Kevin Beck DESTROYS Gladwell: "No one would do something that dumb" is the smart crowd's favorite stupid claim

Nandrolonologists of the World wrote:

runner69 wrote:

Has Armstronglivs called you out for doping yet?

I can’t remember. If he hasn't should I be disappointed?

Yes. Keep it up a few more years and you'll get there.

The Unkle wrote:

That no athlete would do something that dumb is a reasonable argument.

Not definitive.

But logical, reasonable.

This is why Brian Laundrie could not have killed Gabby Petito - everyone knows the first person the police suspect in a murder investigation is the partner and concentrate all their efforts on investigating them. A person would have to be an idiot to do something so stupid as to kill their wife/girlfriend as they will almost certainly get caught. So, it had to be someone else.

I don’t know who Kevin Beck is but he’s absolutely correct that “no one would be that stupid” is a poor argument. I like Gladwell’s explanations/theories usually but this one is a miss.

Disagree on the Houlihan progression, that seems possible to me. There are so many variables involved in training (coach, training partners, body composition, sleep, nagging injuries, belief in what’s possible, etc) that any one of those could be causing you to fall short of your potential and fixing it can lead to a big jump.

Creepy old man wrote:

I love the way Beck writes. This paragraph is wonderful:

"Whereas all corners of journalism once rejected the ignorant, the half-literate, the lazy, and the spineless, today’s hand-job-happy environment is tailor-made for a freewheeling moron like Chris Chavez, who can compensate for a lack of basic knowledge, thinking power, integrity, running ability, and literacy with sheer ass-kissing, not just to the scumlords like Phil Knight he pleasures via his interviews but the blinkered masses who make up most of his thousands-strong fan base."

Now that’s some good stuff

innocent if it's stupid wrote:

The Unkle wrote:

That no athlete would do something that dumb is a reasonable argument.

Not definitive.

But logical, reasonable.

This is why Brian Laundrie could not have killed Gabby Petito - everyone knows the first person the police suspect in a murder investigation is the partner and concentrate all their efforts on investigating them. A person would have to be an idiot to do something so stupid as to kill their wife/girlfriend as they will almost certainly get caught. So, it had to be someone else.

You underestimate the power of sudden impulse and

Delusional thinking.

Runner10287 wrote:

Creepy old man wrote:

I love the way Beck writes. This paragraph is wonderful:

"Whereas all corners of journalism once rejected the ignorant, the half-literate, the lazy, and the spineless, today’s hand-job-happy environment is tailor-made for a freewheeling moron like Chris Chavez, who can compensate for a lack of basic knowledge, thinking power, integrity, running ability, and literacy with sheer ass-kissing, not just to the scumlords like Phil Knight he pleasures via his interviews but the blinkered masses who make up most of his thousands-strong fan base."

Now that’s some good stuff

Hunter S. Thompson'esque....

the real 26-timer wrote:

hard pass wrote:

Kevin Beck has never destroyed anyone. He’s just a bitter, unsuccessful loser that wines about more talented journalists and blames his lacy of success on culture instead of his obvious shortcomings.

bing-f'n-O

i've always found the excess of bitterness and bile in his writing detracts from the points he tries to make

Journalism is a competitive field and he's probably bitter he never became truly famous, or even sorta famous, like on the lines of Lindsay Crouse (the NYT reporter who broke the Al Salazar/Mary Cain story in 2019).

That's accurate--as you get older you get change. I used to play video games when I was in my 20s but now at 37 any time I'm tempted to play CoD or even look at it I feel weird, like "that was for a different period in your life" and I move on.

It should be noted that Gladwell has a picture of convicted doper Kiprop as his smartphone homescreen, and once made the curious claim that doping is more honourable than genetic advantage.

https://www.sbnation.com/2013/9/6/4700830/malcolm-gladwell-doping-david-epstein-genetics-sports

Strange. I played Computer games 20 years ago and play them now. The games have changed but i do what i enjoy. Tv is too boring for me. Why would i change because of age or the money i earn

sayyestonepotism wrote:

Strange. I played Computer games 20 years ago and play them now. The games have changed but i do what i enjoy. Tv is too boring for me. Why would i change because of age or the money i earn

I respect your decision to do that; I just know that if I started back up again I'd feel weird about it--like it was in the past and should be left there. But I have no issues if others play video games. I tried to get back into it recently but felt weird, that's all.

Creepy old man wrote:

I love the way Beck writes. This paragraph is wonderful:

"Whereas all corners of journalism once rejected the ignorant, the half-literate, the lazy, and the spineless, today’s hand-job-happy environment is tailor-made for a freewheeling moron like Chris Chavez, who can compensate for a lack of basic knowledge, thinking power, integrity, running ability, and literacy with sheer ass-kissing, not just to the scumlords like Phil Knight he pleasures via his interviews but the blinkered masses who make up most of his thousands-strong fan base."

Wow Glenn Beck is a huge douche apparently.

Nandrolonologists of the World wrote:

Armstronglivs wrote:

An irrelevant comparison. You were never world class. Your improvements mean nothing at elite level.

Au contraire. My improvements demonstrate that Shelby can run even faster.

Not in the next 4 years. After then we might see how much faster the clean version will be over the doped version.

sayyestonepotism wrote:

Strange. I played Computer games 20 years ago and play them now. The games have changed but i do what i enjoy. Tv is too boring for me. Why would i change because of age or the money i earn

used to play unreal tournament online (1999 release, amazing game in the years it came out ) all the time before I joined HS cross country team

Creepy old man wrote:

I love the way Beck writes. This paragraph is wonderful:

"Whereas all corners of journalism once rejected the ignorant, the half-literate, the lazy, and the spineless, today’s hand-job-happy environment is tailor-made for a freewheeling moron like Chris Chavez, who can compensate for a lack of basic knowledge, thinking power, integrity, running ability, and literacy with sheer ass-kissing, not just to the scumlords like Phil Knight he pleasures via his interviews but the blinkered masses who make up most of his thousands-strong fan base."

That paragraph is objectively terrible.

Beck writes like an edgy 19-year-old wannabe movie critic, not an objective journalist. Calling Chavez a 'freewheeling moron" who lacks "basic knowledge, thinking power, integrity, running ability, and literacy." Anyone who listens to him must be a part of the "blinkered mass." Phil Knight (who he's read some articles on) is a "scumlord." And then he goes and sh•ts on Chavez for not being a talented runner?

This is some wannabe-hipster d-bag nonsense. I'd expect this out of a sophomore lit major, not a full-functioning adult like Beck. You don't like someone's argument, then you break it down by pointing out fallacies and inconsistencies, not by calling them names or making fun of their lack of athletic talent.

I found KB while searching this site for something else, went down a rabbit hole and found the stuff about Gladwell. He seems bitter but is accomplished as the Brojos and other runners out there. He has a gift of writing but sometimes overdoes it--he comes across as bitter but his writing is solid.

Gladballs is an insufferable windbag who seems to have made it through life selling himself as interesting based solely on his *own* overriding interest in listening to himself talk. it’s like acting but bordering on con artistry.

He most definitely does not have the gift of writing. That’s why he is a substack shill.

This evening’s LR trivia question:

What was the name and handle of the girl (younger 20’s, I believe) who got with Beck via the forum back around 2003?