Timeline of Salazar's 2014 Meltdown

I will go out on a limb here, and this is a serious post...this meet was a turning point for NOP. Confidence will be lost, anger will fester, and this will impact negatively for a long, long time. Mark my words.

In Salazar's 2012 autobiography "14 Minutes," he writes of living with a singular focus during his peak competition years, resulting in a loss of other things in his life. He basically admits he was a big jerk to many people during that period, and realizes in retrospect that it was a bad way to live.

From a WSJ book review:

The former editor of Runner's World magazine called him "the fiercest, most combative runner I've ever met." But reporters also found him aloof and disdainful.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304450004577277863409704878

Salazar writes that later found balance in his life with marriage, children, and religious devotion.

But the OP may be on to something. Salazar seems to have reverted to his old personality this season.

You are welcome.

Dorkness On The Edge Of Town wrote:

I will go out on a limb here, and this is a serious post...this meet was a turning point for NOP. Confidence will be lost, anger will fester, and this will impact negatively for a long, long time. Mark my words.

Don't be so sure, not only is he focused and driven, he's all about correcting mistakes -- including his own.

My bet is apologies will come, both private and public and then it will be back to full focus on the team.

As for the past month or so...it's indoors in a non outdoors Olympic or WC's year.

Not that big a deal in the grand scheme of step by step focus on 2016.

sounds like Sala-Czar is a typical narcissist with megalomaniac tendencies. Basically your typical, every day douche bag.

A Duck wrote:

Don't be so sure, not only is he focused and driven, he's all about correcting mistakes -- including his own.

My bet is apologies will come, both private and public and then it will be back to full focus on the team.

As for the past month or so...it's indoors in a non outdoors Olympic or WC's year.

Not that big a deal in the grand scheme of step by step focus on 2016.

You see everything in terms of the ultimate consequence FOR ALBERTO, never in terms of what it does for the sport or for the athletes harmed.

It is a BAD THING when athletes feel that if they cross Salazar (not in reality, just from his "singularly focused" vantage point), they might get DQed, might get berated in public, might have to go through a public publicity storm? So they keep quiet and defer to the Little Big Man.

It doesn't matter if he apologizes. The damage is done. Everyone sees what lengths he is willing to go to advance his own athlete's interests (or better, the interests of his FAVORED athletes) at the expense of others.

That is bad for the sport. It is reprehensible. The damage is done whether he apologizes or not.

But, according to you, if Salazar cheats a cancer survivor and berates a Lost Boy of Sudan in front of children-- and sends a loud and clear message to ALL US athletes of "don't cross me!" -- then "it's not that big a deal" as long as he makes a public and private apology.

That's what you're implying.

Is A Duck in fact Mr Salazar? Or is that a dumb question?

Quick video recap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=qbIEepu8Z4w#t=82

(headphones advisory, there is cursing)

Sala Czar. I like it and will be using it regularly.

He should of been born in 1200's Europe where he could have been royalty and rule unquestioned with an iron fist.

Dorkness On The Edge Of Town wrote:

I will go out on a limb here, and this is a serious post...this meet was a turning point for NOP. Confidence will be lost, anger will fester, and this will impact negatively for a long, long time. Mark my words.

I agree - it's sort of a wizard of oz moment, when the curtain is pulled back and the wizard is exposed. His conduct is not in sync with US distance running and not appealing.

I wouldn't be surprised if he pulls back or has a health problem that keeps him from being so active.

Unresolved issues on the ending of his career could be playing a part. Add that to anger management problems and a history of depression and you have a cocktail for bad behavior.

Can you imagine if Federer's coach pulled something like this? You bet he would have something to say about it. Ask yourself if you even know who Federer's coach is. Not someone lurking around the edge of the court carrying a backpack, hoping to get noticed. That's another issue at play.

The WTA and ATP have banned coaches who go off the rails. The USATF could grow a pair and do the same, but no way will they reprimand a guy who works for a company responsible for almost 50% of their budget. Conflict of interest much?

Granted a pro tennis player and their coach have a more direct employer/employee relationship, but these athletes had a choice in joining NOP. No one forced them there. By making that choice, they designated Salazar as a rep for their interests.

The NOP athletes are adults, yet their relationship with Salazar appears to be parent/child like. This guy ran around yelling at people in public areas and got athletes DQ'd all on their behalf and they have little to nothing to say about it? NOP is apparently running under the Happy Valley, PA mindset.

Defender of What is Right wrote:

It is a BAD THING when athletes feel that if they cross Salazar (not in reality, just from his "singularly focused" vantage point), they might get DQed, might get berated in public, might have to go through a public publicity storm?

Would it be a bad thing if GG learned to pass cleanly?

Remember when Lance' house of cards crumbled in an instant? We might have just seen the tipping point for Salazar and NOP.

i would add Hasay's unhealthy appearance - that should be a black mark on any coach

Imagine how great it would be for the sport if Salazar was an approachable guy, sat down for TV interviews, had a sense of humor, wasn't so fixated on his own little Nike sphere.

Of course I'm dreaming.

Is this a medication issue? It sounds like it could be. Where is prozac when you need it.

How is this different from coach v. officials or coach v. coach in a normal weekend in team sports, especially football, but also basketball, baseball, soccer, and hockey? In football and basketball, it is a given that a coach will be a total maniacal a-hole on the sideline, especially to officials, in fact it's praised and focused on by cameras and announcers for every kid to think that's the way coaching works.

I don't think this will have any effect on Salazar's role or success as a coach.

he turn ya down for an autogra wrote:

Ya he should spend all his time being pals with everyone.......

good grief.

You just proved what Salazar's problem is. He's not good for the sport. Before last weekend, he was only a polarizing figure. We're well past that now, bud.

The problem isn't GG's passing, it's that the rules were unfairly followed resulting in her DQ. If she got a DQ on the first appeal, none of this would matter. We would complain that Salazar was a bully, but fair is fair, and then we would go home. But the issue remains that in this case fair was not fair. Don't try to deflect away from the real issue.

What the Heck wrote:

fufufufufufufuf wrote:

Hasay is exactly the same weight she was when she was in college. Please get testicular cancer and suffer horribly.

Uh huh. And all those pictures and videos of her are being photoshopped before we see them to make her look like a holocaust victim, right?

flip through these pictures and tell me she is the same weight now.She has always been thin, but not like this.