Mary Cain refused to talk to us but she did talk to Chris Lotsbom

pop_pop!_v2.1.1 wrote:

Bend OR runner guy wrote:

Yes, letsrun asks the difficult questions, but that doesn't mean your reporting is up to professional journalism standards taught in college journalism classes and generally upheld by major U.S. newspapers and other media publications. It's not.

And what's the economic health of mainstream media properties that adhere to these mythical standards? Maybe not collapsing, but, definitely rapidly shrinking. What kind of product has slavishly sticking to these standards delivered?

Again, what happens if the Brosjos decide to join your cult of "professional journalism?" They will be reprinting USATF press releases and breathlessly await the arrival of Nike's next world-beating shoe... You can get that at RW right now.

The funny thing is that the Brojos actually have taken steps to join the cult. Jon Gault is an impressive guy who is a real sports journalist. The irony is that the Brojos' reputation for bull in china shop behavior at press conferences may be getting Jon shut out of interviews.

We can all fantasize about the Brojos being some great alternative media hero for the sport. But the hard reality is that they are not. They run a website that is mainly a content aggregator with a free wheeling message board. The original content is improving, but is still somewhere between advanced blogging and student newspaper.

Why did ProPublica reporters break the NOP story and not LRC? No one is closer to the distance running scene and outspoken about doping than LRC. Could it be that people were willing to talk to them because they believed that they were a credible news organization? Could it be because David Epstein helped break the A-Rod doping scandal and is a published author and is not a former runner/coach with a website? If David Epstein showed up to ask Mary Cain questions, would she blow him off the way she blew off LRC? Is David Epstein's work not as good as LRC because he is a mainstream journalist and does not pop off on message boards all the time?

Roy, Roy, Roy. Why, why, why, do you come to this site and post your gibberish? Pay attention, AND LEARN something. ProPublica reporters DID NOT break the NOP story. Comments about funny stuff going on at NOP have been on the LRC forms for the last 10 YEARS.

I don't know if this has been said earlier in the thread, but my gut says the following:

NOP actions and situation made Cain very uneasy about a sport that she loved

Her joy of running went away somewhat in the past year. First, due to bad performances and second because of the NOP situation.

She has left Oregon to try to regain some of the joy of running

Answering "Debbie downer" questions would not help her in regaining this joy.

She is a professional, but on the brink of wanting to let go of the sport.

Therefore, she decided to decline the interview. Knowing the consequences, but feeling that the "pros" of declining the interview would outweigh the "cons"

Cain could be a few bad performances away from leaving the sport altogether.

Ffvtvtfvyfvfy wrote:

I don't know if this has been said earlier in the thread, but my gut says the following:

NOP actions and situation made Cain very uneasy about a sport that she loved

Her joy of running went away somewhat in the past year. First, due to bad performances and second because of the NOP situation.

She has left Oregon to try to regain some of the joy of running

Answering "Debbie downer" questions would not help her in regaining this joy.

She is a professional, but on the brink of wanting to let go of the sport.

Therefore, she decided to decline the interview. Knowing the consequences, but feeling that the "pros" of declining the interview would outweigh the "cons"

Cain could be a few bad performances away from leaving the sport altogether.

more likely she asked for help from Nike PR on how to handle the press and they said look Mary, just don't talk to letsrun and you'll be fine.

I agree that the LRC articles resemble a blog, but you can't blame the brojos. They have a monopoly in a niche market and it's not worth anyone else's while to try to penetrate and force discipline on the market. Coverage in general in the sport is weak because of a lack if fans. LRC is the best we have for coverage and without new entrants it won't change. In fact, the brojos could be a lot more complacent and still keep their market share. At least they care about the site. If you're looking for professional journalists you're in the wrong sport.

rojo wrote:

Mrr82 wrote:

You allowed KG to lie and held everyone else to a different standard than you did Salazar. Can you blame her?

What did Kara lie about? She said people were threatened at the meet and then we found the police report came out - your welcome.

She initially said she would talk more about her time at NOP and why she left (Salazar said she didn't leave due to the allegations but due to his displeasure with Adam's behavior) but then came out later and said she would have no more coment on the matter publciy - she'd only be talking to WADA.

It was months ago so maybe there is a lie I'm forgetting about.

As the other poster said she was torn apart in the emails and shown to at BEST to have been intentionally mislead people, at worst flat out lying on multiple points.

If you had the same standard you gave Salazar you'd STILL have a countdown up waiting for Gouchers response she promised and then took back. But you treated her very differently.

Cook was caught in a lie as well and he wasn't crucified asking to explain why he lied about his relationship with Rowbury.

There are clear double standards.....that's why anyone at NOP would ignore you. You need to step up your reporting integrity and be unbiased and not let everyone throw around lies and mislead people like Goucher,Cook,Symmonds have in the past year.

Obvious Answer wrote:

Except when they do.

Which is quite often.

No, those are innocent people suspected of some wrongdoing by the mob. Believe in the greater good in honest runners!

NOP knows what is going on. This site allows mass postings of Rupp photo shopped in a Peter Pan outfit , and at the same time, mass deletions of Paula Radcliff threads about her "new" views of complete transparency is bad. I have noticed a lot of Brojo started threads, so maybe the people who left this site and never came back was significant ?

rojo wrote:

Cain is Unabel wrote:

Letsrun, Lotsbom. What's the difference?

