So wejo, what do you have to say about the rupp interview?

Tghpdx wrote:

I can understand Rupp not wanting to talk with you; it's a bit I a stretch to call yourselfs journalist and behave like that. if Nike Oregon The Yankees then is Rupp, Ruth and Solenski, Mantel? Who's Joe D?

Part 2 where is the proff Rupp is making hundreds of thousands of dollars? I've never seen it stated; curious

WTF are you talking about?

The interview isn't a big story and I doubt any posters have left the site because of it. But for those of us who write or work in media of some kind, the interview is yet another reminder of how poorly the site owners interact with and interview runners. Wejo said he wanted to get Rupp's reaction to his 5k record being broken, but it came out as a statement and therefore he got no response. I'll be the first to admit Rupp makes for a poor interview most days -- he's kinda awkward and lacks charisma. But Wejo has simply no idea how to interview people and extract any story or real info from them. Sometimes it looks like a lack of tact, and others it's as if a kid got a microphone and camera for Christmas. Take some journalism classes for the benefit of your site. Most of us here are adults and like to be treated as such.

Wejo, can you articulate why you felt it important or interesting to get Rupp's thoughts on Lagat's record?

I guess it wasn't the content of the question, or even the general form, that offends people--it was that the form was not well-matched to the interviewee, Rupp, and that the attempt to get information on Rupp's views of Lagat's 5,000 was therefore a failure, so that really nothing positive was gained during the interview, whereas there were negative results--Rupp's reticence, and likely future avoidance of a letsrun interview.

The only information we got was on Rupp's personal style of interaction in that particular situation, which is of course of very limited utility to anyone other than an interviewer--thus, though it may have been a useful experience for yourself personally, for the rest of us it was a disappointing void.

I really would have liked to have heard his thoughts on the subject. Too bad, I hope you get better, because there are few things as valuable as a good interviewer.

The main thing that I got out of that interview is that Rupp will not divulge his racing schedule.

I don't know why that has to be such a secret.

Hard to promote the sport when you don't know when and where the top athletes will be racing.

He can't even say if he will run at USATF.

It was kind of interesting that two athletes broke each other's records on the same day.

But it would have been more interesting to me if they actually raced each other.

I don't think athletes at this level sit around worrying about who's going to "get" their record. It's nice to break a record, but nobody at that level is delusional enough to think they're records will stand for very long. So when Weldon told Rupp that Lagat "got" his record (without asking a question), Rupp was left to wonder what the hell his point was. After a second, Rupp decided the statement was intended to be inflammatory so he responded politely and left. As an interviewer, I would probably keep the interview about the athlete himself and the amazing feat he just accomplished, but that's just me.

delusional enough to think THEIR records will stand for very long. (for the grammar police)

I don't see what the big deal is, wejo and rupp are both two very different personality wise and socially. It was just a small social mishap - Wejo didn't mean anything bad and Rupp tried to handle it the best he could.

LETSRUN IS THE SAME AS THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER

Many elite runners and coaches will look in to see what is being said, but NO ONE heads to this site for honest information.

Weldon and Robert like to claim that they are jounalists with these hard hitting questions. Nothing could be further from the truth. They claim that "it is not their jobs to be friends with the athletes". And that somehow makes them greater journalists. Wrong again.

Elite athletes and coaches and race directors and elite athlete coordinators, all see the BLOJO's as idiots. Think of it like Stuttering John from Howard Stern conducting interviews. It is entertaining because it is embarrassing.

These guys have found a way to piss off Gags, Hansons, Shumacher, Salazar and pretty much every respected coach in the industry. These guys are forced to piggy back an interview off of someone else because almost everyone would walk away from them when they see them coming.

I will continue to visit this website and I will also read the Enquirer while standing in the checkout line at the Publix. I find them both entertaining and anything but journalism.

I've asked one of the Brojos (I forget which one) before why they seem to think "not being friends with the athletes" and being good interviewers are mutually exclusive.

Wejo's comment about journalists not asking about when "athletes fail" struck me as interesting. I always thought it was short-sighted and disingenuous to look at a race as one person "succeeding" and everyone else as "failing."

I find it surprising the Brojos take such a simplistic view of running, given their own careers. Wejo didn't PR every time he raced. He had some excellent races, some ok races, and some real stinkers- like most every runner. Likewise, Rojo is a college coach, and I don't know a college athlete that doesn't at least occasionally have a bad race, even if you do see athletes go on a hot streak.

This is why I don't get it when they do something like point out multiple times to Manzano that he was last in a race. Yes, he knows that. Obviously the plan was not to go out and get last. No one expects you guys to go and tell him "oh, its ok, Leo." On the other hand, repeatedly pointing out he was last serves what purpose? Asking how an athlete feels about his/her effort/place/fitness is relevant. Asking something like "were you surprised to run so fast, given that you were in last place?" is a loaded question disguised as relevancy.

Likewise, with Rupp, why wouldn't you just say "Hey, Galen, when you're done with this guy, can you come talk to us for 5min?" Then you're not shoving a camera in his face and awkwardly asking questions.

I don't expect you guys to be friends with everybody- but at the same, shoving a camera in someone's face and not having any questions prepared strikes me as unprofessional, not "hard hitting."

I like the forum here, but frankly, I don't think you're very good at the journalism side of things. The childish strikeout font "jokes," the petty snipes on college kids, the editorial captions. . . none of these things are the hallmarks of professionals.

Enquiring Minds wrote:

LETSRUN IS THE SAME AS THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER

Many elite runners and coaches will look in to see what is being said, but NO ONE heads to this site for honest information.

No truer words have ever been typed on this board.

I knew when watching Webb step off the track that Weldon would have it on the front page. What a complete dick. It is no wonder that letsrun is hated by the elites.

Stan Biller wrote:

I knew when watching Webb step off the track that Weldon would have it on the front page. What a complete dick. It is no wonder that letsrun is hated by the elites.

This is exactly what wejo should be doing, and Webb should be (grudgingly) grateful for it. Alan Webb is the AR holder in one of the two glamour events of track attempting a comeback. Every race he attempts should be news. That's why Nike is paying him -- because people are interested in seeing Webb even get his ass beat as he attempts to come back. No one other than hardcore track fans care about anyone else in the mile, although I think that if Centro Jr makes the team and medals in London, that could change given sufficient marketing competence by Nike.

If it weren't for the interview, the AR story would have been over within a few days. Publicity is a good thing. Otherwise, skinny white guy runs fast for a lot of laps all by himself in front of the same sized crowd in one men's restroom during the 7th inning of a MLB game.

This sounds about right. Good post.

I don't know about that but I thought it was pretty funny to see Rupp go from yeah whatever to hey you just went A to mouth with me without asking, what the f@ck.

Flak Jacket wrote:

If it weren't for the interview, the AR story would have been over within a few days. Publicity is a good thing. Otherwise, skinny white guy runs fast

Go back to your fatso forum.

The problem is not in the message. The problem is with the delivery. You almost get the idea that the brothers Johnson get some sort of perverse pleasure out of watching our heroes fail. It seems like these boys were bullied as children and now want to lash out. The funniest thing is when they try to defend their behavior or are suprised when a top level coach or athlete is not interested in talking with them.