Bunn denies posting false marks on mastersrankings.com
Yesterday’s post about discrepancies between Steve Bunn’s times on mastersrankings.com and the actual meet results has brought a response — from Steve Bunn. In a comment posted this morning, he writes (in part): “I can assure you all that I have NOT manipulated any times posted on the site nor have I personally submitted any times for the 2008 indoor season.” This now becomes a case of apparent sabotage (with someone else posting marks under Steve’s name), so I hope the prankster who posted the false marks is identified and disciplined. I encourage everyone to monitor their own marks on mastersrankings.com to assure the site’s accuracy and credibility.
Here is what Steve posted on the original blog entry:
Ken,
I just had this information forwarded to me and I am shocked. First, I was not aware that results could be altered on the site until today upon recieving this email. I believe someone in the masters community is having a little fun with me at my expense. Over the last 5 years or so I have met many of you and formed many lasting relationships through masters track and field. It seems I am presumed guilty. I can assure you all that I have NOT manipulated any times posted on the site nor have I personally submitted any times for the 2008 indoor season. Those of you who know me personally as well as the work I do both professionally and in the community can attest to my character. I am deeply offended and upset over the matter.
Steve Bunn
25 Responses
What’s the lesson here ???
Innocent until proven guilty ????
Right of due process ????
Shoot first – ask questions later ???
Nothing more disgusting than grown men acting like 2nd. grade tattle-tails ???
Great to see that master’s track and field hasn’t insulated itself from the pettiness rampant in so many other facets of life. Makes you want to switch over to cock-fighting.
A better way to sabotage someones times would be to make them slower! Sorry, I had to say it!
This whole deal is really a drag.
The Rankings is a wonderful tool and service to us all, let’s not screw it up!
I think that Steve deserved to have been confronted first about this with an investigation than to have his picture plastered on the blog. Whether he is innocent or guilty now, people will always wonder if he did it or someone else did it to play a joke on him. Anyone can submit times for anyone and there is no tracking device. Maybe there should be one set up.
I know if someone put some phony distance up for me, and my picture was posted that I was a liar and a cheat I would be thinking lawsuit for defamation of character.
Let me paraphrase one of my posts on the subject.
For those who worry about falsely submitted times or those supposedly doing so anonymously at someone’s expense and reputation: Don’t worry about it!! For crying out loud, if you see a time that’s outrageously fast; go out to your nearest track, train with a purpose and use that as motivation to achieve your own goals.
Do it ‘old school’ style; line up and race!!! the proof is in the pudding.
I am not sure if I unintentionally offended someone somewhere along the line. But I cannot understand why anyone would forward the actual blog accusing me to me as well as my place of business and also where I have been a volunteer coach for several years unless it was intended to do harm. I have forwarded my personal phone number to Ken. I would appreciate some kind of apology or retraction sent to those places as well. Again if I offended someone in some way let me know and I will make it right as well.
Steve Bunn
This has got to be some kind of joke! I had to check it to believe it. Steve….you have legal recourse here! For all of your info…Steve in known well in his area for many things…all positive. He routinely puts up great times in area meets. low 11s to high 10s when he actually has the time to do some training for himself. I hear he recently recovered from a complete hamstring avulsion surgery (tore it off).. to his credit he was able to compete in 2008. He spends most of his time training wheelchair athletes as well as those who otherwise cannot afford to get a solid trainer or coach. On a funny note… If the person who started this ever knew Steve at all he would know it was false. But if he ever saw Steve he would be petrified and keep his mouth shut. Steve is HUGE!!! FOR A SPRINTER. but fortunatly for you.. He will probably let this whole thing slide. You must be one of the Pee Wee Hermins of the world. How easy it is to attack someone and SLANDER their name on a BLOG like this. You really re- think your actions here.
D Ross
Mr. Stone,
A public apology for your actions may make things right. You had no right to post his work info, post his picture like a mug shot, and say the things that you did.
I have enjoyed your blog over the years, but you went way over the line on this one. Masters rankings are not worth all of this.
