Just watched Fam's last career steeple ever- 8:56.6 at Music City Distance Carnival

Slam wrote:

Thanks for the memories Fam. Your 2008 Olympic run is one I won't soon forget. Until Jagers recent breakouts I had you as the best American steepler of all time.

http://www.xpresstiming.com/Live/2016/Outdoor/MCDC/

He wasn't the best of his era. Dr Danny Linkedin.

Slam wrote:

Thanks for the memories Fam. Your 2008 Olympic run is one I won't soon forget. Until Jagers recent breakouts I had you as the best American steepler of all time.

You mean that one where he pulled a Webb? He finished 13th.

Greatest US steepler of all time? He placed worse at the Olympics than Dan Lincoln did 4 years earlier, who also has a better PR than him (the old national record).

You'll probably say something about his 5k and 10k bests, his road titles, but that's not the steeple, is it?

I wasn't going to say that but you said it for me. His 5k and 10k and road times/titles were light years ahead of lincolns. 10th vs 13th isn't a big difference, especially cause 2008 was much more competitive. If all Fam did was run the steeple like Lincoln then he would have run much faster. He was a two time Olympian compared to one from Lincoln.

Either way, my point isn't that he's better, which he is. It was just to say that I appreciate Fam's career and will miss seeing him steeple.

Slam wrote:

Thanks for the memories Fam. Your 2008 Olympic run is one I won't soon forget. Until Jagers recent breakouts I had you as the best American steepler of all time.

http://www.xpresstiming.com/Live/2016/Outdoor/MCDC/

Who?

Anthony Famighlietti. The second best American steepler of all time.

Rabbit Jillian wrote:

Anthony Famighlietti. The second best American steepler of all time.

Never heard of her.

Slam wrote:

I wasn't going to say that but you said it for me. His 5k and 10k and road times/titles were light years ahead of lincolns. 10th vs 13th isn't a big difference, especially cause 2008 was much more competitive. If all Fam did was run the steeple like Lincoln then he would have run much faster. He was a two time Olympian compared to one from Lincoln.

Either way, my point isn't that he's better, which he is. It was just to say that I appreciate Fam's career and will miss seeing him steeple.

Let's compare steeple times since we are talking about the steeple. Top 7 between the two.

Lincoln

Lincoln

Lincoln

Lincoln

Lincoln

Lincoln

Lincoln

Yea ok. I think we have a winner.

Fam is your modern day Corey Leslie.

Rabbit Jillian wrote:

Anthony Famighlietti. The second best American steepler of all time.

Probably doesn't make the top 10

Marsh

Diemer

Lincoln

Jager

Lincoln

George young

Ashenfeller

Croghan

are clearly better. And you can make arguements that guys like Cabral, Marc Davis, Tim Broe are either better or equal.

Of course I am assuming we are just looking at running ability not ability to be attention whore. Fam was definitely top 10 in that.

I've always appreciated Famiglietti but I'd put both Brian Diemer and George Young with their Olympic hardware ahead of him and I'd put both of them behind Horace Ashenfelter with his even better Olympic hardware.

Good lord, sometimes you people make it nearly impossible to enjoy discussing the sport of running. If you don't think Fam is in the top 10 all time American steeplers then you are either 1) very uninformed or 2) an enormous hater of him. He is obviously top 10, no questions asked. Idk if I'd put him at #2 behind jäger, but I don't think that was OPs point. Fam has had a long, great career. Yesterday was his last steeple ever. Can we just appreciate his contribution to the sport of track and field rather than calling him an "attention whore"?

Honestly sometimes I wish I didn't like running as much as I do because this place just depresses me with its negativity.

Give it a rest wrote:

Good lord, sometimes you people make it nearly impossible to enjoy discussing the sport of running. If you don't think Fam is in the top 10 all time American steeplers then you are either 1) very uninformed or 2) an enormous hater of him. He is obviously top 10, no questions asked. Idk if I'd put him at #2 behind jäger, but I don't think that was OPs point. Fam has had a long, great career. Yesterday was his last steeple ever. Can we just appreciate his contribution to the sport of track and field rather than calling him an "attention whore"?

Honestly sometimes I wish I didn't like running as much as I do because this place just depresses me with its negativity.

Actually is was very clearly a huge part of his point. His post was short and clearly made a large part of it suggesting he was #1 US steepler until Jäger which is ridiculous.

And yes, we should be able to appreciate his contribution. He was a great runner and as a runner deserves respect.

The original poster however disrespected him by stating a ridiculous statement either intentionally meant to bring criticism or just delusional and isn't how you honor someone leaving the sport

Give it a rest wrote:

If you don't think Fam is in the top 10 all time American steeplers then you are either 1) very uninformed or 2) an enormous hater of him.

I don't like the negativity here either, and have no desire to bash Fam either. But did you look at the list steeplers posted above your post? Which of them does Fam outclass? There are a bunch of WC and OG medalists there.

I have no desire to have this debate, but there were only 8 runners in that list so even if every single one is better that would still put him at number 9.

And mrr82, you think it was disrespectful to Fam for OP to "state the ridiculous statement" that he was the second best steepler in America? Wow......just wow

He succeeded in his goal of Running Like Hell.

Give it a rest wrote:

I have no desire to have this debate, but there were only 8 runners in that list so even if every single one is better that would still put him at number 9.

And mrr82, you think it was disrespectful to Fam for OP to "state the ridiculous statement" that he was the second best steepler in America? Wow......just wow

Those are 8 that no sane person would rank Fam above. Then I gave 3 that are likely above Fam (and I probably forgot some. For example John Gregorek just came to mind. Heck throw Malley in the conversation. 8.21.7 was pretty darn close to the WR when it was run ) but you could at least argue about. Hence he probably doesn't make the top 10 as there are half dozen athletes fighting it out for the last 2 places. At the bottom of the list personal preferences come into play (things like international competiveness, us titles,length of career, ncaa results,...).

Actually you only listed seven because you have Lincoln on there twice.

You Fam badgers are hilarious. Fam is one of the greatest runners in American history. Please stop ripping him apart

He could have collected several medals in the facial hair department...