RECALIBRATING EXCELLENCE
3 days ago
Sunday, May 15, 2011
RIP Sammy Wanjiru
I'll never forget watching his 2008 Olympic run. Some consider it the greatest marathon ever run. Very sad news.
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15 comments:
Sadly, it sounds like a possible suicide. His life was a mess over the past 6 months or so; it's too bad it came to an end after just 24 years. I really do think his 2008 Olympic Marathon is the best marathon ever run.
Very sad. :(
Does an Olympic gold medal absolve you from being a decent human being though?
I'm not heartless (though some may argue that), so obvi the situation is sad, but I mean, you have to lay in the bed you make...
regardless of whether he led a less than moral life - the man did some incredible things in our sport and deserves some respect.
Should he win husband of the year? probably not, but that doesn't mean that fans of distance running shouldn't mourn his death.
That's fair. But in that case, I guess you could say I'm more of a fan of human integrity, decency, and women's rights, than I am of distance running.
(oh, how I love blog comment debates with Ben....)
I think maybe the saddest part is that almost no one knew anything about him, other than his marathon times, until after his death.
if a singer does something indecent or disrespects a woman do you delete them from your ipod?
Nope, I wouldn't/don't.
Just like I never stopped enjoying watching Sammy race.
And I still think Clinton was a good president.
And if any of the above died and their death was directly correlated to the shady parts of their life, I wouldn't be very sympathetic. What comes around goes around.
To add a little context to my previous two words and an emoticon:
I don't think Sammy deserves exemption from the law of "what goes around comes around." If you mess up, no matter who you are, there are consequences. Sometimes you get lucky, and they aren't very serious; other times, you're not so lucky, and they're very costly (as they were in this case).
In any event, it's sad that he either didn't want or wasn't able to get the help that he needed to get his life together, and that it ended this way. In my mind, cause for sadness, not sympathy.
this isn't some drug dealer or murderer, it's a kid trying to compete while being one of the best in the world. not that he should be put on a pedestal for his personal life, but to say "what comes around goes around" is a bit extreme.
I think you guys should read into Sammy a bit more before writing him off. I'm not saying that he's for sure not at fault, but according to the rest of his family, his wife was a greedy money-hungry manipulator. I'm sure he wasn't the best husband, but there's at least a reasonable chance that the charges against him were trumped up. That being said, the dude was probably the best racer in the history of long distance running, so even if everything said about him was true, you have to give him credit for attaining the level of success he did in running.
Shouldn't the crime fit the punishment? Since when is death the appropriate punishment for infidelity? Should Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the thousands of other men (and women) who cheat all be forced into suicide?
I'm all for human rights, decency, and women's rights, but I'm also in favor of having respect for human life. His death does not make him wife's life any better.
All I can say is that if it were me, yes I would be upset about the cheating, but no I would still never want my husband to be dead nor unphased that he did die. It's sad. When people die, it's just sad.
Clearly I have never said it is not sad when someone dies. My point is the following:
You know when you're little, and you're told not to touch the stove because it's hot, and then you put your hand right on the hot burner anyway? Yes, it's sad that you now have a crispy nugget for a hand. But your mom doesn't feel sorry for you.
Similarly, if Tiger Woods had choked on a booby tassel from a stripper he was banging, sure, I'd be sad that he died, but I also would see that his death was entirely avoidable and not really feel sympathy.
I don't see this as much different, that's all. Sympathy vs. sadness, as Dave P said.
Additionally, I dont really care.
I agree with Jen that the punishment should fit the crime. I'm not sure an untimely death is the appropriate punishment for infidelity. Castration perhaps?
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