Too often, hasty accusations come back to hurt everyone involved. Could the gentlemen involved in this set things straight between themselves very quickly and honorably?? No further name calling is needed.
Ken, you’ve finally gone WAY over the line. Among other things, what makes you so sure that’s a National Championships patch on the jacket? There are also
Regional Championships patches. You claim to be a journalist yet you regularly put things on this site that no newspaper would ever dare publish because not enough has been done to verify the veracity.
I don’t wish to jump into the crossfire but in Ken’s defense, he is almost singlehandedly responsible for REAL marks in the pole vault. Over 10 years ago he had the audacity to challenge a record that everyone knew for a fact was false. That athlete threatened a lawsuit and caused ongoing grief for Ken. MANY anecdotal stories came forward about the athlete from those who knew him. The outrage was because this was a pattern of deception and the mark the athlete set would never be touched, so we thought. This led one former Olympian to say, “why bother jumping, he’ll just fake a higher mark”. This year that record was broken legitimately and the matter put to rest. What I do know is for the 10+ years that Ken stepped forward, we have been free of this type of behavior.
I don’t know Mr. Bunn but I am certain from his defenders that he’s a great guy and has done a lot of good things for a lot of people. His marks are his marks and certainly I wish him nothing but the best. That IS a “National Masters Champion” patch on his jacket and THAT says a lot about Mr. Bunn. CONGRATS!! I’ve got one though I’ve been a million times it seems.
My purpose is to pass on my thanks to Ken’s efforts for the sport we love. Ken is a long time professional journalist by employment. The “media” may not always get it right or come across the way we would like them to. But like Mr. Bunn, Ken’s body of work has been outstanding. All the best! Bubba
MR. STONE:
WHY ALL THE SILENCE, ALL OF THE SUDDEN. ARE YOU AT A SUDDEN LOSS FOR WORDS ???
THAT’S WHAT THE SPORT DESERVES AFTER LETTING IN PENCIL NECK RUNNERS, HURDLERS AND JUMPERS. THROWER’S HANDLE THINGS IN A MAN-TO-MAN MANNER. NOT REALLY, I HAVE NEVER WITNESSED MORE LACK OF MANNERS THAN IN A MASTER’S THROWING EVENT IN WICHITA, KANSAS IN 1999, ?WHEN THE OLDER THROWERS JUST PUSHED THE WOMEN THROWERS OUT OF THE WAY SO THEY COULD GET THEIR EVENTS COMPLETED BEFORE THE RAIN STARTED COMING DOWN. WHAT THEY DIDN’T COUNT ON WAS MY WIFE BEING ENTERED IN ONE OF THE THROWING EVENTS AND I PUT A STOP TO THAT CRAP. THIS INCLUDES NATIONAL CHAMPION HAMMER / WEIGHT THROWERS WHO KNOW WHO THEY ARE…….
Ken,
It is unfortunate that things turned out as they did. I hope at some point we get to the bottom of who posted the false times. I just wanted to say that I appreciate all you do. I think a lot of people responded to this story because there are a number of athletes who seem to have forgotten the differences between their college and their recent times. I think that if it’s been verified that someone has been posting ridiculous times, then they deserve to have that fact plastered all over the place. Maybe there should be a standardized process for finding that out. Hopefully, this whole incident will end up creating a system for verifying marks, or at least discourage others from being creative with their times and distances.
This whole situation was very unfortunate. At this time, however, I think it’s between Ken and Steve and I would hope that the rest of us could step aside, perhaps? It seems to me that those of you who continue to post negative stuff towards Ken at this point and calling him out are a bit hypocritical. Just my own opinion.
I agree with Susan that the overall discussion of seed times and of athletes- in general, not specific people- who put in false times has been good and beneficial.
As someone who will be brand new to masters competition this year as a 31 year old, I must say seeing this situation unfold from all sides has left me a bit hesitant and concerned about what masters track is all about.
