The Culture of Tapology

This MMA community has many non-MMA threads already.  Music, Jokes, baseball, football, etc.

So, I thought it might serve a purpose to create a thread for all the other contributions to each other's lives that don't fit anywhere else.

Do you have something that would enrich the community culturally?  Maybe dance, comedy, nutritional, inspirational, arresting visuals?  But please let's keep this positive, and appropriate to the general public.

Maybe a video clip of a movie, broadway show, highly unusual, utterly creative, a cutting edge piece of information, a new computer application, or something that would make someone's life better or richer.

Gary Lewis and The Playboys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Lewis_%26_the_Playboys

Gary Lewis & the Playboys were a 1960s rock group fronted by Gary Lewis. They are best known for their 1965 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "This Diamond Ring."

Original Members: 
Gary Lewis, Drums and vocals (b. July 31, 1946)
David Walker - Guitar (b. May 12, 1943)
Allan Ramsay - Bass (b. July 27, 1943, d. November 27, 1985
David Costell - Guitar (b. March 15, 1944)
John West - "Cordovox" (electronic accordion) (b. July 31, 1939

This Diamond Ring, 1965
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-r3w5wH6iM

Count Me In, 1965
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkeSdLaGG1o

Save Your Heart For Me, 1965
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIerAVD2gyo

Everybody Loves a Clown,1965
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__vZAjrJsFw

She's Just My Style, 1965
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9ntCcf9Ewk

Sure Gonna Miss Her, 1966
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2E2XTOH9_4

Green Grass, 1966
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OrQs1544AA

My Heart's Symphony, 1966
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d0d6TmYfJk

I Won't Make That Mistake Again, 1965
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--mITGMeVB0

Without a Word of Warning, 1965
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOfUPITRZ9M

I Don't Wanna Say Goodnight, 1966
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaFFOutcp84

* Edited at 04.15.2013, 8:37 PM ET *

After so many music posts, I thought a few sports posts might be in order.  American track and field is in decline after a long and glorious past.  So, I thought hi-lighting several of our best runners might interest.  Jim Ryun, Gerry Lindgren, Steve Prefontaine, Marty Liquori and Mary Decker Slaney.

Jim Ryun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Ryun

Jim Ryun was born April 29, 1947 and attended East Wichita HS, 1962-65, and was coached by Bob Timmons for 2 years and J. D. Edmiston his senior year.

The Greatest HS runner the US ever produced. 

As a 16-year old, he set US HS sop****re & age class records of 1:53.6 for 880 yards, 4:07.8 for 1 mile, and 9:13.8 for 2 miles. These times would amaze and impress today! But 50 years ago, in 1963 rural Kansas, with their level of competition, it set the world on fire!

As a 17-year old HS junior, he ran the equivalent of a 3:56 mile, when he ran a 1,500m in 3:41.9!  He made the US Olympic team in the 1,500m, but failed to make the 1964 Tokyo Olympic 1,500m final due to illness. He also ran a 3:59.0 mile, becoming the first high schooler in history to ever run under 4 minutes.

As a senior, he ran a 3:55.3 mile. In that race, he defeated the previous year's 1964 Tokyo Olympic 1,500m winner, Peter Snell of New Zealand. That particular HS record lasted 36 years until Alan Webb ran 3:53.43 in 2001. 

As a college freshman, Jim hit the heights of the running world when he set 2 world records. On June 10, 1966, he broke the World Record for 880 yards, running 1:44.9 at Terre Haute, IN. He broke the Mile World Record on July 17, 1966, running 3:51.3 at Berkely, CA.

As a college sop****re, he lowered his mile world record, running 3:51.1 on June 23, 1967, at Bakersfield, CA. Then, on July 8, 1967, he ran his greatest race, breaking the world record at 1,500 when he defeated Kip Keino of Kenya, in 3:33.1 at Los Angeles, CA. This record laste 7 years until Filbert Bayi of Tanzania broke it in 1974, running 3:32.16.

Following the 1972 Olympics, Jim joined the professional track organization, the International Track Association (ITA), 1973-1976, and after that he ran successfully for Congress, 1996-2007. Today, Jim is representing Adidas as a world-wide representative.

Jim passing Kip Keino of Kenya en route to his WR 1,500m of 3:33.1 on July 8, 1967, at Los Angeles, CA.

* Edited at 04.17.2013, 10:33 PM ET *

Gerry Lindgren
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Lindgren

Gerry was born March 9, 1946 and went to Rogers HS in Spokane, WA, 1960-64. He was coached by Tracy Walters. He subscribed to high mileage volume. He averaged 240 miles per week for 1 year, including a 380 mile week!  That comes to an average of over 34 miles per day, more than a marathon!

On February 15, 1964, as a 17-year old, HS junior, Gerry set a HS 2-mile national record of 8:40.0 and it was an indoors race! Today, almost 50 years later, no high schooler has run as fast indoors. Gerry took second place to Ron Clarke of Australia. Ron ran a 8:36.9. The one mile mark was passed in 4:19.7

In 1964, in his senior year at Rogers High School (Spokane, WA), Lindgren ran 5000 meters in 13 minutes and 44 seconds, setting a U.S. high school record for the distance that would remain unbroken for 40 years, until Galen Rupp ran 13:37.91 on July 30, 2004. 

Gerry made the US Olympic Team for 10,000m as a HS senior, the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He sprained his ankle in Tokyo and only placed 9th while running 29:20.6. 

