Shots Fired: Josh Kerr Says Jakob Surrounded by "Yes-Men", Has Major Weakness, and "pretty high" ego

Let’s also remember Jakob was sick in Budapest… or so he says… and I see not reason to not believe him / he did not look like himself.

I do think Jakob has a problem though. These guys are catching up to his aerobic ability. However, if someone is willing to take the first 400 in 56.0, Jakob can lead the final 1100 and ratchet it down.

That’s impressive, I wonder what Jakob was doing at the same age other than running 3:28 and winning Olympic and World gold medals.

If both were to retire today, I would take Jacob's career over Josh's every. single. time.

Yes of course Kerr’s 2022 included skipping World Indoors/Europeans, mediocre DL performances, bombing at Comm Games and a “high point” of 5th (3 guys behind Jakob) at Worlds. That was spun as a positive because at least it wasn’t outright bad. If Jakob had a year like this he would be skewered. Kerr makes it easier on himself because if he doesn’t win secondary titles, DLs or set real records, he’ll say he’s a (global) championship runner.
Yet when he does set a (usually obscure like indoor British mile) record, or win a race it matters I guess. Still Oly Bronze/WC Gold is way worse than Oly Gold/2 WC Gold/2 WC Silver. Kerr can talk trash but Wightman not him accomplished something in 2022. It’s Jakob vs the field and I don’t know another sport where the field talks consistent trash. It’d be like Tiger losing consecutive majors (among big invitational wins)during his crazy run and a guy mouthing off.

This is not directly related to this, but I still don’t understand why there hasn’t been more fanfare around Jakob’s 7:53. There should still be active threads going to this day about that run. He ran seven. fifty. three…. for two miles. It’s completely ridiculous. If anyone had predicted that on January 1, 2023, they would have been laughed out of the room. It’s better than the 3000m record, the same one many consider the best distance track record. Conditions for running fast are better now, yes, but it was one of the best runs on the track of all time, and there may even be an argument for it being the best run ever. That is part of the context here, we are talking about one of a very small handful of GOATs.

7:54, rather.

You can’t argue against numbers. BUT, I do think the rest of the 1500 world has “figured Jakob out” a little bit now, and I would not be surprised to start seeing contenders such as Kerr attacking him more in these championship races. Jakob still has a massive advantage over perfectly rabbited races, but unless he upgrades his game, he will continue to struggle against crafty 3:28-3:30 guys who can kick at the end of a championship style 1500.

Kerr is definitely speaking with an over-inflated ego. But his general point likely has some merit. Jakob’s record against the rest of the world in the 1500 since 2021 suggests his losses in Eugene and Budapest are either a massive fluke or (more likely) Jakob is missing something in his toolbox.

I see a bit of myself in Rojo actually, that's the first thing I measure from this podcast analysis!

Second, I measured Josh's ego to be no higher than a poor farmer tending to his crops? This means I found Josh on the humble side yeah?? The frequency of Josh's tone just doesn't emit enough foolhardiness or imprudence. He actually truly believed that Jacob has weaknesses. Which Jacob himself admitted which is why he paces 1500m races from the front. My expert RF derived psychoanalyst self senses it very well.

How can Josh be imprudent or egotistical if he is just believing what Jacob is also believing about himself? Shouldn't that be called like-mindedness or camaraderie of thought and not egotism or trash-talking?

Hope my measurement here shakes things up a bit and get everyone to reconsider things.

Not sure why everyone’s getting so defensive about this. Jakob invited this type of trash talk with his arrogance in the post race interviews at worlds - seems perfectly fine to poke fun at him in return, unless you all think he needs to be coddled.

It’s a simple fact that all of Jakob’s recent major race wins have come with the help of a pacemaker (or a competitor who acts as a pacemaker, as with the OG 1500 or the two 5k golds). When he acts as the pacemaker, he’s lost twice in a row.

It’s also a fact that he’s the best in the world and the heavy favorite for double gold next year. Kerr probably knows that but is allowed to talk his sh*t until the next major finals.

right. two peas in a pod there. he forget to mention jacob's shi#%y tattoos.

the Truth is that there is a formula right now for winning the world / Olympic championships in the 1500. And it’s simple. Just train for having a big kick off a fast pace. Let Jacob run himself out chasing fast times in the early season and in the first 3/4 of the race and then kick.

I think what Josh said was correct but he might not be the best person to say those things. There’s not many people in the world right now that could trash talk him without getting a lot of hate.

You've described all the reasons Jakob will be favored in Paris. And it won't be minor favoritism. There will be plenty of threads and comments here and elsewhere emphasizing why he'll lose again. They'll scoff at favoritism since he was favored in Eugene and Budapest also.

That's fine. Enjoy the details. I'll suffer with Jakob. During 24 years in Las Vegas it was always hilarious when public sentiment turned against the favorite.

They were treated to a reminder

I would bet against JI winning a double in Paris. He'll slip up in one of those finals.

Indeed. Jakob will always be first or second in any 1500m he runs…this is likely true until the year 2025 or so. Then he will probably be fortunate to finish in the top 2. The new blood will take over, so to speak.

Seriously, in the context of world champs and olympic medals who cares about NCAA? Seriously? Not a dig against Kerr but a dig against you.

Weird how Jakob, who have never been talking anything like this about a competitor is arrogant, but when someone else is taking multiple shots against a specific competitor they are just poking fun and allowed to talk his sh*t. Why not the other way around?

should be a great race 1500m in 2024. Jakob may defend his OG crown, but problem is that he focuses on two events while rivals mostly do one. Will be quite an achievement if Jakob wins the double.

Can´t you see the difference?

Tim is almost 5 years older than Jakob.

Jakob is almost 3 years younger than Kerr (and beat Kerr (the first time?) already when he was 15 in the U20 1500m final in 2016).

My guess is that you CAN forget about Wightman.

He ran the race of his life in Eugene 2022 and the best period of his career in the following month. Why should he 2 years older at age 29/30 next season come back to this 2022 peak?