This is one of the most difficult to comprehend threads that I've seen in a long time on LRC. Lots of misdirected bashing of a running journalist for a disappointing performance by America's best marathoner (leaving Rupp’s potential out of the conversation).
It was a disappointing performance by Hall. Why? Maybe it was Hall’s pedigree, maybe it was all the pre-race hype generated by Mr. Hall himself - American record attempt, great lead up with his training, zeroing in on his self coaching process, etc., etc.
The media and fans gleefully picked up on the prerace hysteria and hoped to witness something big. It wasn't big, rather, sort of flat to negative. Good effort by Ryan but, far, far short of expectations. Kudos to Ryan for showing up and generating buzz for the race and his sponsors. It doesn’t take a lot of intellectual capacity to see the flip side of the equation with Mosop’s prerace press; not record ready but shooting for the win. That actually happened so no let down there.
Fans, I consider myself one, had to be disappointed and fanyboys, I am not one, are now on the offensive by trying to place the blame for unmet expectations on one of the few running journalist out there by assuming there is an underlying agenda to attack US marathoners. Fair enough, as I can see where their conflicted interest lie but ultimately the blame for less than expected results lies only with Ryan. This is the way the game is played. Does this mean Ryan is not worthy of best American marathoner? No. Does it mean Ryan doesn’t have the gravitas to win it someday? Maybe, maybe not. All of it is open for conjecture as Ryan’s performance does not lend itself to an easy answer either way. That’s the story. How it plays out in the press is simply how it plays out.