Just Run, Baby!

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,320
Location
Pennsylvania
Here's Jimmy Chitwood's masterpiece from the Track & Field forum (lots and lots of pictures in the original thread, posts 1, 7, 10 and 11):

Just Run, Baby!

by Jimmy Chitwood

The biggest lie that makes the Caste System possible is that the White athlete just isn’t good enough to compete with (and prevail against) the Black athlete. If one buys into this notion, it becomes what is called a self-fulfilling prophecy. As quoted by Psychology Today:

Self-fulfilling prophecies—ideas that become reality simply because someone believes them—do not usually have strong effects. But a study shows that expectations may come to pass when many people hold the same beliefs—if those beliefs are unfavorable. In other words, if people believe it, then it becomes true. With regards to the Caste System, if White folks believe that they can’t perform on the level with their Black peers, then they won’t. This is primarily demonstrated by the lack of participation in so-called “Black” sports such as sprinting in track and field. If White athletes don’t believe they can run with the Black athletes, it follows that they won’t even go out for the sprints, then when they watch the sprints and see only Black kids running it fulfills their false belief that Blacks are faster.

Furthermore, it seems that facts do little to refute these powerful (albeit false) notions that perpetuate the Caste System (see the fastest female high school sprinter in the USA Marybeth Sant of Colorado).

Take, for example, my home state of Arkansas.

According to the most recent census data, Arkansas is a state with a population of a little less than 3 million that is approximately 74% White, 16% Black, with the majority of the remaining population Mexican. But when one observes the track teams around the state, you will see a disproportionately high number of Black participants compared to a disproportionately low number of White participants. (The self-fulfilling prophecy perhaps?)

In fact, it isn’t uncommon for the fastest White kids in the state to not even run track … they play baseball/softball (White sports) instead. Despite all that, though, the results on the track don’t bear out the “fact” that Black runners are faster. The “fact” is that when White athletes actually compete, they are quite competitive.

While there aren’t any elite sprinters in Arkansas this year (there is an elite thrower, a couple of impressive pole vaulters, and a pretty good high jumper), the results of this year’s track season are fairly typical. I’ll share them below.

The “foundation” of all Black-athletic-superiority claims is built upon Black dominance in the short straight-line sprint: the 100-meter dash. It’s said that the White athlete simply can’t measure up. My position is that, while virtually EVERY fast black kid runs track, very few fast White kids do. (Again, the self-fulfilling prophecy.) The results you see on the national stage are the logical result of the differing sample sizes. That being said, despite the small numbers who go out for sprinting in Arkansas, it’s still very common to see White athletes among the fastest kids in the state.

This year, the four fastest times in the 100-meters came at the Meet of Champs, a very cool track meet that pits the State Champions from all classifications (and the top three other fastest state times) against each other head-to-head. Not surprisingly, when the best go at it, they tend to step up their game. It was no different this year.

In the boys’ 100-meters, the #1 thru #4 fastest times in the state were separated by a mere 3-hundredths of a second. First place finished in a time of 10.78 seconds, second place in 10.79, third in 10.80, and fourth in 10.81. Not only did that make for an exciting race, it defies the notion that White athletes can’t run with their Black counterparts … because third (Nick Pattillo) and fourth (Chase Lamers) place were White kids. How is that possible?

[Additionally, in terms of football recruitment, Kavin Alexander (who took second place) is considered one of the top defensive back prospects in the state, primarily because of his speed. He stands 5-feet-7 and is already a jacked-up 185-pounds. Conversely, Chase Lamers (fourth place) is not being recruited at all despite being one of the top free safeties in the state and measuring in at 6-foot-2 and a rail-thin 175. Which athlete would seem to have the more physical potential to improve?]

Similar results are found in the other sprint events, as well.

In the 200-meters White athletes have the second-fastest (Sain-Thomas Mathew, 22.20) and third-fastest (Chase Lamers, 22.22) times in the state.

