Millrose Games

[tandfman]

Re: Millrose Games

Realist wrote:
>That's a pre-season exhibition game in the world of real elite track.<

Realist, you and I have had this discussions many times, and I'm sure we will continue to have it off line, notwithstanding the fact that we'll never convince each other. But since you've gone on record here, I'll put in my own two cents worth. I go to a lot of meets where I see "real elite trck." But I don't go to any that I enjoy more, year after year, than the Penn Relays. If you love pure track competition, you should love Penn.

That having been said, I can't be sure that I can recommend Penn to the guy who started this sub-thread. I infer that he is one of those people who can't seem to imagine enjoying high school or college competition that doesn't involve world-class athletes. So while the rest of the 50,000 people there are going nuts over a very competitive high school 4x400 between a couple of Jamaican schools and a school from NJ and one from California in a 3:10 race, this guy would be unhappy because at the Olympics, they'll go under 3 minutes.

That kind of elitism is, indeed, an unfortunate condition. I know people who have suffered from it, and I feel sorry for them.

[marknhj]

Re: Millrose Games

Tried that Steve, didn't work. I watch UCLA vs. USC every season and do enjoy that. There are always world class athletes on one team or other and I also have a pathalogic dislike of USC so enjoy UCLA beating them.

On another note, I just read the Johnny Gray and Mark Everett are running in the Millrose. I thought they'd both retired. How old is Johnny? Is he seriously trying to make the Athens team?

[marknhj]

Re: Millrose Games

That kind of elitism is, indeed, an unfortunate condition. I know people
>who have suffered from it, and I feel sorry for them.

Tandfman, thank you for your pity. As I implied earlier I'll seek professional guidance to rid me of this awful condition. But rest assured, I'm of the same opinion of lower level soccer and other sports. I am at least consistent in my biases.

[kuha]

Re: Millrose Games

I second marknhj's sentiments. Elitism is one of those dirty jobs that someone has to do, right? I love seeing track WRs and I also enjoy seeing the local girls' basketball games in which the daughter of my good friend plays. There's no "one" way to enjoy sport...and that's the beauty of it.

[kuha]

Re: Millrose Games

One last note on the "elitism" issue. We need to be realistic in the country as to what constitutes "good" or "great" performances. Our insularity leads us to get just a tad too excited by, say, 3:37-type 1500 guys. The alltime outdoor stats as of now:

1500:
62 performances under 3:30
100th: 3:30.63
500th: 3:33.10
1000th: 3:34.39

5000:
131 performances under 13:00
100th: 12:58.57
500th: 13:09.54
873th: 13:14.98 (as far out as the list I checked goes)

What we've got used to seeing in this country of late barely registers on the historical scale.

[hjsteve1.97]

Re: Millrose Games

a Supreme Court jurist once said " I cannot define pornography, but I know it when I see it."

I cannot define an "Elite" performance, but when someone breaks 3:30 or 13:00, that is Elite to me. But those frequency #'s for faster times than that are indeed amazing.