Isn't the Brooks CEO simply coming out with a variant of the boring Hobbyjogger taunt? Usually meant to rubbish anyone slower than the poster, the literal meaning is any runner who doesn't make a living out of running.
Isn't the Brooks CEO simply coming out with a variant of the boring Hobbyjogger taunt? Usually meant to rubbish anyone slower than the poster, the literal meaning is any runner who doesn't make a living out of running.
lollerama wrote:
DontFeedTheTroll wrote:
Any distance runner. Two of them came up with Usain Bolt and then rest came up empty.
I believe that. I would bet that in the mid to late 70s if you asked half a dozen people at work the same question, more than half would say Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, or possibly both.
1. 200m is a distance.
2. I met Bill Rodgers about 15 years ago and was trying to explain who he was to non-runners at work. At an Engineering firm, half of the people who were born in the 60s already knew who he was. People with education and money are a lot more in tune to this stuff than he let's on. None could name a single African national, but a lot more than I thought could name Deena Kastor, Khalid K, and Meb. No one could come up with Shalane, but they remembered an American won New York this past year.
When I ask, "umm have you ever heard of Jordan Hasay?" they all said no.
Want to be a fan of Brooks wrote:
Mr. Weber,
Please come forward and put this article in context. Brooks is a wonderful company that has done some remarkable things during your tenure. Just leaving this article out there to have people interpret things in their own way is hurting your company. Some people haven't even read the article and have formed a negative opinion. I understand that that is not fair, but it is a reality. The only way to fix this is for you to make a public statement. It will not go away on its own. Just the opposite. It is gaining steam. You need to get out in front of it. Please. I want to be a fan.
No it needs to go further than a predictable public statement. Weber already acted on his beliefs by cutting Brooks ID Elite. This is a stronger signal of Brooks' strategy -- saying "running's not really a sport" is just icing on the cake.
If Weber really wants to fix this, he'll bring back Brooks ID Elite. And any discussions of cutting the Beasts or Hansons group should be locked away forever.
i tell you what.....that may be true for a lot of folk,,, but i stoped buying the cascadia because that was a cheap nice on road off road shoe, but when it became way overpriced I went with a real solid trail shoe(salomon) that was never cheap but isnt crazy overpriced and is real waterproof not that joke waterproof of brooks.
i think what he meant to say is that people buy running shoes that fit their foot and arch needs. People who play basketball pick their shoes based on what the pro wears regardless first and how it fits second. He really should not have said running is not a sport. All shoe company sell the majority of their shoes to people who are not "real" basketball, football, soccer, etc. players. Think about this, when a person is just shooting hoops by themselves are they playing a sport? When a runner is alone but then is passed by someone else and then picks it up, is that a sport?
The first management position I took the owner of the company warned me on what I would say. Basically, what ever I said is what the company says. If it was something good chances are no one will hear it. If it was something bad everyone will hear it.
I have not bought Nike in 30 some years because I don't care for Phil Knight and comments he has made. I guess I'll not buy any Brooks for the same reason.
Mr. Weber looks like a double agent working for nike hahaha
weird wrote:
hes factually wrong lots of people know who won the olympic marathon and what he wore i assume hes saying that because an athlete wearing brooks has never won olympic gold
I’d say most people don’t know whT shoe Lebron Kames, Tom Brady, Durant, Ronaldo, or other athletes wear.
Most people don’t care.
taking one large step backwards to gain a little perspective, this time we find ourselves has run rampant with destroying normal and customary definitions and categories. Suggesting that what avid runners do is not a sport is just another example.
For God's sake, we are days away from legally allowing a gender identity that is neither male nor female. Yep, believe it.
There are many more examples of longstanding categories and definitions being revamped to levels we never would have thought possible just a few years ago.
Whether running is a "sport" in the traditional sense is just another exercise in broadening the boundaries. It's not meant to diminish the importance or significance of the activity. Clearly, that was not his intent. It's just that in this day and age strict definitions don't seem to hold up anymore. That's my take on it.
(And no, i don't work for the company and am not affiliated with it in any way. In the interest of full disclosure, i do own Berkshire Hathaway stock, of which i learned just minutes ago that that company is the parent company of Brooks. There, i said it, but that doesn't make any difference anyway.)
Should be fired wrote:
I found Jim Weber’s comments disrespectful and personally I think it would be reasonable for him to be fired. Just because the Brooks CEO makes lots of money does not mean he is successful, and his great lest success may be in helping ruining the brand’s reputation. Given the Nike Oregon Projects questionable practices, I wish there were more alternatives to buying Nike. Jim helped put a black mark through me even considering Brooks. Good work, Jim! You are a success.
Lol, what?
The CEO can say any stupid thing he wants. My last pair of Brooks GTS 17's I bought for $65. My next pair will probably be $45.
I’ve only ever bought Brooks once, the Pure something or another and wasn’t too impressed. They were a little too stiff and ugly as sin. I don’t know many runners (although maybe i don’t know any runners at all according to Weber) that wear Brooks, but maybe it’s a regional thing where they just aren’t popular around where i live.
Seems like a stupid thing to say but hard to believe the CEO of a running shoe company really said that. Imagine Adidas saying that the only real soccer players are the ones getting paid a million pounds a year.
Aside from this CEO crap, Brooks does have a history w/serious running shoes. Anticipating correction, wasn’t brooks the company that pioneered EVA midsoles? ...didn’t they develop the first dual-density midsoles? Remember John Walker’s input on the RT1? The Vantage, that first addressed over-pronation? How about the super Villanova? The Hugger GT that targeted heel stability? Perforated midsoles, contoured insoles, Varus wedge, etc. they were serious players w/ a serious stable of elites like Walker, Wysocki, even Rodgers. Aside from T3s, I never wore them, but was always impressed w/their innovation when there was little to be had.
a CEO that pontificates over whether running is a sport or perhaps an individual athletic pursuit. Okay. So, if that has you concerned, how do you feel about the President of the United States tweeting all morning that he's not an imbecile?
How about a little perspective?
Should be fired wrote:
I found Jim Weber’s comments disrespectful and personally I think it would be reasonable for him to be fired. Just because the Brooks CEO makes lots of money does not mean he is successful, and his great lest success may be in helping ruining the brand’s reputation. Given the Nike Oregon Projects questionable practices, I wish there were more alternatives to buying Nike. Jim helped put a black mark through me even considering Brooks. Good work, Jim! You are a success.
Like I said, more successful than you.
You will never be on the board of directors of a large company so will never be in a position to fire a CEO. So all you have is your opinion.
Pappy wrote:
The first management position I took the owner of the company warned me on what I would say. Basically, what ever I said is what the company says. If it was something good chances are no one will hear it. If it was something bad everyone will hear it.
I have not bought Nike in 30 some years because I don't care for Phil Knight and comments he has made. I guess I'll not buy any Brooks for the same reason.
Looks like Nike and Brooks are really suffering from your brave stand.
Back approximately 30 years ago Brooks made some epic shoes but then suddenly they switched to making shoes that catered to ex Rugby players.
Forgive my narcissism, I’m a seasoned, wizened runner who could care less about CEOs and how they view the oldest sport in history. Again, merely acknowledging Brooks’ rather storied history in running innovation. Regarding Trump: I don’t have a TV; Aside from headlines that may pique my interest, I don’t read news online - a bit of a recluse, you see.
People supposedly not knowing about running obviously hasn't harmed the running industry.
Hansonsrun called it. Negativity of the sport and Trump can both be found in nearly every thread currently on the front page.