Stoppit Smith wrote:
Charmed??
Nope. We learned manners and etiquette.
I am starting to think many on letsrun have little of either.
Some of you are just not nice people at all.
Definitely a troll. This is the one that sealed it for me.
Stoppit Smith wrote:
Charmed??
Nope. We learned manners and etiquette.
I am starting to think many on letsrun have little of either.
Some of you are just not nice people at all.
Definitely a troll. This is the one that sealed it for me.
Can we parse the post and find the part that's so offensive? I honestly don't think there is anything insulting here.
The line about wearing the sponsor club's shirt and looking at their watch being likely to be fast?
That can't be hurtful to anyone, right?
The fact that fast runners are often skinny? I guess we could really stretch that to be fat shaming, but it's a reach and it was a qualified statement.
Race day shirt comment? I guess the novices who are unfamiliar with race culture could be offended somehow, but this is a play on the "west a band t-shirt to their concert" joke. Again, this isn't ruining any reasonable person's Thanksgiving.
The hoodie comment is similar. And if you're wearing a hoodie, you really aren't going to be running so fast to be near the line.
Same thing with anyone wearing sweatpants.
The kohls line I guess could make some people feel sheepish , except no one really knows where you buy your trainers but you. Like the "often skinny" line, this one is marginal if you're looking to be offended.
Eating a bagel isn't fat shaming, it's a joke about how serious you are about the race. Same thing with stopping at water stops (which is different from taking water). Neither of these go to you belonging at the race but rather where you should line up. Again, not really sure why anyone would be offended by "if you plan to stop at the water stops, it's a good sign your not taking this seriously enough to be on the front line itself."
Same with hand holding across the line. It's a playful statement on your seriousness.
The final three lines about being under an hour (actually the least offensive line here - right? "If you are thinking one hour as a goal, please move away from the front" couldn't be more appropriate), the police escort and your mom being the last one around, can be grouped together. I guess that since 2 of 3 were said as part of a joke, some could argue that it is intended to demean the slower folks. But we are talking about the single person coming in last, so only one person is implicated and that person has no place on the front line. Again, we are talking about a situation where you'd have to have pretty thin skin to truly take offense at someone making the joke of "hey, if the only person left at the finish is going to be your mom, please move to the rear."
Yes, the lines in the aggregate may create an air of elitism if you ignore the context of "these are signs you shouldn't be lining up in front of the fastest runners." It honestly, please parse out the specific lines that were hurtful, offensive ornthat ruined someone's Thanksgiving.
Stoppit Smith wrote:
If Bethpage had said, "The Black Course is an extremely difficult course. If you can't keep your swing straight, if you shoot in the millions over par, if the three people play around you before you finish a hole, if you need to give your golf ball swimming lessons, or if the only thing that looks like a golfer on you is the bag, don't play here," then it would be about as bad as what the RD said.
Hahaha! Maybe I'm autistic, but that would be hilarious.
Or is autism just the term given to people who can take a joke these days? ?
Not much to get offended about, but it could have been worded more tactfully. But if anybody needs to be told they’re a hobby jogger, it’s the guy who shows up to a turkey trot in a singlet looking to get his sub 18 PR.
Stoppit Smith wrote:
I do not troll forums.
No sweat.
You and your cohorts will have fun now but we have learned.
In less than four years your kind will have to behave again.
I will fight the good fight in the meantime.
Calling yourself 'the Jeff' does not give you more leverage in life.
I laughed very much out loud at every one of these lines. There hasn't been this much ambiguity around "is it a troll, is it a snowflake?" since the 5 x 18 thread. Either way, funny stuff.
What if the sausage between my legs is so big that islt slows me down but I still have the watch and tanktop part?
Dirt Digler wrote:
What if the sausage between my legs is so big that islt slows me down but I still have the watch and tanktop part?
Are you covering it with Champion sweat pants?
I guess we are just more decent in southern California.
We simply have corrals by time.
The race announcer simply suggests being in the right corral so there is a steady flow of runners.
We have multiple wave starts to alleviate problems.
Nobody feels the need to be sarcastic or....again...patronizing.
I just do not understand what it is about many Long Island communities where people choose meanness over decency.
This is not a nice guy and should not be a race director.
Address times if you will, but the moment you go after people's looks, you cross a line.
Stoppit Smith wrote:
I guess we are just more decent in southern California.
We simply have corrals by time.
The race announcer simply suggests being in the right corral so there is a steady flow of runners.
We have multiple wave starts to alleviate problems.
Nobody feels the need to be sarcastic or....again...patronizing.
I just do not understand what it is about many Long Island communities where people choose meanness over decency.
This is not a nice guy and should not be a race director.
Address times if you will, but the moment you go after people's looks, you cross a line.
You are being very insensitive and judgmental. Shame on you. Try some tolerance towards other people's feelings.
Wait, I will add something as I just went to their results page....
Who does this man think he is????
His 5k got a whopping 415 participants.
415??? And he has that approach?
Our 10k had over 1300
Our 5k had over 6700
This director is really just a jerk.
If people apply enough pressure, it should be easy to see his race fold, until someone more decent brings it back.
Tongue in cheek has turned into fist in mouth. Some people need to lighten up
Stoppit Smith wrote:
Wait, I will add something as I just went to their results page....
Who does this man think he is????
His 5k got a whopping 415 participants.
415??? And he has that approach?
Our 10k had over 1300
Our 5k had over 6700
This director is really just a jerk.
If people apply enough pressure, it should be easy to see his race fold, until someone more decent brings it back.
