Dan Onymous wrote:
Go back to your precious '70s, old man Gorney. Here's why Derrick is better than Virgin:
13:51.9, 3.00-mile Detweiller course > 13:50.6, 2.97-mile Detweiller course
13:55 5,000m in April alone > 13:58 5,000m in June against top Russians
If he had remained healthy, he would have gone under Virgin's 8:40.9 (maybe even at his state meet, like Fernandez almost did with Nelson's record) and been right with Fernandez at NON as well.
I mean no disrespect to Virgin either -- he's one of my favorite runners and one of the greatest Americans ever -- the only American world cross-country champion. But so far, Derrick is a step ahead -- and my disrespect is for those who can't recognize that and think no one can ever surpass the best of their generation.
it's all very laughable, what you are contending. Were Derrick and Virgin to race on any given cross-country course as 17-year-olds, it would be GAME OVER for Derrick. No one in Illinois came within 30 seconds of Virgin in cross-country during his junior and senior years, and the competition was much deeper.
the same is true on the track. Virgin was under 9:00 just about every weekend during the spring of his senior year.
According to you, IF the Detweiler course had not been altered slightly, IF Derrick had not caught mono, IF Derrick hadn't raced NTN and only Footlocker, IF Derrick would have enhanced his resume by being state champ in cross-country or in any event in track his junior year, IF Derrick had been in that NON race with Fernandez ....
Fortunately, track is based on results and not "ifs".