Haha really? This isn’t even close to how it was 10 years ago. The difference was then people rarely took offense to what someone who they most likely will never talk to or meet in real life said on a message board. Now we are apparently supposed to be offended about an obvious joke, about an athlete that is no where near fat, but does look like a linebacker compared to runners. Some of us don’t agree that it is offensive in the slightest.

YOU might not be offended by that comment but someone was. I wasn't offended by that comment because I took it as a joke. My post was about how many on this board, and in society, cannot seem to put themselves in someone else's shoes to try to see why they might be offended by something. That does not mean they need to then be offended by the comment but being able to see other points of view goes a long way.

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I think most people on this board are capable of seeing other views. There are remarkably good conversations on this board compared to a couple others i’m on. They may not change their opinion but they still can see the other point of view. However, there are some opinions that are just over the top and some of us don’t feel the need to codify that on a message board. In addition some of us are just tired of the PC, everything is mean and offensive movement.

Funny how the tolerant PC offense brigade always seem to be the only ones who can't be tolerant of any others view but their own. It was a joke, get over it.

Again I was not offended by the original comment in this thread. My original post was about how some can find something offensive when others do not. And in this thread many were attaching the woman who was offended by the post. I can see many other points of view but the views I do not try to see are those of hate.

And, again, I am not directing that comment at THIS thread. Just in general. I see how some could be offended by the fat comment since many people have gone through body issues. I can also see how some see it as a joke, as I did, because when I line up for running races I look big even though to many I am skinny. So instead of directing your "get over it" to me maybe address the posters who said how mad they were on this thread.

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If the entire post was in "pink" to make it even more obvious that it was a obvious "joke", would this whole issue never have been raised? Like is a "fat" joke an topic that can never be obviously joked about? As I said I thought it was a very obvious joke and generally in that "context" an topic like that to me isn't really "out of bounds". Granted there are topics that I think should never be "joked" about, but if the issue truly was "joking" is that ok, ever?

I think I was more taken aback that someone actually thought dev was being serious than the actual content of the post; especially with how he staged the topic- obvious "winky" in the title, "LOL" in the OP.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Humour often plays on the absurd. For anyone to think Patrick is really fat is absurd, so for anyone to choose to take offence is also absurd. It is them with the issue.

But in this PC environment we now live in where people don't want to accept reality and prefer to call any sort of realistic comment as 'shaming' I really feel for our future. Facts are facts, if you are fat you are fat, it's not shaming' it's reality. And with the obesity epidemic it's about time that people started waking up to this reality to save lives.

Not sure if I keep getting replied to because I’m the last poster but I read it as a joke. I didn’t think it was over the line. My original post was saying that I can see how someone who has had body weight and body imagine issues could find it offensive. It triggered her and I can see that. That’s all my original post was saying then it spiraled down from there.

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Maybe we're missing something.maybe doctor tiger chick is actually just trolling all of us 🤔

I was replying to your comments just to hear your thoughts because based on the OP, the subject line, the responses from most people in this thread- most knew/realized it was a "joke". So I think it more took me off guard that someone assumed/thought it was an actual real merit comment. Because as I said, I think in instances where it's obviously a joke, "fat" jokes aren't on the same level of sexism or race, is it? Again I'm saying when your making a very obvious joke, I dont think it's a crime against humanity. And yes could someone be offended, absolutely. So my question more was, is this really an subject to add to "never joke about" section that you previously mentioned? If it is, great. Fair enough.

As I said, I think I was more shocked that someone took this as "seriousness" than the actual joke matter. Or I guess it's one of this "this isn't a joking manner"....Fair enough.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Makes sense. Hope I cleared it up. And I don’t think that joke should be added to the “not list” because of its intentions. I think we all know there’s a line when a joke becomes not a joke. Now calling Patrick fat doesn’t cross the line, but making fun of an over weight person in that same situation might be over the line.

I should probably should not have escalated the situation by adding in so many other societal issues but I was also more shocked at how people were attacking the Dr for voicing her opinions on the subject and how it made her feel.

