Solinsky "getting back at Rupp"

Absolutely agree. I'm all for a little showmanship, but I think this was a case of Solinsky being pissed because of the DNF and just running his mouth. Lets(run.com) hope so...

I personally think it would if they would wrestle each other in an alter-g

The coverage/announcers for racers are so horrible; at NCAAs the guy basically just read off the names each lap, and with the footage you don't get many close ups to actually get a since of how the race is developing... The coverage really is quite boring, especially the interviews: "my training had been going well/bad" "I was feeling good/bad" "I just had to give all I got and try to win".....just such cookbook/ predictable questions and responses. Very few off the top runners are open about what's really going with their lives/running... USA's is just a few

Days away and we don't even know what events a number of the top guys are focusing. How do they expect to build a fan base when obsessed LR fanatics can't even find out what's going?

So I say yes, give us more subplot and drama. I'm not satisfied with just watching a bunch of barely clothed people run around.

I agree, I think Letsrun can do better than this. It really reminds me of the "Webb tirade" where Employee #1 created a controversy out of nothing.

I've seen the Solinsky interview and it really didn't sound like a deliberate comment, nor was it from the inner workings of his subconcious. He was asked a specific question, he didn't know the answer and he made up an answer.

And what the hell kind of "ploy" would Rupp and Salazar be trying to pull off? To get Chris to run a race and then watch him from the sidelines?? How did they benefit from it??? It just doesn't make any sense and you're giving it way too much attention.

Look, it is fairly common knowledge that the two groups don't do alot together, but they co-exist and there are some ego's involved. Rupp has the potential to get Solinky's 10k record and Chris has the potential to lower it, when healthy. There will be some "cat and mouse" stuff going on with the two groups, but they respect each other and Schumacher and Alberto are both great coaches with some great distance athletes in each group. There really is no need to make a big deal out of a few harmless comments!!!

Rupp didn't run at Pre (who knows for sure why???) and Solinsky dropped out when he felt his leg hurting (worried that he may injure himself and jeopardize his season. Does not seem to be a big deal.

What do you mean by saying "who knows for sure". Salazar made it very clear that he would not let Rupp run if the pollen count jumped. I didn't jump...it exploded...during the few hours before the race. Salazar's explanation was honest and consistent...is that so difficult to understand?

I agree our sport does not need more bratty competitors and you wouldn't want everyone pulling shenanigans on one another. But it does need rivalries, so what I was trying to say is in this case I'd take the rivalry and a little pettiness over what we usually get.

Instead it's 2 days out and we don't even know what event people are going to run? How is that supposed to help the sport?

There clearly is tension between the groups. Solinsky and Rupp both announced independently they were running the 10k and there seemed to be gamesmanship there. And while Rupp may have withdrawn because of allergies, Solinsky clearly thought there was something more sinister going on. In his mind, he thought they purposely faked to run the 10k, just to make Solinsky run it to try and keep the record. That is a pretty big deal if you ask me.

Sometimes, when people use the word 'clearly', it is a substitute for a logical, evidence-based argument. In the end, this is all based on one sentence a guy muttered.

I agree on this. There is two funny things about this. First of all, what does the "ploy" comment even mean? I frankly have absolutely no idea how the comment should be taken by anyone. Secondly, I would bet that when Solinsky heard about this controversy (I'm assuming somebody, somewhere told him about these Letsrun.com threads) he hadn't even the foggiest idea what comments it was alluding to. I do like the idea of establishing a rivalry. It would just be best if everyone stated the obvious. Rupp and Solinsky are largely going after the same goals and they are in each other's way. I don't know why people need to conjure up some idea that the group's don't respect each other when there really is no basis for it whatsoever.

Bill Huntington wrote:

Absolutely agree. I'm all for a little showmanship, but I think this was a case of Solinsky being pissed because of the DNF and just running his mouth. Lets(run.com) hope so...

You are so full of sh*t. I really wish I could speak to you in person with a beer and set you straight.

I can tell you for a FACT, as a person who knows Alberto, and has met and spoken with Galen plenty... THAT none of what you suggest is true.

Alberto made the best decision for his athlete, PERIOD.

Alberto doesn't work the way you think and project he does. Galen is not the person you project that he is. (He's actually a happy, good-natured, down to earth guy, who truly enjoys running and is fearless about it.)

Alberto made the best decision for his athlete, and his athlete took his coaches advice...and that is ALL that happened.

But, that doesn't excite your voyeuristic desires to inject negativity and controversy where there is none.

Any intelligent person, who is trained in reading voice tonality, vocabulary, and reading facial expressions and micro-expressions...

Will tell you this: Solinksy was very frustrated with himself...and he used minor, tangential blame shifting to express that. Emotional immaturity, paranoia, stupidity...are as good an explanation as yours. AND it was minor and truly tangential...compared to the amount of frustration he had with himself.

There is no insinuation of anything "sinister" in his voice, vocabulary or face at all.

80% of the time human perception is projection. And in this case your low brow and desperate drama queen desires to make controversy here for the sake of self promotion of your website...is the only thing any where near sinister...

Grow the F up.

Get Real Real wrote:

Alberto made the best decision for his athlete, and his athlete took his coaches advice...and that is ALL that happened.

Then answer this one simple question:

WHY DID RUPP CHECK IN FOR THE RACE WITH HIS RACING GEAR AND SPIKES?

If this was a cut and dry issue of "too much pollen, therefore Galen no race" that would be fine. But the whole thing seems pretty sketchy when Alberto said the counts were exploding the morning of the race, and 10 minutes before Rapp was still acting to his competitors, the officials and viewers like he was going to run.