In his college career, he won 11 NCAA championships, at 2 miles, 3 miles and 6 miles. One of his greatest races was his 3-mile American record of 12.53.0 on May 14, 1966 in Seattle, WA. He also tied with Billy Mills in setting the US 6-mile record of 27:11.6. on June 27, 1965 at San Diego, CA. Gerry was injured in 1968 but still tried to make the US Olympic team. He came in 5th in the 10,000m and 4th in the 5,000m in the Olympic Trials at Echo Summit. He tried to make the US Olympic team in 1972, but came in last in the 5,000m and couldn't finish the 10,000m.

I thought you might like to hear Ron Clarke's thoughts on that race. He is what Ron said in his 1966 book, 'The Unforgiving Minute'. That book was one of my favorite books ever!

"The San Francisco Golden Gate Invitational furnished me with my first American victory, but what a struggle it tuned out to be! Gerry Lindgren, a seventeen year-old schoolboy from Spokane, who was so small and boyish the he looked no more than thirteen, was the crowd's hero. Gerry is a modest and courageous athlete who likes to lead, and his performance over two miles at the San Francisco Cow Palace had the fans bouncing up and down in their seats.

I figured that I could hardly sit in behind the kid and so at the start I made a dash to take the lead. To my surprise, he out-sprinted me. He led for about two laps, and it worried me that he was doing all all the work in front. I just can't take advantage of him, I thought. If I take my turn at pacing it will give him a breather. Twice I attempted to pass him and each time he fought me off spiritedly. Once on a banked bend I accidentally touched him and he went off balance for a couple of strides. The tumult from the crowd then was deafening. Crikey, I thought, they'll pick up their seats and throw them at me if I knock him again.

I waited for awhile, then stepped out four yards wide and sprinted hard for forty yards, crossing to the front about ten yards in front of Gerry in order not to interfere with him. After another two laps he came up to my shoulder struggling for the lead again. But I held him off and pulled away in the last lap to win in 8:36.9."

On page 147 of his book, Ron generously and graciously wrote, "Courageous and unspoiled by any of the defeats he has suffered, he surely must run faster than anything I have achieved before he retires from the track."

On page 171, Ron wrote, "The most promising young distance runners in the world are Gerry Lindgren and Bob Day. Gerry shows the same kind of courage and resolution in his everyday life as he does on the track. I admired him immensely for his independent attitude during the quarrel between the Amateur Athletic Union and the national Collegiate Athletic Association. The N.C.A.A. rules that any college athlete who took part in the A. A.U. championships during the college vacation would lose his scholarship. What's more, his coach might lose his job. Coming from a fairly poor family, Gerry couldn't afford to lose his scholarship. But he wasn't going to be intimidated. He decided to run in the championships and the N.C.A.A. backed down. It was a remarkable moral victory for a nineteen year old freshman.

In 1972, after Ron retired, T&FN thought it would be a great idea to interview Ron Clarke and obtain his thoughts about his career, the sport and some of his peers. I thought it was a great idea too, and a booklet resulted. 'Ron Clarke Talks Track', 1972.

He is what Ron wrote about Gerry in 1972.

"Gerry Lindgren I first met in 1964 when his coach Tracy Walters brought him to San Francisco to race me indoors because he had beaten all the schoolboys. Gerry showed tremendous courage trying to stick with me during a fairly tough two-mile indoors [Clarke 8:36.9, Lindgren 8:40.0, high school indoor record still standing]. He was a very determined young man, quiet at that stage yet reasonably chirpy. I feel all his troubles probably started when he away from Tracy Walters, for whom I had the greatest admiration in the way he handled Gerry. After gong to the university, and I didn't know coach Jack Mooberry at Washington State very well, all the pressures which were suddenly put on Gerry weren't diverted enough by his college coaches. He changed from a natural, sort of flying runner into a jerky runner. His personality almost changed the same way.

Instead of being a kid who had a little bit of confidence you could see, but wasn't too outgoing, he became an almost complete extrovert. Constantly excitable in the foyers of the hotels, talking to everybody, joking with everyone, was to my mind a completely different personality than when I first met him. He seemed to squander a lot of his energy maintaining some sort of chirpy image and I think this contributed to his very mediocre running. One thing about Gerry though is that he has a lot of guts. He has kept on plugging at it. Maybe he should take a complete year's break from running - he's young enough-and then come back fresh at it. But it was disappointing to see he didn't improve as he should have and indicated he could. I think in 1965 he had the makings of a great world champion. But his injuries and other troubles started besetting him then and from there
it was pretty much downhill, although he pulled out several very good performances after that. I think, though the personality change in Gerry overcame any improvements in his running."

July 10, 1965: London White City Stadium. Ron Clarke ran 12:52.4 World Record for 3 miles. Lindgren came in 2nd in American Record 13:04.2


July 10, 1965: London White City Stadium.
Ron Clarke ran 12:52.4 WR for 3 miles. Lindgren came in 2nd in AR 13:04.2---June 27, 1965: Billy Mills wins 6-mile, edging Gerry Lindgren in the same time. Both were credited with American records, 27:11.6. at San Diego, CA.

* Edited at 04.17.2013, 9:22 PM ET *

Marty Liquori
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marty_Liquori

Marty Liquori was born September 11, 1949 and attended Essex Catholic HS, 1963-1967 (Newark, NJ). His coach was Fred Dwyer. In 1967, he became the 3rd high schooler to break the 4-minute mile, 3 years after Jim Ryun first did it. Tim Danielson in California was the 2nd in 1966. Marty ran 3:59.8. It would be 35 years before it was done again by Alan Webb.

