Lay It on the Line: The Casey Combest Story

aasdfsdfsdf wrote:

So why don't you go make a documentary about Obea Moore? Nothing stopping you. The filmmakers picked someone they wanted to work with.

.

You mean besides the fact I am not a filmmaker and that, if I made such a video, the odds of it being shown on ESPN are poor?

Let me ask you this. What do you think the chances are ESPN would be showing a documentary on Combest if he were black? My guess is zero percent. How about you?

The New uncleB wrote:

I think the answer you are looking for is NONE. ZERO. There have been NO widely distributed documentaries about any of the several great black high school sprinters who did nothing after high school. Meanwhile, the ONE great white high school (indoor only!) sprinter has such a documentary. Clearly both Obea Moore and William Reed were far more accomplished high school performers than Combest was and neither has ever had -- or ever will have -- a documentary on them shown on ESPN.

The racism that permeates our society is just overwhelming

Uncle B. Here is a good idea. Make a documentary about Obea Moore and shop it around to ESPN and other networks instead of crying. That is what this woman did. Also, check out the filmmaker's website. All of her other documentaries are about black people.

I don't know the filmmaker's race, nor do I care, as I am not racist like you.

Mos Def wrote:

[Uncle B. Here is a good idea. Make a documentary about Obea Moore and shop it around to ESPN and other networks instead of crying. That is what this woman did. Also, check out the filmmaker's website. All of her other documentaries are about black people.

http://www.thehouseinc.tv/thehouse.html

I don't know the filmmaker's race, nor do I care, as I am not racist like you.

I guess you missed the part about me not being a filmmaker.

Let me see if I have this right. I suggest racism could be a factor in the airing of this documentary; the fact that Combest is white resulting in additional interest among white viewers. This makes me a racist.

You categorically deny racism has anything to do with it. This makes you not racist. Denying racism could possibly play a role makes you not racist.

You seem to have anm intelligence deficit disorder

The New UncleB wrote:

So you can conclude that racism plays no part in ESPN airing a documentary on Casey Combest and never airing a dcoumentary on one of a myriad of wonderful black high school sprinters. That I would suggest that racism might be a factor in this happening makes me suspect. But you, who definitively rules out racism as a factor, are beyond reproach.

And you have the blinding ignorance to question my mindset. This weird combination of ignorance and arrogance that persists into the 21st century is truly sad

Noticing race is not the same thing as racism. Just because Casey Combest turns heads doesn't mean the people whose heads turn are racist.

hate to say it, but... wrote:

The New UncleB wrote:

So you can conclude that racism plays no part in ESPN airing a documentary on Casey Combest and never airing a dcoumentary on one of a myriad of wonderful black high school sprinters. That I would suggest that racism might be a factor in this happening makes me suspect. But you, who definitively rules out racism as a factor, are beyond reproach.

And you have the blinding ignorance to question my mindset. This weird combination of ignorance and arrogance that persists into the 21st century is truly sad

Noticing race is not the same thing as racism. Just because Casey Combest turns heads doesn't mean the people whose heads turn are racist.

I disagree. Rooting for an athlete you don't know personally over other athletes you don't know personally solely because he is the same race you are is racist. It is surely not the most virulent form of racism, but it is racism. Identifying with strangers you perceive as being part of your tribe or group or whatever over other strangers who are not is racism. And virtually all of us do this. What I find silly (and perhaps dangerous) is the amount of denial that goes on about this. Look at all the posters on this thread denying Combest's color has anything to do with the interest in him that would lead to ESPN showing a document about him while failing to accord the same treatment to one former great black high school sprinter (and there have been many. Denial of our irrational reactions to things is bad news. We cannot help but react in an irrational manner to many things; we are wired this way. But surely we can look at our reactions and see them for what they are. I would hope

I'm confused with what's being said here.

White people taking interest in Combest, a white sprinter, is racist?

I think white people are interested in Combest, a white sprinter, because white people usually suck at sprinting. Yet here is Combest who is randomly awesome at sprinting. That's pretty interesting.

I don't doubt that Combest's race contributes to his mystique and is one of the reasons why many people are interested in his career. But if someone has an interesting story, it's worth telling regardless of his race. Whether the Casey Combest story actually is worth telling is another question altogether; personally I would rather see a documentary about a success than a failure.

