Let's get to the bottom of why so many of you seem to dislike Gwen Jorgensen

Slripe10 wrote:

John Utah wrote:

Do you feel the same way with all professional athletes? Michael Jordan, Lebron, Peyton Manning, Renaldo, Phelps, etc. Do you not feel that marketing, promotion, endorsements are legitimate business practices?

I would say there is a big difference between being paid to endorse or sponsor a product and not being paid to endorse yourself.

On principle, furthermore, I would say yes I feel the same way about all athletes. Any athlete who feels the need to hawk Doritos and sports drinks are to my mind sell outs.

But like you said these are "legitimate business practices", the only problem is we are talking about running as a competitive sport.

"sell outs" ok, now I know what kind of person you are. That's all you need to say

another data point wrote:

I've always thought of her more as a runner who came to dominate triathlon, which as a runner who dabbles in triathlon has always made me happy. I think she's returning to her roots now, and am definitely curious to see what she can do. The unbalanced hostility toward her is all rationalized jealously as far as I can tell.

I once rationalized fornicating with an ugly chick, did I reason well.

You to whom nothing is objectionable stand above us all, wild with reason. Your reason which says "if you can be seductive enough, I will be seduced"

John Utah wrote:

Slripe10 wrote:

I would say there is a big difference between being paid to endorse or sponsor a product and not being paid to endorse yourself.

On principle, furthermore, I would say yes I feel the same way about all athletes. Any athlete who feels the need to hawk Doritos and sports drinks are to my mind sell outs.

But like you said these are "legitimate business practices", the only problem is we are talking about running as a competitive sport.

"sell outs" ok, now I know what kind of person you are. That's all you need to say

Instead of not posting you posted nothing, I'm a little embarrassed for you.

Yes "sellouts", opportunist, scavengers, lobbyist because when you support something only because you are paid to, it ruins your credibility.

Slripe13 wrote:

John Utah wrote:

"sell outs" ok, now I know what kind of person you are. That's all you need to say

Instead of not posting you posted nothing, I'm a little embarrassed for you.

Yes "sellouts", opportunist, scavengers, lobbyist because when you support something only because you are paid to, it ruins your credibility.

Cristiano Ronaldo supports Juventus only because he is paid to.

John Utah wrote:

Slripe8 wrote:

Her only motive for announcing her "goal" publicly was to garner attention.

Her stated "goal" indicates one of two things, 1 she doesn't know anything about the sport or 2 she doesn't respect it.

Her constant attention seeking together with her willingness to prostitute herself make her little better than gutter trash and as such will be treated accordingly

Do you feel the same way with all professional athletes? Michael Jordan, Lebron, Peyton Manning, Renaldo, Phelps, etc. Do you not feel that marketing, promotion, endorsements are legitimate business practices?

First off, I'm thinking that MJ, Lebron, Peyton, Ronaldo, and Phelps are a bit further along in their athletic achievements than Gwen (just sayin'). Second, nothing wrong with self promoting and marketing yourself. Gwen and her "Media" team have done that well. BUT!! you need to back up those publicly stated "Ambitions" and or "Goals" at some point and if not she's going to lose credibility. No big deal, it's her career and she's the one that has to "Answer the bell". I personally like to hear from athletes who actually have a chance at achieving their goals not those who are just grandstanding.

I wish her the best...............but it ain't gonna happen :(

Eh, I am just not a huge fan because of her claims. Her being mad about not being in 2:19 shape is just kinda dumb, she had a kid a year ago and transferred from the tri. It's the equivalent of the Olympic champion on the men's side being pissed he isn't in 2:05 shape. Her ignorance is just annoying to me.

This is a good point. I think if she publicly stated that her goal was more modest, like just making the Olympic team, then there would be less critical chatter. On the other hand, the audacious claim of winning gold has generated a ton of interest and buzz.

I do like her videos and other documentation/marketing. It gives a view of the process, support, challenges, and realities of being a professional runner. Considerinf how closed off our sport seems to be, I think it's great to have that perspective.

Letsrunners dislike every professional runner other than Brian Sell. Gwen Jorgensen is not Brian Sell.