Marty was an outstanding HS runner. 

As a HS sop****re in 1964, he ran a 4:17.1 mile.
As a HS junior in 1965, then he ran a 4:13.2 mile.
As a HW senior, he broke the 4-minute mile with his 3:59.8 at the 1967 AAU championships & ran a 9:04 2-mile & a 1:53.5 880.

In 1965, at NYC's famous Van Cortlandt Park cross-country course in the Bronx, he came in 2nd to Dave Pottetti at the prestigious Eastern State's race. The next year, on October 22, 1966, he beat Pottetti, winning that same race, and lowered his course and meet record to 12.23.2. His time was equivalent to running a 2-mile race in 8:53.2. In his senior year at cross-country, he set 4 course records, including the Van Cortland Park course, and went undefeated. He defeated such top runners as Dave Potetti of Fox Lane and Russ Taintor of Brick.

After having studied runners who ran on that course and their 2-mile track times, it figures out that a 12:30 Van Cortlandt Park time is equal to 9:00 for 2-miles on the track. A 13:00 Van Cortlandt Park time is equal to a 9:30 2-mile time on the track.

Marty made the 1968 US Olympic team as a 19-year old freshman. He made the final but a stress fracture caused him to finish 12. On May 16, 1971, Marty defeated Jim Ryun in the Dream Mile with a personal best time of 3:54.6 in Philadelphia. In 1972, he lowered his personal best to 3:52. 2 while losing to Filbert Bayi, who broke Jim Ryun's mile record with 3:51. 

Marty set a US 2-mile record of 8:17. 12. Marty moved up to the 5,000m and his best time was an American Record 13:15.06 on September 4, 1977.

Personal Bests: 880y – 1:49.2; 1,500m – 3:36.0; Mile – 3:52.2; 2 miles – 8:17.12; 5,000m – 13:15.06 and 10,000m – 29:08.9.

Marty became a sports businessman. Just some of the business enterprises included.
Athletic Attic, Incorporated - Gainesville, FL, 1972
Brooks Shoe Company - Hanover, PA, 1974
Marty Liquori Sportswear, Incorporated
Athletic Lady,

Marty is an author and was a television commentator, working with ABC-TV at the 1972, 1976 and 1984 Olympic Games.

May 16, 1971, Philadelphia, PA: Marty, on the right, defeating Jim Ryun in the Dream Mile in 3:54.6.

Track is cool and all but here's a real sport that the whole Brotherhood can get behind
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/03/chinese-wankathon_n_2232063.html


Just Beat It

Remember Spanky. Don't stop...til you get enough.

Steve Prefontaine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Prefontaine

Steve Prefontaine was born January 25, 1951 in Coos Bay, Oregon and died May 30, 1975, in a car crash at the premature, young age of only 24 years old. He went to Marshfield HS, 1965-1969. His coach was Walt McClure. In his junior year, he went undefeated in cross-country and won the state title. In his senior year, he set a US national HS 2-mile record of 8:41.5. Pre held every American record from 2000m to 10,000m.

Steve was an outstanding HS runner. 

As a 15-year old HS freshman, he ran a 5:00. mile and a 10.08.0 2-mile. 
As a 16-year old HS sop****re, he ran a 2:03.0 880, a 4:32.0 mile and a 9:42.6 2-mile. 
As a 17-year old junior, Steve ran a 1:56.2 880, a 4:12.4 mile and a 9:01 2-mile. 
As an 18-year old senior, he ran a 1:54.7 880, a 4:11.1 mile and a US HS record, 8:41.6 2-mile.

* Edited at 04.17.2013, 9:42 PM ET *

Mary Decker Slaney---AKA Mary Decker
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Decker

Mary Decker (born August 4, 1958, Bunnyvale, NJ) was the greatest US woman runner. She set 17 official and unofficial world records and 36 US national records. 

She came to prominence due to her age, small size and unbelievable talent. When she was 16 years old in 1972, they named her 'Little Mary Decker' as she was only 89 lbs. In 1972 she was ranked #1 in the US and 4th in the world by Track and Field News in the 800 meters.

In 1973, she ran her first World record, running 4:40.1 in the indoor mile. By 1974, Decker was the world record holder at 2:26.7 for 1000 meters, 2:02.4 for 880 yards, and 2:01.8 for 800 meters.

In 1982 Decker set six world records, at distances ranging from the mile to 10,000 meters. The following year she achieved a "Decker Double", winning both the 1500 meters and 3000 meters events at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

When she was tripped in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games 3,000m, she became linked to Jim Ryun in an uncanny, errily similar career association. Both were the greatest runners the US had produced, yet both failed to win Olympici Gold glory by being fouled through no fault of their own. And the US fans felt their pain and angst profoundly.

Mary's later career was marred by the controversies of being fouled by Zola Budd in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic 3,000m race, and by being accused by the track governing authorities of using steroids. She was also plagued by stress fractures and muscle problems.

In the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic 3,000m, 19-year old Zola Budd did not have enough clearance to move to the inside, and when she forced it, the phyical contact caused Decker to trip and fall, injuring her hip on the metal border of the track. 

In 1996, at the age of 37, as she qualified for the 5000 meters at the Atlanta Olympics, a urine test taken in June at the Olympic Trials showed a testosterone to epitestosterone (T/E) ratio greater than the allowable maximum of six to one.

