International Athletes (Re: Tucker thread)

Go cry a river.

Get over it, you're just making excuses.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T READ THIS IN THE FIRST POST

You guys missed out on one hell of a party. We had Americans vs. Foreigners in "Tippy-Cup" (also known as "Taps"). It was a pretty close race, but the USA pulled off the victory in the end thanks to Lennon Wicks being really, really, really bad at flipping over his cup.

Being one of the Americans on the team, my response to this post will have 2 sections:

1. I asked Joe about the same issue you guys are talking about, and it turns out that we only get 6 scholarships while other schools get 12. So, we can get grad students for less than one scholarship because their tuition is lower. This way, we can save a lot of money in a really low budget program. You'll note that we don't have fancy warmups and what we do have we generally pay for. As much as that sucks, Joe makes up for our lack of gear in other ways- like recruiting guys to help us get 19th in the nation (without our second man!!!).

2. I'm not sure how many guys out there actually have a lot of foreigners on your team, but it is one hell of an experience. I learn a ton every day and I have actually realized that the world is bigger than just the United States. It's also cool because if I ever want to go to Australia or England for vacation I can just stay at one of my bro's houses. Don't think it's all that bad. And furthermore, I've also realized in running with these guys all the time that it is possible to kick their asses. You just gotta believe. Hell, JY did it a few years ago and now he's running for Hanson's.

You know I'm all about the USA, but dammit I guess deep down I have a little love for the commonwealth thanks to guys like Fraser and Tucker. BTW, for all of you that don't know- Fraser EARNED the RHODES SCHOLARSHIP last year. Pretty damn impressive for a kid that shouldn't have gotten past the compliance office.

OH YEAH, and we also allow walk-ons unlike many other Universities. And those guys really kick ass too...

You really think that the NCAA would be better without international athletes? Every race would be like the NCAA 10k at Duke a few years ago. Sit and kick. Yes, Torres did most of the leading at ISU, but he would have just cruised if it were not for Cragg, Boaz and Kimani.

International athletes make US athletes better, plain and simple. Running against these athletes in the NCAA will make US runners better when they have to face them in a major race outside the US. US distance running is improving, mainly to the fact that the runners are getting faster in college. Why are the college runners faster? International athletes are the reason. Also, international athletes are not taking away any money from US runners. If the US athletes were good enough for a scholarship, then they will get one.

Brian Dunn wrote:OH YEAH, and we also allow walk-ons unlike many other Universities. And those guys really kick ass too...

Shouldn't that say "those guys really SUCK ass too..."? I mean c'mon, I've seen Butler run, and the team drops like rocks after the top 7 or 8 guys. With the exception of this William Peterman fella, who may even be on scholarship - I don't know, the walk-ons suck and they never seem to improve. They always bring up the rear. Come to think of it, I kind of feel sorry for them, they shouldn't even be in a D-I program.

I hate Butler,

Robby

to realist:

I think you need a dose of reality. So if we didn't give a large chunk of scholarship money to foreigers, who then take spots in the NCAA's, the American kids would have a chance to get to the NCAA's several times. Any athlete will tell you the more they get a chance to race at the higher levels, the better they become. But if they don't ever get the chance how does that help American distance running. To say that having foreigners taking up spots is somehow helping - BS. And if you think that having foreigers take up spots helps seel the sport - BS. Go ask Joe or Jane Lunchbox who would love to see american kids slugging it out. Yea, we had lost of people just getting excited for Boaz, or Kip, or David. Sorry to burst your bubble.

To Coach:

Yes, it is true that one cannot develop unless they compete against the highest level of competition. This high level of competition comes from competing against foreigners. I don't know about you, but it was sick watching the 10k at Duke a few years ago. Some of America's best young distance hopefuls were in that race and it was pitiful. People love to see fast times, look at Mt. Sac. Lagat and Kimani duking it out for the 5k had the place going nuts (at least distance runners anyway).

The people that are supposedly being kept out of competing at the higher levels can compete. It may not be the school of their choice, but they can compete at other schools and do well.

I was a walk on a school with foreigners and competed at nationals in both XC and track. You do not have to be a scholarship athlete to do well in college.

No matter what happens in our sport Joe or Jane Lunchbox will only care about track every 4 years or someone breaks a world record. Bowling is on ESPN, but the track World Championships are not! I do not like it, but thats the way it is.

Foreign athletes help develop NCAA athletes, plain and simple. I would rather watch an American lose to a foreign runner in a great and fast race than watch Americans sit and kick to win a national title. This would have been the case if Torres had lost to Cragg. Both ran a great race. Torres would not have run that fast, unless the foreigners would have been there. Torres would have won in a fast time, but he would have cruised it in after about 8k. The fans would rather see Torres gut out a win like he did. The race at Indiana State will help Torres develop into the World Class runner that he will become.