Salazar coached doper Slaney??? and my how things have changed for US track

sanchobaile wrote:

I'm a youngin, as are so many others on here, so I got a bit of a history lesson tonight watching ESPN's documentary on Mary Decker Slaney. I knew she had eventually tested positive, but wasn't overly surprised when the show didn't mention that. So afterward, I read up on her and realized it wasn't until 96 that she tested positive.

However, I WAS surprised to learn that Alberto Salazar was coaching her at that time, as she was trying to come back at age 37 and run in Atlanta. I had no idea all the jokes about the Oregon Project and doping had any basis in fact. I don't know why the Brojos and others don't play up this fact more, when they give people like Mark Block such a hard time. Is there some reason for that?

As an aside, I thought it was amazing what a darling Decker was to the national media, getting A-list interviews and mentions on the nightly news. Can you imagine Shannon Rowbury or Jenny Simpson on the Today show after winning their worlds medals?? The documentary showed me the two things that ruined track for the US -- east African dominance and doping. Americans like to watch winners, and they don't like to watch cheaters!

Anyway, just throwing out the perspective of a youngin and would love old timers to chime in with more of a history lesson.

not to change the subject... wrote:

sanchobaile wrote:

I'm a youngin, as are so many others on here, so I got a bit of a history lesson tonight watching ESPN's documentary on Mary Decker Slaney. I knew she had eventually tested positive, but wasn't overly surprised when the show didn't mention that. So afterward, I read up on her and realized it wasn't until 96 that she tested positive.

However, I WAS surprised to learn that Alberto Salazar was coaching her at that time, as she was trying to come back at age 37 and run in Atlanta. I had no idea all the jokes about the Oregon Project and doping had any basis in fact. I don't know why the Brojos and others don't play up this fact more, when they give people like Mark Block such a hard time. Is there some reason for that?

As an aside, I thought it was amazing what a darling Decker was to the national media, getting A-list interviews and mentions on the nightly news. Can you imagine Shannon Rowbury or Jenny Simpson on the Today show after winning their worlds medals?? The documentary showed me the two things that ruined track for the US -- east African dominance and doping. Americans like to watch winners, and they don't like to watch cheaters!

Anyway, just throwing out the perspective of a youngin and would love old timers to chime in with more of a history lesson.

In regards to your 'aside' (3rd para), track in the US was ruined by neither of the things you mentioned... what ruined track was the fact that TV started broadcasting more and more football, basketball, and baseball - highlighting players and making them big stars....drawing the audience towards those sports. In addition, ESPN showed up and created the X games and made skaters, bmxers, & snowboarders stars... Ad dollars drove more and more content in the direction of those sports and track meets - which don't have non-stop action- drew less attention and little money. The better athletes here in the US started to focus more on the sports where the dollars and attention went. (Please note, I'm not saying all of the better athletes have gone elsewhere just most of them.). That's what happened to T&F.