Sharif Karie

I'm assuming that Sharif ran a 4:27 mile? That's sad for him.

He's a way better runner than I ever was, but in my opinion, he lacked something (killer instinct, determination). He had a great shot at winning the Footlocker CC meet in both his junior and senior years in high school, and he didn't do it. He was the heavy favorite his senior year and I believe the favorite also his junior year. The times that beat him weren't out of his ability. He just didn't get it done. Then, in college he really didn't improve all that much. He ran a 4:02 mile in high school and then got down to 3:59 or so in college I think.

Anyway, I'm not slamming the guy - just saying that I'm not surprised he hasn't done better.

Lack of class as well as guts. No heart. Not to mention a belligerent trouble maker with no team pride. If this guy did half of what Coach Mac told him to, he'd be running 3:35 and 13:20 right now.

Arkansas,

I don't have enough information about Karie to be able to say you are right, but I must say it doesn't surprise me. Lack of guts - ok, I'll go with that.

And all of you guys finished where at footlocker when you were in high schoool? And what are your best finishes at the Bermuda mile, or in other international events?

Judge,

Your question is irrelevant. I've already said he was a better runner than I ever was. You do not have to have run as well as another runner to know when that runner didn't perform to their proven ability. What could possibly be the reason for two years in a row (Footlocker) finishing second when your PRs were so much faster than everyone else, and your final race day you performed so poorly compared to the earlier you.

1) Improper training (perhaps but doubtful)

2) Nervous (perhaps)

3) Illness (No - he would have said)

4) Lack of determination or killer instinct or guts (perhaps)

Fair questions to ask.

I guess you are the sort to not question the President or another elected official because you haven't reached their level of government. I guess you would feel it is unfair to ask an NBA player why he was caught with marijuana because you haven't been an NBA player and can't know of the pressures.

You don't have to walk a mile (or run one either) in a man's shoes to judge him. Good thing too, or the justice system would be filled with drug dealers and murderers.

I don't know about the rest of his races, but I saw him run Footlocker his senior year. He had the race won with about 50m to go at the top of the rise before the finish line. There also happens to be a tree right on the edge of the most direct route to the finish at that point. He tripped on a tree root and the winner went by him before he regained his form. That race was just bad luck for him.

I ran with Sharif at West Springfield High School for 3 years and against him in college while at Notre Dame a number of different times and for anyone to call him out for having no guts and a lack of class is complete shit. Arkansas why don't you put your name on this if you're gonna talk shit about him especially as you appear to have been a teammate of his and if you weren't a teammate then you have no business passing your slow-ass off as one to begin with. That goes for anyone who comes on here talking shit about other people, the anonymity of the message board is nice isn't it?

Saying he ran under his potential is suspect as well. He won more all-america certificates than most people do in their 4 year careers during the 2.5 year career he had in D1 and if you compare him to what his high school rivals did he is the largest success of all of them. The two footlocker champs from those years, Abdul Alzindani...shit. Abdirizak tried taking the same route through lindenwood that sharif did and failed.

So he ran 4:27 you have no idea what the circumstances of that race were. He could have fallen, been coming off injury, or just ran shitty...it happens. Another Arkansas Alum and Virginia State Champion, Seneca Lassiter, had difficulty breaking 4 mins for 1500m in Europe a couple of times last summer. I'm pretty sure he still has the ability to run mid-3:30s and close to 3:50. People do have the right to judge other people and say anything they want but like I said before if you are going to talk shit at least have the balls to put your name on it.

Is Pat a boy's name or a girl's name?

I agree totally with u Pat.

At indoor nationals last year I visited with Sharif. He said that he was having some kidney problems and that he was going to take running very slowly. Although that was almost a year ago, I assume that he may still be feeling the effects of the kidney problems.

Sharif was a great talent, true, but I do agree with some of the above posts. There were a few times while at Lindenwood, that he would shut it down for no apparent reason. NAIA XC Nationals his Freshman year he was 100th+ place. Albeit there was snow on the ground, but everyone had to run in the same snow. There was absolutley no reason anyone in that race should have beaten him, except the pro's at Lubbock. I can remember a few other times Sharif kind of shut it down when it really mattered. As for his career at Arkansas, I only saw him run a couple of times, and he usually impressed.

