Jenny S vs Centro

first time in the history of the show

50-50

ezby wrote:

Who's had the better career?

They’re actually quite comparable. I think that Oly gold trumps WC gold at the end of the day, so Centro > Simpson but only by a hair. Both are about 1 second off the AR and both have quite a few WC medals. But Oly gold is slightly more impressive. However, I do think Jenny has a lot of potential at the 5k, so if she ever moves up in distance and wins medals at the 5k, then her record will be stronger. Matthew seems very specialized as a 1500 runner.

There is one huge glaring difference. One is tied to NOP, and one is not.

That is a huge difference, especially when it comes to career perception.

PortlandXCgirl wrote:

ezby wrote:

Who's had the better career?

They’re actually quite comparable. I think that Oly gold trumps WC gold at the end of the day, so Centro > Simpson but only by a hair. Both are about 1 second off the AR and both have quite a few WC medals. But Oly gold is slightly more impressive. However, I do think Jenny has a lot of potential at the 5k, so if she ever moves up in distance and wins medals at the 5k, then her record will be stronger. Matthew seems very specialized as a 1500 runner.

Might she move up to the steeple?

Even after that crazy year in the women's steeple last year, the 1500 is still a more prestigious event and everyone knows that's where the best girls are running. Jenny has proven she can mix it with them and I don't think she has any desire to step down to a second tier event. Unfortunately, if she steps up to the 5k I don't think her superior tactics will get her to medals in the 5 like they have in the 15. Hassan, Ayana, Obiri and co. could simply just run away from her and don't seem to be scared to do that in championships. So I think we can only look at 1500 potential for the future. I think Jenny still has a shot at the AR, whereas I don't think Centro does.

Quick stats:

JS - Oly bronze, 1 x WC gold, 2 x WC silver, 1 x DL champion

MC - Oly gold, 1 x WC silver, 1 x WC bronze

I'd probably give up a Worlds silver and an Olympic bronze for an Olympic gold. So I guess I'd say Centro has had the better career, although Jenny has been the better runner.

Centro. His accomplishments are against the best in the world while hers are against only the best women in the world. It’s kind of like a man winning world juniors or world masters. They are still not the best because they were in a category instead of the best of all categories. We don’t see the WNBA accomplishments compared to the NBA. Ask runners who their idol is male or female and most will choose Pre. I love women’s running as much as men’s and I hope it continues as a seperate category but when it ceases to exist like folks are indirectly pushing for, your question would also cease to exist.

Clean running wins every time.

Predictor wrote:

Centro. His accomplishments are against the best in the world while hers are against only the best women in the world. It’s kind of like a man winning world juniors or world masters. They are still not the best because they were in a category instead of the best of all categories. We don’t see the WNBA accomplishments compared to the NBA. Ask runners who their idol is male or female and most will choose Pre. I love women’s running as much as men’s and I hope it continues as a seperate category but when it ceases to exist like folks are indirectly pushing for, your question would also cease to exist.

That's a stupid comparison. Yes, NBA is bigger than WNBA. But in athletics men's and women's achievements are more or less equal. America might still be quite sexist in that all sports are dominated by men, but outside of the US you can make examples counter to your basketball one. Like the best male netball player wouldn't make any female team in the Australian professional league. There's also no prestige in being the best male synchronised swimmer in the world. Sure, track may still be a little bit sexist, but the top women are not only the most talented in the world, but have worked equally hard as the men.

ezby wrote:

....I'd probably give up a Worlds silver and an Olympic bronze for an Olympic gold. So I guess I'd say Centro has had the better career, although Jenny has been the better runner....

I would rate worlds wins bigger than the Olympics, at least from a competetiveness standpoint, therefore Jenny!

The Olympics may get more mainstream media attention, but the reality is the competition is deeper at worlds and you got more runners peaking at the same time.

But I am not much of an Olympics fan, it is the biggest event of that year, so I appreciate the competition, but that's about it.

Opposite wrote:

[quote]ezby wrote:

The Olympics may get more mainstream media attention, but the reality is the competition is deeper at worlds and you got more runners peaking at the same time.

In an Olympic year, everyone is peaking at the same time, no? And the competition is 99% the same, with the exception of DL/previous WC byes that they don't have at the Olympics.

Scorpion_runner wrote:

There is one huge glaring difference. One is tied to NOP, and one is not.

That is a huge difference, especially when it comes to career perception.

The general public does not seem to care. At all.

Facebook Page Likes: 19K for Centro, 11K for Simpson

Instagram Followers: 71K for Centro, 83K for Simpson

Twitter Followers: 40K for Centro, 39K for Simpson

Very comparable numbers across the board for your Non-LR Fans.

Bluntly speaking, the NOP scandal is virtually unknown outside of the people who visit this site. Otherwise, Mo Farah wouldn't be nearly as popular as he is now.

Jenny S is better looking. Centro has better tweets.

ezby wrote:

Who's had the better career?

Two of the weaker WC/OC in the history of track... not sure which one is weaker though.

JS at least ran some competitive times. MC is slow.

It's close, and I agree the Oly Gold trumps WC Gold, but I give the edge to Jenny and here's why:

4 outdoor WC/Oly championship medals to 3.

Jenny has been much more competitive in major international meets - winning DL is significant.

Jenny has been more versatile - steeple AR and US champion at 5K and steeple.

I'd say Centrowitz.

Simpson has not been able to win the big one. She gets too emotional and is not as strategically savvy or have enough of a kick like Centro.

2016 Olympic Gold Medalist - Matthew Centrowitz, Jr.

Not sure what Jenny Simpson has in the Olympics. A bronze?

kjk wrote:

Simpson has not been able to win the big one. She gets too emotional and is not as strategically savvy or have enough of a kick like Centro.

Simpson is undoubtedly one of the most strategically savvy runners around. Probably the reason she has MORE global medals and higher finishes than Centro.

kjk wrote:

Not sure what Jenny Simpson has in the Olympics. A bronze?

The fact you're asking this question makes your opinion on anything track related irrelevant.

A daddy wrote:

ezby wrote:

Who's had the better career?

Two of the weaker WC/OC in the history of track... not sure which one is weaker though.

JS at least ran some competitive times. MC is slow.

So dumb... Centro's 2016 Gold Medal was against one of the greatest fields ever assembled for a 1500m.

Yes we all know the time was slow and the nerds really care about it... but just look at the scalps Centro took in that race.

putitonthepollguillermo wrote:

first time in the history of the show

50-50

I appreciate this

It's not a stupid comparison, they both run the same distance and Centro runs much faster. You cannot argue with the clock - it measures times equally for men and women. Track is sexist to the core because it has sex categories and not open competition where the sexes would be treated equally. Thus you have thousands of runners who train at least as hard and who throw down superior performances to the best women yet virtually none of these runners will earn any money from the sport because they do not identify as being women like Semenya.