There goes the swimming pool!@Satyrica:
He's back and coming out firing! HUZZAH!@Sproing:
" . . .were one."@ElvisWorley:
You wrote I valued the life of Phelps over Kiplagat merely because I had the temerity to point out that Phelps would be able to charge a higher price that Kiplagat for a one on one training session. An economic reality if there ever was one.
One more thing and then I am off this subject: underlying this whole discussion is the implication that Kiplagat cannot make up his own mind as to what is good for him, and I do not mean just financially. One does not become a world class athlete by being a shrinking violet. If he felt insulted by this deal, he would not have agreed to it.@Bitter Poor: @tigolbitties:
I have mentioned nothing about liberal white guilt. But the fact that you have is telling.
The act of paying a highly talented athlete to train with your for a day for the experience is not condescending. Old men (yes, some of them are white!pay tens of thousands of dollars to spend a weekend playing pickup ball with Jordan. Are they acting condescending to MJ? Obviously, not.
I believe that the people in this thread who disagree with me are forcibly injecting a racial angle. @Bitter Poor:
Ah, now I see. You want to see racism in everything, gives you something to write about. To paraphrase Freud, 'sometimes a cheetah, is just a cheetah.'
And also it seems a little intellectually lazy for a PHD candidate to make unsupported statements about my character merely because I believe this rich guy is not racist. No?
You are right about one thing: I am dismissive of your comments.
And yes, you insulted me. But, don't worry as I am considering the source, thus, I take it as a compliment.@tigolbitties:
I mean Phelps over Kiplagat, but you got the point. I hope.@ElvisWorley:
I have no idea what people say when they work out next to a world class athlete.
But I do know that comparisons in the world of athletics between a human and an animal can sometimes be a compliment, which I think was the case at hand.@tigolbitties:
Could not disagree more.
The runner was compared to the fastest land mammal due to his speed, not to belittle him. What you want to read into the quote is your own doing.
And Phelps would get $40,000 due to his world records, massive amount of medals and celebrity, things which, apparently, Kiplagat does not have.
Lastly, your statement that I value the life of Kiplagat over Phelps is as stupid as it is spurious. Your the one who got things twisted.@tigolbitties:
Ridiculous.
Essentially he hired a world class personal trainer for the day. The notion that this is comparable to slavery is complete horseshit. I agree, maybe $400 is a little cheap, but hey, the guy agreed to it! He certainly could have said "Go F yourself!".
And from what I read, the family had lunch with the runner. So, your idea that they treated him with disrespect appears offbase.
And btw, if an avid swimmer did not know Phelps' name, and called him the "white guy", I would suggest that the person wear floaties and still not go into the deep end of the pool.@ElvisWorley: @Xylo:
From what I understand, Kenyan runners are -- by far -- the best distance runners in the world. I believe a Kenyan runner won the marathon in Beijing this summer, while destroying the competition. The competition I believe consisted, in part, of his own countrymen.
Again, do you really think Kenyan distance runners would be angry with being considered the best?
No offense, but I believe you are overreaching with your comparison. @Xylo:
Sorry for the earnest moment. I have not read the article, just this post.
What's the difference if the guy was an avid swimmer and paid Phelps for a swim workout and then said "It's like swimming next to a dolphin" (Admittedly, Phelps would probably charge $40,000 - not $400).
Is it because he compared the runner to a cheetah, an African cat? Do you really think the runner would be insulted by that comparison? Really? @crashedpc:
Serious. Go ahead, please tell me.@tigolbitties:
I really don't see the outrage in this, sorry. Perhaps he should have been paid more...?
Also, are you implying that the statement "...running next to a cheetah" belies a latent racism? If so, please explain.
"I don't understand why they don't hire me to be Gollum in 'The Hobbit'... All they need to do is shave my head and a few ounces of body paint, and bam...'preeeccccccccioooooosss'. Not to mention how much they would save on CGI costs."
Doc's "Lost" Column -- love it.
Yes, wearing sweatpants to a strip club is a bit too obvious and a breach of etiquette. However, I should not talk, my "go to" strip club outfit consists of a mesh tank top and umbro shorts.
"So, this guy... he invited dynamite, and he said, if I put a concert together, I could use it for some awesome pyrotechnics. And that's how the Nobel concert began."