Decker and her lawyers contended that the T/E ratio test is unreliable for women, especially women in their late 30s or older who are taking birth control pills. In the meantime, Decker was eliminated in the heats at the Olympics.

In June 1997, the IAAF banned Decker from competition. In September 1999, a USATF panel reinstated her. The IAAF cleared her to compete but took the case to arbitration. In April, 1999, the arbitration panel ruled against her, after which the IAAF – through a retroactive ban, even though she was cleared to compete – stripped her of a silver medal she had won in the 1500 meters at the 1997 World Indoor Championships.

In April 1999, Decker filed suit against both the IAAF and the U.S. Olympic Committee which administered the test, arguing that the test is flawed and cannot distinguish between androgens caused by the use of banned substances and androgens resulting from the use of birth control pills. The court ruled that it had no jurisdiction, a decision which was upheld on appeal.

Due to its history of false positives, especially among older female athletes, the (T/E) ratio test has since been revised and laboratories now also run a carbon isotope ratio test (CIR) if the ratio is unusually high.

Throughout her later career, Slaney had suffered a series of stress induced fractures. After the loss of her 1999 legal case, she agreed to have a series of 30+ orthopedic procedures. Mainly on her legs and feet, they were an attempt to enable her to run competitively in marathons. However, the surgery just increased the occurrence of the problems. As a result, she retired with her husband to a 55-acre (220,000 m2) ranch in Eugene, Oregon, where she can now jog every other day. Her other hobbies include sewing, quilting, gardening, renovating the property, and walking her three Weimaraner dogs.

Mary Decker: The Pride of the US.


August 10, 1984 Los Angeles Olympic 3,000 meters, fouled by South African Zola Budd.  The foul was accidental and unintentional.  19-year old Zola Budd, competing for Great Britain, finished in 7th place, in 8:48.80.  

* Edited at 04.17.2013, 10:58 PM ET *

June 23, 1967, Bakersfield, CA: Jim Ryun sets WR mile, 3:51.1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xlwS0Fyq8vk

May 16, 1971, Philadelphia, PA: Marty Liquori defeats Jim Ryun in Dream Mile.  3:54.6.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOgFLcQPgYI

July 8, 1967, Los Angeles, CA: Jim Ryun defeats Kip Keino of Kenya in WR 1,500 time of 3:33.1. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBXu_K6bp8E

September 9, 1972 Munich Olympic 5,000 meters: Lasse Viren defeats Steve Prefontaine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFty7To8oQk

1969, Hawaii: Gerry Lindgren wins 2-miles race against Steve Prefontaine, Marty Liquori, Frank Shorter.
Lindgren 8:45.6, Prefontaine 8:48.8, Marty Liquori 9:00.0, Frank Shorter 9:02.0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9fmOY7YWMg

* Edited at 04.18.2013, 5:53 AM ET *

This is an amazingly interesting and diversely rich collection of curiously and in fact inexplicably alluring facts and photographs. Much recognition is due towards Mr. Burgess, his inexhaustible tirelessness and his undeniable passion.

@Blackadder You are an obviously intelligent man.  Thank you kindly and sincerely.  Please continue.

* Edited at 04.18.2013, 11:02 PM ET *

Seeing as how my profiles on America's greatest runners was so well-received, I'm encouraged to post a little more on the Culture of Running.  Here I will share a few of the Greatest Running Coaches America ever produced.  I sincerely hope you enjoy being introduced to them!

America's Greatest Track & Field / Cross-Country Coaches:---Most of the names are hyper-links. Just click onto them and it brings you to their wikipedia pages.

One of the most important things in being a top running coach is the ability to attrack the top talent to train under you. Once successful, reputation develops a life of its own, but initially, the training program must produce results. And that is exactly what happened in the cases of Bob Timmons, Fred Dwyer & Frank Gagliano.

Jumbo Elliott---AKA James Francis Elliott

Born: August 8, 1915, Philadelphia, PA
Died: March 22, 1981, Juno Beach, FL, age 66

Villanova University track and field coach;
Attended Villanova University, 1932-1935
Villanova track coach, 1949-1981

Wife: Catherine (Kay), born February 20, ?, died February 21, 1981

Was the legendary Villanova track / cross-country coach for decades. One of his 'secrets' was his 'Irish Connection'. Ron Delany won the 1956 Melbourne Olympic 1,500m and from then on, steered many Irish kids to Villanova University. Many of those 'kids' were older and in their 20's, like Donal Walsh and John Harnett.

James (Jumbo) Elliott (August 8, 1915 – March 22, 1981) was an American track and field coach, often considered to be one of the greatest of all time. His achievements include producing five Olympic gold medal winners between 1956 and 1968.

As a student at Villanova, Elliott ran in the 220 yard, 440 yard, and 880 yard events. After he graduated in 1935, he became the school’s part-time track coach while working for a company that sold contracting equipment. From 1949, when he took over at Villanova, until his death in 1981, Elliott achieved a coaching record that will be hard to duplicate. During that span, his teams won eight national collegiate team titles, three National AAU team crowns, and 39 IC4A indoor, outdoor, and cross country championships. Individually, his athletes won 316 IC4A titles, 82 NCAA crowns, and 62 National AAU championships. They set 22 world records outdoors and another 44 indoors. His Olympic Gold Medalists were Ron Delany in the 1956 1500m, Charles Jenkins in the 400m in 1956, Don Bragg in the 1960 pole vault, Paul Drayton in the 1964 4×100m relay, and Larry James in the 1968 4×400m relay. Elliott is perhaps best known for developing outstanding distance runners, including Delaney, Marty Liquori, Eamonn Coghlan, and Sydney Maree.