In the 400-meters, Sain-Thomas Mathew (a junior) posted the #1 fastest time in the state, 48.37 seconds.

Likewise, White runners had the fastest times in the 800-meters (Noah Findlay, 1:55.94), in the 1600-meters (Grant Williams, 4:20.05), and the 3200-meters (Brendan Taylor, 9:12.43). The top two hurdlers in the state were also White. Spencer Sullivan posted the top time in the 300-meter hurdles (39.42) and the #3 in the 110-meter hurdles (15.00). Clint Ligon posted the second fastest time in both the 110-meter hurdles (14.87) and the 300-meter hurdles (39.80).

The field events were completely dominated this year by White athletes … even in the “Black” jumping events. Damian Blossom soared to the top mark in the high jump (6 feet, 8.00 inches). Brandon Workman is clearly a blue-collar athlete, as he flew to the top mark in the long jump (23 feet 1.75 inches). Nate Gneiting, an “overachieving” defensive back on the football field, stood alone on the triple jump, leaping a full 6 inches further than the nearest competition (46 feet, 1.25 inches).

In the pole vault, two nationally elite White athletes emerged. Kyle Wyatt took the state’s top mark (16 feet, 1 inch). Daniel Spickes, a versatile athlete who also finished with the state’s #3 mark in the long jump and #9 mark in the triple jump, actually knocked off Wyatt at the Meet of Champs in the pole vault but managed just the #2 mark in the state (15 feet 8 inches).

No one in the state can come close to Mark Guffin in the throws. Guffin holds the Arkansas state record in the discus (195 feet 2.5 inches) and the top spot with the shot (54 feet 6.25 inches).

By my count, there are 14 individual track and field events at the State Championship level, and in Arkansas White athletes are among the elite in every single one of them. So why do so many (White) people insist and believe that White athletes aren’t good enough to compete? Furthermore, if more White athletes participated in track and field, it follows that there would likely be even more fast sprinters and terrific leapers … yet, so many believe the lie and don’t even go out for track.

There’s not a genetic component that holds back the White athlete. There is only a lack of belief that he (or she) can compete. That fundamental problem is one of the key components that allows the Caste System to exist.

Much of the Caste System dogma is reinforced by encouraging participation by certain groups and the discouraging of it by others. When there are large numbers of Blacks in the population they completely fill the ranks of participants in “their” sports, while the White kids opt out. Conversely, it is only when there are very few Blacks in the population that White athletes necessarily emerge to fill the slots in the so-called “Black” sports. This, in turn, allows the talented White athletes to develop. Following this reasoning, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that gifted, elite outliers such as Marybeth Sant or Dallas Burroughs (Idaho; ran a 10.34 100-meters in 2011) come from areas with virtually no Blacks.

Again, let’s examine the axiom behind the proclaimed Black dominance in athletics by exploring the definitive Black event, the 100-meter dash …

I’ll start with my home state of Arkansas, which has a population of just less than 3 million. Of that total, about 75% are White and almost 16% are Black. I’ve already explained the disproportionate representation in the 100-meters in Arkansas, so I won’t bother repeating it. Despite that limiting factor, however, in the outdoor high school track season of 2013, 3 White kids broke the elite high school barrier of (a wind-legal) 11-second flat 100-meter: Nick Pattillo (10.80), Chase Lamers (10.81), and Ryan Travis (10.93; the #7 overall time in the state).

Now, compare those numbers to the state of Florida, which has long been claimed to be where speed comes from. (Of course, that translates in Caste parlance as “Black” athletes.)

Florida has a total population of over 19 million, with approximately 75% being White and about 16.5% Black. So, with a White population of more than 6 times that of Arkansas, why is it that only 1 (ONE!) White athlete in the state of Florida ran the 100-meters in less than 11 seconds?

There’s only one legitimate reason, and it helps prop up the Caste System: the self-fulfilling prophecy of Black athletic superiority.

