Track (US Distance) is the only sport where 2nd and 3rd are celebrated

Some sports, such as football, you can get torn apart on defense but if you're offense is incredible you can still win a game (or championship) and the defense gets the same rewards as the offense. Commentators might acknowledge your shortcomings, but the ring would still fit the same.

Plus second at Wimbledon is fairly well recognized.

speaker of truths wrote:

Does anyone remember the guys who finished second to Michael Phelps 23 times?

Discus.

Ryan Lochte got his own reality show.

speaker of truths wrote:

Track (US Distance) is the only sport where 2nd and 3rd are celebrated. Does anyone get excited over the 2nd placer at Wimbledon? Does anyone remember the guys who finished second to Michael Phelps 23 times? Who did Lance beat in all those Tour victories?

Discus.

Yes, 2nd place at Wimbledon is a big deal. They still earn millions more than 1st place in running.

A 300 batting average in baseball is considered very good. In reality it means that over two thirds of the time you suck and make an out.

LeBron James averages just over 50% for his career shooting percentage. He misses half his shots.

Track fans have unrealistic expectations. It is incredibly difficult to be able to perform at a high level. Even more difficult to perform at that high level at the right time. You also have very little control over what your competitor is going to do.

Winning a medal is highly celebrated in swimming as well - that's because winning a medal leads to endorsements.

Athletics has an amateur foundation, where athletes are not paid extravagantly, so the reward comes in being a world class athlete. That is why swimming and track and field celebrate non-first place finishes. Coming in 4th or even 5th place means that you are the 4th or 5th fastest in the world in your event, making you a world class athlete. It means that you are part of an elite group of world athletes.

Tennis is a professional sport, where millions on top of millions are achieved for even coming in 4th place. Tennis players make a healthy living on tour, as well as golf players. So there is no need to acknowledge finishers who don't win, because they are highly paid compared to an athlete in athletics.

What about the "Final Four"?

Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals: I would guess very few people remember which team won without also remembering which team they defeated.

Do you remember who came in second in past Olympic or WC meets?

It's worse than that. Here on LR people celebrate Brazier sitting the bed in the 800m semi

People celebrate people they like regardless of the result

Jan Ulrich

If a player sets a scoring record in a game that his team loses, is that celebrated? If a player makes a spectacular catch in a game where his team loses, is that celebrated? If an unranked team pushes a top-ranked team into overtime is that celebrated? If a rider wins the polka dot jersey in the Tour de France, is that at least recognized if not celebrated?

I'll stop there. People will celebrate anything that is exceptional or unexpected. Jenny's race today was exceptional, which I know the OP was alluding to. I am suspect that she herself values this silver more than her previous gold, as the field was much tougher and the race phenomenal overall.

speaker of truths wrote:

Track (US Distance) is the only sport where 2nd and 3rd are celebrated. Does anyone get excited over the 2nd placer at Wimbledon? Does anyone remember the guys who finished second to Michael Phelps 23 times? Who did Lance beat in all those Tour victories?

Discus.

Really? You've never seen all of the AFC, NFC, Eastern, Big 10, ACC, Pacific, Conference etc. "champions" promotions? None of those are the true end of the season championships. Being 2nd at the NCAA tournament or Big east basket ball "champions" in basketball?

There's also Superbowl appearances, playoff appearances, most postseason wins stats that makes me fairly certain that other sports look at more then just the winner.

Discus.

+1.

Seems to me like you need to compare this to more Olympic sports. Some examples would be if the US received a silver in skiing, diving, figure skating, bobsled, wrestling. Any of these would be celebrated the same or similar to a silver or gold in US distance running.

suzyQ3480725 wrote:

What about the "Final Four"?

Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals: I would guess very few people remember which team won without also remembering which team they defeated.

As a Falcons fan, I can assure you nobody I know was celebrating our lovely second place finish in the Super Bowl...

People were going crazy when you made the super bowl. In a head to head sport people aren't going to celebrate second as much right after they lose the final game, but all the time you see them going crazy about making it to the final round and once a couple years have passed they are more appreciative of that second. T&F is different since in the final event the options aren't first or second but first second .... 8th, 12th etc.

Technically, Lance didn't beat anybody in all those Tours as they've vacated the wins. But, Alex Zulle, Jan Ullrich, Joseba Beloki, Andreas Kloden and Ivan Basso. Although to be honest I'm not even sure who they're awarding the victories to any longer. Highlights of course were 2001 and 2003.

Akanthos wrote:

A 300 batting average in baseball is considered very good. In reality it means that over two thirds of the time you suck and make an out.

LeBron James averages just over 50% for his career shooting percentage. He misses half his shots.

Track fans have unrealistic expectations. It is incredibly difficult to be able to perform at a high level. Even more difficult to perform at that high level at the right time. You also have very little control over what your competitor is going to do.

I have no words for this. I dearly hope it is a troll

It's a good thing.

When I was a kid, Filbert Bayi ran a great 1500WR. Everyone was excited about the entire race, not just the winner.

RM wrote:

Technically, Lance didn't beat anybody in all those Tours as they've vacated the wins. But, Alex Zulle, Jan Ullrich, Joseba Beloki, Andreas Kloden and Ivan Basso. Although to be honest I'm not even sure who they're awarding the victories to any longer. Highlights of course were 2001 and 2003.

The Lance years officially have no GC winner- the peleton was such a drug-filled mess that era that the UCI and race organizers agreed that it was better to just keep it as vacated rather than let it roll down to a convicted doper or someone who was very likely on the special sauce.