Why is it that there is only one Galen Rupp in the US ?

Predictor wrote:

No. This type of talent would not go unnoticed in gym class or some type of sport or just around the neighborhood.

Bull.

P.E. teachers kniw nithing about identifying running talent.

Even if skme of them were good at finding talent, hardly any of thay talent wants to choose running over lacrosse or soccer or baseball or football or basketball.

.....Those sports are fun to play.

Further, no kids know who Galen Rupp is.

They all know who Steph Curry is.

Further, further, running is the lowest paying professional sport there is.

Why would any elite athlete gravitate towards running??

Further, further, further, why would any Olympic aspiring athlete choose running when skateboarding is going to replace distance T&F evemts anyways.

BTW, xgames train 8 hours a day now and make a lot more $$ than runners do.

And now we have 0 Rupps. He had it, he lost it, and he will never get it back again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQD-dXfHrvk

SDSU Aztec wrote:

ole to ye wrote:

No, you aren't a big sports fan.

Yeah, I am. I follow college and pro football, MLB, the NBA, golf, tennis and the TDF.

Anyone who moderately follows sports would be able to "name one professional player or team in the U.S." regarding soccer. You aren't a big sports fan.

I'ld be curious to know how many Galen Rupps dabbled in running only to take up another sport or quit altogether. While running seems to mostly attract the little guy and the talented big guys have the right body shape for other sports like football or basketball. A 6 foot tall marathoner is pretty uncommon and a 6'5 marathoner almost unheard of. At 6'5 if you have average skills you can play basketball but if you are under 6 feet you have to have phenomenal skills. But I will seemingly contradict myself and say that of all sports I think running probably gets exposed to the most talented athletes due to the no cut nature of the sport. As a kid I always wanted to play football but since we always moved I could not get a spot on a team. There is also politics involved in football. In running everyone can race. I think running is a sport that is leaking talent by the time kids get to college. A lot of great ones have tried it.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

ric flair wooooooo wrote:

Thanks for pointing out that Rupp wouldn't be good at football, that is new knowledge to most of us. And no, that is not the premise I was making whatsoever, how did you comprehend what I said as kids talented in running choose to not do HS sports? lol wtf?

Most of USA talent goes into the major sports (not track) which is why we only have 1 galen rupp. Sure you get some talent in track. But our best genetic talent tends to not choose track.

No, the previous poster identified sports more popular than track, but it's irrelevant because Rupp could not have made HS teams in those sports.

The post has nothing to do with whether or not Rupp can play other sports. The OP is asking why there are not more galen rupps. The answer is because track is not even a top 5 sport in the United States.

I know who Galen Rupp is and so do most, if not all, of my running friends.

During the last Olymoic games, while it was on, several people mentioned Galen Rupp to me in passing. Most likely because they knew I was a running guy and they were being friendly. That goes to show people outside of running do know of him but their recollection and knowledge is fleeting. This tells me T&F has to find a way to be more mainstream. It’s an exciting sport. There are so many different kinds of sports to watch and the media in the USA promotes NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB everywhere one turns.

More $ for T&F please wrote:

I know who Galen Rupp is and so do most, if not all, of my running friends.

During the last Olymoic games, while it was on, several people mentioned Galen Rupp to me in passing. Most likely because they knew I was a running guy and they were being friendly. That goes to show people outside of running do know of him but their recollection and knowledge is fleeting. This tells me T&F has to find a way to be more mainstream. It’s an exciting sport. There are so many different kinds of sports to watch and the media in the USA promotes NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB everywhere one turns.

The problem is that distance running is not an exciting sport if you don't understand paces or know the runners. Before I started running, I had a chance to watch the 72 10000 and even though it was one of the all-time great races, I lost interest after a few laps. There isn't much of a potential market for distance running outside of runners and coaches.

At 6'5" you can play any sport if you have average skills. Don't understand the basketball reference. A 6'5" baseball player would be awesome, as would a 6'5" hockey player, as well as tennis, boxing, golf, etc.

At 6'4", I was disinterested in any typical school sport as a teenager. Likely had something to do with the fact that my parents had zero interest in sports, but it seemed a very dumb thing to me to see these kids running around back and forth playing as if their lives depended on it. The type of games, the politics, the coaches, the rigid structure, schedules, the insecurities of many, the ra-ra school chanting, it was all a turn off. I did intensive hiking, biking, lifting, skiing and such with other like minded groups of friends and always felt we could play anything well...just didn't do it besides the things we enjoyed. In short, I think there's probably many that just don't care about participating and committing to high levels in a sport even though they may do very well. I personally did not try running until my late 20s, and that was only to stay in shape for the other sports.

Galen Rupp is Salazar's Mona Lisa. A perfectly crafted piece of art over a long period of time. Nobody has the faith and patience to stick this out.

Internetsherlock wrote:

And i am taking about his distance running ability, not his looks . US has a fairly high population.

What does that tell you ?

For sure there must be 10 more Rupps out there if things are done right . Or is he originally from Iten

the looks white ?

There are probably dozens of people with his talent, but they are doctors or lawyers or work corporate jobs. White, upper middle class people like Rupp do not look on running as a career. If Rupp had not been spotted playing soccer he would probably be doing the same. In poorer countries like Kenya or Ethiopia, running is a viable career option. Poor people in the United States look for careers in basketball or football to escape poverty.

WinnytheBish wrote:

Galen Rupp is Salazar's Mona Lisa. A perfectly crafted piece of art over a long period of time. Nobody has the faith and patience to stick this out.

accurate and succinct.

btw, what is galen up to nowadays?