Congratulations are certainly in order for South Lake’s Marshall Nunn. He is the only White athlete to overcome the Caste brainwashing in the entire state, and his season-best time of 10.72 seconds in the 100 speaks to not only his physical talent, but also his mental toughness.

This glaring statistical anomaly flies in the face of legitimacy when discussing the notion that “the best athletes play.” (How many times has that been stated by the media, coaches, and even fans over the years?)

Compare the lack of White performers in highly-populated Florida to that of tiny Idaho, the home of the aforementioned Burroughs. Idaho has a total population of about 1.5 million, with around 90% of that White people and less than 1% Black. Despite the small numbers of White folks (and, I submit, because of the small number of Blacks), Idaho produced 4 White runners who cracked 11 seconds this year, with the fastest being Bryson Stout (10.84). That’s as many fast White sprinters as Arkansas and Florida combined despite having only 7% of the population. Obviously, this is statistically significant.

There is even more carry over when you look at Colorado, the home state of the previously-mentioned Sant. Colorado has a total population of a little more than 5 million, with about 80% White but only a bit over 4% Black. By my reckoning, Colorado had 10 White athletes crack the 11-second barrier this year, with Trey Smith (10.61) having the best individual time.

Additionally, two other White athletes (Alex Mead and Tanner Townsend) ran faster than 10.7 and would’ve also placed among the fastest dozen kids in “speed” Florida. Again, how is that possible? It flies in the face of everything we’re told about talent and athletics.

I risk being repetitive, but the facts are FAR different than what the common folk believe and what the “experts” tell us.

Sure, there are lots of fast Black athletes out there, but contrary to popular opinion there are also lots of fast White athletes out there. The problem (as I see it) is that most of the fast White kids just aren’t out on the track. They’re playing baseball, or riding a skateboard, or simply sitting at home playing video games. There are no fast Black kids who don’t run track at the high school level. None! Therefore, there aren’t any Black phenoms who slip through the cracks (unless the dysfunction of the Black lifestyle kicks in). The same can’t be said for the White athlete. I know, both from personal experience in athletics and from these simple statistics I’ve shared, that many (perhaps most?) talented White athletes slip through the cracks, never having explored the fullness of their potential.

This loss of personal achievement and athletic accomplishment is not only depressing from an individual standpoint but also as a fan of sport. Because, truth be told, the best athletes don’t always play.

Let’s continue our examination by taking a look at the example of Illinois, the home state of this year’s fastest White high school sprinter.

Cole Henderson (Pekin Community, IL) has the fastest wind-legal time for White kids in the US (10.51). It’s currently #16 in the nation (and #1 in IL). He also has Illinois’ top time in the 200-meters (21.50) and the top long jump (23 feet, 11.25 inches), which is currently #12 in the nation. His best time in the 400-meters (48.72) is #3 in the state.

As a junior this year, he won 3 individual state titles (100-, 200-, and long jump) and accounted for 31 points at the 3A (largest classification in IL) State Championship meet, single-handedly winning a third-place team trophy.

Not surprisingly, Henderson goes to an all-White school.

Video of the 100-meter finals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17yWYzjVSFE
Video of his post-performance interview: http://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?video_id=90392

[As an aside, Henderson is also a standout wide receiver on the football team, at 6-foot-1, 170-pounds … yet he hasn’t been heavily recruited. “Weird.”]

While it may surprise some folks that the fastest sprinter in Illinois is a White kid, it’s probably not a surprise to add that very few White kids in his state participate in the sprints. Illinois has a population of nearly 13 million, but about 15% of that total is made up of Black people. I submit that the high percentage of Blacks in the state inhibits the involvement of White athletes on the track, because despite a White population that is approximately 3 times that of Colorado and over 6 times that of Idaho, Illinois produced just 5 White sprinters who cracked the 11-second barrier this year.

