• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Click here to download the  free ebook of Alberto Juantorena’s  detailed training workouts leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympics

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Sport Psychology
  • Archives
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Checkout
    • Basket

SHIN SPLINTS REDUX – White Elephant

You are here: Home / Doug Logan / SHIN SPLINTS REDUX – White Elephant
2
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

September 26, 2013 by Jimson Lee 4 Comments

Last Updated on July 10, 2014 by Amir Rehman

This new series is guest blogged by Doug Logan.

Doug Logan is an Adjunct Professor of Sports Management, at New York University.

He was the CEO for USATF from 2008 until September 2010.

photo.jpg

He was also the CEO, President and Commissioner for Major League Soccer from 1995 to 1999.  To read more about his background and involvement in Track, Soccer, Rugby and the Music industry, read my Freelap Friday Five Interview

This is his 19th article. Click here for his entire series.

SHIN SPLINTS REDUX

White Elephant

 

In the late 1970’s I was recruited to play a leadership role in the development of the MetroCentre, a sports and entertainment venue in Rockford, IL. This second largest city in the state had been trying to finance and build a Civic Center for nearly 50 years. There had been five separate attempts to develop a mass gathering facility, and all five attempts were shot down by citizen opposition. The one thing in common with all these failed attempts was that in all cases the “antis” used the same metaphor for the proposed projects. They called them a “white elephant”.

I was ultimately hired not only to form capital for the financing, and supervise the design and construction, but also to be the facility’s first General Manager and operate it. The project had its vocal critics right up to its opening on January 1st, 1981and beyond. I decided to take that historic metaphor and make it mine. Several weeks before the inaugural event I unveiled the mascot for the project. I had gone to the Imagineering Labs at Disney in Orlando, FL, and had them make a life-size costume of a white elephant. The mascot, who did not talk, began making public appearances throughout the city including parades, city council meetings, press conferences, children’s wards at hospitals, etc. I refused to have the mascot called anything but “the white elephant”. No naming contests.

See also  International Women's Day Salutes Wyomia Tyus

The pachyderm was a big hit. I ultimately had to replace the costume twice because of wear and tear. And, I had taken a negative sobriquet and turned it into a positive.

The current destructive battle over funding governmental operations is branded in a similar, albeit opposite, fashion. A relative small number [about 40] of House Republicans, together with a miniscule number [about 4] of Senate Republicans are using political terrorism to force the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Too strong a term, you say? What is terrorism? It is the use of threat and fear and force by a small minority to enforce their will on the majority. Those opposed to universal health care lost the battle in Congress, lost the lawsuit at the Supreme Court and are now waging a rear guard action to stop the law of the land before it is implemented. And, they are using the cudgel of the appropriations bill that funds government operations. Listen to the rhetoric of the partisans. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas this week said the law must be stopped “by any means necessary”. Malcolm X must be rolling over in his grave to hear his revolutionary battle cry screeched by this right-wing apostle.

The fascinating rhetorical gambit by the Republicans has to do with their refusal to call the Affordable Care Act by its name. They insist on calling it Obamacare. It is not only that they use this name for it, but it is the way they use it. They spit it out like an epithet. It has become their mantra. And, I suggest it has also become their metaphor for “that black guy in the Oval Office”. I am convinced that “the O word” has become the surrogate for “the N word”, and when uttered all the active and latent disciples of racism in this country know what it means.

See also  A Systematic Approach To Developing Individual Success Within A Dynamic Team Culture

The curious element of this battle is that the Affordable Care Act is really the child of Republican policy making. Many of the elements of the bill were developed by the Heritage Institute, a conservative Republican think tank. The “mandate” element of the law was a Republican alternative to the “single payer”. Mitt Romney, as Republican Governor of Massachusetts, implemented a highly successful replica of the law as his signature accomplishment during his term. When he ran for president he had to run away from his achievement like Usain Bolt because the political terrorists decided that they could not allow “that black guy in the Oval Office” a victory.

The key argument comes down to this: progressive Democrats believe that access to affordable, quality health care is a societal right while their opponents do not. Every civilized country in this world treats its citizens in this benevolent fashion, and most for less money.

About five years ago I began to feel like we had entered a new era in this country in race and gender relations. An African American had slugged it out with a white woman and won the presidency. Ironically, the best golfer [Tiger Woods] was a person of color, the best rapper [Eminem] was a white man and the “tough guy” of the administration as head of the Department of Homeland Security [Janet Napolitano] was a woman. We have seen in the years since the mysterious ways that racism raises its ugly head. Birthers, Congressional obstructionists, Fox analysts, talk radio: all have become proficient at poisoning the political process with “the elephant in the room”. Notice I didn’t say white elephant.