This is a good point. I think if she publicly stated that her goal was more modest, like just making the Olympic team, then there would be less critical chatter. On the other hand, the audacious claim of winning gold has generated a ton of interest and buzz.

I do like her videos and other documentation/marketing. It gives a view of the process, support, challenges, and realities of being a professional runner. Considerinf how closed off our sport seems to be, I think it's great to have that perspective.[/quote]

I like the vid's too, I wish more athletes did them.

Dude Gaga wrote:

Because triathletes are annoying and dumb.

+1

Very well put. I was curious when I learnt about her, seeing that she was such a successful triathlete. But I was very much turned off by her media-whore personality, which comes off as very egocentric and perhaps a bit arrogant. I don't like anyone who promotes themselves excessively on social media, and can understand that many people won't like for the same reason.

She's not VGL

troll under a bridge wrote:

A woman named Gwen Jorgensen set an ambitious goal for herself. Whether she achieves it or fails to do so will not affect your life in anyway. I am intrigued by her pursuit but ambivalent about the results. Meanwhile, everything she says or does inevitably results in hundreds of replies on this message board.

So what's the real reason some of you yahoos are so irked by her pursuit of her goals that do not affect your life in any way what so ever?

I would bet it has less to do with the person and more to do with tri's

There's certainly plenty of truth in this. Jorgensen came of age as a pro athlete in a sport that rewards flashiness, visibility, big talkers. Triathlon's culture digs on that sort of shallow display, top to bottom. The more logos you can jam onto your lycra unitard and into your eponymous website, even for a one-time drop of comp product or discount massage, the more photos of yourself you have on your eponymous website, the higher your standing in the sport's culture: you're legit. Just how I see it, no offense meant. This is all to say, that is how she's been trained to behave within that sport's culture, that's not going to go away simply by shifting exclusively to one of the disciplines of her old sport. She's got to keep driving eyes to her eponymous website to see the Pete & Gerry's Eggs and David Hobbs Honda logos. Is there merit in suggesting it proper that she leave old ways behind and embrace an essentially foreign culture in pro distance running, like the proverbial tanned, wealthy American toning it down when entering a small-town Irish pub on a rainy day? Yeah, maybe so. But you can't exactly expect it. At this point, I wouldn't. She'll do what she does and she's still a person trying her best. Some folks will look past the facade of bravado and genuinely wish her well, others will get tripped up in appearances. That's simply the way it goes. Ultimately, she can't run away from or talk around the result she winds up achieving on race day. That much those of us who have been around the sport a while know.

Slripe13 wrote:

John Utah wrote:

"sell outs" ok, now I know what kind of person you are. That's all you need to say

Instead of not posting you posted nothing, I'm a little embarrassed for you.

Yes "sellouts", opportunist, scavengers, lobbyist because when you support something only because you are paid to, it ruins your credibility.

You are an extreme leftist nutjob. We have now officially established that fact.

John Utah wrote:

Slripe13 wrote:

Instead of not posting you posted nothing, I'm a little embarrassed for you.

Yes "sellouts", opportunist, scavengers, lobbyist because when you support something only because you are paid to, it ruins your credibility.

You are an extreme leftist nutjob. We have now officially established that fact.

And you are a righty? I'm not sure, but whatever you are involves calling people names you hear on your news station when you can't reasonably argue with what they are saying

I think she's refreshingly wonderful.

She put it out there, I wouldn't put anything pass her. She's awesome!

Though....if I was competing now...I'm darn sure I wouldn't like her... and I'd make triple sure I'd work my butt off to get her. .lol

"If you can't beat'em make'em spit blood" moi pd

GRR!

The silliest argument I've read on this thread is "her detractors are just jealous".

Who really thinks any letsrun readers are jealous of a female triathlete? How many letsrun readers are even female in the first place, much less triathletes, much less both??

anothernote wrote:

The silliest argument I've read on this thread is "her detractors are just jealous".

Who really thinks any letsrun readers are jealous of a female triathlete? How many letsrun readers are even female in the first place, much less triathletes, much less both??

Pretty sure they are jealous cause they will never be able to do what she has done i.e. Olympian, gold medalist, and has a six figure contract to run.