SI has a series of posts up containing their writers nominations for Sportsman of the Year. The award is given out in early December. It's not about who's the best, who's the most incredible, but about who represents that ethereal reason sports captures the hopes and aspirations of humanity, the people who give us all something to cheer for, who uplift us with their triumphs and teach us something with their defeats. Joe Namath's Super Bowl win wasn't incredible because he won, but because he led his team through the playoffs on two bad knees with pain so great he cried between plays, because in the face of massive odds and a huge point spread from Vegas he sipped a drink by a pool and gave the national media a guarantee that he would win. It's the spirit that counts. With that in mind, I'd like to humbly make a nomination.
Meb Keflezighi. This is him:
He came to America as a child, his family leaving their African home and everything they knew as Civil War tore his homeland apart. They made it to Los Angeles with nothing. He came up through the American school system, holding on to running as a way to sustain focus and have something of meaning in his life.
This year he became the first American to win the New York Marathon in almost 30 years. But something beyond that stood out about him. He was the only competitive American runner running without corporate sponsors. He turned down big money to wear a logo or name plastered on him like all the other competitive runners had. The only advertisement he carried was the one the sponsors had arranged to be on every bib (that little paper square with your number on it that gets safety-pinned on your front). His running jersey was adorned simply with USA on the front, which he proudly pointed at during the final stretch when his victory was assured. As the finish line fell before him, he held high, waving behind him an American flag. Meb was proud of what he had done for his adopted homeland.
But not all were so happy. This gem from Darren Rovell at CNBC was an example of the worst:
It's a stunning headline: American Wins Men's NYC Marathon For First Time Since '82.
Unfortunately, it's not as good as it sounds.
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.
Nothing against Keflezighi, but he's like a ringer who you hire to work a couple hours at your office so that you can win the executive softball league.
The positive sign was that some American-born runners did extremely well in yesterday's men's race.
If any of them stand on the top step of the podium in Central Park one day, that's when I'll break out my red, white and blue.
It got so bad, that other sports reporters felt compelled to call out the bigotry.
Meb does more then just run, he operates Give Meb Your Shoes, a non-profit gathering 'gently used' running shoes to distribute to under privileged children across the world, so that other children can have the opportunity he has had.
For these reasons and more, no other feat of human achievement has amazed me with the drive, determination, endurance and wonder that Meb's run has.