the real rcs wrote:
Seyta wrote:As it stands now, Nike is the reason Lagat, Solinsky, Tegenkamp, Rupp, Bumbalough, Cain, Flanagan, Hill, Jager, Centro, Hasay, Ritz, Lomong, Heath, Leer, Rowbury, and until recently, Webb can even make a living as runners. Minus a few big names like Symmonds, Solomon, Simpson, Martinez, etc. that's almost every active US distance runner who has successfully DONE anything in recent years.
Actually, your non-Nike list is a lot better than your Nike list...and you don't even have the best active American distance runner in it.
I beg to differ actually.
Among the Non-Nike list,
Simpson has a World Gold and World Silver and the Steeple US Record
Martinez has a World Bronze
Symmonds has a World Silver
Solomon has nothing on the world stage or any US records
Among the Nike list,
Flanagan has an Olympic Bronze along with a World XC bronze, along with the 10000m US Record
Centro has a World Bronze and World Silver
Webb has the American Mile Record
Rupp has an Olympic Silver and the US 10000m Record
Jager has the US Steeple Record
Bernard Lagat has:
-Olympic Silver and Olympic Bronze (under Kenya)
**I do not know whether or not he was sponsored by Nike at this time. However, I do know that he was sponsored by Nike as of 2006. Since then, he has had:
-World 1500m Gold
-World 5000m Gold
-World 1500m Bronze
-World 5000m Silver x 2
-US 3000m Record
-US 5000m Record
-US 1500m Record
By HIMSELF, he could carry all the Nike athletes over the Non-Nike athletes mentioned.
I'll assume that by "best active American distance runner", you mean Meb
I did not include him because I did not have the Marathon in mind, as USATF is USA Track and Field, which is what this issue is around. Additionally, so long as 5000m is considered "distance" he is not superior to Lagat.
Meb has an Olympic Silver and a victory at NYC and Boston. The problem is that his Olympic Silver and NYC victory were while he ran under Nike. Only his Boston victory was with Sketchers. So really, for the better part of his career accomplishments, he was a Nike athlete.