What emboldens people to make nasty comments on websites that they would never dream of making face to face? Here in Texas, words like the ones a few of you have posted are called “fightin’ words.” Ken Stone is the world’s foremost advocate for Masters Track and deserve better treatment from some of you than he’s getting here. I assume all of you are either masters track athletes or masters track fans. You should realize that Ken Stone’s contributions to the sport you love are invaluable and unequaled. He has done nothing wrong here. He reported the discrepancy in the times and asked Mr. Bunn to step forward and explain it. Mr. Bunn has done that and the disagreement between them is resolved. It was an unfortunate situation that was caused by yet another social misfit who has no regard for anyone other than himself and displays this type of antisocial behavior simply for his own sick amusement. In Matthew 7:12, Jesus said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” I believe Ken has used the Golden Rule here. Have you?
Yeeehhawwww!!! Looks like we got ourselves a blog room brawl!! Lawsuits…really? Mr. Bunn states he didn’t put in any entries for those times, but no one seems to care about the person framing Mr. Bunn? Maybe someone is framing Ken at the same time, informing him of Mr. Bunn and knowing it would get Ken all worked up? My theory is that it’s the blogger in the grassy knoll. Some of you will say “Who cares about the entries and rankings …a man’s credabilty was damaged here!”. Ken just posed the question, ” Are his sprint times bunk?” Ken was a bit overzelous (spelling..?) but I did look up Mr. Bunn’s bio at his workplace and I’d have to say it was a bit overhyped as well, stating he was a “World Class sprinter”??. Yes his 55 meter times are excellent but to my knowlege the USA and World Indoor championships don’t even contest the event. I believe the shortest race is the 60 meters, but If I’m incorrect about this, please accept my appologies now. His highest USA rankings indoors in the 60 meters are 12th in 2007 and 18th in 2008. He didn’t make the USA top 25 in the either the 100 meters or 200 meters in 2007. World class sprinter? Exaggerated a bit…a little overzelous…maybe. I doubt Ken is Dr. Evil and while working late in his dungeon one night he figured a way to destroy at his arch enemy sprinter Mr. Bunn!! Mr. Bunn and Ken will work this out eventually. The question I have then is do we really want this blog or rankings site at all. Are we so unforgiving that we’re willing to have someone elso start a site a devote, and I do mean DEVOTE, their time and effort to doing what Ken and Dave started? I’ve had to swallow a bitter pill at times when competing at some past T&F Masters events here in Colorado. After training my rear off (hard to believe if you ever saw my rear…) for a state event, Myself and the official for the shot put had it out when I said the rules for the event stated on the entry sheet and posted as well were “Order of throws will be Men’s youngest to oldest” not oldest to youngest as we usually see. I then get a tongue lashing from the official as if he were my Father
( …possibly grand father…maybe great gra…) yelling out to me in front of the contestants and just before throwing “…but it’s all about you, isn’t it Mr. Girouard!” I paid good money and traveled to this event to hear that? I could have stayed home and listened to my girlfriend for free! Yes , it sucked and ruined my day, but I got over that embarrassment as well. I just did’nt compete at any of the meets that official ran in Colorado. You all have that same power. If you don’t like what you read or see on this site, don’t be a patron of it. Have someone else start another site and you folks run it the way you think proper. I’m trying to do it with my own web page when the Local USATF Colorado site went kind of wacky. I didn’t like it so I’m trying to do someting about it , as small as it may seem. You have the same power. Maybe some of you are just enjoying Ken’s situation now and that’s ok too…just don’t be throwing shot put’s at glass houses…!!!! To Mr. Bunn and Ken, I wish you both the best and that you both can figure out who this pesky rankings bandit is…
enough is enough , let it go !!! What difference does all this make to any of us in 5 years, or even now ??
I have personally seen Mr. Bunn compete on several occasions. I have seen him run under 11 seconds an least 2 times. Given the masters track and field gading system I do believe he has reached the “world class” level of masters competition. In the 100m in 2006 and the 55 as well. To the letter of the law I suppose his bio at his place of business should state “masters”. Did anyone bother to see what kind of work he does there???? I think he gets a nod from me. It seems he runs an integrated sports program with wheelchair and able bodied athletes.
COOL!!
What’s an age-graded percentage?