Just some of the excellent runners who trained under Jumbo included: H. Browning Ross, Fred Dwyer, Ron Delaney, Marty Liquori, Eamon Coghlan, Sydney Maree, Dave Patrick, Charlie Messenger, Donal Walsh, Dave Wright, Tom Donnelly, Frank Murphy, Ian Hamilton, Don Page, Chris Mason, Desmond McCormack, Phil Banning, Dave Hyland, Lewis Kotekas, Tom Sullivan, Wilson Smith, Les Navy, Paul Sanborn, Steve Gentry, **** Buerkle, James Burhans, Wilson Smith, Jr., Byron Beam, Billy McLoughin, John Lamont, Kevin McCarey, Tom Gregan, 

One of the first runners discovered by Elliott, was H. Browning Ross the founder of the Road Runners Club of America.

In 1981, he was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. In 1995, he was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame. The track at Villanova is named in his honor. Two of his assistant coaches are also members of the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame: Jim Tuppeny, who later went on to coach at the University of Pennsylvania, and Jack Pyrah.

Robert L. Timmons---AKA Bob Timmons---article---article---article
Born: June 20, 1924, Joplin, MO
Died: Still alive

Kansas track coach;
Wichita East, track and field coach, ? - 1966
Kansas University, track and field / cross-country coach, 1966 - 1988

Bob coached Jim Ryun at Wichita East HS, and under his tutulege, became the first HS 4-minute miler in 1965. Bob had other outstanding runners at Wichita, like Mike Peterson, who sacrificed his own race to rabbit for Ryun in his quest. 

In 1966, Bob was hired to coach track and cross-country at Kansas University. He coached the Jayhawks to 31 league titles and 4 national championships before he retired in 1988.

-------------------------------------------------------------------L-R: Wes Santee, Jim Ryun, Ada Easton, Billy Mills, Bob Timmons, Al Oerter.

William Jay Bowerman---AKA Bill Bowerman

Born: February 19, 1911, Portland, OR
Died: December 24, 1999, Fossil, OR, age 88,---d. in his sleep at home.

University of Oregon, head track coach, July 1, 1948 - March 23, 1973;

He was hired to coach Oregon University track and cross-country. His most famous runner was Steve Prefontaine. Pre became a fan favorite and the Eugene fans would chant, "Pre! Pre! Pre!" when he raced at Hayward Field. 

Bill coached many famous track men. Archie San Romani, Steve Prefontaine, Kenny Moore, Bill Dellinger, Mac Wilkins (discus), Jack Hutchins, Dyrol Burleson, Harry Jerome, Siegmar Ohlemann, Les Tipton, Gerry Moro, Wade Bell, Dave Edstrom, Roscoe Divine, Jim Grelle, Bruce Mortenson and Phil Knight, and the Kvalheims.

Bill has coached 31 of his runners to Olympic teams, and 12 broke American records, with 10 sub-4 minute milers. In 24 seasons, his teams have had only 1 losing season. They have won NCAA team titles 4 times, finished 2nd place twice, in 16 of 24 seasons, they have finished in the top 10. Bill's teams compiled a dual meet record of 114-20 (.843). He coached the 1972 US Olympic team and started the world-famous Nike shoe co. Steve Prefontaine was only his latest but greatest & most famous running star.

Coach Bowerman/Steve Prefontaine.
Frederick Anthony Dwyer, Jr.

Born: July 19, 1931, Brooklyn, NY
Died: Still alive

Notre Dame University, November, 1949
Attended Villanova University, February, 1951 - 1953
US Army
Essex Catholic HS (Newark, NJ), track / cross-country coach, September, 1961 - fall, 1969
Manhattan College (Bronx, NY), track / cross-country coach, fall, 1969 - summer, 1993

Father: Frederick, born New York around 1909; Mother: Malvina, born New York around 1910; Wife: Jane

Coach Dwyer's main claim to fame is that he was Marty Liquori's HS coach and coached him to become the 3rd US HS runner to break the 4-minute mile.  But he was so much more than that!!

Fred began as a Villanova miler (4:00.8) under Jumbo Elliot. He moved on to become the most successful track and cross-country coach in New Jersey at Essex Catholic HS in Newark, NJ. Although Marty Liquori (1967, 3:59.8 - Villanova) was Fred's most conspicuous success story, like Frank Gagliano at Roselle Catholic, Fred developed many runners behind Marty that were of uniform excellence. Jim McLaughlin, Ralph Vreeland, Dave Lynch (1968, 4:15 (R) - West Point), Mike Keogh (1970, 4:10.1 - Manhattan), Greg Ryan (1965, 4:18.0 - Georgetown), Fred Lane (1966, 4:14.8 (R) - Georgetown), Jack O'Leary (1964, 4:16.3 - Villanova), Art Martin (1966, 4:18.0 (R) - Holy Cross). That right there is 6 sub-4:20 HS milers. Quite an impressive accomplishment for a HS coach!

Essex Catholic was an all male Irish Christian Brothers Catholic HS located in Newark, NJ (2,800 students). Fred Dwyer (4:00.8 Villanova) coached Marty Liquori, Mike Keogh, Greg Ryan, Fred Lane, Dave Lynch, John O'Leary & Martin, Jim McLaughlin, Ralph Vreeland, Milt Irvin, Bob Gray, Mike Flannery, Jim Scheidemann, Matt Chadwick, Kevin Hayes, Tom Hays, Seve Tobia.

