Is Rupp pro?

Well, he turned pro after he graduated from high school and joined the NOP.

Rupp walks a fine line, potentially pushing the envelope. But who cares? He is the anointed next of kin for Oregon and the symbol of the rebirth of distance running on the track. Either way, it's a good thing.

technically, yes. wrote:

Well, he turned pro after he graduated from high school and joined the NOP.

Wrong. being part of the NOP has nothing to do with being a pro. Not to mention many Hs'ers could go there and pay to be trained when Rupp was in hs, not sure if they still do that or not. Being part of a club does not make you a pro. He paid back all the money he accepted for travel and such that the Ncaa deemed neccesary. He never had a salary, and has given up ridiculous amounts of money. So it's pathetic for assholes like you to make such statements.

Sagarin wrote:

Rupp walks a fine line, potentially pushing the envelope. But who cares? He is the anointed next of kin for Oregon and the symbol of the rebirth of distance running on the track. Either way, it's a good thing.

In case you haven't been around the last 4 years, most of letsrun dislikes Rupp, no matter how fast he is. I think anyone who saw the flotrack video of his 10000m antics midrace last year would agree the kid's a dufus, not to mention his post race interview and absurd body movements in Goucher's interview. The kid is a total dipshit, and he gets more crap from Nike than many runners who ARE pro. I don't blame him for that though. Anyone would take advantage if given the opportunity. It doesn't change the fact he's a little bitch though.

That all may be true, but Pre was disdained by many people too. But he brought attention to the sport, which is a good thing.

i like him because he is white but talks like he's either black or retarded. not sure which but far from what you'd expect.

i laugh at all you wannabes and has beens. of course he's a doofus! JUST LIKE YOU. he's a track geek. JUST LIKE YOU. the only difference, he made it and you f***ing didn't. deal with it.

27:33

Consider the hundreds of college athletes likely in football and basketball who are secretly pushing the envelope and then you realize rupp's special treatment isn't so bad.

he is as close to being pro as it gets without officially being pro. he gets all the free gear he wants, access to massage, alter-g/underwater treadmills, altitude tents, physio testing, anything at nike headquarters, etc. basically he doesn't get paid and doesn't command an appearance fee. he is in a great situation that no other college runner is in. imagine if several prominent college teams could set up this type of deal for their #1 runner, the usa would have some serious talent coming out of college.

Oh, so the public knowledge of the Rupps giving money to Nike regards nothing more than an unsolicited donation? Sure thing. Being given gear and travel to races is not that far from a salary, dimwit apologist.

Sagarin wrote:

That all may be true, but Pre was disdained by many people too. But he brought attention to the sport, which is a good thing.

And Rupp is bringing attention to the sport exactly HOW? What is the over/under on how many non-running friends and coworkers would place the name "Rupp" as belonging to a U.S. male distance runner if I asked them?

Rupp receives a large stipend like Salazar, Lanana, Knight, and all coolies of the People's Republic of China.

nice comparison. wrote:

And Rupp is bringing attention to the sport exactly HOW? What is the over/under on how many non-running friends and coworkers would place the name "Rupp" as belonging to a U.S. male distance runner if I asked them?

What's the over/under on names like Hall or Ritzenhein or Keflezighi or Lagat? Or even Webb? My point is that he generates a lot of publicity for the sport in Oregon and is a linchpin of the revival of the Oregon track community where it all started and where the trials are going to be held. He may not be a household name yet, maybe never, but some publicity is better than no publicity. I don't understand why so many people condemn this guy. Who cares if he's a jackass? He is the brighest young prospect we have for the track.

Strawman. This is about the claim that Rupp "brings attention to the sport." I don't see it. I'm not saying that any of those others does a much better job, though I'd guess that Lagat and Meb and even Hall have gotten more than just a little mainstream national (and international) press, but again that's not what this is about.

I can't tell that it's anything more than "no publicity" except among those who are already fans of the sport.

What's this got to do with it? You're confusing my contention with the claim about the publicity he generates with the gripes of others. Two different topics.

Look, I may have replied to your post, but I was making a generalization because SO MANY people feel the need to undermine this guy. The point is, NOBODY cares about distance running outside of our own little myopic and really pretty meaningless universe, nor will they ever. But, to the extent that Pre or Rodgers or Shorter generated some interest in the "sport," Rupp has the potential to do that and he certainly HAS done it, even if only to a small extent, in Eugene. He gets tons of press in the Oregon papers. He seems to be Nike's anointed one, and that WILL create a lot of publicity going forward. They will cultivate this guy until he's as much an American brand as a distance runner ever could be.

He is the brighest young prospect we have for the track.

I don't necessarily agree with this statement. Yes he has run incredibly fast in the 10k and pretty fast in the 5k, but I am not too sure 1) he will continue to progress, and 2) he is actually the best "young" prospect.

He has been training at the highest level with all the perks or being a pro athlete for 4 years now. What is his next step. Unlike other collegiate runners who will ultimately benefit from not having to really worry about school and getting tons of gear and altitude training, he has already experienced such things.

Also, I would say there are a few people his age that may be brighter prospects. McDougal and Solinsky both come to mind.

You could be right, but I guess my frame of reference is that all the guys who have or would excel on the track specifically (Ritz, McDougal, etc) have already shown an inclination towards moving to the marathon (at least that's what I've read about McDougal and he certainly has the training resilience for the marathon). I suspect that the most prominent figure in "Tracktown, USA" will stick to the track for an indefinite period, though Salazar has shown a willingness to embrace the marathon from an early age. But if Rupp makes the Olympic team in the 10,000 as he should and comes back with the potential to bust the all-time collegiate record next year (27:22), he will be the closest thing we have to a pure distance runner on the track.

You know, this whole thing about publicity -- of course my neighbor isn't going to know who Rupp is, but I do have a friend who, admittedly, did go to the U of O and still reads the school website as well as the Oregon papers. And SHE knows all about this kid, as does her husband. And they are not runners. So, yes, it's only anecdotal, but any amount of attention is good attention.

Every legit DI team gives an unbelievable amount of gear to their guys, so its doubtful that Rupp gets any more than they do. The only difference is that he travels but his parents cold easily pay for that knowing that he will sign a big contract with nike in a few years.

juicy miler wrote:

He is the brighest young prospect we have for the track.

I don't necessarily agree with this statement. Yes he has run incredibly fast in the 10k and pretty fast in the 5k, but I am not too sure 1) he will continue to progress, and 2) he is actually the best "young" prospect.

He has been training at the highest level with all the perks or being a pro athlete for 4 years now. What is his next step. Unlike other collegiate runners who will ultimately benefit from not having to really worry about school and getting tons of gear and altitude training, he has already experienced such things.

Also, I would say there are a few people his age that may be brighter prospects. McDougal and Solinsky both come to mind.