "what you are doing is wrong", and is then attacked. Okay, so the guy taking the brunt of the personal attacks, Malen, has so far just by accounts on this thread alone spit on one guy and hit another with a water bottle. He also got in the way of other paying runners. All this while he plays it up like "all I do is run in the road without crossing the finish line...woe is me...leave me alone, I'll do what I want...". This is why the attacks get personal. If the banditer when confronted would just politely answer back " Hey, we can agree to disagree, but I'm gonna steal and get in the way...", instead of throwing bottles and flinging spit upon folks. More than just getting bent out of shape over "bullshit", wouldn't you agree?

Well guys, last weekend I was watching the Grosse Pointe Run and when I expressed my opinion of what Don Malen was doing he spat in my face. I've never met him or expressed to him this opionion before this last weekend. I don't have much to say about this ridiculous situation. I'm embarrassed to gotten myself into this row with a guy like Malen. He obviously leads his life by a different set of standards. All I can say is that what goes around comes around, and Malen can only temp fate for so long. I will continue to try to set an example for my children and avoid such influences. For more details, go to the Hanson's web-site.

But you did spit in my face!

But you can spit in the face of spectators?

Actually, a bandit would be a REPUBLICAN. Not willing to give a little money to the people who need it the most. Too selfish to let go of what they've earned in order to contribute to the greater good.

Don,

There are several people that don't think this is really you posting to letsrun. Prove us wrong by telling us what your finishing times were at this year's Auburn Hills Standard Federal and Grosse Pointe races. Since you were a bandit in both, only you and a few other people would know the correct answers.

If it is someone else that is posting under his name it would be hilarious. I also find it ironic that the only thing that he has received credit for is posting under his own name. Other than that everyone views him as a whiny little loser. So if you take that away I guess he is just a whiny loser. Great stuff

It's likely J. R. from Hansons. Don Malen is his Hero and is jealous of him. Why? He has never beaten Don in a race. Get over yourself J. R.

There is no JR that runs for or works for Hansons. Check Hansons-Running.com for the names of the ODP members. Additional male employees include DJ and MF. Please Check for yourself.

dim wrote:

Actually, a bandit would be a REPUBLICAN. Not willing to give a little money to the people who need it the most. Too selfish to let go of what they've earned in order to contribute to the greater good.

You defined us perfectly. Giving our money WHEN and IF we choose to; not having it taken from us. And yes we're selfish in contributing, but only when it goes to a select few. Otherwise, we're fine with "the greater good"...OF ALL!

That's all. I gotta change my diaper.

I'm not sure I understand the accusation. It is not "J.R.", though, I know him well. Trust me, the man would not do this type of thing. He actually has not even read all of the posts here. Same can be said about the man who was spat upon. He is a customer of ours at Hanson's and I spoke with him after the "incident" and after the whole message board thing started. He could care less as well. I just find this whole thing kind of sad. As a parent, I will raise my children to avoid such outbursts of temper, no matter what is said or done to them. I fell there is always another way to settle conflict. And if you do something wrong, there should always be an immediate response, apology, or otherwise, as soon as things calm down. But thats just my .02. If in fact this really is Don Malen, and the person defending him on the Hanson's message board is for real, then we know what type of people they really are. I would only hope that Don Malen does not really think of the Distance Project guys as "stupid asses". I work with them every day and trust me, as professional athletes and people in general go, they are some of the nicest people I've ever met. I should know, I work with them every day. Most of them have not even been following this thread. They know a bit about the incident, though. Some of them were at the race to meet and greet people. The Grosse Pointe running community has been very supportive of the Project, and the guys came out on a Saturday morning to help out with the race. Well, I'm starting to ramble on. It's 9:00 here and I've got to get my fat outta shape ass out and run. Just had to chime in when I saw someone heading down the wrong path. Well, after a few people went down the wrong path....

Sure, Democrats want hand outs from the government because they don't earn them the old fashioned way by getting their silver spoons from Mommy and Daddy

If you want to see someone who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, look no further than Al Gore. Raised in a posh hotel and private schools thanks to his politician father(I know, it sounds like another politician we all know), Gore has hardly ever actually lived in Tennessee. As a child, he used to come down to the family farm in Carthage in the summer and that's it as far as him being "from Tennessee." All his heartwarming stories about hard work on the farm and his humble rural roots made me sick during his campaigning. Since he couldn't even win his "own state," I would say a lot of us shared the same opinion of him. Like I said, I know W. was choking on the silver spoon coming out of the womb just like Gore was, but he has never tried to cover it up.

dukerdog wrote:

Don,

There are several people that don't think this is really you posting to letsrun. Prove us wrong by telling us what your finishing times were at this year's Auburn Hills Standard Federal and Grosse Pointe races. Since you were a bandit in both, only you and a few other people would know the correct answers.

On the off chance that anyone is still reading this thread---I think enough time has passed that we can conclude 1 of 3 things:

1. Don Malen is not reading this thread anymore.

2. Don Malen doesn't want us to know that it really was him posting, even though he posted under his own name.

3. It was not Don Malen who posted under his name.

I tend to believe number 3.

if Malen bandited my race, i'd bandit his face.