It’s a measure of how high you rank in your own age group — a formula often used in major meets. If you’re classified over 90% — you are world class in your age group. Marks over 80% are national class. Over 70% is regional class. Over 60% is local class. Marks below 60% are for the sainted masters who just love to compete.(But marks over 100% pop up — such as Debbie Brill’s 1.76 (5-9 1/4) high jump at the 1999 Gateshead WAVA meet at age 46 — supposedly equivalent to an open jump of 2.18 (7-1 3/4)!
Give me a break Marvin. Are you actually serious with your comments about age grading percentage? According to you Marvin, I’d be a world class sprinter as well. My time at this year’s Dartmouth Relays for the 60m was 8.34. My age grade percentage is 90.27%. Am I a world class sprinter? Definately not. Am I a US class sprinter? Nope. Am I a regional class sprinter? Probably yes.
Looking at Steve Bunn’s results in legitimate meets, he is an average sprinter at best. His 10.98 seems to have come in an all comers meet, so those times can’t really be trusted. His times in legitimate meets, during the same time period were 11.88 and 11.90. Good performances yes, but basically regional class performances at best, hardly US Class, and not even remotely World Class.
The fact that he seriously exaggerates his athletic resume on his company website makes me think that his claim of someone else posting false times under his name, to be pure bunk as well.
Though I appreciate those of you who have apparently come to my defense, there is no need to make negative comments about Ken. The work he has done for the sport speaks for itself. I also appreciate the personal emails as well. If some of you still wish to make accusations and negative comments towards me this is not the proper platform to do so. Thanks
The above comments by Steve Bunn (assuming this comment was really posted by him 🙂 shows he is a class act.
As for Ken, he has written 2331 blog entries (note the URL).. that’s a lot of articles devoted to Masters track… without those articles, Masters track wouldn’t get the half-decent coverage.
This article shows the real lesson: that the Masters Rankings are a joke!
Yes, Jimson. The comment posted at 8:58 p.m. April 24 was by Steve. His email address (hidden from visitor view) matches the one he used to write to me.
Also for the record: This blog has 1,871 entries and 3,825 comments.
I’ve got to agree with Ken Effler on the age-grading deal. I would have to throw 61 feet and change with the 16#er at 45 years old to just get to 90%. Heck I’d make the USA Olympic trials with that throw!!! ( Ok..B standard …but I’d still make it…)
To say that Steve is average is kind of funny. Tell that to those who have run with him. I and many others saw him run in races with Alan Tissenbaum in OH and give him all he could handle. In a 60 meter race both men finished under 7.2. Steve has an “electric” start and remarkable reaction time to the gun. Though Alan won the race by a narrow margin, at 50 meters it would have gone the other way. A great performance by both men. Those who have seen Steve run in person know that he is capable of some great perfornances on a given day. If and when Steve finds the time to actually train for track specifically I am sure his times will become more consistant. Average…he is a 43 year old in a 26 year a much much younger body and is the credit to a clean and athetic lifestyle. Steve shows so much “class” here.
Mr. Ross, No doubt at all Mr. Bunn has a great 50 meter time, has a rocket start at the gun and has been very gracious so far on the issues of his times posted in the rankings… but are you bringing up the issue about being “World class” again? Listen, if I had the time to train for “Track (field in my case) specifically” who knows what I’d do, or any of us would do…and as far as his great 50 meter time and then he gets caught at 60, 100 or 200 meters…that’s the difference between world class and a competitve runner. I’m sure he make a great race of it, but times don’t lie. Not one of his outdoor times last year made the USA Masters Top 25 in the 100 and 200 meters. That’s a reality. Hey my shot put throw looks very explosive and and boy, when it’s about 30-35 feet out and up in the air, it looks like a 60 footer…it just usually peters out at around 48 feet..again the difference between world class and competitive. If anything positive comes out of all this banter about Mr. Bunn is that I truely hope he proves me and others wrong about his 100 and 200 meter abilities and takes the Gold or Silver at Outdoor Nationals with a USA Masters top 10 time in either event. There’s a lot of folks behind you in all this Mr. Bunn…best of luck on your training and future races in Spokane, if you should choose to compete there.
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