Failure is failure. There's nothing special about failure in running; it sucks just like everything else. Grown ups face their failure and move past it. Children run away and hop fences.
The man's job is to run in circles. If he can't answer a few questions, that's certainly his right, but it definitely makes him look foolish and unprofessional.
I'd say his ratty hair and foul language in interviews makes him look plenty foolish and unprofessional without adding fence hopping into the equation.
Tim H wrote:
Ben's new nickname is Cat.
This is a great joke.
Maybe he's just one of those guys with ADHD- I coach a lot of kids like that- they can't use the gate they just HAVE to hop the fence.
Dr. Van Nostrand wrote:
Failure is failure. There's nothing special about failure in running; it sucks just like everything else. Grown ups face their failure and move past it. Children run away and hop fences.
The man's job is to run in circles. If he can't answer a few questions, that's certainly his right, but it definitely makes him look foolish and unprofessional.
What's your 10K PR?
"Maybe he's just one of those guys with ADHD- I coach a lot of kids like that- they can't use the gate they just HAVE to hop the fence."
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People are'nt F'ing HERD ANIMALS and resent being teated as such! SO.... F'off!!!! I'm sick of these forced interviews - if people don't want to talk about crap, then they shouldn't have to!
Secondly, yea this really does kinda RIP - he more than likely was a lock in the 1500 but...... then here comes Andews at the last minute changing his game plan and pu$$ying out of the 800 to go over to an easier slot at the 1500 (if the pace was slow enough to nab a place!) Blankenship has run as fast or faster than Andrews lately at that distance and should have - could have run a few seconds faster in this race had the pace been a bit quicker in the middle.
A slower time played right into Andrew's mega-kick tactic, so now he's pissed off about what should have been. He should have went with Centro - but he didn't - he lost!
...and Yes, looking around cost him - he knew Andrews was coming based on the slow splits.
Would you want to talk about bull$hit after a race like that?
No thanks!
A Duck, that was really insightful, thanks.
I'm struggling with Blankenship getting away with and getting props for being a 'bad boy' at the world relays with his gesture to the Kenyan, and his tough guy interviews about leading and kicking, but not being called to task when it goes bad.
He needs to seek out the Brojos and explain, which I actually think he will (after he speaks to his sponsors)
I ran with guys like this, and they never got invited back the next year by the race/meet directors . And their sponsorships went away in short time .
If he doesn't like the spotlight, go run time trials at the local track .
Just wondering does anyone know where he went after he hopped the fence? Has anyone talked to him? Any confirmation of him cooling down or driving away???
When I was in college I completely bombed in the 10k at the conference track meet. I was so angry that I went out of my way to avoid talking to anyone, so I definitely understand how he must have felt immediately after missing the team by so close.
Sometimes they randomly select for testing after races. I am not suggesting for a tiny moment that he was avoiding this possibility, but they are anal about that stuff. I hope he didn't get in any trouble because of that business. BTW, I was in Sac at the Olympic Trials when Marion Jones wouldn't go through the fenced area. It was during the scandal and she had a security guard walk her back down the track after the 100m. His reason was much different than that.
I actually sympathize with this guy for wanting to get out of there. He knew he blew it and that chance doesn't come along very often. Especially for him. He probably wasn't avoiding people as much as he was needing to get someplace to calm down and not say or do something stupid in front of other people. In that state of mind he wasn't going to give any solid answers to questions anyways. Sometimes you are aware of your emotional state and you are best not to give heightened responses. Which, of course, is what reporters want to hear.
Blanks.... wrote:
jjjjj wrote:he said something about not bothering to compete any more if he didn't make the team. give him a break. that is a huge blow to lose out by that margin.
Then he should have run a race, not some weird, scared, theatrical last 100. That was a major meltdown. Lost by .03 because he kept looking instead of just trying to get to the line.
+1
Exactly. No more needeth be stated.
What! You can't even cool down without having to pass through media circus? Screw that! I would jump the fence every time. Interviews can wait 10 minutes.
1500 watcher wrote:
"Blankenship did not come through the mixed zone after the race, hopping a fence to avoid the media."
http://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/06/matthew-centrowitz-amazes-robby-andrews-kicks-his-way-onto-us-1500m-team-as-leo-does-what-he-always-does/Can all of the guys praising him for a front-runner please defend pipe in with their thoughts? I know he had to be devastated but be a professional. It's your job. Did LeBron not do post-game interviews after he lost?
Big difference here. America's major sports get a LOT of prime time. Track and field has been pushed to the side for so long, that pro runners are not ready for prime time. They might interview a little differently than Lebron.
The meet was televised Friday on NBCSN, and the network would cut away to the NHL draft. The draft! Not a playoff game or regular season game, but the freaking NHL draft was more important to the network than covering an extra second of our championship.
Egun wrote:
A Duck, that was really insightful, thanks.
I'm struggling with Blankenship getting away with and getting props for being a 'bad boy' at the world relays with his gesture to the Kenyan, and his tough guy interviews about leading and kicking, but not being called to task when it goes bad.
He needs to seek out the Brojos and explain, which I actually think he will (after he speaks to his sponsors)
I ran with guys like this, and they never got invited back the next year by the race/meet directors . And their sponsorships went away in short time .
If he doesn't like the spotlight, go run time trials at the local track .
ha ha ....." He needs to seek out the Brojos and explain"
ehhh, what's up doc? wrote:
Dr. Van Nostrand wrote:Failure is failure. There's nothing special about failure in running; it sucks just like everything else. Grown ups face their failure and move past it. Children run away and hop fences.
The man's job is to run in circles. If he can't answer a few questions, that's certainly his right, but it definitely makes him look foolish and unprofessional.
What's your 10K PR?
What are the 'allowed to have an opinion on the message board' standards? Can I use a 1500 time from 2010?
Yepper Juan.
90+% of his fan base resides on these boards.
Wanted to like the guy, after I saw him in a few interviews could tell he was a fake but hell of a talent. Stupid ran race on his part, if it would have been 2 seconds faster it would have been the right 3 going to Bejing, Andrews won't do much.
Maybe since he didn't qualify for team usa, he's working on trying to get to worlds by representing mexico.
Sorry.
wejo wrote:
reader of the forums wrote:He also said "no comment" when LetsRun asked about him not getting in the Bowerman Mile at Pre. Seems like he doesn't enjoy interviews.
I viewed that "no comment" as a way of not criticizing the meet which is so close to Nike his sponsor.
Hopping the fence was pretty funny. I even took a picture of it. Only guy to hop the fence all week.
I definitely felt for him because he has run so damn well this year and came oh so close to going to Worlds but he should have spoken to the media or at least walked by and said he didn't want to talk about it. It's part of his job expectations.
Bummer for him, But part of the sponsorship deal is showing the colors, ie the logo of you sponsor, to the media as a professional.
Yeah, unfortunately I agree. Ben did a double take look instead of focusing on the line.
Understandably he is upset, natural, but be a professional. That's what being a professional mean. You put aside your emotions, and do your job. You are representing more than just yourself.