Today's Wall St.Journal: "U.S.'s Next Great Runner: A Kenyan"

The article is out in today's paper (Thursday). Here is a photo of the headline which is different in print: "U.S.'s Next Great Runner: A Kenyan"

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_5pLzjWEAA3gPw.jpg:large

eojo wrote:

MAROON!! wrote:

Not to mention, he was from an area with good birth records and from an orphanage with good documentation as well.

Admit it, you're just a racist.

Orphanage? Cheserek is not an orphan. Isn't that clear by now? That somehow got our there as a result of some bad reporting but wasn't true.

Sometimes "orphanages" in Kenya (and Ethiopia as well) serve more than just orphans. Sometimes they are named orphanages but serve basically as a boarding house for kids to go to school away from their parents.

I don't know the origin of this usage, whether they have kept the name orphanage for fundraising purposes or whether that is how they were originally established and this is a result of mission creep, etc.

I don't know the specifics of Cheserek's story but not everybody served in an orphanage is an orphan.

I am sickened by the thought America actually thinks this guy is american. For gods sakes, listen or read every salazar interview. He constantly reminds us that the East Africans are who they are trying to topple. Taking in cheserek would totally contradict his training philosophy. Literally pre is rolling in his grave. Jim Ryun has a bitter taste in his mouth. Marty Liquori has been blinded. Every great "American" runner is either gasping, gagging, choking or suffering. If we include cheserek on our roster we are just as good as Great Britain and their "plastic Briton". Quit rooting for the easiest solution, and let's root for the American who is whooping these Kenyans asses. Instead everyone is so anti-rupp.

I'm not racist, racism stems from the idea that I hate the person. I don't. I don't agree with the system or ideology of taking a foreigner and giving them the rights to take an all american kid who grew up and was raised here in the old red white and blue to represent us. Letsrun posters are fanboys who sit in their mothers basement who literally "ooze" at the thought of a Kenyan American. Another thing, I watched cheserek run at pre nationals, and raced him at nats in cross. He is NOT a freshman. Anyone who assumes he is of that age needs to get their vision checked. The guy is a grown man. In fact, he looks older than lagat. No joke, he has crows feet already on his eyes and his teeth look like old man teeth. Again, I'm not hating on this guy, just saying that this whole idea of "yay he's switching sides!" is like the Americans gaining a soviet runner during the height of the Cold War. Or a Vietnamese gymnast during the Vietnam war. If running, Kenyans are the enemy. We need to get serious, and learn how to man up, race them and compete.

Bonnie Rotten wrote:

For gods sakes, listen or read every salazar interview. He constantly reminds us that the East Africans are who they are trying to topple.

If we include cheserek on our roster we are just as good as Great Britain and their "plastic Briton".

Haha, just had to cut out the fluff to point out how funny your contradictory post is.

Why couldn't they just do an article about Cheserek? Why did they have to bring in all this Kenyan and America's next great runner stuff. Seems stupid.

I don't feel it is a race thing, he's just not American. Meb is American, he was raised here. Carl Lewis is American. But Ches is no more American than Lagat. A great runner, but Kenyan

rojo wrote:

Several thoughts.

1. The article does a good job of pointing out how USATF doesn't actively recruit foreigners like say US soccer.

2. Importing foreigners bothers a lot of running fans but the US does it in every endeavor (google founders for example).

3. Is Cheserek really the "the worlds (sic) next great distance runner?"

Yes, he's good. Do I think he could eventually medal? Yes. A Lagat type. But the way that was worded caught me a little off guard. I think of "The world's next great distance runner" as a bekele, haile type. A born megastar.

4. If he becomes a US citizen, does that mean the "agers" ( that's a play on birther' - I'm talking about those who think Cheserek was overaged in HS) would find out how old he actually is or is it easy to hide your DOB even on a citizenship application?

Cheserek did not come to the U.S. with what we think of as birth certificate, but he had a documented date of birth in school records and other pieces of information that verified his age. Also, Ches did not fall into any of the categories that incentivize someone to backdate the their age.

The WSJ has an article on Edward Cheserek out today, with a great click-bait type headline of, " Is Oregon’s Edward Cheserek America’s Next Great Runner?"

http://www.wsj.com/articles/is-oregons-edward-cheserek-americas-next-great-runner-1426084649?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_sports

A letsrun visitor took the time to email us the article with the follwoing comment, "Will this end critical board chatter on NYT’s (racist) coverage of (Mary) Cain and not Ajee (Wilson)?"

Update: The article is out in today's paper (Thursday). Here is a photo of the headline which is different in print: "U.S.'s Next Great Runner: A Kenyan"

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_5pLzjWEAA3gPw.jpg:large

I saw him several times in H.S. and he didn't look overage physically and equally as important his demeanor. I have coached and coached against African athletes and I’m well aware of the age fraud that goes on and to me, Ches was a kid when he came to the U.S. Btw, no one calls out overage Africans more than me and I don’t just do it on this board, I have exposed age cheating through official channels as well. If Ches was an age cheat, I would have absolutely no problem stating it.

rojo wrote:

3. Is Cheserek really the "the worlds (sic) next great distance runner?"

Tough to even think after Rojo throws in a "(sic)". If that is possible, then so too is it possible for Cheserek to be a world beater.

rojo wrote:

Several thoughts.

1. The article does a good job of pointing out how USATF doesn't actively recruit foreigners like say US soccer.

2. Importing foreigners bothers a lot of running fans but the US does it in every endeavor (google founders for example).

