What does Brian Sell do at Home Depot? (Read 1146 times)

Awesome. My wife (who is from Beijing but lived here for the past 20 years) is amazed that Team USA, for the most part, are just normal everyday people with jobs. Very different concept from China.

Brian Sell and a few others are more like exceptions. Ryan Hall, Kara Goucher (& her hubby), Lagat, , Gay, Felix, Sanya Richards, Phelps all have no other jobs other than running and swimming. And I almost forgot. Deana Kastor also has no other job. Her job is running. Who else? I think all the top US runners have no jobs. Same as China, Russia, or other countries. So are Mistry-May and Kerri Wash. Their job is beach volleyball. When Brian Sell made it to the world stage as a top runner in the world, I think he won't have to work in Home Depot any more. I do admire Brian Sell and those who work at Home Depot. I think his work ethics has been awesome. He is a winner no matter how he does in the Olympic (Frankly, he won't get into top 10 or even top 20) But your statement in general is incorrect.

I don't have data. But I only pay attention to swimming and track and field. Besides Brian Bell, Mary Weinburg, who else on the T&F team or swimming team actually have jobs. Do you have the data to back that up that 51% of T&F and swimming Olympians have jobs? If so, then I will retract my statement. For a fact, I know Tyson Gay, Wariner, Sanya Richards, Merrit, Lolo Jones, Phelps, the Gouchers, Flanagan, Jen Rhines, Tori Edwards, Alison Felix, .... all have no other jobs. It is nothing wrong with that. But why guys always want to put down athletes from other countries. I just don't understand why.

I don't have data.

Okay. But it might be good to actually have facts before you tell somebody they're wrong about something. Don'tcha think? Does anybody actually know? They must list this stuff somewhere. The only ones I've heard about are the softball team. Who all work so very hard at their day jobs. As MSNBC told me over and over, along with some inspirational music. Except that cute blond pitcher doesn't have to work, because she's cute and blond and the pitcher.

It is nothing wrong with that. But why guys always want to put down athletes from other countries. I just don't understand why.

Who was putting down other countries? You mean that line up there about how it explains China's medal count? Or did I miss a post somewhere?

I love that the 3rd grade teacher in the video has plans to bring Brian to meet her class. What an inspiration for those kids. And the perfect age for kids to get the running bug!

Okay. But it might be good to actually have facts before you tell somebody they're wrong about something. Don'tcha think? Does anybody actually know? They must list this stuff somewhere. The only ones I've heard about are the softball team. Who all work so very hard at their day jobs. As MSNBC told me over and over, along with some inspirational music. Except that cute blond pitcher doesn't have to work, because she's cute and blond and the pitcher. Who was putting down other countries? You mean that line up there about how it explains China's medal count? Or did I miss a post somewhere?

Ok, let's not get into heated discussion about this. The amateur ideal of the Olympics has been buried in the past. If you really need some data, just look at the Olympians. Besides the T&F & swimming, e.g. the whole basketball team is pro, the majority of the women b ball team is pro. Pretty much the whole baseball team, the majority of the women soccer team, the whole soccer team. The whole women table tennis team from US were ex national team players from China. The list goes on and on. For any country who send more than 50 people to the Olympics, there will not be more than a handful of them with more amateur athletes than pros. There is nothing wrong with that. Audience wants to see the best athletes. And I don't think anyone wants to see amateurs anyway, unless the performance is the same.

How many athletes fit in "a handful"? I'm going to assume you mean "a few". This is simply NOT TRUE in the case of the United States, especially factoring in the winter games. It isn't. YOU go look it up.

I meant only a handful of countries at most with more amateur athletes than pros. And I was just mentioning the summer games. The winter game is a different story. It is hard to get sponsors. And it helps if your parents are willing to sell a home (in the case of Michelle Kwan) or rich enough to sponsor you. Most of the ice skaters come from pretty well-off families. Other countries may not have families that are rich enough to spend $100k+ a year to train their sons and daughters. And for the T&F, how many of you are rich enough to travel in first class flights. I am not. But a lot of the pro runners do, like the Gouchers'.

And for the T&F, how many of you are rich enough to travel in first class flights. I am not. But a lot of the pro runners do, like the Gouchers'.

Tip for you: next time you get on a plane, check the people in first class. Most of them aren't rich. They are frequent travelers who have gotten upgraded w/o paying first class prices. As for "a lot of pro runners", how on earth do you really know this? Do you work for an airline? Have you seen manifests? And even if you HAVE seen some elite runners in first class, how do you know that they paid for this? It sounds to me like you read a story about the Gouchers specifically. You keep bringing them up. Great, they get paid to run. Ok. And some people travel first class. Also, ok. And lots of people on the US team, like other countries, get paid. Ok. But many MANY do not. Edited to add: there's also a big difference between getting paid a stipend to buy food while you train, and being a rich jet-setter, which is what you are implying. Outside of basketball, baseball, and a FEW T&F elites, this isn't the case.

AGAIN, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING A PRO RUNNER!

But there is (apparently) something wrong with trying to take away our superiority complex by not allowing us to believe that we are all still amateurs in the olympics, which also gives the hope that we might one day get there (or our kids will.) Sorry...just don't see anything worthwhile being discussed unless somebody actually pulls the numbers.