Alan Webb is my new favorite person in track and field

I agree. The photos on the after party thread helped me along in coming to the same conclusion.

Well said, Taco.

good call. I know I'd hate having this pack of anonymous assholes projecting on me all the time.

it takes more than enjoying your mid20's to become the best athlete you can be. it's called sacrifice. if you don't understand that you don't understand the sport.

disagree wrote:

it takes more than enjoying your mid20's to become the best athlete you can be. it's called sacrifice. if you don't understand that you don't understand the sport.

Right, Alan Webb should sacrifice his mid-20's so that he can be the best athlete in the world.

And for who would he be doing this for? You? Let the guy do what he wants with his life and stop nosing in. You know what it takes more than enjoying your life and going on vacation to be the best you are at your job sir. Have you reached that potential yet? Are you going in on weekends? Are you not taking family vacations? Then shut up and move on.

|2ambo wrote:

Right, Alan Webb should sacrifice his mid-20's so that he can be the best athlete in the world.

And for who would he be doing this for? You? Let the guy do what he wants with his life and stop nosing in. You know what it takes more than enjoying your life and going on vacation to be the best you are at your job sir. Have you reached that potential yet? Are you going in on weekends? Are you not taking family vacations? Then shut up and move on.

If you love the sport, it's not really that big of a thing. You give up some things so you can have others. I'm not bashing on Webb, I'm just strongly disagreeing with the original poster.

Where do you possibly get that I think he should be sacrificing for me? I don't understand that braindead sort of logic. Also I am not telling Webb what to do, and posting on a message board is hardly nosing in. Your anger is irrational and unfounded. Also don't understand your last few questions, but seeing as this is an anonymous message board and you have probably never met me, you would have no ideas what kind of sacrifices I've made.

I'm nowhere's near Webb's level, even in my event, which is much longer, he would still beat me by minutes. Your speed does not determine how much you have given up for the sport, or how close you have come to reaching your potential. I've given up a lot of things for running not to make money or achieve fame, but because i want to, because i love it. I refuse friends all the time, drink once a year, and have alienated two girls just in the past year. But that has nothing to do with Webb - for some reason you thought my personal experience was relevant.

This sport is incredibly demanding, it is not all roses and daisies. Personally I think Webb just mistimed his peak. But the OP is way off on what it means to be the best runner you can be, and there is no reason to insult me for pointing that out.

I'm not mad at you. I just think you can't see the point of topic. You want to be the best runner you can be and make sacrifices. That's great for you. Maybe Webb wants to be the best runner he can be, without making sacrifices.

Why should he make sacrifices? So he can reach some mythical potential that you think he can achieve? That's what they're talking about when they say others are projecting goals on him. It's his life, if he wants to jump off a bridge then let him do it. Everyone gets so tied up in what they think other can do, or because they want Webb to be the best ever. How do you know that's what he wants? Maybe he wants to be the best ever that didn't sacrifice his personal life along the way.

That's why I was asking what you've done. Stop worrying so much about others, and other peoples potentials. Worry about yourself, live the life you want to. If you want to make sacrifices, go ahead. Don't tell others that the only way to be the best is to make sacrifices though. Or you have to have no life to reach the peak. Well some people like to have a life, and reach a peak. Is the peak the same height? Who knows?

disagree wrote:

I refuse friends all the time, drink once a year, and have alienated two girls just in the past year.

Sounds like you're hiding behind your running. Get therapy.

perspective please wrote:

disagree wrote:

I refuse friends all the time, drink once a year, and have alienated two girls just in the past year.

Sounds like you're hiding behind your running. Get therapy.

No shit. That's nothing to brag about.

This is a slippery slope...

I wont be surprised...

If he is riding a 10 speed...

across brazil next year.

look, you don't put yourself in a position to care about winning and then not prepare properly. and that's what he's done here. i don't care if alan webb never races again, or wins a gold medal. but don't put in a half ass effort (poor diet, shitty coach, living with high school friends) and expect to perform. then walk off the track and refuse an interview. pathetic.

I guess you all were really hard on Henry Rono back in the day too for being a womanizing alcoholic who could still beat Salazar in his prime and on his home track carrying an 15 extra pounds? (27:22 to 27:25 in the rain). Listen, Webb is who he is and where he's going is pretty much up to him. I hope he stays happy and stays fast and enjoys his life. If he does, at some point I think he is going to kick some serious ass in big meets. And if he doesn't, it ain't the end of the world.

How many people can be normal 25 year olds?

How many people can have a gold medal around their neck?

He is Gabe Jennings with Coe-like PBs.

He is Gabe Jennings with Coe-like PBs.

no offense, but a guy who isn't making money off running who says, "I've sacrificed so much in my life for running," is kind of like some guy who plays basketball on the Y during his lunch break saying the same thing. you have no clue what it takes to perform at the level alan webb does, just like some weekend warrior at the y has no idea what it takes to get to a michael jordan type level. shut up.

Seriously. Alan Webb is 10 times more dedicated to running than any of the pretenders on this board. Teetotaling and completely rejecting fast food have nothing to do with a person's perspective toward the sport.

I think he's quite depressed right now, and this is the final smack in the face that'll make him get his ass going....look out world

I think the OP is not quite correct...He IS "measuring" his life out & the goal for the last 4 years had been to make an Olympic team & medal, at worst. Then shit happened...it didn't work out right. If he didn't have a strict schedule or hardcore goals he wouldn't have run 3:46...nobody is THAT talented. To the point, "Who cares?" My answer is we all do. We're disappointed that the most talented American middle distance runner in many a year didn't make the team.

What I don't understand is this either/or mentality. In the 70's & 80's the best around the world burned bright in the evenings & still woke to get their work done in the morning. I judge Webb by his results on the track, not his ability to eat/drink/f*ck. However, I love to see that he responded to his failure with a sense of humor & a desire to celebrate/commiserate in whatever manner he chose. Do you not think he saw those cameras clicking? What he does in his free time is up to him, his coach & his representation. They've all invested in Webb. I certainly haven't. & neither have you punks.

Seriously. Alan Webb is 10 times more dedicated to running than any of the pretenders on this board. Teetotaling and completely rejecting fast food have nothing to do with a person's perspective toward the sport.

If this were the case, he'd have made the Olympic team and would be on his way to an Olympic medal. Webb is the most talented miler/1500 runner in the world (yes, more talented than Lagat) at the moment and he can't even break into the top 3 in the US.