Hmmmm...I never thought of that. That's a very interesting point. The big
marathons pay big appearance fees to a fleet of Joe-Kenyans so a fleet of
Joe-Kenyans sweep the medal stand. Meanwhile an equally talented
Joe-American gets no appearance fee and fights just for a free entry into
the race. So, The Man pays big bucks to get Kenyans into his race, any
Kenyans as long as they are skinny and dark, because we have been led to
believe that Kenyans produce very fast races and that when groups of Kenyans
race a record is bound to fall. So, The Man gets these greyhounds to run so
that his race may be the race that a record is set. Now, flocks of
GallowJoggers see The Man's race as a chance to run in the same race as a
world record holder or in the same race as a world record is set. All this
means more money for The Man. Interesting.
So, in the late 80s when the Americans started the "less is more" brigade
the race directors see a fall in performance of home grown stars and rise in
performance of little African fellows. Would more people run Chicago if they
knew there was a good chance of a record being set? How much of a draw is it
to run in a race in which someone sets a record? Seems to me like the
fastest marathons are also the ones with the most amount of runners.
Alan
>So let's get away from the cultural, the genetic, and maybe discuss the
>economic angle here particularly that of sponsors and agents. Stuff that
>wasn't around in the olden days. The last chapter of the second edition is
>titled Secrets and Agents. Soon I have to write a third edition.
>
>What do guys think of that? $$$$$$$ but how exactly is the money driving
>the sport? How do you make money, sell products and services. Follow the
>money? Where does it come from and where does it go?
>
>Tom Derderian
>
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