How do people have the nerve to say Harry Greb would be competitive in any era?

On what are you basing that opinion?

 

I could take the argument further, and point out that records at distances like 100 miles have advanced painfully slowly at times.

 

greb might struggle today, as the refs wouldn't let him get away with the fouls he was allegedly a master at. then again he might be able to hide it like hopkins.

 

I have a friend who is an International ultra-distance runner. The Commonwealth 24-hour race Champs he took part in last year was won by a woman! It's hardly a mass participation sport. :nut

I think Marathon would be the distance limit to continue the theme for the previous comparisons. :good

 

I disagree.

There is a huge ultra distance talent pool in some countries, which is often interwoven with the top marathon distance runners.

The anomalies such as women winning, and records standing for decades, can't simply be put down to the talent pool.

 

Just for curiosity ..... what top Marathon runners can you name that compete in ultra distance?

 

Off the top of my head, Alberto Salazar.

 

He did that more than a decade after he was a world class Marathoner ..... hardly interwoven with his career as a top class Marathoner!

 

Yes, you step up in distance as you get older.

There is a huge financial incentive for any world class marathoner who wants to take on that race.

If it is an easy days work, then whats the problem?

 

Alberto hasn't been a top marathoner in twentyfive years. The only sport he competes in is competitive heart attacking.

 

"How do people have the nerve to say Harry Greb would be competitive in any era?"

Its pretty easy to have the nerve..

 

Boxing is like cricket, if you were great then, you'd be greater today, and as I have said before especially in the lighter divisions.

 

Ofcourse I never saw Harry Greb fight.

I have seen film of Mickey Walker and he was a badass. Greb beat him. I also saw Gene Tunney and he was a great boxer. Greb beat him at least once.

Both of those guys that I named would be competitive today so do the math. Greb would be too.

 

I'm all for a well-presented argument, regardless of stance. I think it was Amsterdam who used that exact same video a few years ago to present the case for moderns over old-timers.
But he did it with thought and intelligence, and the thread turned into a great discussion with good arguments from both sides.

 

Joe Calzaghe?