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Word has it that Patrick read this thread, saw Gomez's half marathon time at Barcelona then he dials Macca,

Patrick, "that cabbage and water diet that won you Kona, how much do I pay to get on it?"
Macca, "Which version do you want? The one I used or the won I gave to Lionel last year?"
Patrick, "I got most of the version you used to win Kona....you drafted Faris, Marino and Tissink, I got Faris as my coach and I got the blue draft train under my payroll"
Macca, "Wow, you're spending too much money on your draft train. I got mine for free by shaming the other guys. Give me the money and I'll give you the non Lionel Sanders version of the cabbage and water plan"
Patrick, "You mean I can shame Frodo, and Lionel, and Sebi and Wurf to tow me around the Queen K and uncork a 2:39 run"
Macca, "You got it mate....now send the wire transfer to Phuket and come and hang out with Jurgen and I and we will show you how to do it old school....just don't go on Jurgen's diet, but be ready for his weekly 5 hours 200 km ride and be in the rivet of the train"

Cry me a handful

They can get over it too:)

That would be sweet... I'm guessing you're cool with the fact the women have there own " Women page" on here as well? Oh wait let me guess the white middle-aged men have the rest of it so they should get their own page cuz the rest of the form isn't all inclusive correct?. Maybe we should do a woman's fitter page. Probably women's coaching page as well.

Context matters and I assume everyone here knew Lange's credentials and identified it as a joke. Maybe she didn't though.

Anyhow, I'm out. I think I'm going to find a cookie and go fat shame my cat.

I had some time to think about this thread and let me share this:

1. I feel completely comfortable calling a ripped guy "fat" as a joke in the context of performance oriented sport. We all know that lighter is faster in tris (up to a point, but almost none of us get to that point)
2. Getting to that point is generally unhealthy so its not sustainable....Patrick is smart to not be in Kona body composition all year....it torpedo'd Lionel last year
3. I would never call a guy in normal society (outside of endurance sport) fat. If he asked, I would say, you can do XYZ to get in better shape
4. I would never call an female athlete in any sport fat. Herein lies my personal double standard. I feel totally comfortable calling a ripped fast guy in off season body composition "fat' but would never dream of saying that to any woman athlete.

So to the point that Anna made, what makes it OK to call a male athlete fat? I think if i look at it objectively, ribbing other guys about being fat is equally psychologically damaging. No shortage of guys with eating disorders in sport trying to get "faster". We can all ask Peter Reid about that.

Its also interesting that now that I am racing swimming and not tris, I almost never worry about my personal body composition, other than I want to generally fit into the clothes I wore as a triathlete. For now, I am "thicker" all over, and I actually don't care (some muscle, some fat, but aesthetically, it actually looks healthier vs the emanciated aerobic nothingness with veins popping out of my abs that I'd always be trying to get to as a triathlete).

Seriously I think Patrick has it right. He needs to peak in October and can't be Mr. October body composition all year (and maybe it was all an optical illusion, given that just before him all these 120 lbs Kenyans ran by.....it's like how Thor Hushovd would look like a giant on the bike but that's because he's riding beside 128 lbs Spanish and Columbian climbers).

I'll just add my 2 cents - It's all about context and your audience. If you and I are just talking and you call me fat, I know it's a joke and we move on with our lives. When you post on a forum that thousands of people read, someone is going to be offended. That doesn't mean that person is right, but "offense" is a subjective thing and you can't change the way people feel.

That said, success in life is largely determined by your relationships. Like the old saying goes, it's often who you know rather than what you know. So, with that in mind, if you're trying to win minds and influence people,

1) It's probably not optimal to frequently say offensive things (where "offensive" is subjective) when you don't know your audience. You have to use your emotional IQ to understand that audience and not cross that line, even if you disagree.

2) If you're offended, it's probably not optimal to chastise the speaker publicly and demand their silence, especially if you are in the minority when it comes to speech that you find "offensive". People won't want to associate themselves with you if you try to censor their speech and lecture them on the morality of their speech, especially in front of a group (e.g. certain members of my extended family, not to be named).

Now if you don't care about any of that, go ahead and be verbally offensive and/or verbally offended as much as you like. Just know where it's coming from when people of different mindsets don't want to hang out with you.

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Strava

My sentiments exactly. :)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

yes... not really (I'll spare you)... not necessary (it would be a sortable attribute)... not necessary (ditto)... How did I do? :)