SDSU Aztec wrote:I don't know about now, but when I was in HS, soccer was not a popular sport.

Are you over 50 by any chance? If so, you'd better join the 21st century. ;)

Les wrote:

Internetsherlock wrote:

And i am taking about his distance running ability, not his looks . US has a fairly high population.

What does that tell you ?

For sure there must be 10 more Rupps out there if things are done right . Or is he originally from Iten

the looks white ?

There are probably dozens of people with his talent, but they are doctors or lawyers or work corporate jobs. White, upper middle class people like Rupp do not look on running as a career. If Rupp had not been spotted playing soccer he would probably be doing the same. In poorer countries like Kenya or Ethiopia, running is a viable career option. Poor people in the United States look for careers in basketball or football to escape poverty.

So when this Rupp-like runner is invited by the coach to join the XC team, he responds with, "No, I'm planning to be a lawyer"? And if he does run in college, he decides not to go pro after running 27:33?

How many NCAA distance champions can you name that didn't continue running after college?

The point is, it was an accident that Rupp took up running. He did not initiate it. If he was an impoverished Kenyan or Ethiopian he would probably already have it in his mind that running could be his out. No one would have needed to recruit him. Talent or no talent he would probably already be trying. College educations and white collar careers would be unfathomable. For a guy with Rupp's background that would be the norm. He didn't grow up thinking the only way he could make it in life was as a pro runner. He had many life options.

Talent is everywhere wrote:

Predictor wrote:

No. This type of talent would not go unnoticed in gym class or some type of sport or just around the neighborhood.

Bull.

P.E. teachers kniw nithing about identifying running talent.

Even if skme of them were good at finding talent, hardly any of thay talent wants to choose running over lacrosse or soccer or baseball or football or basketball.

.....Those sports are fun to play.

Further, no kids know who Galen Rupp is.

They all know who Steph Curry is.

Further, further, running is the lowest paying professional sport there is.

Why would any elite athlete gravitate towards running??

Further, further, further, why would any Olympic aspiring athlete choose running when skateboarding is going to replace distance T&F evemts anyways.

BTW, xgames train 8 hours a day now and make a lot more $$ than runners do.

In the 70's high school coach Harry Johnson picked guys out of gym class and got them to run events which is why they were a powerhouse. Great High School coach just don't dip into the Athletics West Days...

SDSU Aztec wrote:

So when this Rupp-like runner is invited by the coach to join the XC team, he responds with, "No, I'm planning to be a lawyer"? And if he does run in college, he decides not to go pro after running 27:33?

How many NCAA distance champions can you name that didn't continue running after college?

Rudy Chapa entered law school after winning NCAA and breaking American record. He ran some road races after that, including a 7th place finish at NYC marathon in 2:11. He could have become a better runner than Salazar, if you believe what Salazar has written about him.

Les wrote:

The point is, it was an accident that Rupp took up running. He did not initiate it. If he was an impoverished Kenyan or Ethiopian he would probably already have it in his mind that running could be his out. No one would have needed to recruit him. Talent or no talent he would probably already be trying. College educations and white collar careers would be unfathomable. For a guy with Rupp's background that would be the norm. He didn't grow up thinking the only way he could make it in life was as a pro runner. He had many life options.

Most kids have options, but they don't have to make any decisions in 9th grade. You can compete in HS and college and not hinder your ultimate career.

There is no way to know if Rupp would have stayed in soccer had he not met Salazar. Salazar was the head cross country at Central Catholic so it was not unusual for him to hear about Rupp. Rupp's mother was a former HS state mile champion and wanted Rupp to run distance. It's likely that any XC coach would have approached Rupp to run and his parents would have encouraged him to do so. To think he wouldn't have run is to assume that only Salazar the necessary motivational skills.

Rupp says he would have stayed in soccer, but he might say that only because it's a good story.

Just Another Hobby Jogger wrote:

SDSU Aztec wrote:

So when this Rupp-like runner is invited by the coach to join the XC team, he responds with, "No, I'm planning to be a lawyer"? And if he does run in college, he decides not to go pro after running 27:33?

How many NCAA distance champions can you name that didn't continue running after college?

Rudy Chapa entered law school after winning NCAA and breaking American record. He ran some road races after that, including a 7th place finish at NYC marathon in 2:11. He could have become a better runner than Salazar, if you believe what Salazar has written about him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Chapa

Yeah, Chapa was very talented, but starting with his senior year he became injury prone and that year was a big dissapointment. I believe he DNFed in the 1980 OT 5000. Running 2:11 showed a serious commitment to running again, but as I recall, he became injured again and he decided he had had enough. Shorter also went to law school so it's not the end of a running career.

runnER/DR wrote:

It also affects professional pay...which obviously changes how many college runners pursue a professional career and how many pros stick with it long term.

That's no excuse. Kawauchi worked a full-time job and still won the Boston Marathon.

The average estimate for Galen Rupp's salary is $758,333 per year.

Where are the special talents that are rejecting the potential to earn this kind of money?

"...one of which, Nandis, consisting of just under 1m people, have won 72 medals (47% of Kenya’s total), a number higher than the combined total of North America, South America, Asia and Oceania."

They have genetic advantages for running.

Leftists will say all humans are equal at all times and that all cultures are equal, but this idealism is clearly wrong. This obsession with equality is how leftist teachers convince naive students that socialism will bring us a utopia.