And Then There Was Gene

2016 has been an unsettling year.  So many celebrity deaths, a handful of which have reached down into the core of the American soul of popular culture.  Prince, Pat Summit, David Bowie, Muhammed Ali, Morley Safer, Gary Shandling, and yes, even Nancy Reagan.  Then there was news of Gene Wilder's passing.  It doesn't pack the punch of an Ali, Bowie, Shandling or Prince, but I have the feeling that many people under the age of 40 don't realize just how great he was.

Outside of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I have a sneaking suspicion that the Gen X'ers and Millennials don't have a clue about this curly haired comedic genius.  I remember the first movie I ever went to in which Wilder had a leading role.  It was 1974.  Barney McCoy had regaled members of the track team about a new movie he had seen, "Blazing Saddles."  Barney's description of the fart scene had us rolling.

So off I went not knowing a thing about Wilder or the genius behind this great movie, Mel Brooks.  Wilder was this sophisticated, alcoholic gun fighter, playing a buddy to a black sheriff ,Cleavon Little.  The chemistry was stunning and it laid the path for future black/white buddy films including a few that Wilder would star in with the legendary Richard Pryor, "Silver Streak" being the most memorable of their collaborations.

Yet it is two other Wilder/Brooks movies that will stand the test of time.  I didn't see "The Producers" until more than a decade after its release.  Gene Wilder made me uncomfortable.  From that sprung great comedy.  Every time I see that movie, it only gets better.

The greatest movie he ever starred in he co-wrote with Brooks.  If there ever is a movie starring Gene Wilder that you should see it is "Young Frankenstein."  The cast is brilliant and the writing was hilarious.  But it is a song and dance routine that captured the film's essence.  The young doctor tap dancing with the Monster to "Putting on the Ritz" is a classic piece of American comedy.

I can't wait for Thursday night's tribute to Wilder on TMC.  Let the hilarity ensue.

USA Distance: Magna Cum Laude

Jager, present, Centrowitz, present, Chelimo present, Rupp present, excuse me while I hand out a major upgrade to America's distance running efforts at the 2016 Rio Olympics.  Does any team from any country deserve an A+ more than the USA?  Ethiopia came close with Anaya's amazing World Record run in the women's 10,000 and a silver in the men's the marathon.   Kenya, no finalists in the men's 5,000?  Impossible.  The usual steeple gold and Rudisha in the 800 but then a disappearing act in the 1,500.  The Kenyan women at least held their own.

When last we met a mere short five days ago the United States Olympic track and field team was on a roll.  The distance running hot streak continued right through Sunday requiring a major upgrade that the original B+.  In fact, we've just witnessed the greatest distance throw down at the Olympics by the USA ever.

There were so many surprises and so much to celebrate.  We'll start with Evan Jager, who cemented his place as America's greatest steeplechaser.  Henry Marsh held that title for years but Jager's American Record last year along with his silver medal in brutal conditions Wednesday morning closes the book.  Jager ran a gutsy race, pushing the pace, forcing the Kenyans hand.  It was America's first medal in the men's 3,000 steeplechase since 1984.

The most incredible fireworks came on the last night of the Games.  Matt Centrowitz, Jr. fulfilled the promise he first showed with his unexpected bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships.  He finished a disappointing 4th at the 2012 London Games but showed he was on a mission this year by breaking the long standing U.S. Olympic Trials 1,500 record.

Centrowitz exerted amazing control on one of the best 1,500 field ever assembled.  He dominated the race from the front.  Kenya's Asbel Kiprop, the heavy favorite, ran horribly, unable to position himself properly and wasting energy jockeying around the field.

Centrowitz was able to slowly ratchet up the pace with 700 meters to go, sprinting the last 400 in 50.6 to win the slowest Olympic final in more than 80 years.  In doing so he not only beat the world's top-ranked 1,500 runner, Kiprop, but took down the defending gold medalist.  For baby boomers like myself that have lived almost 50 years with the agony of Jim Ryun's silver medal of 1968, Saturday night was redemption.

The men's 5,000 meter final that followed was icing to the cake.  Great Britain's Mo Farah did what Mo Farah does.  He ran a brilliant race staying out of the mess that trailed behind him.  It was like watching roller derby over the last 800 or so.  Somehow, unexpectedly, the U.S.A.'s Paul Chelimo ran a massive PR to grab the silver medal.  Just two places behind him, 41-year-old Bernard Lagat capped his amazing career with another Masters World Record with his 5th place finish.

All that remained was Sunday morning's men's marathon.  Could the U.S.A. come close to duplicating the previous Sunday efforts by the women where Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Linden and Amy Cragg, who all finished in the top nine?  The boys answered with another trip to the podium.