Fred also coached javelin thrower Mark Murro to a national HS javelin record of 252'8 feet in 1967. He coached shot putters Rudy Guevara & Bob Gray. 

Coach Dwyer coached his Essex Catholic teams to 3 NJ HS state outdoor track titles. Coach O'Leary coached Inman, Bazo, Rapp & Tim Lee. After 1972, coach O'Leary left Essex Catholic for the public school system and Essex Catholic became a memory. The school closed in 2002.
-------------------------------------------------------------
In 1969, Manhattan College, a small Christian college for men in the Bronx, NY, hired the 2 most successful New Jersey HS track and cross-country coaches to begin a long rebuilding process, to challenge Villanova as the East's preeminent track and cross-country power.

Fred Dwyer was hired in 1969 to coach Manhattan College in the Bronx, along with Frank Gagliano, as his assistant.  Dwyer and Gagliano had been able to build a galaxy of running stars in HS because they susscribed to high volumes of long distance training.  They trained high schoolers like college runners.

Coached Manhattan's track & cross country teams from 1969-1993. Led the Jaspers to the 1973 NCAA Indoor Championship and was named National Coach of the Year. NCAA District II Coach of the Year three times. He coached four IC4A Championship teams and numerous Olympians and All-Americans.

Just a few of the runners who trained under coach Dwyer at Manhattan College included: Ed Walsh (1-year), Tom Donahue, Mike Keogh, Tony Colon, Pete Squires, Joe Savage, Matt Centrowitz, John Lovett, Marty Walsh, Chris Inman, Ed McBridge, Paul Squires, Gary Beach, Ted DiBiasi, Dan Sullivan, Richard Dorais, John Rothrock, Tom Kearsley, John O'Brien, Warren Gordon, Ray Naudain, Tom McFarland, William Hunter, Kevin Kearney, Chris Condon, Cliff Bruce, Al Logie, Tom Mauger, Pat Keane, Bob Brady, Pete Gaughn, Dave Tierney, Eric Standifer, Pat Petersen, Luis Ostolozaga, Conor Boyle, Marty Ludwikowski, Guy Emmons

I ran briefly under coach Dwyer in 1969. He didn't require me to train with the team and I only got into a single mile race. I ran 4:42. My name is Bill Burgess. I can add my personal testimony that this kindly Irishman was one of the toughest, hard-nosed men around, while at the same time, the nicest, kindest man with a heart as big as all of Ireland. He is deeply disappointed that many of today's running coaches have abandoned the Arthur Lydiard system of laying the groundwork of endurance with roadwork, which makes the tough interval track workouts make sense. Track workouts without the underlying foundation of roadwork do not allow for the evolution of HS track records.

-----------------1957-------------------------------------------------------------------June, 1974

1955 Wanamaker Mile, Milrose Games, Madison Square Garden, NYC. L-R: Wes Santee, unidentified lady, Fred Dwyer.
Francis Xavier Gagliano---AKA Frank Gagliano---AKA Gags---article---article

Born: March 20, 1937, Brooklyn, NY
Died: Still alive

Attended Mount St. Michael HS (Bronx,NJ), (quarterback of FB team), 1955-1958
Attended University of Iowa, (Bachelor of Arts)
Attended Columbia University
Attended University of Richmond,
Roselle Catholic HS (Roselle, NJ), track / cross-country coach, 1960 - summer, 1969
Manhattan College (Bronx, NY) assistant track / cross-country coach, fall, 1969 - 1974, (along with Fred Dwyer)
Rutgers University, track coach, 1974 - 1983
Georgetown University (Washington, DC), Director of Track and Field, fall of 1983 - 2001
Reebok Enclave Track Club (Washington, DC), founder / coach, 1992 - 2001
Nike Farm Team (Stanford, CA), 2001 - ?
Oregon Track Club (Eugene, OR), coach

Frank was the quarterback for the Mount St. Michael HS football team. He was rated one of the top forward passers in the New York Metropolitan area. Frank was the quarterback for the University of Richmond FB team, 1955-1959.

Once Frank got rolling at Roselle Catholic HS, he developed so many excellent runners he seldom knew who would run better on a given day, including Gene and Paul Maffey, Rich Stickles, Joe Savage, Mike Garvey, Charles Scannella, Walt Kopy, Fred Geiger, Rich Gill, Ed Brennan, Joe Darowski, Jim Migliorini, Jerry Ghuzzi, Al Johnson, Dan Maffey, Bob Weir, Tom Weber, Rick Libinate & Bob Bradley, Mike Garvey, Charles Scannella, Art Battles, Ed Markowski, Doug Maluchnik, Paul Corrigan, Roger Radecki, John Accaidi, Doug Hull, Joe Abitanti, Deven Mulvaney, Bill Carroll;

Frank was the second most successful track / cross-county coach in New Jersey, at Roselle Catholic HS, after Fred Dwyer of Essex Catholic HS in Newark, NJ. They were both hired to build the running program of Manhattan College in 1969, to challenge the running hegemony of Villanova in the East. 

They brought in hot prospects including Pete Squires, Tony Colon, Mike Keogh, John Lovett, Marty Walsh and Joe Savage. Savage had trained under Gags at Roselle Catholic. Keogh followed his HS coach, Dwyer, to Manhattan.

Gags was Fred's assistant and stayed until 1974, when he was offered the position of track coach at Rutgers University. 