Jake Smith (Minooka) is a junior and a 3A sectional champ. He had the fastest qualifying time in the prelims to miss the Finals (the top 8 times) at State this year (missing by 1 hundredth of a second), despite not having run the 100-meters since he was in 7th grade. His season-best time of 10.92 is #11 in the state. He’s also a standout basketball player.

Scott Filip (Lake Park) also just missed the cut for the 3A Final (he was 3 hundredths of a second out). His season-best in the 100-meters was 10.95. Filip, an elite all-around athlete, is also a standout in the high jump (PB of 6 feet 9 inches), long jump (23 feet, 8.5 inches), and triple jump (47 feet), all of which are nationally-elite.

Scotty Miller (Barrington) is a youngster to keep an eye on. He ran a season-best 10.97 … and he’s just a sophomore. Also an explosive playmaker on the football field, Miller has a bright future.

Almost cracking the list was Isaiah Mosher. He made the 3A Final with a 10.91, but there was no wind indicated. Mosher is a standout wide receiver at 6-foot-3, 185-pounds, and you’d think with his blazing speed as one of the top sprinters in the state of Illinois (and ideal size) he’d be a highly sought after target on the gridiron … but you’d be wrong.

Does it come as a surprise, then, that Devon Allen (Brophy Prep, AZ) a phenomenal White talent, who is perhaps the nation’s top overall sprinter regardless of color, comes from a state that has a Black population of less than 5%?

Nationally elite in 4 sprint events, Allen is the Arizona state record holder in both the 110- (13.48) and 300-meter (36.39) hurdles, and he also features personal bests of 10.49 in the 100-meters and 20.75 in the 200.

Despite getting a late start to his senior year’s track season due to injuries, Allen still managed to run the second-fastest 100 in the state this year (10.56), and repeat as State Champ in the 200- (20.98), the 110-hurdles (re-set his own state record with a season-best 13.48), and the 300-hurdles (36.74).

The versatile Allen is a standout wide receiver on the football field, as well, and has committed to both run track and play football for the Oregon Ducks.

Allen runs 13.50 in the 110-hurdles into a 1.9 headwind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYfcbGbisMs

Allen’s football highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sMdcuatxUw

Despite Allen’s all-around excellence as an example, however, you still see a vast under-representation of White sprinters participating across the state. Consequently, you once again see very few elite White sprinters. By my reckoning, only 2 other White sprinters cracked the 11-second barrier, but both are among the state’s fastest athletes.

Marcus Setoki (O’Connor) ran a 10.70, which is the #3 overall time in the state.

Clark Brown (Mountain View Mesa; junior) has a personal-best of 10.87 this year (#11 in the state). He was the fastest sophomore in the state a year ago in both the 100- (10.88) and the 200- (21.91). The 5-foot-10, 160-pound Brown is an explosive wideout/returner on the football field, as well, and his long speed (21.62 in the 200) serves him well.

Brown highlight vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXbdhmC06UI

So, I continue to point out the obvious. White potential-sprinters simply aren’t out there running.

http://www.castefootball.us/archives/just-run-baby/

original thread: http://www.castefootball.us/forums/showthread.php/15714-Just-run-baby!
 

Jimmy Chitwood

Hall of Famer
Joined
Aug 10, 2005
Messages
8,973
Location
Arkansas
it's anecdotal, but it is yet another example of my position that fast White kids simply aren't out there running track …

Haiden Lamb (class of 2014, Lee-Davis High in Mechanicsville, VA) has never run in an outdoor track meet. yet, he's one of the fastest sprinters in the country. how do i know? he's run a 6.39 55-meters during indoor track season. when the real track season rolls around, Lamb is doing this:

5162d801b7e91.image.jpg


a standout on the baseball diamond, Lamb has already accepted a scholarship to play baseball for Virginia Commonwealth. but imagine what might have been had he ever focused his efforts on honing his stellar speed.
 
Top