But in the mean time, I'm hoping to steal another idea from Grantland that hopefully people will be interested in getting involved with. The idea is called: The Mailbag. And it is basically what it sounds like.
Here's how this works for those who have not seen it before. On Grantland, people send in emails to Bill Simmons and the emails are usually thought provoking questions, comical takes on a situation, a combination of the two. There also theories, ideas, predictions thrown in there. Bill picks his favorites, puts them together in an article and discusses the ideas. I think it's a cool way to not only create more interesting discussion than I could create on my own, but it also gives the readers another chance to see what they want up here on the blog.
So, as usual, here's the ways you can get in contact with me to spread your thoughts (p.s. Anonymity is not only acceptable, but it's encouraged, especially if you have a clever fake name):
Email at jarrettfelix1130@gmail.com
Tweet @jfetrain11 or message me on Twitter
Facebook message me Jarrett Felix
Comment in the Playground Section
Mailbag for my other writers is also encouraged so if you have questions for any of them I will pass along if there isn't a way to get in touch with them directly.
Let me know what you guys think. If/when I get no material because as usual I'm overexcited about an ordinary idea, I'll be doing fake mailbags where I make up my own pieces of mail and answer my own made up questions.
Here we go with sample mailbag #1!
"Remember back when you used to do odds makers? If you started that back up and were forced to make odds for sub 9 3200m runners this spring, what would you say?"
- not etrain
Ah this is a very tricky question and, ironically, something I've addressed in a few posts now. It's kind of a tough question to answer because, as I think I've pointed out, it takes more than talent and skill to break 9 minutes, it also takes a bit of luck and timing. You need to get in the right race. So basically, anyone who is chasing the time at Henderson this year on 5/1 ups their odds (and possibly same could be said for anyone competing at Baldwin). Then of course the winner of states COULD do it, but the weather and strategy would need to play out appropriately (happened in 2014 so you never know, but rarely happened before that).
Basically my best odds is on a healthy Sam Ritz if he goes to Henderson and does it, but even he is a long shot (who knows what his plan of attack is the rest of the way, but I imagine it includes mainly miles). After that I think Kev James is most equipt for the record, but it would have to be states for him I believe based on their schedule. Same goes for Brophy. Webb may run Henderson, will get to run PIAA states (maybe? What's the Pennsbury plan?) and is rapidly improving. He should have good odds as well.
Long shots for a variety of different reasons would be Jax Hoey, McGoey, Comber, Hockenbury, Marston and Molino (you could talk me into throwing Dahl or McDevitt or Geb on there too, but they aren't PIAA which cuts out a shot).
I'd go Ritz 4:1, James 6:1, Brophy 8:1, Webb 10:1 and anybody else 20:1. Those could change in a few weeks but that's where I'm at now. My guess is no one does it, but I've been wrong before. Speaking of which ...
"Is it possible RJJL is actually just you from the future and that's why he has remained completely anonymous all these years whole also destroying it in predictions and just overall making your blog a better place?"
- Mike Krzyzewski
First off, I appreciate the effort you took to type out Coach K's actual name. I can only imagine how difficult that was for you. As for your question, as awesome as that would be, there's no way I could predict that well, even if I was from the future. Have you seen my recent work? Did you see the NCAA predictions?
"There are 4 sub 10:30 DMRs not counting Malvern Prep, CB East, and Pennsbury. What if all those teams load up for Penn Relays? Would it be the most PA teams ever in the event?"
- Darren Moses Reilly
The DMR is awesome right now. I think PA has sent around 4 teams in the same race before, but not any more than that (4 I know has happened, and it's happened more than once). The crazy thing is I truly feel Malvern Prep, CB East and especially Pennsbury could crack 10:30 if they really went for it (and got the weather for it). And that would make 7 squads. Then throw in the possibilities of Bonner, CB West, Altoona and Carlisle (among others) and you have an intriguing crop of potential suitors for other sub 10:30 spots. But some of these squads will definitely opt for 4x8 (I hope not in Pennsbury's case but it's likely for them CB East, LaSalle and CB West at the very least). My guess is Stoga, GFS, DT West, O'Hara and maybe Malvern Prep get in and decide to run, which would be 5 which would be killer. Plus qualifying period closes next weekend? So that probably takes a few teams out.
Edit: and it looks like James and Marston (plus Brophy) are among the 3k competitors (an event that immediately follows the DMRs). So that likely takes out two of PAs biggest threats right there ...
Could any of those teams win? Who has best odds? Eh that wasn't the question so I'll save it for another fake mailbag.
"It's never too early for XC predictions right? If you had to do a top 10 rankings right now or those guys that kidnapped Forrest would kidnap you, who would you have?"
- that kid from the playground
Oh goodness, it's definitely too early, how could you ask such a crazy question. There's no way I've done the research for this and I'll almost definitely miss someone, but I'd crop it out like this.
Sure things
Brophy and Hockenbury
Need to see some track
Ryan James, Henderson, Mackey (could be very interesting), DiCintio
Gonna be in the top 10, just a matter of where
Sappey, Loevner, Dahl
Perhaps irrational confidence in one runner
Perretta
Hey that's 10 isn't it? Sweet! If I'm looking down the line for some other names that could jump out in the next month or two I'm thinking ...
Josh Hoey, Matt Wisner, Jaxson Hoey (just needs to be healthy and he's definitely top 10), Smucker, Kolor, Murray, Skolonevich, and probably a ton of other dudes
It's still too early!
"You mentioned a super DMR in that post shortly before the t-shirts and the @dad_hat posts, who would you say has the best super DMR if you combined all the runners who have been running during your time as a blogger from each team? What about DMR? 4x8? More?"
- Definitely not etrain
Ah thank you for giving me a perfect set up while also advertising multiple key things and our official sponsors dadhat.
As for the answer to your question, tune in this summer and this question will be answered in intense detail. Next year starts a decade of work and I've got some projects in mind.
Did I just use my own fake mailbag to plug my own secret plans for this summer/my sub 9 post from earlier/my future top 50 XC rankings and the Penn Relays discussion that is inevitably coming in the next few weeks?
Yeah.
Is that kinda lame?
... Yeah.
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