See also  Legally Cheating with Stimulants

Obama, on the other hand, is much smarter than they are. He graciously accepted the use of the term Obamacare. He knows more about history than his opponents. He knows that Medicare and even the Republican drug bill pushed by George W Bush were unpopular prior to their implementation but are now enormously and universally beloved. His legacy as the architect of Obamacare will be burnished as time goes by.

We are becoming less racist as a society. Listening to the hateful blather that this debate produces is akin to watching the dance of the dinosaurs. The proponents of overt and covert discrimination are a vanishing breed. My children’s generation is relatively color blind and will build a political electorate that will not countenance this garbage. I truly believe that this battle is one of the last.

Category iconDoug Logan,  Life & Culture

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Doug says

    September 27, 2013 at 8:28 am

    jimson, sorry to say but all these recent blogs are…well, not track, speed endurance e.t.c. what does redux even mean? these articles may be interesting but are not forus track runners.

    Reply
  2. Doug says

    September 27, 2013 at 8:28 am

    jimson, sorry to say but all these recent blogs are…well, not track, speed endurance e.t.c. what does redux even mean? these articles may be interesting but are not for us track runners.

    Reply
    • Jimson Lee says

      October 6, 2013 at 4:38 am

      I agree with what you are saying, but based on personal feedback, half the readers love Doug’s Thursday posts, and half hate them. Because it’s always on a Thursday, and it’s titled “Shin Splits Redux… “, those who hate it simply skip the article.

      Reply
  3. Kelly says

    September 30, 2013 at 9:47 am

    Mr. Logan – a more appropriate metaphor for the Rockford Metrocentre (now the BMO Harris Bank Center) would be an “Albatross” (as in the Ancient Mariner”). If your analogy transfers to Obamacare – then we’re all in trouble. The Metrocentre has been, and continues to be a money pit. It continues to require subsidies decades later and now even with outside sponsorship (naming rights) still loses money. Simply, it’s failed to become self sufficient – and there is no reason to expect it ever will be. And no, it never acted as a stimulus for economic growth on the west side of Rockford. The restaurants, hotels, and other projected growth failed to appear as well. While the Metrocentre may started with a noble idea, like national health care, it was poorly planned (starting with building it on downtown and on the west side of Rockford) and implemented. Let’s hope Obamacare does better than the Metrocentre. Let’s keep politics off the track forums…

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recommended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbs-aWxyLk

Shop Our Store

  • Bud Winter (9)
  • Championship Productions (6)
  • Clyde Hart (2)
  • Derek Hansen (1)
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (2)
  • Jim Hiserman (6)
  • Jimson Lee (4)
  • Uncategorised (0)

Articles by Category

Products

  • Jim Hiserman - Developing 800m Runners: Identifying, Categorizing and Developing 400m-800m Type Athletes $42.99 $39.99
  • Private Coaching - Monthly Plan $600.00 $525.00
  • Jim Hiserman-Developing-Distance-Runnersv2 Jim Hiserman - Developing Distance Runners Volume 2: A Systematic Approach to Developing Individual Success within a Dynamic Team Culture $34.95 $29.95
  • Feed-the-Cats-Clinic-3-Pack-701 'Feed the Cats' Clinic 3-Pack $64.99
  • Tony Holler's Feed the Cats": A Complete Sprint Training Program Tony Holler's "Feed the Cats" Complete Sprint Training Program $49.99
  • Bud Winter and Speed City presents Arthur Lydiard 509x716 Bud Winter & Arthur Lydiard MP3 [Download only] $9.99

RECENT POSTS

  • Oregon22 Coaches Club now Online
  • IFAC 2022: The Return of In-Person Conferences (with Virtual option)
  • Here is our 400m Discussion Recording… over 2 Hours Long
  • The Best Free Coaching Book – post Beijing 2022 Olympics
  • The Ultimate 400m Track Webinar for Coaches & Athletes
  • NACAC Athletics Coaching Science Series 2022
  • Top Six 400m Predictor Workouts (Number 4 is my Favourite)
  • Best 6 Podcasts for 2021 (and Beyond)
  • Why Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 400mH WR is my Highlight of 2021
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 23]

Copyright © 2023. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd. Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}