Arsenal=Pre

[evanpemsocr]

I was just kinda thinking about this the other day after I watched Without Limits. For those of you who know anything about Steve Prefontaine, the great American distance runner of the 70's. He always wanted to win, like Arsenal always wants to win. However, he cared about the way he won too. It kind of reminds me of Arsenal, we want to win by playing the best football, not scoring an early goal and sitting back and defending the rest of the game. Pre wanted to win by running faster than everyone the whole race, he didnt like people who sat back and lagged on others and at teh end won the race. He would call running like that chickenshit. He never changed his principles about running, and I dont think we should either about football. I just think there are a lot of similarities to mentality that are shared between Pre and Arsenal.

[TheImposter]

http://a712.g.akamai.net/7/712/225/v20061013eb/www.eastbay.com/images/products/zoom/07953300_z.jpg
Sigh... (wipes tear).

[Highbury]

I want that shirt!

[JCGooner]

I was just kinda thinking about this the other day after I watched Without Limits. For those of you who know anything about Steve Prefontaine, the great American distance runner of the 70's. He always wanted to win, like Arsenal always wants to win. However, he cared about the way he won too. It kind of reminds me of Arsenal, we want to win by playing the best football, not scoring an early goal and sitting back and defending the rest of the game. Pre wanted to win by running faster than everyone the whole race, he didnt like people who sat back and lagged on others and at teh end won the race. He would call running like that chickenshit. He never changed his principles about running, and I dont think we should either about football. I just think there are a lot of similarities to mentality that are shared between Pre and Arsenal.

over rated middle distance runner who happened to be good looking and died young ... unfortunately I think you may have hit on a good comparison with our season to date

[billyho96]

over rated middle distance runner who happened to be good looking and died young ...

who happens, through university level, to hold every age class American record in middle distance running (if thats what you mean by overrated)

[pookspur]

... He always wanted to win, like Arsenal always wants to win. However, he cared about the way he won too. It kind of reminds me of Arsenal, we want to win by playing the best football, not scoring an early goal and sitting back and defending the rest of the game. Pre wanted to win by running faster than everyone the whole race, he didnt like people who sat back and lagged on others and at teh end won the race. He would call running like that chickenshit. He never changed his principles about running, and I dont think we should either about football. I just think there are a lot of similarities to mentality that are shared between Pre and Arsenal.

you should probably say "between Pre and Wenger". if arsenal weren't willing to 'change their principles' about the way football is to be played, they never would have hired a positive, attacking manager like wenger in the first place.

no offense, but what you're saying, in effect, is "i hope we never go back to the kind of 'chickenshit' football that brought this club so much of it's success and glory".

[JCGooner]

who happens, through university level, to hold every age class American record in middle distance running (if thats what you mean by overrated)

you have inadvertently proven my point... American middle distance running has been dire since Jim Ryun... have a look at Prefontaine's times compared to his peers from other countries at the time, they are not close to being the best.... it's been a long time since American middle distance records were competitive

[TheImposter]

I want that shirt!
I'm wearing it right now. I saw it at Dick's one day, but I got the pic from Eastbay, right here:

http://www.eastbay.com/catalog/productdetail.cfm?TID=5555-58030614580158141242481-0&cm=GLOBAL%20SEARCH%3A%20KEYWORD%20SEARCH&supercat=home&model_nbr=67976&sku=07953300&size=

Pre was one of my idols when I was in high school -- I didn't run track or cross country, but was still a big fan. I got to UO a couple years after he died. He is, of course, a God in Eugene.

JCGooner just doesn't get it if he thinks Pre's glory lies in comparing him with Kip Keino, Lasse Viren, Henry Rono, or anybody who's come since.

[JCGooner]

I'm wearing it right now. I saw it at Dick's one day, but I got the pic from Eastbay, right here:

http://www.eastbay.com/catalog/productdetail.cfm?TID=5555-58030614580158141242481-0&cm=GLOBAL%20SEARCH%3A%20KEYWORD%20SEARCH&supercat=home&model_nbr=67976&sku=07953300&size=

Pre was one of my idols when I was in high school -- I didn't run track or cross country, but was still a big fan. I got to UO a couple years after he died. He is, of course, a God in Eugene.

JCGooner just doesn't get it if he thinks Pre's glory lies in comparing him with Kip Keino, Lasse Viren, Henry Rono, or anybody who's come since.

I would never compare him to Rono, Keino or Viren for the simple fact that they were all far more accomplished (and successful) middle to long distance runners than pre. My point is he is an icon more because of his looks/short life/rock star image than his running ability. He was essentially created as one of sport's first marketing superstars, and we all know the myths that are sometimes embellished when marketing people get involved.....

[TheImposter]

I would never compare him to Rono, Keino or Viren for the simple fact that they were all far more accomplished (and successful) middle to long distance runners than pre. My point is he is an icon more because of his looks/short life/rock star image than his running ability. He was essentially created as one of sport's first marketing superstars, and we all know the myths that are sometimes embellished when marketing people get involved.....
So would you say that the best American soccer player of this generation (pick who you like) is not worthy of our admiration because he's not as good as the best from Europe and South America?

And there was a certain style, flair and gritty committment to Pre before Nike posthumously got hold of him. His myth was huge in Oregon before Nike came out with their first waffle-soled aircraft carriers.

Geez, next you'll be saying I should stop genuflecting before my graven image of Bill Bowerman! ;) (You're not the Beaver, are you? I think that's somebody else with Gooner in his name).

[evanpemsocr]

you should probably say "between Pre and Wenger". if arsenal weren't willing to 'change their principles' about the way football is to be played, they never would have hired a positive, attacking manager like wenger in the first place.

no offense, but what you're saying, in effect, is "i hope we never go back to the kind of 'chickenshit' football that brought this club so much of it's success and glory".

Im saying that we should always make it our goal to play the way taht we do now. Im saying that we should continue to play the kind of football that we play now, the kind that has won us so much the last decade or so.

[evanpemsocr]

http://a712.g.akamai.net/7/712/225/v20061013eb/www.eastbay.com/images/products/zoom/58135340_z.jpg

I bought this one just recently

[billyho96]

you have inadvertently proven my point... American middle distance running has been dire since Jim Ryun... have a look at Prefontaine's times compared to his peers from other countries at the time, they are not close to being the best.... it's been a long time since American middle distance records were competitive

thus the reason Nike runs those ads in USA, we know we can't beat the Kenyan, but that doesn't make a good commercial

"Nike. Better on Kenyans."