At Georgetown Coach Gagliano produced 140 All-America performers, five Olympians, seven individual national champions, and 23 BIG EAST championship teams. Since coaching professionals exclusively, Coach Gags' has trained countless numbers of athletes to USATF Nationals Finals, World Championship teams, World Championship finals, Olympic Teams and Olympic Finals.

Coach "Gags" recruited some of the finest athletes in the nation to the Hilltop, hundreds of young men. From these outstanding performers, under his watchful eye and through his prodding and emotional encouragement, the best of the best emerged: Olympians John Trautmann '91, Steve Holman '92, Kevin McMahon '94, Rich Kenah '92, Bryan Woodward '97; and NCAA champions Michael Stahr '88, Ethan Frey '91, Michael Jasper '91, Trautmann, Holman, Kenah, and Woodward. He coached 58 individual IC4A champions and 140 All-America performers. His student-athletes set 46 school records.

Alberto Salazar

Born: August 7, 1958, Havana, Cuba
Died: Still alive

Alberto attended Wayland HS (Wayland, MA), ?-?, and the University of Oregon, ?-?. Alberto was a HS standout as well as a college running star. As a high schooler, he won his state cross-country race in 1975. At Oregon, he joined Bill Bowerman's powerful stable of runners. They won the 1977 NCAA cross-country championship, and he won the individual race the following year. From 1980-82, Alberto won 3 straight NYC Marathons. 

Throughout his career, he set six U.S. records and one world record. After a long absence from the sport to focus on his health, Salazar returned in 1994 to compete as an ultra-marathoner.

Like Gerry Lindgren before him, Alberto found success by subscribing to high-volume mileage in training.  This running philosophy in training put them both in a class of their own in comparison to their peers.

Recently, Alberto works for Nike, as coach of the Nike Oregon Project. He has helped many top runners, including: Alan Webb, Mo Farah, Galen Rupp, Adam Goucher, Kara Goucher, Dan Browne, Amy Yoder Begley, and Dathan Ritzenhein.

* Edited at 04.19.2013, 12:09 PM ET *

Percy Wells Cerutty---article---article---wikipedia

Born: January 10, 1895, Melbourne, Australia
Died: August 14, 1975, Portsea, Victoria, Australia, age 80

Percy was instrumental in popularizing the Long, Slow Distance route to track and road performances. He distained track training and anarobic, interval training. He advocated a natural diet. He trained Herb Elliott to winning the 1960 Rome Olympic 1,500m Gold medal in world record time. Some of his other runners under his training were Albie Thomas, Dave Power, Don MacMillan, John Landy, Les Perry, and marathoner Bob Prentice. He retired from coaching runners in 1969. 

Mihaly Igloi---article

Born: September 5, 1908, Hungary
Died: January 4, 1998, Budapest, Hungary, age 89

Mihaly was the chief advocate for strictly anarobic, interval training. His students included Sándor Iharos, István Rózsavölgyi, László Tábori, Bob Schul and Jim Beatty. One of his students, Sandor Iharos once held the world records in the 1,500m, 3,000m, 2-miles, 5,000m and 10,000m.

Arthur Leslie Lydiard

Born: July 6, 1917, Auckland, New Zealand
Died: December 11, 2004,---age 87,---d. in Houston, Texas while on a lecture tour.

Arthur took the best of the systems of Percy Cerutty and Mihaly Igloi and fused them into an efficient system. He advocated road runs in the morning to build endurance, combined with interval track workouts. His system was adopted in a basic form by most American running coaches. Bob Timmons, Bill Bowerman and Fred Dwyer promoted the Lydiard system of running training.

Both Timmons and Dwyer subscribed to the theory, that if a high school runner wanted to run like a college runner, they needed to train like one. That meant high training mileage, of 100 miles per week, supplemented by daily morning road runs. He also promoted running as a tonic for general health, jogging for the masses. Some of his students were Murray Halberg, Peter Snell and Barry Magee.

Les Perry

Born: January 29, 1923
Died: September 17, 2005, age 82

Les Perry (29 January 1923 – 17 September 2005) was an Australian long-distance runner who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics and in the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Franz Stampfl

Born: November 18, 1913, Vienna, Austria
Died: March 19, 1995, Melbourne, Australia, age 81

Franz F. L. Stampfl MBE (born Vienna 18 November 1913 - died 19 March 1995 Melbourne) was one of the world's leading athletics coaches in the twentieth century. He pioneered a scientific system of Interval Training which became very popular with sprint and middle distance athletes.

Stampfl was a great proponent of the interval style of training where athletes run high-intensity distance trials followed by short recovery periods. An example could be 12 repetitions of 400 metres with a 200 metre jog between each.

Stampfl was involved in a car accident in 1980, his vehicle being hit while stationary at a traffic light, and was left a quadriplegic. Despite this, he continued to coach.

At the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, Stampfl coached 11 of the athletes in the Australian team. He trained many successful Australian athletes during his lifetime; most notably: Ralph Doubell - 1968 Olympic Gold Medal 800 metres - World Record

Other Stampfl athletes included Olympic finalists Tony Sneazwell, Alan Crawley and Merv Lincoln, in addition to Commonwealth champions Peter Bourke, Sue Howland and Judy Peckham. His other famous students inclueded Roger Bannister, Chris Brasher, Chris Chataway & Brian Hewson.

Wait, define "well received"? If by well received you mean no one directly complained about your complete waste of bandwidth then yes - - WELL RECEIVED!

