Is the Army Killing American Distance Running?

I'd love it if someone could explain why this program exists in the first place.

WLTW! wrote:

The USA imports scientific talent from all over the globe becasue Americans are too lazy to major in math, physics, engineering and chemsitry and other STEM areas. It happens on daily basis.

This is untrue. Companies abuse this to bring in cheaper (often less qualified/capable) workers. The Americans are sent to unemployment, at the taxpayers expense. And the companies profit.

I'm not a huge Trump supporter, but he is angry about this issue, as a U.S. President should be.

It's a big waste of tax dollars. It's yet another example of military waste while the military complains about its budget being too small.

I totally agree with this.

what % of tax payer money is spent on WCAP? If you truly care about how our government spends money, I suggest you find other things to complain about.

I bet 1 month of the donald's trump tower security for little baron trump and melania trump, a foreigner, could cover more than 10 years of WCAP costs.

this is incoherent

trollism wrote:

WLTW! wrote:

The level of hate and xenophobia is insane. Listen, do you really think people like Ryan Hill, Chris Derrick, Ben True etc. will medal in the WC or Olympics?

Complain all you want about hate and xenophobia all you want.

It's a fairly objective fact that the USA having a more or less full team of Kenyan distance runners is going to damage the popularity of the sport in the US.

Is it fair? Of course it is. Is it going to irreparably damage the sport? Absolutely.

East African dominance is the reason nobody watches X-Country anymore at an international level, so it's hardly going to be beneficial in another country altogether.

Did they feel the same about football & basketball? Baseball is a bunch of forgieners. That's doing ok. The whitest sport out there is hockey and that's a bunch of Canadians.

East African dominance has nothing to do with the decline of cross country. By your standards Kenyans collecting all the prize money hurts The New York & Boston marathon popularity. Oh wait... it doesn't.

On paper, it's a recruiting tool, but I don't see how anyone is going to enlist because Paul Chelimo ran really good.

I think it's more of a prestige thing. The Army deep down inside is insanely jealous of the Marine Corps. Someone high up the chain of command probably caught a showing of Running Brave one night and decided that if the Marines can have an Olympic Champion runner, the Army needs one too.

trollism wrote:

Is it going to irreparably damage the sport? Absolutely.

Lol no.

In fact, all the USA distance races were better due to WCAP.

You think people want to see Jager crush everyone with Andy "4th place" Bayer stumbling to the line in 2nd? With Donny "haven't improved in years" Cabral behind him? No. I want people diving at the line for their spot. That's entertainment.

I'll let you know when kids on my HS team start quitting because a few Kenyans took some WC spots. Until then, find something worthwhile to complain about.

The OP's observations are similar to a recent thread pointing out that the NCAA track and field championships have to a great extent become just a triple A version of the diamond league with many, many Olympic caliber athletes from outside the country competing on scholarship in the US.

How virtuous of some of the posters above to claim that they don't care that all those spots are denied to 17 and 18 year old American high-schoolers who could become American olympians.

Since when are collegiate athletics just a recruiting program for foreign pros instead of participatory opportunities for students?

Even elite D1 football programs like Ohio State and Michigan still have a huge portions of their rosters from their states or bordering states while a military program has only KENYANS! What an absolute sham.

But, hey, it makes the coaches look good, maybe even eligible for a raise.

As to the OP's complaint, why in the hell cannot Dan Brown and the Army provide the program to American athletes who would not otherwise get scholarships(see above) and expenses at major races(see above) due to the perfidy of the college programs.

overthe wrote:

what % of tax payer money is spent on WCAP? If you truly care about how our government spends money, I suggest you find other things to complain about.

I bet 1 month of the donald's trump tower security for little baron trump and melania trump, a foreigner, could cover more than 10 years of WCAP costs.

So your point is that lots of money is wasted on other things, so it's okay to waste money on WCAP? You must work for the government.

Macdaddy wrote:

trollism wrote:

Is it going to irreparably damage the sport? Absolutely.

Lol no.

In fact, all the USA distance races were better due to WCAP.

You think people want to see Jager crush everyone with Andy "4th place" Bayer stumbling to the line in 2nd? With Donny "haven't improved in years" Cabral behind him? No. I want people diving at the line for their spot. That's entertainment.

I'll let you know when kids on my HS team start quitting because a few Kenyans took some WC spots. Until then, find something worthwhile to complain about.

I'm not complaining, I'm not even American.

Were they better races? Probably.

Does the casual fan want to watch Kenyans dominate US Championship events? Of course not, it's a massive turn-off.

What a massive track geek wants to watch and what most people want to watch are two completely different things.

1) the influx of newbie Kenyans as USA runners is definitely turning off this hard-core distance runner/fan. I used to care about top summer road results, now I don't even look.

2) post -collegiate running in the USA has never looked so grim.

3) my fix would be to have a seven year citizenship period before someone could represent the USA (or collect US money) One could still live here and join the army.

4) am I xenophobic? I don't think so. I just don't like this express route to wearing the USA singlet.

No body cares if you interested or not. Life continues and you just have to except the situation. Nobody cares about your feelings, I don't think you add anything to the sport anyway

dude, they are as american as you and me.

they pay taxes to the man, and then run fast.

who gives a darn

don't like it? run faster

trollism wrote:

Does the casual fan want to watch Kenyans dominate US Championship events? Of course not, it's a massive turn-off.

What is a casual track fan? Like the mother of an athlete? I have to beg my non-track fans to let me watch track with them. They simply do not care.

More so, if this "casual track fan" exists, I strongly believe they wouldn't watch anything over 1500m - most might just watch the 100/200.

Ttrollie wrote:

2) post -collegiate running in the USA has never looked so grim.

Didn't home-grown post-collegiates medal in 3 distance/mid-d events at the last Olympics? Not sure when post-collegiate running in the US has ever been better.

You morons don't know what you are talking about. WCAP has nothing to do with "fast tracking" citizenship. Most posts on this thread are uninformed and idiotic.

People don't want to watch this? Chelimo is one of the most popular American distance runners with high school and college kids.

Old guy hurdler wrote:

You morons don't know what you are talking about. WCAP has nothing to do with "fast tracking" citizenship. Most posts on this thread are uninformed and idiotic.

People don't want to watch this? Chelimo is one of the most popular American distance runners with high school and college kids.

LRC racist trolls don't care about facts. They see someone who isn't white and they automatically think that person was given special privileges over every white person in America who of course has no privileges for being white. The armed forces offer citizenship to all immigrants who enlist. The WCAP athletic program is not a fast track citizenship program. Racist LRCers don't care about facts though.

Characteristics of an LRC racist troll:

1. Slower than whomever they are crying about

2. Crybabies who need safe places and spots reserved for them, because the immigrant or darker person can't possibly be faster, smarter, harder working, or more qualified than a white person.

3. Rarely get laid, hence so angry. Your day can't be too bad if you just got laid.

4. Needs to spend more time at the gym. See number 3.

5. Cheap. See number 3