Galen Rupp carved out his claim as America's greatest distance runner ever by grabbing the bronze medal.  When you add that to his silver in the 10,000 in London and his many American Records, Rupp is pushing his way past Steve Prefontaine and Frank Shorter as GOAT.  A win at one of the world's major marathons would only cement it.

Behind Rupp was an amazing run by Jared Ward.  A running every man, who carefully picked his way through the field that gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge laid waste to.  Ward judged his pace properly to run a PR in hot conditions and finish 6th.

Then there was Meb.  Yes, Meb Keflezighi finished a mere 33rd, but consider this, he's 41-years-old and he ran a solid 2:16:46 despite an unforgiving stomach.  Yes, this old man, barfed his way to a sub 2:20 marathon.  Think about that for a second.

So in the end, from the 800 meters to the marathon, the United States took one gold, two silver, and four bronze.  That's seven medals at one games.  That's distance medals than the U.S. won over the last five Olympic Games.

The question is why has it taken so long?  Well, it takes time for the seeds to grow and take root.  Those seeds were planted more than a decade ago.  Some of the credit can go to Meb and Deena Kastor.  Meb's marathon silver medal and Deena's marathon bronze in Athens showed that American's didn't have to take a back seat to the East Africans.

But I will argue that the bulk of the credit should go to a trio of three American high school boys.  Alan Webb, Dathan Ritzenheim and Ryan Hall sparked a running revolution that stirred the internet and sparked a renewed interest in what was possible in distance running at the high school level.  It gave us Rupp, Jenny Simpson, Clayton Murphy, Emma Coburn, Evan Jager and yes, the amazing Matt Centrowitz, Jr.

Health Plus

More than 20 years ago an ambitious venture aimed at exercise opened in Overland Park, Kansas called Health Plus.  Today that monument to fitness is being torn down.  I can't begin to describe how sad this makes me.

Health Plus offered a little bit of everything.  It had a small shoe store, it offered personalized coaching, it had a 25 meter pool, a full sized basketball court, weights of all manner and best of all, a decent indoor running track.  The club also sat just yards away from some of the best running trails the Kansas City area had to offer.

I first ventured into the facility in December of 1984 looking to bring some direction to my running as I was about to turn 30.  I sat down with coach Tom Dowling.  He proceeded to outline a six month running program which would have me completing a 21 mile long run by the end of June.  I looked at him incredulous and told him that was impossible.  I had a busy professional career and there was no way I could tackle anything longer than 10 miles in any given run.

I was running 21 miles on Sundays by May.  I had stumbled upon a unique group of runners of all abilities that had fallen in love with Health Plus and with Dowling in particular.  The long runs were so unique, such a powerful show of camaraderie, that I put together a four minute piece for a television sports show about the Sunday runs.

The runs took place over the rolling hills that stretched south of what was then an undeveloped part of Overland Park and Leawood.  There was a traditional water and bathroom stop four miles in at a Leawood fire station.  Water jugs were stashed in the ditches at various parts along the 21 mile route, which we sometimes stretched to 25 miles.  There was always time to stop for a big coke that we all eagerly shared at a Qwik Trip at 151st Street.  On really hot days, a water spigot at a now vanished nursery provided much needed relief at mile 19.

The most important long run I took from Health Plus didn't happen on a Sunday and it wasn't 21  miles.  It was a Saturday in the summer of 1988 when I went an 18 mile long run with Dowling and a kid I'd never met before named Mike Bloemker.  At the time I wasn't very happy about this kid tagging along.  Seven years later he would become one of my best friends and he now is the head track and field coach at Johnson County Community College.

Besides the long runs I became involved with Dowling's outstanding high school training program.  I discovered what it took to build a high school runner into a state champion.  Dowling and later Bloemker, had dozens of them.  The high school program led me to another great friend, Chris Ronan, a multiple state champion who would later compete for the University of Kansas.

When Tom passed away unexpectedly in 1995, his protege' Bloemker stepped in and while the sense of loss was deep, the high school program rolled along.  The national caliber runners continued to spring from that program including two-time Olympian Amy Cragg.

Health Plus was in the midst of change when Tom died.  The economics of this huge facility simply didn't add up.  It was on its last leg financially by the start of the new millennium.  Bloemker pulled the plug on the now legendary high school program to devote himself full time to his coaching gig at Johnson County.

Now the famous training ground, called Stress Plus, by the high school coaches who hated it, is being torn down.  My memories will endure.  The indoor track meets, breaking into the facility on Sundays to run long on the track during violent thunderstorms, the numerous sexual escapades inside the facility that were shared among the boys while out on those runs and even that precious black and green Health Plus singlet, are stuck in my mind and buried deep in my heart.

In The Home Stretch

We've rolled through more than half of the distance finals at the 2016 Rio Olympics.  The United States is on its way to one of its most successful Olympics from the 800 to the Marathon ever.  Right now if I could grade the effort I would give it a B+.

