bekele not on SI's top 20 athletes of the decade.

it's not that,

it's just that SI doesn't know who he is

ameematt wrote:

...bad american ego.

Because Bolt is American?

I think even Bolt could recognize the greatness that is Bekele. I believe he's even said himself how much he respects the man. But Bekele put it best when he was interviewed about the 600m race possibility - he said that despite all the accomplishments of himself and Geb over the years in the distances, Bolt is the one who made track and field so much more marketable in the past couple years. The sell out crowds of raucous fans all over the world were coming to see Bolt first, and everyone else second. Sad, because we're all distance fans here, but true.

Bekele is great, and should be on the list, but I would think a majority of distance fans feel as Bekele himself does and believes that a compelling sprint portfolio (and Bolt is certainly mega compelling) is great for the sport.

SI long ago stopped being run by journalists. It's a shoe catalog like all the running rags. SI is managed by PR propagandists and MBAs.

sprints = rock music

distance = Indian classical music

If some gifted sitar or tabla player has been improving for the last 15 years and now eclipses any who have gone before, you and I will be all over it.

As will 1% of America. Another 2-3% will have heard of this phenom but not actually listened to his music. 96-97% will be completely oblivious to possibly the world's best musician, though they'll know plenty about the hundredth-best generic rock band.

And Bolt is far from the hundredth-best rock band, he's the Jimi Hendrix of his generation. He's even more dominant vs. his contemporaries and predecessors than Bekele.

nsmb, old and slow wrote:

He's even more dominant vs. his contemporaries and predecessors than Bekele.

you had me until that statement. Surely, Bekele has been much more dominant (and for much longer) and has won much across a wider range of distances. Bolt's got 100m-200m. Bekele has 1500m-15k.

bekele is like michael jordan except that he never loses

bekele is like michael jordan except that he never loses

What I had in mind is that the amount by which Bolt's lowered the records, and gap between Bolt and second-best, is more mindblowing than for Bekele. The amazing Bekele dominates his league year after year after year; Bolt's simply in his own these last couple years.

How about 5 female track athletes in the top 20?

BLACK MAMBA!!! MVP MVP MVP MVP MVP

It is a disgrace for Bekele not to be on the list. If you look at the womens list Dibaba is on there, so it isn't like SI doesnt know about distance running, and you cant use the argument that it's because hes from africa because they are both Ethiopians. Bekele has 3 olympic golds, a silver, and what 11 world cross country championship golds, set various world records, and is very rarely beaten. He is simply the most dominating athlete next to phelps and Lance. They freakin have O'Neil on the list. SI is a joke. I have lost all respect for them..they should just stick to swimsuit editions.

SI had Bekele on the list of notables. It's not a bad list for their audience. Not even the best American runners care enough to compete at World Cross.

I'm kind of surprised that Bolt ranked so high. Track and field is barely on the radar among sports journalists and most sports fans. Bolt only made it because he broke world records recently at the Olympics, is charismatic, and runs in the most glamorous T&F event.

When it comes to comparisons between different sports, it doesn't matter if you're the world's greatest curler or ping pong player or netball player. To get into consideration, you have to be the best in a sport with lots of fans where you can make lots of money. Distance running is just not on the level of the big money-making sports. I think it should be, but the fact is that it's not.

Wow. Bolt has 2 good years and he is one of the athletes of the decade?

Yes. If you were going to pick a runner you would have to pick Bekele. Even El G.

did the "With his sport on the brink of irrelevance due to a rash of performance-enhancing drug violations" part piss anyone else off? Armstrong made the list with no mention of doping, despite the fact that cycling has had so, so, so many more doping cases (not to mention the growing number that are accusing Lance of doping in the past).

That list is an outrage! It should be renamed "sportman of the decade". Golfers are not good examples of athletes. Race car drivers, come on! I'm probably being a bit biased, but it would be more valid if Bekele was on it. Notice that there are 4 baseball players on the thing!! Clearly SI has not done justice to this issue. But then it's not really SI, it's more the view of the general public. They'ed selected the most popular sportmans.

SI has a quota system. Only so many blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Jews can be on the list. They have to enough have whites to meet circulation goals. I think that's right if it preserves jobs for whites.