If you don't stop being so insensitive, your numbers may drop below his. Be careful and give lots of hugs!
Stoppit Smith wrote:
This director is really just a jerk.
Or perhaps the race director simply erred by putting the wrong person in charge of social media. His/her Facebook apology is noteworthy. People make mistakes. Everything will be ok.
* * *
On behalf of the Massapequa Turkey Trot, please accept our sincere apology for a post earlier today regarding where to line up at the start of the race. It was insensitive and inappropriate and we are deeply sorry for the hurt it caused. Our goal is to raise money to fight cancer and to bring the community together on Thanksgiving morning for a good cause. This has been a fun, inclusive event, and we continue to welcome all - walkers, joggers and runners, and couldn’t care less what you wear (but do so love those in turkey costumes).
The organizers do not profit from the race and we donate all the proceeds to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society who do not play a role in the running of the event. Last year $35,000 was donated. The race, which began in 2010, has grown significantly and so too has the time commitment. As the race has grown we have added many volunteers, some of whom we granted permission to edit the Facebook page. We have taken back that responsibility and will pay closer attention to all future Facebook activity.
We hope you accept our deepest apologies and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.
Are you really that big of an insensitive idiot that you need someone to parse it for you?
Smoove wrote:
Can we parse the post and find the part that's so offensive? I honestly don't think there is anything insulting here.
The line about wearing the sponsor club's shirt and looking at their watch being likely to be fast?
That can't be hurtful to anyone, right?
The fact that fast runners are often skinny? I guess we could really stretch that to be fat shaming, but it's a reach and it was a qualified statement.
Race day shirt comment? I guess the novices who are unfamiliar with race culture could be offended somehow, but this is a play on the "west a band t-shirt to their concert" joke. Again, this isn't ruining any reasonable person's Thanksgiving.
The hoodie comment is similar. And if you're wearing a hoodie, you really aren't going to be running so fast to be near the line.
Same thing with anyone wearing sweatpants.
The kohls line I guess could make some people feel sheepish , except no one really knows where you buy your trainers but you. Like the "often skinny" line, this one is marginal if you're looking to be offended.
Eating a bagel isn't fat shaming, it's a joke about how serious you are about the race. Same thing with stopping at water stops (which is different from taking water). Neither of these go to you belonging at the race but rather where you should line up. Again, not really sure why anyone would be offended by "if you plan to stop at the water stops, it's a good sign your not taking this seriously enough to be on the front line itself."
Same with hand holding across the line. It's a playful statement on your seriousness.
The final three lines about being under an hour (actually the least offensive line here - right? "If you are thinking one hour as a goal, please move away from the front" couldn't be more appropriate), the police escort and your mom being the last one around, can be grouped together. I guess that since 2 of 3 were said as part of a joke, some could argue that it is intended to demean the slower folks. But we are talking about the single person coming in last, so only one person is implicated and that person has no place on the front line. Again, we are talking about a situation where you'd have to have pretty thin skin to truly take offense at someone making the joke of "hey, if the only person left at the finish is going to be your mom, please move to the rear."
Yes, the lines in the aggregate may create an air of elitism if you ignore the context of "these are signs you shouldn't be lining up in front of the fastest runners." It honestly, please parse out the specific lines that were hurtful, offensive ornthat ruined someone's Thanksgiving.
He posted what he felt was necessary and it was only smart PR.
I would rather respect those who thought before posting or allowing a post like that.
I turn my back on this dude and I shun his spirit and I appreciate California more.
Now I have closure on this.
Spread Respect wrote:
Stoppit Smith wrote:
This director is really just a jerk.
Or perhaps the race director simply erred by putting the wrong person in charge of social media. His/her Facebook apology is noteworthy. People make mistakes. Everything will be ok.
* * *
On behalf of the Massapequa Turkey Trot, please accept our sincere apology for a post earlier today regarding where to line up at the start of the race. It was insensitive and inappropriate and we are deeply sorry for the hurt it caused. Our goal is to raise money to fight cancer and to bring the community together on Thanksgiving morning for a good cause. This has been a fun, inclusive event, and we continue to welcome all - walkers, joggers and runners, and couldn’t care less what you wear (but do so love those in turkey costumes).
The organizers do not profit from the race and we donate all the proceeds to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society who do not play a role in the running of the event. Last year $35,000 was donated. The race, which began in 2010, has grown significantly and so too has the time commitment. As the race has grown we have added many volunteers, some of whom we granted permission to edit the Facebook page. We have taken back that responsibility and will pay closer attention to all future Facebook activity.
We hope you accept our deepest apologies and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.
They CAVED?!?! Sucks.
Moo Goo wrote:
Wrong 5K marathon. That is the one with the "park" in the title. This one had 15:30 as the winner. Still, these guys are not elite enough to warrant this kind of public safety message. It's a small race with plenty of room for everyone.
Link to results? I could only find the 18:10 one online.
Are you against the attempt at humor or against the fact that slower runners should start at the back?
If you run at Carlsbad 5000, do you feel slighted by the 5:00 and under pace sign for runners at the front?
Do you ever start at the front even if you may not belong there?
There's hobby runners and there's hobby joggers.
Most of the hobby joggers who are offended by this needed an ego check, they believe because they've done a few 5k's they are superhuman but really it's not that impressive.
How seriously you take a race should be judged by how hard you train and not how many participation medals you have so if you run rarely then don't expect to be taken as seriously as a sub 16 guy.
That said, I'd pay some of the Kenyan runners who can't quite make it in Kenya to come and run in a champion tracksuit just to annoy the calf tight, running sunglasses "Elites"