Police in the United States became embroiled in an international crisis at the weekend, after Luke Cragg uploaded his training diary to the popular running forum, Eightlane some three hours late. The delay prompted widespread speculation that the legendary "L.C" had ditched his roots in a bid to take athletics more seriously. The website crashed on Sunday evening, after thousands of anonymous posters were quick to either pledge their support or stab him in the back- depending on whether he had run well or not. One poster- who used the mystery name 'interested'- slammed the 5k star asking "what has he ever really achieved?" Another, 'sad day', attacked his fellow poster saying "shuttup [sic] interested, you looser [sic]- if he ever raced you then i rekon [sic] he would definately [sic] beat you." Yet more were quick to question the American-based man's loyalty to the UK. "You can't knock the guy for what he has achieved, but I think that he betrayed his country by moving to the States. And now by not posting his training anymore," opined 'Balanced', "it suggests something really sinister. Maybe he should be arrested for treason or something- but I doubt this new Government will care that much, because athletics is such a low priority- this would never have happened in the 1980s". Meanwhile, others questioned "the length of American tracks" and said that "their [sic] are loads of examples of guys who have run well in America- but they're not really any good".
Sanity and calm was brought to the forum when the main man himself posted his training with a note stating that he was "really sorry." Cragg continued, "I was driving home from practice and ran out of gas. Sorry y'all, I didn't mean to freak you out". Eightlaners were then free to turn their attention to attacking other athletes such as Mo Farah (who is "a waster") and Sebastian Coe (who "never did much after going to Loughborough" and is "smug"). George Gandy and his Loughborough regime also came in for a lot of stick recently after some of his "shit" athletes were permitted races in the recent Loughborough International. This is not the first time Gandy has felt the wrath of the forum. Not so long ago, someone called 'l'boro lover' was thoroughly indignant, "how far will Gandy go to get someone in the team[?]", he/she thundered, "how many L'boro athletes made Student teams when they shouldn't..at [sic] others missed out?" Alasdair Donaldson, Gandy's official spokesperson, said that the guru would not be entertaining "the musings of a bunch of nobodies who should really find something better to do." To this end, Mr. Gandy has the Echo's full support- but concern is growing as to whether he will receive similar backing from 'Cod Liver Oil'. We can but hope.