@jmcdowell  My brother.  One thing you need to understand about people like me.  When I share from the heart, all my heart-felt contributions are well-received, with wild enthusiasm.  Just so you know.  For the future..  

And also, thanks for all your down-arrows, my brother.  I really appreciate them.  And by the way, when you do that, it only encourages me to post more of the same.  

And you are in for a lot more of these delightful riches, my appreciative brother.  Even if they are not to your liking, why do you feel compelled to spoil it for others.  If you wanted me to, I could post stuff you like, if I knew what they were.  All you had to do was ask and I never refuse a request.  When was the last time I refused an accommodation?  When?  I never refused.  Kindness and good manners go a loooong way with people like me.

So, what would you like?

* Edited at 04.19.2013, 12:22 PM ET *

I honestly didn't "down arrow" anything but, since you asked I really enjoy BJJ. Thanks man.

Instead of letting myself get annoyed at arrows, I want to change my attitude.  I want to apologize to jmcdowell, gunn, and anyone else who feels that my old-school contributions are obsolete, inappropriate to an MMA discussion board, or are bored with older music and sports.  My stuff must feel annoying to many in the house.  And I do appreciate your forbearance with my out-of-date music and sports.

But after having said that, I feel conflicted.  It seems strange that with all the diverse stuff I've shared, anyone couldn't find a single thing to relate to.  Since this is a combat discussion site, how could anyone not feel an appreciation for the entire fights I posted of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foerman, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Evander Holyfield, Tommy Hearns.  They may be from the Stone Age, but didn't that era produce cool fights?  How could a fight fan say no?

Plus I shared high-light reels of footballer Jim Brown, basketballer Michael Jordan, and world record clips of Bob Hayes, world records in the high jump and long jump.  Did not a single thing of those score cool points?

But I am saving my best point for last.

When I share something that you normally don't relate to, how do you know that you couldn't get into it without opening a link and seeing for yourself?

I think you guys are selling yourselves short.  I am giving you more credit than you are giving yourself.  Just because this is a MMA discussion board, I refuse to believe that some of you guys couldn't enjoy some of the cultural stuff that you think might be too 'high-brow' for you.

There was a time that I too was unaware of Beethoven, Rembrandt, Shakespeare, ballet, jazz dance, etc.  Like you, I didn't praise, I didn't criticize.  I was just indifferent.  I didn't care.  But when I was exposed to it, like you guys are here, I surprised myself.  I found it interesting at first, then enjoyable.  

I think you guys are better than you think.  I think you're selling yourselves short.  What would be so bad about finding you think Rembrandt was a pretty good artist?  Or that Stone Age football runner, Jim Brown was still an all-time great runner?  OMG!  The horror!

* Edited at 04.19.2013, 6:52 PM ET *

Ron Clarke---Possibly the greatest distance runner in all of track's history. He set 17 World records.

Born: February 21, 1937, Victoria, Australia
Died: Still alive

Ron was a promising, young runner in Australia in the 1950's. 

He ran a 4:.20.8 as a 16-year old in 1954. 

As a 17-year old in 1955, he ran a 1:54.1 for 880 yards, 3:55.6 1,500m, a 4:06.8 mile, 8:54.0 for 3,000m, 9:17.8 for 2-miles.  In one event, he ran 4:19.4 mile and later that afternoon ran a 9:50.6. 

Ron made the 1956 Melbourne Olympic team.  He was training under the influence of British trainer, Franz Stampfl. He was using interval track training.

After the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, Ron felt a waning interest in his running. He felt the need to concentrate on his professional career as an accountant. He didn't feel the interest in giving his running career another chance until around 1961. 

Late in 1960, he and his wife, Helen, whom he married in 1959, moved to Heathmont, 18 miles from Melbourne at the foot of the Dandenoung Ranges. Having passed his final accountancy examination, and being closer to his work, he found he had more time. 

His friend, Les Perry took him to meet a small group of runners, including Trevor Vincent and Tony Cook. They all ran 10 miles each evening. They evolved into the Ferny Creek gang, and they all prospered by the association and friendly runs. 
June 6, 1965, Helsinki 5,000m; Michel Jazy (13:27.6), Kip Keino (13.28.2), Ron Clarke (13.29.4).-----August 24, 1968 London 2-mile World Record, 819.6. 

July 10, 1965 London 3-mile World Record. Ron Clarke 12:52.4, Gerry Lindgren 13:04.2 American Record, Lajos Mercer 13:07.6 Hungarian record. 
July 14, 1965 Oslo 10,000m World Record. Ron Clarke 27.39.4. He broke the world record by an unprecedented 34 seconds! Never happened before or since! 
July 11, 1967 Los Angeles 5,000m; Duel on the sun-baked track.-------------------------July 5, 1966 Stockholm 5,000m World Record. Ron Clarke 13:16.6, Bill Baillie 13:56.2

Kip Keino (13:36.8), Ron Clarke 13:40.0, **** Taylor 13:52.0.
October 14, 1964 Tokyo Olympic 10,000m. L-R: Gerry Lindgren Billy Mills, Mohamed Gamoudi, Ron Clarke.----------Billy Mills, Mamo Wolde, Mohamed Gamoudi, Ron Clarke.
Ron Clarke today.

* Edited at 04.19.2013, 7:34 PM ET *

Bill maybe you should start taking requests, and ill start. I would like to see the culture of pizza if possible, there definetly is a culture behind it but im way too lazy to research myself, would like to see what you come up with.