The Guru Matt James
Jonathan Gault wrote:
Sailerman wrote:
Im confused. A week ago you insisted that when USATF said "standard," it could only possibly refer to "time standard."
Please either change this thread or admit you were wrong in your other thread. USATF obviously meant "time or rankings standard" when they said "standard." After people kept pointing that out, you said things like "the spokesman's job is to say things clearly, when she said 'standard,' she clearly meant qualifying by time only."
This is NOT the issue here.
We asked USATF to clarify that part of the statement because people on the messageboard seem confused (one week later, they still haven't done so), but to us it's always been clear that standard meant time standard.
The problem here is that it's not even clear whether USATF actually has a selection policy in place at all at this time. If you read the article, Jeff Porter, who's chair of the Athletes Advisory Committee at USATF, said that the procedures to finalize the selection policy have not taken place yet. No one at USATF would confirm that the policy they told us about in an official statement is actually in place. That's what we're trying to figure out.
I also find it incredible that you would criticize us for our interpretation of the USATF statement and at the same time state that "USATF obviously meant 'time or rankings standard' when they said 'standard.'" So when we make an interpretation, we are jumping to conclusions, but when you interpret that same sentence, it's "obvious" what USATF meant? That's ridiculous. Even if USATF meant "time or rankings standard," (which I am still sure they did not), there is nothing "obvious" about the way it is written. In fact, the way the statement is written is the opposite of what they would write if they were trying to say what you believe they did.
This is so ridiculous. You were always certain that "Olympic Standard" meant time standard yet you always acknowledged it also meant a top finish at a WMM or Gold Label event. How could you be so certain it allowed for that but didn't consider the rankings?
It just doesn't make sense. And that is why LRC is getting heat for blowing it out of proportion.
But it is getting clicks (I'm falling for it), and at the end of the day that's what it is all about so kudos to y'all.