Did Eric Mack steal from LaSalle Bank?

No. Sometimes the marathon goes poorly, but he was definitely in shape. I've seen him out training and the guy was looking really fit.

Only Mack can say. One of the benefits of running fast(2:12) is you can get a few perks. But I'd rather see all the money go into deeper prize money, like having Culpeppar pick up more of it for his great race.

If Mack felt he was ready to go and had been training well then he shouldn't feel guilty about a thing. I highly doubt that his appearance money was worth it to him to go out there with no confidence of doing well and embarrassing himself. He works full-time as far as I know it probably wasn't enough to justify flying out there and suffering through a bad race unless he thought he was ready to do well.

Still, appearance money doesn't do a thing to add to the sport. Pump it all into the prize structure and make every body earn it every race.

Looking fit and being fit is two very very different things....look at Yoko Shibui! She looks like a McDonalds employee, not an elite marathoner!

As for Eric Mack, he is a felllow Nevada Warrior. He will run faster next time out....no he does not have to return his appearance fee. Pinkowski knows damn well that some runners who he invites will have sub-par performances.

Godspeed to Mr. Mack...

jason

Having a sub-performance and running a few miles then dropping out are totally different things.

Mack will not even take his start money. You guys don't even know him if you think he will steal from Pinkowski. In fact Bobby Gordon is one of Pinkowski's guys too. He pulled his calf. Those things happen.

I hope Mack bounces back.

You're quick to call out others! Word has it you pulled your hamstring at Philly at 9 miles, and admitted to another runner beforehand that you knew you were going to drop.

Rumor or fact? Please explain. Thanks.

You don't receive those perks forever. Trust me Pinkowski will not be asking him back next year. Mr. Gordon will be begging for a number let alone appearance money. Ask David Morris if you think you can live on the past with Pinkowski.

I have already replied to Rojo's first message about this so look there if you want more depth besides me stating that you all should stop spreading malicious rumors. If I thought I couldn't run well I wouldn't have been there, period. To say otherwise is complete bullshit. And since the race was always kept fully abreast of my training and fitness, they wouldn't have asked me to be there if there was any doubts. I didn't show up with any other plans than to run fast. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do that. If you choose to believe otherwise you choose to be ignorant. I'm not going to post my training log, explain my preparation, or discuss my contract here. I would love to make it easy on you and tell you the whole story, but it's none of your business in the first place(and it is also how we have come to this juncture). Unless you can show me otherwise, I don't need to prove anything to you clowns. If you are someone who thinks I would do something dishonest or tarnish my integrity buy misrepresenting myself, you can jump in a lake.

To make it clear, my training and my fitness is really nobody's business and neither is my contract with Chicago. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of going into some details about my training with my fellow runners before the race. He or she mistook what I said and decided to repeat it out of context, and finally rojo decided he needed to post it without checking with me to see if it was the truth. Maybe he or she was jealous, had an axe to grind that I wasn't aware of, or just a poor listener, but the point is that they got the story wrong. I will never make that mistake again. People wonder why folks around here run by themselves and try to not talk about their training. It's a shame, I always enjoyed doing it and thought it was a good way to learn about the sport/spread knowledge. Once bitten twice shy.

Emack

"Once bitten twice shy" you say. I sure hope that Carey Pinkowski has the same attitude. Believe me he is not a stupid man and you burned this bridge, I guarantee it.

you people are so petty and pathetic. i don't know eric mack and have no idea what happened in chicago, but who the hell cares??? i mean, so what if he "stole" a few bucks from pinkowski. an appearance fee is for showing up...and he earned it by running 2:12. when y'all run 2:12, then you'll get an appearance fee.

small time attitude = small time sport

It doesn't matter whether you or I think that it is petty. What matters is what Carey thinks. I can guarantee you that Carey will say "don't worry about it, those things happen". Then never invite him back again. David Morris wasn't invited back because he is now a 2:12-2:15 guy. He has a 2:09 on his resume and was the former american record holder (a much better story than EMack) and he was told to take his game elsewhere. The appearance money is payed for kk,tergat,paula,deena because they are big names which provide exposure irreguardless of performance. What did Emack do to make the 2002 Lasalle Banks marathon a better event? This is what Carey told me he uses as criteria in deciding who comes back.

Regardless of the rumors being true or not and I guess only one person knows if he went to Chicago to race or not and it looks like he said he did so we must give him the benefit of the doubt...it brings us back to the importance of appearence money...I think you can take care of the elite runners after they get to your race but why not be like the sport of golf and put that money into the prize structure and let the athletes earn it...when that happens all of the speculations stop and the prize money is bigger and deeper so more athletes benefit...

Big Mack trained his ass off for several years with very few encouraging performances and many dissapointing ones, and then it finally all paid off with a sterling run of 2:12 at Chicago. After living in a tent in the Kuwaiti desert for several months in 2001 protecting our country (including all the desk jockey- 33 minute 10k losers that have the audacity to write B.S. about him) from Saddam and Al Qaeda, he returned to the USA and resumed training. He was fit enough to place among the top 10 Americans at the Falmouth Road Race, and Im sure he was expecting a sub 2:15 performance, but an injury bit him on race day near the start.

Mack works with unmanned spy aircraft. Some of those can carry ordinance. I challenge you lunchmeat hacks who want to "call him out" to email him your names and addresses....

So what's your beef with Eric Mack? He's a lot faster than you'll ever be. If you're going to call someone out have the stones to put your name on it.

[quote]New School wrote:

"irreguardless"

nice.

the appearance money is payed for by all the shlubs slogging out 4 hr marathons. if pinkowski thought only kk,pr,dd,cn were worth it, he'd only pay them. he's running a business, not a fund raiser for american distance running. great so he won't invite him back. just like he didn't invite morris back cause he dropped after 2 miles...oh wait he just didn't run well...what's your point again???

New School you are right. I guess we will just wait till next year and see if Emack is on the starting line in Chicago. Then all these defenders will be saying what a jerk Carey is. Emack give back the money, it wasn't earned or deserved. or better yet make that money last because the gravy train is over.

The point is Morris is far more deserving than EMack was. Carey cut him a break because Gordon promised him performance. He did not deliver. Carey will not be so easy to lie to next time. If you think that you can promise results and not deliver and be brought back.... well ask Shawn Hellybuck how easy it was to work a deal for Morris this year or even just get Delecerda a number.

OK, so Capt. Mack pooched it. Clearly, no one will feel worse or more frustrated about that than him.

OK, so The Pink Man has a one-strike policy. His race to direct, his shots to call.

But if either EM or DM wants to run the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon badly enough, they can fill out entry forms and mail checks like 30,000 others typcially do every year. They woouldn't get the superstar package but they'd be in the race...unless the Pink Man has a total blackball list...

You are right, that is always an option. I was just saying that the red carpet will never be rolled out again.