NY Times Article on Meb's "Americanism" debate

“Nothing against Keflezighi, but he’s like a ringer who you hire to work a couple hours at your office so that you can win the executive softball league.”

People do that?

Anyone want to draft me? I could use some extra cash...

The reason why Meb's win is so controversial isn't because it touches on who is american or who isn't - or even whether he's white or black!

Because the issue is framed as "can americans compete", or more poignantly, "can anyone else compete with E. Africans" then Meb is significant because, while his training is definitely the product of the american system, the detractors will certainly make the argument that he is genetically the product of E. Africa.

Meb is American enough for me. In regard to athletics, someone that comes up through the American educational system and competes through the US HS& College systems is an American Athlete. If you want to get into their anatomy (eastern africans & norther Africans) vs. American kid's, a lot of that argument goes out the window once you throw in American's largely sedentary lifestyle. American kids can be just like a Kenyan kid if raised as such. It's just that they prefer to get driven to school and play video games.

Someone like Lagat, who competed for Washington State, he came to the US at 19, after developing his running for years complimented with the Kenyan lifestyle, he was on a different plane than American kids at that age. We see it at the World Junior Champs in XC & Track. There is just utter domination by the East Africans that carries on to the senior ranks. However, people like Lomong and Meb, who came to this country under much different circumstances and at such a young age, their running style and training is nearly 100% American.

Back to Lagat. He, much like Khalid Khannouchi, came here AS runners and came here TO run. The circumstance of this is very different than Lopez Lomong and Meb. Don't get me wrong, I still call all of these guys "Americans" in the most basic sense. I feel proud of them and they are the people most proud to call America home. They have seen the other side of the coin that so many of us never see, and they know just how great this country is. But in terms of Athletic perfromance, KK & Lagat have extremely African racing styles & running habits. Lopez Lomong's (the proudest American I have ever met) athletic training and development was done 100% within the US system. With the exception of negligible physiological differences, he's as American as Ritz.

I know, let's start 1567392 more threads about whether Meb is American or not.

If I won the marathon, perhaps I would not be considered a real American because I don't support our troops or believe in a god.

Before reading the article I did not realize that Meb came here when he was 12. I did not embark on my own running career until I was 12 years old and in 7th grade. I'm sure many others from casual to elite runners also began running around that age and some much, much later. When did Wheating run his first XC race?

Still, I don't think it matters one bit. Even if he came over like Lagat, after previously competing for a different country, it wouldn't matter. Foreign born American runners are willing to make a life change, they are willing to wear USA on their Jersey, they are willing to drape themselves in the American Flag after accomplishing feats that they train their whole lives to achieve. That's good enough for me.

I mean really, where is that standard? Do we have to have heritage dating back to the Mayflower here in the U.S.A. so we can fully represent the USA? If that's the case, maybe Ritz isn't "REALLY" American.

This should be a closed issue, I can't wait to see MEB win BOSTON in the spring.

Oh and in response to that smart a** remark from looney, I happen to strongly support our troops and believe in God.

Meb is a crybaby. Waaaaaaa, how dare people go ,'gosh another African born runner won a marathon, that's nice.' Waaaaaaaa...

Meanwhile Jeremy Wariner was insulted way worse by blacks and whites!!

This is a crazy and specious debate. Not only is Meb a product of the American running system, but when you consider genetics, ALL of us have East African genes within us at some point (just look at mitochondrial DNA for confirmation). Clearly anyone questioning Meb's nationality is at least misinformed and at most a racist. As for whether American running is coming back, just count the number of American men who finished in the top 10 of the NYC Marathon, including Meb's training partner Ryan Hall who placed fourth just off the podium. American running is back and, like cycling in America, shows that our country is not just about the big 4 sports (baseball, football, NASCAR and hockey). And speaking of hockey, how about all those Canadians playing on American NHL clubs?? LOL

This is about nationality, not race. It's entirely irrelevant that he was born in Africa and is black. All that matters is that, right now, he's an American.

People talk about how East African genetics are different than that of American genetics.

First off, nobody in America has the same genetics. You can't say "american genetics" because our country is so diverse.

Secondly, While i do think that Lagat and Khannouchi are americans, they aren't examples of American distance running improving. They were both raised and trained in a different world than ours.

Meb is a testament why American distance running is improving because he was brought up in the American High School, Collegiate and Post Collegiate system. Meb's "genetics" no doubt have to do with his success, but the fact that he utilized them in our society is why he should be considered an example of the improvement of U.S. distance running.

everyone knows that the real question is can anyone who is not from africa win a major distance race.

this is not about meb, this is not about america.

if people on this board think the real question is racist, than america and the rest of the world are racist. so get over it.

Double Standard this NYT. http://runmeb.com/multimedia/news_images/Keflezighiwithbothflags.jpg

I'm really disappointed that the New York Times dignified the views of a few morons by publishing an article about their views.

Meb is fully American in any meaningful sense of the word, and the morons like Darren Rovell who think Alberto Salazar is "the last American to win in New York" but Meb is a "ringer" are plainly operating on racist assumptions about what it takes to be a "real" American. The NYT should just ignore them, but apparently the views of a few anonymous morons and a second-rate sports reporter is enough to create a "controversy" that the NYT thinks is newsworthy.

Also, I'm usually a fan, but I'm also disappointed in Stephen Colbert, because what his audience, who probably doesn't know anything about Meb, will take away from his segment on Meb is that Meb was a "ringer." That's just spreading stupid racist views instead of satirizing them.

Hahahahaha, that Colbert bit was hillarious! 100% spot on!

I think the U.S. would be a better place if we replaced the 80% of our population that has no appreciation for how good our lives are as Americans with people like Meb and Lomong who actually appreciate what the country has given them. We can take every high school kid who has ever claimed that "life sucks" because mommy wouldn't let them borrow the BMW last Friday and replace them with someone who will be happy to live in a country where everything is at their fingertips. As far as I'm concerned, Meb is more American than most.

mcgato wrote:

I know, let's start 1567392 more threads about whether Meb is American or not.

Or zero threads about Meb's chances before the race takes place.

When people ask questions about America's ability to compete on the world stage of running, they are really asking if Americans of European stock can compete on the world stage. Meb's win does not answer that question.

wizardstaff wrote:

When people ask questions about America's ability to compete on the world stage of running, they are really asking if Americans of European stock can compete on the world stage. Meb's win does not answer that question.

Well, at least Magdalena Lewy-Boulet answered it by placing 6th in the women's race.