Steve Pre was as motivated a go getter as was ever born. I'm certain he'd be sitting on a pile of cash and using it to help as many people as possible. I'm guessing he would have stayed with Nike as long as Bill Bowerman was alive and then probably would have told Phil to buzz off. He wasn't one to dwell on anything for too long. I think he would have done his best in running and let the chips fall where they would.
Just don't understand the love and respect for a drunk driver that finished 4th at the Olympics.
Burbot wrote:
Just don't understand the love and respect for a drunk driver that finished 4th at the Olympics.
4th at the Olympics is pretty good, bro.
If all you see is a drunk driver who crashed his car, then you wouldn't understand. You just had to be there kid.
People seem to love this guy because he ran balls to the wall. He thought it was chicken shit not to run out front. Run with your head not always just your heart. He could have learned alot from watching Dave Whottle and his wonderful 72 800m race.
bitter pill wrote:
If Pre were alive he would be a very bitter man..... He would be bitter at the 1980 boycott, even though he would not have made the team.
If Pre had been alive in 1980 - I doubt the boycott would've happened - or actually, that he would've "crossed the line" and found a way to go. And he would've made the team.
bitter pill wrote:
He would probably have gotten screwed by Phil Knight and Nike, at least he would not have an ownership stake in Nike and thus the big dollars would have eluded him in that regard.
Doubtful. He knew marketing pretty well - and would've been paid handsomely by Nike (probably via stock at first) for him to be one of their frontmen - in terms of face to the consumer.
bitter pill wrote:
By the time track really opened up professionally after the 1980 Olympic Games he would have been done as a competitive runner.
You do realize that he was instrumental in getting the sport to move toward professionalism - right? He would probably be a leader in a track organization that hasn't been "turned over" three times (AAU, TAC, USATF).
bitter pill wrote:
He probably would have ended up coaching track and cross country at some D III in the middle of nowhere where he treated his far less naturally gifted athletes with some with his trademark arrogance.
You obviously didn't know him or some of his work with children and men in the Oregon state prison system. Again, I imagine he'd be a leader within our current track and field "system" - and probably would've been more of a mentor than a coach....
bitter pill wrote:
And, he would have continued drinking, probably drinking and driving. Eventually one of those terrible mug shot photos would be printed in the paper after arrested for DUI.
You're obviously bitter - truth in advertising I guess - but why the vitriol against someone you clearly never knew, who was a pretty well accomplished runner, and went out of his way to help others? What's your point?
Thank you for dismantling this fool point by point, and for saving me the effort.
The real question is would he have used his mothers German citizenship to get around the boycott?
Burbot wrote:
People seem to love this guy because he ran balls to the wall. He thought it was chicken shit not to run out front. Run with your head not always just your heart. He could have learned alot from watching Dave Whottle and his wonderful 72 800m race.
Who is Dave Whottle?
Keep dreaming........maybe medal in 76, he couldnt outkick Viren ( Viren was on drugs remember??)...and...??? nothing more.
One, he is saying if Pre were from this era not actualy alive today. And Pre was not over trained as you say, Bill Bowerman had a good control over his training regimen. Pre was actually over raced because he was a big fundraiser, recruiter and front page for Oregon and their track program. If he were blood doping like all other Europeans and had a government sponsored job, he would have slammed them into the damn ground and back flipped pastthe finish in WR time. Going to Europe and race every third day for 4-5 weeks is freaking crazy for a runner. A runner that was on food stamps and changed what Track & Field is in this world today.
bitter pill wrote:
If Pre were alive he would be a very bitter man. He probably would have lost yet again to Viren in 1976. He probably then would have tried to train through the likely physical problems created by his massive over training (in terms of quality not volume) when he was young for years. His back (sciatic nerve problems) which were evident in the latter years of his life would probably make it difficult for sustained high level training. He would be bitter at the 1980 boycott, even though he would not have made the team. He would probably have gotten screwed by Phil Knight and Nike, at least he would not have an ownership stake in Nike and thus the big dollars would have eluded him in that regard. By the time track really opened up professionally after the 1980 Olympic Games he would have been done as a competitive runner. He probably would have ended up coaching track and cross country at some D III in the middle of nowhere where he treated his far less naturally gifted athletes with some with his trademark arrogance. And, he would have continued drinking, probably drinking and driving. Eventually one of those terrible mug shot photos would be printed in the paper after arrested for DUI.
Uh...you can't just yank someone out of a drivers seat in most cases. It doesn't really work that way. Next time you see a friend drink a few and try to drive, see how successful you are removing them from the car.
(I tried this once myself and ended up nearly getting into a fistfight. Ultimately I called the police because it was the right thing to do for one of the passengers.)
If Pre were alive today he'd be really p!ssed that nobody had lifted that car off of him in all these years.
GUH wrote:
Daniel Komen ran a 3:29/3:46 and he was outkicked a lot.
I'm guessing ole Dan could have held his own against Lasse Viren.
If Pre were alive today: for example, see: Matt Centrowitz Sr.
There is no doubt in my mind that Centro is doing EXACTLY what Pre would have been doing had he lived.
Thems commie words, son.
Who is Dave Whottle?
Burbot wrote:
Who is Dave Whottle?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LHid-nC45k
Whoooosh!
Pre would've gone down in the BALCO scandal.
starmiler wrote:
Thank you for dismantling this fool point by point, and for saving me the effort.
Yes, thanks. I just don't get the bitterness and hatred some of these young, obviously insecure, kids have towards Pre.
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