Dude, you have no clue. There's plenty of documentary-style shows on TV that are primarily about black people.

Cops

First 48

Jail

Lockup

Lockup Extended Stay

Policewomen of Broward County

Gangland

Beyond Scared Straight

The New UncleB wrote:So you can conclude that racism plays no part in ESPN airing a documentary on Casey Combest and never airing a dcoumentary on one of a myriad of wonderful black high school sprinters. That I would suggest that racism might be a factor in this happening makes me suspect. But you, who definitively rules out racism as a factor, are beyond reproach.

And you have the blinding ignorance to question my mindset. This weird combination of ignorance and arrogance that persists into the 21st century is truly sad

You are an idiot. If anything it's racist against white people. Making a big deal about a white sprinter is bringing attention to the theory that whites are inferior athletically.

And since when does the world revolve around track and field? Have you never seen a documentary about a black athlete? There are way more than there are about white ones. You are choosing a ridiculous niche area like "1 year super star high school sprinter" as your argument for racism. How about basketball, football? Never seen something on espn about a black athlete? It's only when you choose to focus on some obscure documentary that it's racism? You are a complete fool, and are one of the people holding this planet down from evolving past things like racism.

Since you and so many on this thread are so passionate about "evolving past racism" why don't you go over to threads like "roving gangs of black youth" and speak out against the blatant racism there? Oh, that's right, because you're not actually concerned with ending racism - just with denying that it exists. You'll argue passionately in this thread that noticing racism makes Uncle B a racist yet turn a complete blind eye to the many sickening posts on this board that literally are drawn from white supremacist web sites.

Me too, though I don't think you or I are in a position to make the call on whether Casey Combest or anybody else a success or a failure. Casey and I are the same age. We both used to run competitively. He was faster than I was, but I don't care and I suspect he doesn't either. He did some dumb things a little over a decade ago. So did I. Casey got past that. So did I. Now where are we? Casey is doing his best to be a good husband and father to his 3 kids. And here I am, single, lonely, and posting on Letsrun on a Saturday night...about Casey, no less. Not sure about the first 2, but there is evidence that you also are here posting on Letsrun on a Saturday night. I'd hope successes would have something better to do...but...guess not. Anyway, I don't feel like I have any business calling Casey a failure.

hate to say it, but... wrote:

Whether the Casey Combest story actually is worth telling is another question altogether; personally I would rather see a documentary about a success than a failure.

norman mailer wrote:

Since you and so many on this thread are so passionate about "evolving past racism" why don't you go over to threads like "roving gangs of black youth" and speak out against the blatant racism there? Oh, that's right, because you're not actually concerned with ending racism - just with denying that it exists. You'll argue passionately in this thread that noticing racism makes Uncle B a racist yet turn a complete blind eye to the many sickening posts on this board that literally are drawn from white supremacist web sites.

I did not deny it exists. I know it exists. UncleB being a prime example. You say i deny it exists, but also that i say UncleB is one. Are you really arguing with yourself in the same sentence?

I know there are other threads that are messed up. Nothing i post on any of those will change those people. There's a difference between debating whether the choice to do a documentary is racist, and arguing with people who are blatently being racist just to piss people off on other threads. Those people aren't worth anyone's time, and should be banned from posting if that were possible. I'm not defending those people.

Also nothing about "roving gangs of black youth" draws me in to read the thread on a running site. Combest does. I don't come on here to get mixed up in the many stupid threads not about running.

[quote]El Directorio Debut wrote:

I'm confused with what's being said here.

White people taking interest in Combest, a white sprinter, is racist?

Exactly. Rooting for one stranger over other strangers due solely to skin color is racist. How is it not?

The New UncleB wrote:

Exactly. Rooting for one stranger over other strangers due solely to skin color is racist. How is it not?

How many years did people go wanting to be recognized for being equals to whites? White sprinters are not considered equals, and when one is put in the spotlight it's racism? This seems a bit messed up to suggest.

The Williams sisters, Tiger Woods...they deserved attention but clearly got more attention because they were unique at the time in their sports dominated by whites. Were you claiming racism then? Or is it only when it suits you?