3. Is Cheserek really the "the worlds (sic) next great distance runner?"

Yes, he's good. Do I think he could eventually medal? Yes. A Lagat type. But the way that was worded caught me a little off guard. I think of "The world's next great distance runner" as a bekele, haile type. A born megastar.

4. If he becomes a US citizen, does that mean the "agers" ( that's a play on birther' - I'm talking about those who think Cheserek was overaged in HS) would find out how old he actually is or is it easy to hide your DOB even on a citizenship application?

When you say a Lagat type, does that mean you suspect of Cheserek of being on peds?

I see no fluff there. Mo is British, and is in fact east African, but was raised in Britain, went to school at a young age in Britain and praises allegiance to the British flag. Funny how in every interview he shows no mention of Somalia and the good of the nation. Also, Salazar coaches against the Kenyans. Its not as if Somali's are running and winning marathons left AND right.

While I am using a fake email, I will quickly be the first to admit that I am not American. I am Mexican. But while I am Mexican, my ancestors roamed Mexico and southern Texas plains so by defined standards i technically am "Native American" (Mexico is part of north America). But by any means, I do nor any of the posters who agree with me have xenophobia by any means. My entire family is married to people of all races and ethnicity's. I myself am dating a woman of a different race. Again, I just do not show any sympathy to those Un-American receiving the same benefits as an American.

For example, go to any hospital, and you will find an illegal alien receiving the same quality treatment as you would. Why? Because our government provides them with free care. Do they pay taxes? Insurance that you have to pay? And ask yourself this, who is paying for their treatment? YOU ARE. That's "your tax dollars at work". Ever hear of an Government-Phone? It is a free cellphone provided by the government if you have a certain income. How about a gas card? I knew a lady from Jamaica who had four kids, worked as a manager at McDonald's and was selling her Food-stamps AND her gas card.

Again, I have no disagreement with Ches. If he wants to run, fine, go for it. But he should not be allowed to represent, wear and compete for the USA. He is not American, never will be and shouldn't be.

And as for MO, it is even more obvious that he is doped. Look at Tyson Gay, his training buddy and godfather to his daughter trinity (Steve Mullings) was convicted of doping. Gee Tyson, you're telling me that you had no clue your teammate and friend was doping. Then look what happens, he gets caught. MO hanging around a doper, a coach who admits to doping his athletes...makes you scratch your head. Like Lance Armstrong, those that cry and condemn dopers are the dopers.

A few responses to some of the posts on here.

You make good points that probably a lot of hard-core runners think about but Mr. Joe Public doesn't really see it that way. They see a medal for USA. At some level, everyone but the native Americans are immigrants to the USA (well I guess technically they immigrated from Asia).

Xenophobia?

You do realize that the runner Salazar is most famous for world-wide Mo Farah was born in East Africa. One could argue his coaching of Farah denied Rupp gold (although one could also argue their training together allowed Rupp to get silver).

I did my best to draw in racists?

The Wall Street Journal wrote the article. Not me. I simply posted my thoughts on it. The switching of allegiances is a big topic in the world of running whether you want to admit it or not. What's interesting to me is how people react to it.

Whenever an African switches to an Middle Eastern country like Qatar for economic reasons, a ton of people are outraged. "They were bought!" When it happens for similar reasons but in the US, fewer people are upset but some are. The whole Aregawi - Sweden thing is still going on as well.

No one is visiting?What are you talking about? We have millions of page views per month.

Seb Coe just made his case for the IAAF presidency here.

It amazes me how the 'fans' treat our sport. In the NFL, every big decision is debated pro and con. This week many people think Chip Kelly is a moron. Others think he's a genius. But people are passionate about it.

In running, if someone says anything remotely 'negative' on the messageboard, 20% of you go irate and think it's awful for the sport.

Think of it this way. Cheserek is the equivalent of the #1 pick in the NFL draft or the #1 free agent. Talk about what team he'll ultimately end up playing for is not racist, it's called being a fan of the sport.

Talk about him potentially being older than the age on his passport is no different than talking about a top draft pick whom their are rumors about. It's something potential employers have to consider.

Plastic Americans, plastic Brits, plastic Spanish, plastic Belgians, plastic Bahrainians will continue as long as there is an express lane to citizenship.

Didn't Senator Alphonse D'Amata (NY) fast-track Khalid Kannouchia's US citizenship for 2004 Olympics.

Re over-age African high schoolers. The jury is still out on FootLocker champ Solomon Haile (U. Arkansas).

Actually, that is not what most people wonder. Most in the US would just like to see an American win big on the international stage. A born-and-raised American would be even better. And they really aren't sitting around wondering about genetics.

Assume that Ches stays in the US and marries a woman from Kenya (like himself). Now assume that they have a child who runs. This child would be 100% American and also have 100% of the genetics of a Kenyan. Most would be thrilled to have such an individual run for the US. Most would recognize that their achievements were the achievements of an American.

Of course, there will always be racists for whom it is the color of the skin that matters.

Actually, he will be an American if he applies for and attains US citizenship. Your ignorant comment says something about you while saying nothing of value about Ches' status as an American.

By the way, Salazar doesn't coach marathon runners, so the end of your last sentence is bizarre. Unless you count the East African that he coaches that he is sworn to try to topple.

Just going to keep posting how funny it is with you contradicting yourself back and forth.

No, actually, anyone who saw him in HS thought he looked like a kid, but ran really fast. Most likely, you *didn't* actually see him run in HS.

But. please, don't let any facts get in the way of whatever sub-moronic agenda you're grinding.

(And, obviously, anyone who tries to support his 'argument' by calling the people he's talking to 'phags' has already established himself as solidly sub-moronic.)