Fisher Reaction Continued: What Comes Next?

By Alex Fox

​As I finished my Grant Fisher piece yesterday and sent to Jarrett for posting, I realized I had done something I hate: I had posed a problem without offering a solution. As a high school graduate and college student, I’ve read too many articles and chapters that thoroughly describe a conundrum without posing a remedy. To me, that always came across as lazy and incomplete, and if any of you felt that way about my initial Fisher post, I sincerely apologize. In an attempt to rid myself of this guilt (if anyone tells you Jewish guilt is not a thing, do not believe them; I can tell from many personal experiences that it is very, very, real), I’ve decided to share with you how I think this whole situation should end. I am going to say this right now: A lot of you will not like what this piece will say. My thinking is controversial, extreme, and will not happen. That said, I take pride in having a very strong sense of ethics (in matters I take seriously, such as this) and what I am going to propose is what I think would make what happened on Sunday right. In order for Grant Fisher, New Balance, and the Armory to correct the injustice of crowning Fisher with a national championship, Fisher should refuse the title, James Burke should be named champion, and if these steps are not taken, Grant Fisher should refuse to participate in the New Balance Outdoor National Meet.

​I’m sure I did not make any friends with that last statement.As fans of the sport, I think we all want to see the best runners run at the best meets. This is especially the case with Fisher; he is a rare talent, watching him run is incredible given how seemingly effortless it is for him to run such great times, and forhim to miss his last outdoor meet in high school would be really unfortunate. Moreover, what happened was not Fisher’s fault. He did not demand to be named national champion, and I am willing to bet a house that if he had been DQ’d, no protest would have been filed. So, if what happened wasn’t his fault, why should he be punished? The only reason I am comfortable in suggesting this is because Fisher is so accomplished. He has won national championships before, and his running career is going far beyond high school; I think this national champion is small potatoes compared to where his career is headed. The other big reason for Fisher to go to nationals is the 4:00 barrier. Anybody who watched him run yesterday thought about that barrier (based on his first 800, I think he might have been going for it in that race, and had he not fallen, it would have been close). Outdoor nationals would provide Fisher a great opportunity to try and break 4 minutes, and it would also be in front of a huge audience, with possible national coverage. As sweet as that would be, I think Fisher is going to break 4 prior to nationals. As Jarrett and I discussed (privately), we both think Fisher will break the barrier at the Dream Mile; Moreover, I don’t think Fisher is just going to run 3:59.8 and barely do it, I would say 3:57 is a legitimate possibility for this stud. Grant Fisher missing New Balance Outdoor Nationals would be unfortunate for running fans and his high school career, but it certainly wouldn’t be the end of the world.

​So, if I’m not punishing Fisher by suggesting he skip outdoor nationals, what would be the point? If Fisher skipped outdoor nationals, the party to suffer the most would undoubtedly be New Balance. Yesterday, I proposed the theory that Fisher was given the title despite clearly stepping off the track because of his marketability (no other rationale has been provided to this point). Let’s assume my thinking is correct and Fisher skips outdoor nationals in protest. New Balance suffers because Fisher is the most recognizable runner in high school right now, and without question draws the most attention. If Fisher doesn’t race, a lot of people don’t watch, giving New Balance less of an opportunity to market their products. Moreover, I think a lot of other runners would consider not running if Fisher doesn’t run. Sure, there would be opportunists looking to pounce on the vacant title, but I bet other runners would think “If Fisher isn’t running, why should I?” Maybe others would take the same moral stand Fisher does! Regardless of their reasons, less participants in the meet means less viewers, and the meet loses some of its legitimacy. Given that New Balance was the primary sponsor of indoor nationals, I’m sure they had the authority to rule in the Grant Fisher decision. They chose Fisher for a title he did not earn in a selfish and greedy mood, and for that, they deserve punishment. Fisher protesting their outdoor meet (Publically! The dude got over 1,000 favorites on a tweet yesterday, so his vocals wouldn’t be ignored) would provide ample restitution, and in this case, the punishment would certainly fit the crime.

​I know this rhetoric is all well and good, but the simple truth is none of this will happen. New Balance and the Armory will never recognize Burke as the winner, Fisher will never admit he should have lost (probably because he won’t be asked), and come June, Fisher will being running at outdoor nationals (barring injury). I’m sure I will get over this, as will James Burke and the rest of the runners in that race who may feel they were wronged. I still think that this is important. Recognizing injustice, whether it be in sports or anything else, is essential to living a moral life. I am glad I have an opportunity to express my feelings about what happened to a wide audience who take an interest in this, and I thank you for reading and your considerations.