I am an American runner, and it was with a great deal of pride that I watched Meb Keflezighi cross the finish line as the male winner of the New York City Marathon last Sunday (Nov. 1). In winning, Meb became the first American since Alberto Salazar, in 1982, to win the NYC Marathon, and as he ran down the final straightaway he repeatedly pointed to the USA emblazoned on his chest with tears streaming from his eyes. It was a great moment for this country, and is further evidence of an American running resurgence (Americans took 6 of the top 10 male spots in NYC).
It was with a great deal of shock and surprise, then, that I read this disgusting article written by Darren Rovell of CNBC. In the article, titled "Marathon's Headline Win Is Empty," Rovell states that:
"Meb Keflezighi, who won yesterday in New York, is technically American by virtue of him becoming a citizen in 1998, but the fact that he's not American-born takes away from the magnitude of the achievement the headline implies."
He goes on to state that Keflezighi is "is an American citizen thanks to taking a test and living in our country" and that he is like "like a ringer who you hire to work a couple hours at your office so that you can win the executive softball league." Rovell later posted a follow-up post to explain his comments, which, in my opinion, was little better than the first.
What I find most disturbing about Rovell's article is his insinuation that Meb Keflezighi is not a true American because he was born in Eritrea. It apparently matters little to Rovell that Keflezighi has lived in the US since 1987 (he was 12), has been a citizen for over 10 years, grew up in the American running system, competed in college for UCLA, and earned a silver medal for the United States in the marathon in the 2004 Olympics. It's also worth pointing out that the last American winner in NYC, Alberto Salazar, was born in Cuba, and is currently one of the best known distance running coaches in this country.
So why am I posting this on this site? Because it's yet another example of how some in this country can't seem to remember what the United States is all about. Most all of us have ancestral roots from, or were born in, some other place in the world. The concept of the "melting pot" was something I learned way back in elementary school, and to say that someone with a strange name who was born in another country is not American, despite growing up and living in this great country, is patently absurd. We should be celebrating the fact that an American won this race, just like we celebrated the fact that another guy with a funny name won our presidency last November. At least that guy, according to Rovell's criteria, is an American (though some in our country seem to doubt that as well).
Congratulations, Meb, for bringing the NYC marathon crown back to the USA!
Here are a few videos featuring Meb in NYC courtesy of Runner's World:
Update: This topic was diaried yesterday here by bustacap: "CNBC Writer Lambasted for Racist Opinion." Didn't catch it in my search.