Do you agree or disagree wtih Toni Reavis? Reavis: Meb is the greatest American distance runner ever

Regardless of GOAT...

Shorter and Rodgers were at or near the top of the world in the marathon for long periods of time.

mlcollll wrote:

absolutely not.

Go back to Billy Mills. Have a look at Frank Shorter.

etc etc.

Meb is a nice human interest story. He's a footnote

Shorter:

Won a lot against incredibly weak 1970s competition. It was before the African era, a different sport. As the top non-African in every race he won at his peak, it's self-evident that Hall would have won as much as Shorter...if the continent of Africa was basically uninvolved in the sport.

Up to 1988 long-distance running at the games was basically the special olympics. Kenyan involvement in the sport only ramped up slowly in the 70s, and of course they boycotted the 1980 and 1984 games. After 1988 things were never the same. Before that, distance running was like sprinting if you cut out the US and Caribbean.

As for Mr. "Footnote" lol:

- 2004 Olympic silver

- 2009 NYC win

- 2012 Olympic 4th

- 2014 Boston win

Meb is the most decorated US marathoner in the modern era, period. Frank Shorter (and Wilt Chamberlain) aren't even relevant to modern discussions.

Frank Shorter -- far and away our number one. And most importantly, he did it without drugs.[quote]Meb's cool and fast, but... wrote:

Somewhere down in Texas wrote:

Collateral Damage wrote:

He is not even the greatest U.S. immigrant runner. That accolade goes to Billy Mills.

0/10.....how do you define Mills as an immigrant?

Come on. Non-white (or partially non-white) equals immigrant in right wing brains.

I think that when you talk about GOAT it comes down to American records, World records, Olympic medals, World Championship medals and Major Marathon medals.

Qualifying for Olympic teams simply doesn't cut it as relevant to the discussion of GOAT.

Shorter is still THE MAN.

This isn't even a discussion. Meb is a great runner but Shorter is still the best American runner ever. There's no argument for it. Shorter was completely dominant of the US running scene from 1970-1976. Meb has had a longer career, but he wasn't a repeat 10k US champ every year for five years. Or a repeat cross country champion. Or MULTIPLE Olympic medalist.

Why can't we just say that he is ONE OF the greatest?

Why do we always have to choose the greatest of all time in everything? Appreciate the athlete for what he did in his time.

No one is the greatest of all time, ever.

track snack crack hack wrote:

Bernard Lagat. jesus, he ran 3:26. Silver, bronze. Look at his calves! Meb wasn't born in the USA either...

Lagat also won double gold in 2007 in the 1500m/5000m (only person to ever do it at the World Championships [El G and Nurmi did it at the Olympics])

Tony is a windbag who always thinks he's right. Not my cup of tea.

dont forget Meb got 2nd at NYCM 2004

also Meb was 3rd at 2005 NYCM

What Conceivable wrote:

Shorter also won Fukuoka a bunch of times (four or five, look it up) when that was considered the world championships of marathoning. You don't have to have a 20-year career if you accomplish so much in half that time.

Reavis is being PC.

2014 Boston Marathon Champion

2014 USA Half Marathon Champion

2012 4th Place London Olympic Marathon

2011 Olympic Marathon Trials Champion

2009 ING New York City Marathon Champion

2004 Olympic Silver Medalist (Marathon)

USA 10,000m record holder (27:13.98)

3-time U.S. 10,000m champ (2000, ’02, ’04)

3-time USA 12km XC champ (’01, ’02, ‘09)

6-time U.S. 15 km champ (’01,’02,’03,’04,’06,’07)

4-time NCAA champion

I don't think he's the best, but he's easily in the discussion, at a minimum. I think it's worth noting the era he's been running in is also the toughest for marathoning, period.

I don't know why people are putting Bill Mills in this discussion... his Olympic race was amazing... that's about it.

Whether you like it or not, Rupp's probably the greatest US distance runner of all time.

5xNCAA Champ

7 time 10k national champ

Silver medal in the Olympics, against a guy who's probably top 5 ever...

currently has 4 us records...

3:50 mile

7:30 3k

12:58 5k

26:44

1:00:30 for half

2:11 in LA win olympic trials in the heat...

That's just sick. I think Frank is great, he dominated his era when a White American could win in the world... but Rupp's pretty amazing.

Giddy wrote:

I don't know why people are putting Bill Mills in this discussion... his Olympic race was amazing... that's about it.

Because the discussion is about who is the GOAT. Not who has amassed most third and fourth places. In the GOAT discussion, non-wins are irrelevant. 1 gold beats 10 silver. Just stop this nonsense about lesser medals. Next time you're gonna say is that that 100 marathon-runner is the GOAT since he has 100 top-1000 placings.

Only gold matters.

Order in the court wrote:

Disagree and false.

I'm not saying Meb's not a great guy and not awesome. He has my complete respect from the running standpoint. But he is ineligible for this particular honor.

Hall, Ritz, Bob Kempainen, Alberto, Dick Beardsley, Frank Shorter and soon Rupp. Take your pick. Shorter's birth in Munich is where the divide lives. He was born to U.S. citizens while one served the U.S. Army over there.

No Abdi.

No Meb.

No Khalid Khannouchi.

And no Salazar

Al was not born in the U.S., in any US controlled territory, nor on a US military base.

Neither of Al's parents were citizens when he was born.

Salazar is a naturalized immigrant - exactly like Meb, Abdi, and Lagat.

As an aside, I agree with most of the posters. Meb is just a nose ahead of Ritz but behind Kannouchi, Salazar, and maybe Rodgers.

Frank Shorter lololol wrote:

Shorter:

Won a lot against incredibly weak 1970s competition. It was before the African era, a different sport.

It was the same sport, actually.

The previous 3 Olympic marathons prior to 1972 were won by Africans.

Also, the reigning Olympic 1500, steeple, 5k & 10k champions were all Africans as well.

Frank Shorter lololol wrote:

As the top non-African in every race he won at his peak, it's self-evident that Hall would have won as much as Shorter...if the continent of Africa was basically uninvolved in the sport.

That isn't self-evident at all.

Further, I've already dealt with your incorrect claim that there were no Africans around. See above.

Frank Shorter lololol wrote:

Up to 1988 long-distance running at the games was basically the special olympics.

And with that, you've outed yourself as an imbecile.

Gym Class Shuffle wrote:

track snack crack hack wrote:

Bernard Lagat. jesus, he ran 3:26. Silver, bronze. Look at his calves! Meb wasn't born in the USA either...

Lagat also won double gold in 2007 in the 1500m/5000m (only person to ever do it at the World Championships [El G and Nurmi did it at the Olympics])

In discussion of greatest American distance runner ever you have to set aside what guys like Lagat when they were representing another country. Not saying Americans shouldn't be proud of what Lagat has accomplished running for the stars and stripes but his Oly medals and PR we when he represented Kenya.

I will never understand how anyone can say Meb isn't American. He came to this country when he was young. His family came with nothing and has done incredibly well. He went to school, and not just college, in the US and was trained in our system. He has never raced for another country. I think it is at the very least very arrogant not to consider him American just because he wasn't born here. He's had a far bigger impact on American running than runner since Pre, Shorter, and company.

The british are coming !!!!!! wrote:

Tony is a windbag who always thinks he's right. Not my cup of tea.[quote]

Everyone always thinks they are right. How could you possibly think that you are wrong?

Pat Porter or Craig Virgin because X-Country rules!