I'm arguing (and probably wasting my time trying to engage you intelligently) with your newspeak-type redefinition of racism to mean what it doesn't mean.

People noticing that race exists and that it has an effect on the way our society functions is not racism. Noticing that a documentary on a white sprinter uses racist tropes and reflecting on the reasons for that is not racism. You are falsely defining racism as "anyone who notices race is a racist." You seem to believe that the solution to racism is ignoring race exists - those who believe race has an ongoing effect on society and seek to confront, change and discuss it are "racist" while you are "colourblind" and therefore the problem doesn't exist if you refuse to notice it. This is flawed reasoning and is based on ignorance.

As a matter of fact I also disagree that white people identifying with other white people is racism - it is only racism if it reflects systematic and institutionalized notions of racial inequality. However, when white people still occupy a disproportionate number of positions of power in society - due to the systematic exclusion of people of other races - that personal preference is no longer a case of an individual identifying with another's story, but becomes institutionalized across the media. Combest's story is being treated as noteworthy because of race - and is based on assumptions of white exceptionalism where none exists.

White people are not a marginalized population. White people have every opportunity to participate in sports (and generally more economic capital to do so) - there are no rules banning white people from participating in sprinting at the highest levels like there were preventing Black people from playing major league baseball. White runners are not pulled from races so inferior black runners can replace them because white people cannot be on the field of play for victory as regularly happened in basketball. White people are not systematically prevented from being team captain and there are no rules limiting the amount of white athletes allowed on teams as was historically the case for Black athletes. White people have not suffered centuries of historical exclusion that rhas prevented them from receiving equal opportunity or chances in any aspect of society. It is impossible to argue that the lack of white sprinters is due to any societal, institutional, economic or political exclusion that has made it impossible for white people to compete at an equal level. In fact, from that article it seems like despite the lack of any historic injustice, white sprinters are given more than the usual opportunity to succeed - and unlike programs intended to redress historical exclusion for marginalized groups, there is absolutely no historical imperative for white people to receive advantages. It is impossible to argue that racism is responsible for the fact that white people have not been successful in sprinting or that this is equivalent to the active exclusion of black athletes. Black people were banned from tennis clubs and golf courses - no white people were banned from the track. That is the difference between racism - institutionalized and systematic discrimination - and other forms of prejudice or ignorance.

PS. it is insulting and disgusting for anyone in this thread to compare what Jesse Owens or Smith and Carlos went through and overcame to someone who quit track to sell drugs. Arguing that Combest's story has anything to do with racism or some kind of racial inequality is an insult. There is nothing in common with sprinters who overcame real society-wide dehumanization with what Combest has done with his life. To try to claim his story has anything to do with racial exclusion - and not his own poor choices and idiocy - is an insult to those who fought for civil rights.

45.14 managed by Obea at 16 will be broken in about 50/60 years or so.

That mark is out of this world.

Also

10.8

20.77

45.14

1:49.17

4:22 for a mile!!

Um........ wrote:

The New UncleB wrote:

Exactly. Rooting for one stranger over other strangers due solely to skin color is racist. How is it not?

How many years did people go wanting to be recognized for being equals to whites? White sprinters are not considered equals, and when one is put in the spotlight it's racism? This seems a bit messed up to suggest.

The Williams sisters, Tiger Woods...they deserved attention but clearly got more attention because they were unique at the time in their sports dominated by whites. Were you claiming racism then? Or is it only when it suits you?

WTF? Sprinters are judged solely on how fast they run. White or black.

How is it not racism if one athlete gets attention over superior athletes based in the color of his skin?

R U really trying to compare Casey Combest, a sprinter who made no noise outside on indoor high school competitions, with Tiger Woods, probably the greatest golfer ever? With the Williams sisters, who dominated pro tennis for years? Really?

The New UncleB wrote:How is it not racism if one athlete gets attention over superior athletes based in the color of his skin?

Combest was the best ever in the 60m for a HS sprinter. That's a fact. It doesn't matter if he never did anything after...that's kind of the point of the story. It also doesn't matter that you care that he wasn't a 100 meter star. Combest was the superior 60m hs sprinter in America over anyone regardless of race, so give it a rest.