Please explain that to me.

Also, please try to imagine what would happen if a boxing match was hyped to the gills, two boxers come out in their robes, warmed up, and then one threw in the towel before the match started. Of course it would be ridiculous, and of course fans and sponsors wouldn't stand for it. So why should we who want to see track grow condone such behavior? We complain that the average sports fan doesn't come out to track meets, but why would they when this is happening? What about people who read in the paper about Rupp vs Solinksy, the AR, etc, and then came out to watch Rupp DNS? I try to talk up track to friends and co-workers, and this kind of thing makes it pretty embarrassing.

wejo wrote:

Instead it's 2 days out and we don't even know what event people are going to run? How is that supposed to help the sport?

There clearly is tension between the groups. Solinsky and Rupp both announced independently they were running the 10k and there seemed to be gamesmanship there. And while Rupp may have withdrawn because of allergies, Solinsky clearly thought there was something more sinister going on. In his mind, he thought they purposely faked to run the 10k, just to make Solinsky run it to try and keep the record. That is a pretty big deal if you ask me.

100% agreed with Wejo. The cat-and-mouse gamesmanship around entries makes the sport look like a joke to anyone outside it (and many regular followers, too).

Regarding the rivalry, quote, etc, it seemed pretty clear to me that Rupp teed up for an uncontested run at the AR, which for the sake of discussion he had maybe a 90% chance at if he's fit. Solinsky, also fit by all accounts, stepped up to race and, yes, protect his record. Everything sounds good, right? A lot like, um, sports? But Rupp, seeing his chance at the AR go from a clear shot paced by world elites to a battle with Solinksy (a battle he's lost before), bailed. I'm sorry, but the allergies story doesn't add up to a whole explanation.

HOW COULD SOLINSKY NOT BE PISSED? He stepped to the challenge, planning to run a RACE he hadn't otherwise intended, a race which would have been good for US running and likely the AR, and Rupp pulled out SOMEWHERE BETWEEN CHECK IN AND THE STARTING LINE? WTF?

There was no al sal gamesmanship. The forecast was for rain all week when they announced Rupp could run. They clearly spelled out the plan was conditional and then the conditions changed on the last day. How could "tricking" Solinsky into running have possibly helped them anyway? It's a moronic accusation.

Also how does Solinsky running in the USA 10k help himself? He stated he cant race the WC10k in the Daegu heat. If he races for the win Rupp will take him to the well hurting his 5k chances. If he games around for 2nd or 3rd that destroys his race to win persona he wants to build.

Drama sells! Just take a look at the popularity of reality TV shows. The sport of running could use a little drama to gain attention but this is not the kind of drama I would like to see. I don't really think there is anything much behind this rivalry that is personal between Galen and Chris. They both are great runners and one has the 10K record and the other wants it. This can only be good for the fans. I would hate to see a legitimate rivalry be downgraded to petty tricks and ploys. I think Chris's statement was made out of frustration after dropping out of the race.

But it would be funny if they are conspiring with each other behind the scenes to create some fake drama (exactly like reality TV).

people keep saying this, yet nobody can offer a LOGICAL explanation as to WHYDID HE HAVE HIS SPIKES AND WARM UP????? sorry kids, doesn't add up and there's no logical way to explain it away outside of gamesmanship

10k wrote:

There was no al sal gamesmanship

You are so full of sh*t. I really wish I could speak to you in person with a beer and set you straight.

I can tell you for a FACT, as a person who knows Alberto, and has met and spoken with Galen plenty... THAT none of what you suggest is true.

Alberto made the best decision for his athlete, PERIOD.

Alberto doesn't work the way you think and project he does. Galen is not the person you project that he is. (He's actually a happy, good-natured, down to earth guy, who truly enjoys running and is fearless about it.)

Alberto made the best decision for his athlete, and his athlete took his coaches advice...and that is ALL that happened.

But, that doesn't excite your voyeuristic desires to inject negativity and controversy where there is none.

Any intelligent person, who is trained in reading voice tonality, vocabulary, and reading facial expressions and micro-expressions...

Will tell you this: Solinksy was very frustrated with himself...and he used minor, tangential blame shifting to express that. Emotional immaturity, paranoia, stupidity...are as good an explanation as yours. AND it was minor and truly tangential...compared to the amount of frustration he had with himself.

There is no insinuation of anything "sinister" in his voice, vocabulary or face at all.

80% of the time human perception is projection. And in this case your low brow and desperate drama queen desires to make controversy here for the sake of self promotion of your website...is the only thing any where near sinister...

Grow the F up.[/quote]

I Agree with all of this. Well done.

10k wrote:

There was no al sal gamesmanship

knower of these things. wrote:

people keep saying this, yet nobody can offer a LOGICAL explanation as to WHYDID HE HAVE HIS SPIKES AND WARM UP????? sorry kids, doesn't add up and there's no logical way to explain it away outside of gamesmanship

EXACTLY.

STILL, none of the "no gamesmanship" crowd can answer this. Race-day scratch? Fine, the pollen exploded. Starting line scratch? Sketchy. Unless someone wants to step-up with an explanation...

DNS after a warm up makes a lot of sense to me. You don't know how you're going to feel until you've warmed up. That's a good time to find out how well you're handling the air.

I Agree with all of this. Well done.[/quote]

Pretty sad when you have to post under another nickname to support yourself. A little to obvious, next time maybe mildly disagree with one of the comments.