Pat - speaking of Abdirizak, Lindenwood is in touch with Abdi again and are trying to pull him out of retirement for one more go around. I doubt it will happen, but I know they are trying.

Flagpole Willy wrote:

Then, in college he really didn't improve all that much. He ran a 4:02 mile in high school and then got down to 3:59 or so in college I think.

It was the Johnny Mac training system. Tried to run 'em out in college as he always does.

I watched Sharif run in high school several times my freshman and sophomore years, and I agree with Pat's analysis. The guy was a stud.

Anybody who has never been in a big time race, a real big time race, and been a favorite, can't really comment on someone choking at that level. Its a different world out there. So unless you're sub-4 miler don't rip the guy.

By the way, Conway was pretty legit in high school too, I was always trying to catch him but never could, so Pat you were my arch-rival even though you probably never knew who I was. And I'm keeping it that way. I like being anonymous.

va guy,

I swear people get so upset about such little things.

First of all, I wasn't ripping Sharif Karie. It just seems to me that a guy who ran 4:02 in high school should have done better than he did after that - there had to be a reason. Some runners thrive on just killing lesser runners. Perhaps when the competition got stiffer he couldn't handle it. Perhaps he lost his interest in running.

That is hardly ripping the guy. To comment that looking at his high school CC times BEFORE the Footlocker finals and noticing that he didn't measure up to himself in those finals is hardly ripping the guy - it is making an observation.

Perhaps he did trip over a tree root - maybe that's the excuse. That's part of the course though.

Sharif Karie was a stud in high school - that much I agree on. After that is up for debate.

But it IS true that Sharif just ran a 4:27 mile in Bermuda. That's the pace he should be able to hold for 5 miles... So, is it a fair question to ask: "Whatever happened to Sharif Karie? He kicked ass in HS, didn't improve much in college and just recently ran a 4:27 mile in Bermuda. It's not like he's old yet..."

I'm not questioning his "guts", just wondering why he has gotten so much worse since HS.

disclaimer: Sharif has run much faster in the mile/1500 than I ever will.

You said he lacked guts. In a sport like this, thats ripping a guy. Question his performance, question his training, that might be legit, especially since he is somewhat of a public figure in the racing world. But as I gather you did not know him, or race him, so his "guts" is not something for you to decide. He did, in fact, trip at Footlockers, that much is evident to anyone who has seen the tape of the race.

My main point here was that Pat Conway, who was a tremendous runner in high school and college and a teammate of Sharif, is in a better position to comment on Sharif than you or I. Asking whats wrong is one thing, speculating on a man's character with no factual basis whatsoever is something assholes do. I don't know why he has not been running well, and without any evidence at all I'm not going to make wild assumptions.

By the way, I was not a teammate of either guy and don't claim to know either except as competitors, albeit competitors who always beat me (I almost got Conway twice though)

I did agree with Arkansas that Karie might have lacked guts. So? Just my opinion. Doesn't make him a bad guy. Doesn't even make him a bad runner. Perhaps it does make him NOT a stellar runner, but the facts are the facts - he never lived up to his promise and he always seemed to falter in races where he had some competition. Lack of guts seems to be a plausible answer.

Hopefully he can come back, but I doubt it.

[/quote]

It was the Johnny Mac training system. Tried to run 'em out in college as he always does.[/quote]

What? Not one post arguing this? Have we as a nation of fans finally wised up?

Jeff,

It's an old and tired argument. I feel so bad everytime I think about my 10 national championship rings and 6 All-American certificates. I also feel so bad having qualified for nationals 10 times. How could John have done this to me? I feel so exploited everytime I think about all the good times I experienced after we won those championships, I mean, he had no right to make me run at that level in college. I should have been saved for another day.....why oh why!!!!!???!!!

Ok you have an opinion, everyone is entitled to one. But say I come on the board and claim, based on nothing, that you are a cross-dressing homosexual who enjoys child porn? Is that fair to do? I should hope not. Just because you can say something does not mean you should. You aren't paying the guy to do anything, your money doesn't support him, and nothing you ever do will contribute at all to Sharif Karie. So go say whatever you want about him, thats your Constitutional right; that being said, its not the right thing to do.

I don't know you, how good you are, or anything about you, so my guess is you would find it unfair if I started commenting on your running performances.

I can say I probably would not like you, I already have no respect for your line of thinking.