Blake Haney to run for Canada

Barabbas wrote:

Fake as Canadian bacon wrote:

Agree, just another Alexi Pappas, not good enough to run for his home country so wants to exploit a loophole and knock an actual Canadian off their team. Should be required to renounce his US citizenship, and move to Canada.

Sucks, doesn’t it? Kenyans (mainly) have been doing it here in the US for too long now. But there will be folks on this board that get all excited when a Kenyan in a US uniform wins a medal in a major championship. Go USA! Yeah, sure.

Name one Kenyan that lives the entire year in Kenya and runs for the US.

Oh, you can't?

Yes we all know that. That is the rule that allows him to do it. The point is that many people don’t like it because he will continue to live as an American. Sounds like Praught and Benjamin. He already changed his mind but Praught is too far gone to switch back. Haney will do the same as Benjamin if he runs fast.

FelonDJT wrote:

Fake as Canadian bacon wrote:

Agree, just another Alexi Pappas, not good enough to run for his home country so wants to exploit a loophole and knock an actual Canadian off their team. Should be required to renounce his US citizenship, and move to Canada.

Canadians disagree with you on this.

It depends- I watched the 1988 Olympics on the CBC, After Ben Johnson (a Jamaican "Canadian" won the 100 they were interviewing people on the street.

They were actually saying- This proves we're better than the USA, etc, really dissing us.

He tested positive.

Interview people on the street- He's actually Jamaican, not Canadian. LOL

runn wrote:

I watched the 1988 Olympics on the CBC, After Ben Johnson (a Jamaican "Canadian" won the 100 they were interviewing people on the street.

They were actually saying- This proves we're better than the USA, etc, really dissing us.

He tested positive.

Interview people on the street- He's actually Jamaican, not Canadian. LOL

Very true. I remember how he went from Canadian Ben Johnson to Jamaican born Ben Johnson.

Canamerican wrote:

Renounce his US citizenship simply because he wants to run for another country that his is a LEGAL citizen of? Believe or not you can be a citizen to more than one country.

He doesn't have to renounce his citizenship. Likely he's a dual citizen. Like me.

But his international eligibility is a separate system than simple nationality

Don't worry. He won't be taking the spot of another Canadian for 2 reasons:

1 - there were only 2 sub 3:40 Canadians in 2018 (3 if we add Blake)

2 - the fastest was Knight in 3:36.0 (but he is not running the 1500m in international events anytime soon), the second fastest was CPT in 3:37.2. He does have a 3:34.2 PB, but he is 28 y.o. now, so I'm not sure if his best days are now behind him. Blake himself only has a 3:39.0 PB.

There is plenty of room on the Canadian 1500m team. Pretty open really.

Canamerican wrote:

Renounce his US citizenship simply because he wants to run for another country that his is a LEGAL citizen of? Believe or not you can be a citizen to more than one country.

Citizenship is a legal status. In some states, it is perfectly legal for to watch a person bleeding to death and walk away...but that does not make it right. America is a nation of immigrants, about one-third of us it we choose could represent another country through parentageone or the various loopholes and technicalities, but most of us would not becasue we proudly identify ourselves as American. When it comes to sports, being a member of a team is about identifying with that team and giving back to the team that has given to you. How is it possible to be born, raised, educated, introduced to the sports and developed as an athlete and have fans who have followed your career as an American, yet you choose to represent another country (team) that has played a minor role in everything about you. Haney, the Rosa twins, Praught, Camacho-Quinn and many others, even after declaring or switching nationalities, not only do these athletes live in the USA, but apparently plan to live here the rest of their lives, totally discarding the role this country has played in their development as an athlete and as a person, yet give their services as an thelete to a country who in some cases is simply where one of their parents were born.

Not quite equal wrote:

Yes we all know that. That is the rule that allows him to do it. The point is that many people don’t like it because he will continue to live as an American. Sounds like Praught and Benjamin. He already changed his mind but Praught is too far gone to switch back. Haney will do the same as Benjamin if he runs fast.