It started on Friday with an amazing World Record in the women's 10,000 meters.  Even though Molly Huddle was left almost a lap behind in its wake she still blasted the American Record and finished a respectable 6th.  Our women's marathon team followed up on Sunday with its best team showing in the short Olympic history of the event.  Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Linden and Amy Cragg were all in the top nine.  All three ran terrific times in very hot conditions.

Galen Rupp put his stamp on the title of greatest American 10,000 meter runner Sunday night with his 5th place finish.  He won silver in London in 2012.  The skeptics said Rupp should stick to the marathon in Rio and forsake the 10K.  Rupp made those critics eat their words running a very competitive race and I think only sharpened his speed for this weekend's men's Marathon final.

Monday brought the U.S.A. double bronze.  In very hot conditions, a very cool Emma Coburn played a first rate waiting game in the women's 3,000 meter steeple chase.  The hot pace allowed the Colorado grad to slowly work her way onto the podium along with an American Record with her 3rd place finish.

Monday night Kenyan David Rudisha cemented his place as the greatest 800 meter runner of all time.  But the joyous surprise of that race was American Clayton Murphy's fantastic finish to grab bronze in a stunning 1:42.92.  His time was more than a second faster than his personal best and puts the 21-year-old in position to be a real 1500/800 favorite at Tokyo in 2020.

Tuesday night it was another Buffalo gal, Jenny Simpson, who ran as smart a 1,500 final as you could ever hope see.  Genzebe Dibaba's jaw dropping insane 3rd lap left Simpson and fellow American Shannon Rowbury more than 30 meters off the lead.  Both Americans didn't lose their heads during the chaotic final 700 meters and calmly worked their way up the field with Simpson nearly catching Dibaba for the silver, settling for a well-earned bronze and Rowbury just a step behind in 4th.  Simpson, who went to high school in the Tampa area, grabbed the first 1500 medal ever for an American.

A lot of medal chances remain in the upcoming events.  Evan Jager could break up the Kenyan logjam in the steeplechase with a medal.  Matt Centrowitz has a legitimate spot for a medal in the men's 1,500.  I think the American women have almost no hope to win a medal in either the 5,000 or 800, but Katie Grace could surprise in the later.  Getting to the finals of the 800 is a combination of strength by surviving the rounds and competitive smarts.

The real wild card left on the schedule is the men's 5,000 meter final.  Can a 41-year-old Bernard Lagat win another Olympic medal.  If the East Africans are stupid even to jog the first 3,000 meters Lagat has a chance.  No one in the field, outside of Mo Farah, can kick with Lagat over the final 200 meters.  But I'm not holding my breath.

Finally there's the men's Marathon which starts at 8:30 Sunday morning.  Since it is truly a race and not a time trial like the marathons in London and Berlin, Galen Rupp has a chance.  Rupp is a racer.  He can handle the changes of paces the Kenyans and Ethiopians will throw into the competition.  Another Olympic medal would cement Rupp's place as America's greatest distance runner. 

Medals by Jager, Centrowitz and Rupp could take that B+ to an A-.  A Centrowitz Gold over the amzing Asbel Kiprop would bump it all the way to an A+.

Tommy

The news came in the form of an email last week from my favorite boss.  Tommy Sifuentes was dead, natural causes.  He was just 58.  I anxiously waited on an obituary and all I've seen is the announcement for his viewing and funeral.  Tommy and I shared something very important and I feel compelled to write about him.

Thomas Sifuentes, Junior started working at WDAF TV in the late 1970's.  He was just a teenager.  A young Latino, a barrier breaker, like his co-worker Joe Arse and a handful of other Latinos working at KMBC like Ralph Siguera.  Tommy learned how to become a videographer.  Back then it was back breaking work.  Here was this little guy lugging around 70 pounds of gear.  He worked hard.

Tommy wasn't an artist with the camera.  But he cared deeply about his work.  I remember going out with him for a shoot at Royals Stadium in advance of a special story I was working on.  Tommy did everything I asked of him and more.  He was always careful to throw his hand in front of the lens so you couldn't use a shot that he felt wouldn't be up to snuff.  Tommy didn't want second class work making it to air.

Tommy and I both battled the same personal demons and we leaned on each other.  We learned how to be better people from each other.  I owe him more than I think he ever realized.  And I wish that he had known how often I thought about him.

Last year he parted company with WDAF TV.  I can only imagine how hard it was for him to walk away from the only job he had ever known.  I know he was unhappy.  I know that he wanted so much more for his life and for his children that he loved so much.

Losing Tommy caused me to think about all of my television friends that passed too soon over the last 40 plus years that I had the joy of working alongside.  It gets harder as you get older.  The list keeps getting longer and I want those folks remembered, because they all contributed to my life in so many ways.  God bless you Tommy, I pray that you are at peace.