It's standsard journalist practice to report when public figures refuse to talk to you. I's worth mentiong that she refused to talk to us. Runners know we will ask the difficult questions.

Why would any runner who knows you're already declaring them a cheating, drug using, liar being coached by the devil incarnate talk to you? You've already declared them guilty and will dismiss anything they say against that, so what purpose would taking to Letsrun serve?

You guys can be journalists, or you can be judge, jury, and executioner. If you want to be considered the former you have to give up the latter.

Keith Stone wrote:

rojo wrote:

It's standsard journalist practice to report when public figures refuse to talk to you. I's worth mentiong that she refused to talk to us. Runners know we will ask the difficult questions.

No, runners know that if they're from NOP the question will be "how long were you doping?" or "are you still doping?" instead of an actual question.

Why would any runner who knows you're already declaring them a cheating, drug using, liar being coached by the devil incarnate talk to you? You've already declared them guilty and will dismiss anything they say against that, so what purpose would taking to Letsrun serve?

You guys can be journalists, or you can be judge, jury, and executioner. If you want to be considered the former you have to give up the latter.

Any examples of the Brojos ever actually doing this?

The Precious wrote:

Roy, Roy, Roy. Why, why, why, do you come to this site and post your gibberish? Pay attention, AND LEARN something. ProPublica reporters DID NOT break the NOP story. Comments about funny stuff going on at NOP have been on the LRC forms for the last 10 YEARS.

Comments about "funny stuff" going on with pretty much every runner that's broken 20 in the 5K have been going on the LRC forms for the last 10 YEARS.

The LRC motto is "everyone that's faster than me is a doper", so saying ProPublica didn't break the story because it's been a rumor on LRC for years is pretty much saying that every major news story in the last 50 years has been broken by the National Inquirer.

ProPublica did some actual research, conducted some actual interviews, did some journalism.

LRC has conducted a long-winded witch-hunt against anyone running faster than expected, ran slower than expected, had anything to do with Nike, didn't run high-mileage, had their picture taken with Jeff Galloway or John Bingham, read Runner's World, wasn't "blue collar", and never puked on a finish line worker. Fall into that web and you're GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!

So ProPublica did "break" the story because they were the first do to something besides spread rumors and innuendo. If LRC wants to assist the process they should try something other than the online equivalent of beating the confessions out of people.

No, Keith, ProPublica did not break the story.

joho wrote:

Any examples of the Brojos ever actually doing this?

Today, the last week, or over the last decade or so? I might be able to fit examples up to the last few days in a post, but anything further back will likely overflow.

This post itself is an indictment of Mary Cain. rojo has declared her guilty because she won't answer LRC's "hard questions" and put up this thread to say "see Mary Cain is another NOP doper like I've been saying all along!".

I would be hard pressed to name a time where you could go down more than 1/2 the front page without finding a wild-hair drug or cheating accusation against someone. The Brojo's fully support this, and the proof is their "here's a list of all the runners of note, name the ones you don't think are on drugs" surveys they keep coming out with.

No they did not. That is just you projecting your anti brojo sentiments into the thread. I did not get that Mary is a doper after reading the article and this thread.

No doubt that PED is a hot topic in the world of T&F so you would expect the subject to be talked about on both the main page and the boards. Pretending it doesn't exist will help no one (except maybe the cheaters).

Although you and others may be correct that Cain didn't want to talk to Let's Run because she may be asked a tough question, she also turned down other media, including Athletics Illustrated. I write harsh opinion articles, but keep the interviews lighter.

Now in regards to those talking about Pro Publica, Epstein is a highly regarded journalist, who is very professional. Additionally, they offer up legal support in case of a slander or defamation libel.

Talking to one connected individual, he/she said to me, "I can tell you all this information, but unless you have an expensive lawyer, I will have to deny anything that you put in print."

So under the threat of freewheeling law, freedom of the press doesn't really exist. There is a lot that doesn't make it to the pages....

Athletics Illustrated wrote:

Talking to one connected individual, he/she said to me, "I can tell you all this information, but unless you have an expensive lawyer, I will have to deny anything that you put in print." ....

This method of manipulating the media didn't end up working out for many convicted dopers. Athletes making such threats to the media almost always have something to hide.

joho wrote:

No doubt that PED is a hot topic in the world of T&F so you would expect the subject to be talked about on both the main page and the boards. Pretending it doesn't exist will help no one (except maybe the cheaters).

Discussed? Certainly. Brought up the way it is on this board? I think the only ones in denial would include you.

If the Brojos didn't get a sit down with an athlete because they don't feel like answering questions regarding doping or as a reaction to previous constant blathering about doping and the denial is something they'd like to reverse then they need to rethink how they go about things.

Okay perhaps I was not clear in the meaning of what I wrote. It was clear to me...may not be clear to others.

I didn't receive a threat during that conversation, it was just plainly said that we have to be off the record and what is said can only see the light of day if there is a lawyer hired....simply because someone would want to sue for telling the truth. But that is nothing new anyway, I talk to people more than weekly that say, "this must be off the record."

But I agree and I can suss out pretty quick when someone is hiding something. You have to remember typically their radar is full on because they have to be careful. Must be hell to live like that.

Steve, worried athletes already have Ken Goe they can speak with who will write up the fluff pieces you so desire to read. You can follow Ken here.

https://twitter.com/KenGoe

Set you home page to this:

http://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/