What's your thoughts on Igarashi? He was born in the USA, lives in the USA, but has Japanese parents. He will compete in surfing for Japan in 2020. He's good enough to compete for the USA. How is that any different?

Not quite equal wrote:

The point is that many people don’t like it because he will continue to live as an American. Sounds like Praught and Benjamin.

How do you know? Maybe he eats back bacon every day, guzzles the Molson and Labatt's, shops online at the Bay, watches the Maple Leafs every Saturday on a CBC satellite feed, has a poster of Don Cherry in his bedroom, and only speaks Canadian while at home. Maybe being Canadian is his heritage.

codaayyee wrote:

Nick Willis mostly lives in the U.S, Jake and Zane live in Kenya/Ethiopia. They were born in NZ, but still.

Nick Willis flat out LIVES IN THE USA. Let's get it right. He visits NZ, for all intents and purposes he is an American now. Married to a USA wife, lives here, competes for NZ.

I don't like it! Nope, I don't like it one bit! Blake the Fake!

OK. I'm kidding. I just wanted to briefly pretend to be an American who can't accept that an All-American American can possibly choose to run for Canada. But I don't really have a problem with Blake running with a maple leaf on his singlet. Blake is completely within the rules. The bloody flag-waving at the Olympics and World Championships is disgusting, anyway. I just want to see great performances, and I wish him well in that pursuit.

I happen to know that Blake is tone deaf and would clear the room should he try singing "O Canada" on karioke night at any local pub, be it in Eugene or Toronto. Same crowd response for "God Bless America", too!

runn wrote:

FelonDJT wrote:

Canadians disagree with you on this.

It depends- I watched the 1988 Olympics on the CBC, After Ben Johnson (a Jamaican "Canadian" won the 100 they were interviewing people on the street.

They were actually saying- This proves we're better than the USA, etc, really dissing us.

He tested positive.

Interview people on the street- He's actually Jamaican, not Canadian. LOL

30yrs ago, I believe it. Old school Canada blows.

But in 2018, Canadians would not mind. As another poster pointed out, there is an open spot in the 1500 if BH can run 335 or better. It would be churlish to deny him that spot.

Athletics Canada has their, "Own the Podium" thing. If they don't think you are going to be in the top 8, they won't send you to WC/OG. So while BH might get to run at the World Relay champs or US vs Canada vs Kenya at Penn, he'll really have to blow it out to get a ticket to the top.

codaayyee wrote:

Nick Willis mostly lives in the U.S, Jake and Zane live in Kenya/Ethiopia. They were born in NZ, but still.

This is completely irrelevant. Neither have switched allegiances and won’t in the future.

PrZ wrote:

codaayyee wrote:

Nick Willis mostly lives in the U.S, Jake and Zane live in Kenya/Ethiopia. They were born in NZ, but still.

This is completely irrelevant. Neither have switched allegiances and won’t in the future.

Indeed. Hassan and Kejelcha live in Eugene full time, as did Mo.

Stable Genius wrote:

PrZ wrote:

This is completely irrelevant. Neither have switched allegiances and won’t in the future.

Indeed. Hassan and Kejelcha live in Eugene full time, as did Mo.

None of those people ever lived in Eugene and certainly don't live in Oregon more than a few months a year

If Canada still has their dumb system requiring "A+" qualifiers for Olympics, Blake Haney would have a tough time qualifying for the Olympics. He could probably run World Championships or World Cross. I don't understand why you would want to represent a country you never lived in though.

Hardloper wrote:

I don't understand why you would want to represent a country you never lived in though.

?

Happens all the time. If you are a 2.18 marathoner and want to run in the Olympics for Outer Latavonia, where your father is from, why not? It's a loophole, but so what? It's fun, and that is the point of this sport.

C-eh?-N-eh?-D-eh?

Rules don't always make things right. The NCAA should allow athletes to compete for another school come conference championship time. Grant Fisher is from Michigan so he should be able to run for Michigan at the Big Ten Meet.