In a message dated Wed, 27 Jun 2001 11:31:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
Ben very well stated. And that was the fault of the HJers. But there does
exist a victim mentality among those competing, and especially in the weaker
events. In other words it is not always a lack of solidarity as much as
feeling like there is no hope, so why bother. On the other side of the coin,
the men pole vaulters did the exact opposite, and requested additional warm
up time due to the cold and rain.
And then there is the whole issue of why we were all at the track at 9 am on
Sunday when all the previous days were afternoon meets. This was a bad
decision, and that is why you saw the lackluster competition on Sunday. You
cannot start late afternoon/early evening for three days, and then start at
the crack of dawn on the final day. Rest is an important part of track, and
too many forget this. Trust me when I tell you this championships were a
battle of survival more than performances, and that should never be the case.
DGS
Faith is a road seldom traveled
Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith" Hebrews 12: 1-2
>>
The meet was early on Sunday for the simple reason of getting it on TV. We always
complain about meets being tape-delayed or shown days or weeks later. Well, this time
USATF got the meet on TV live or on the same day!!! Shouldn't we be applauding their
effort?
It'd be great if athletes had a bigger voice in how the sport is run, but
unfortunately, they usually have their own interests in mind, just as the IAAF, USATF,
agents, promoters, etc. do. Agents keep talking about forming a union or whatever, but
it'll never happen because they're looking out for their own business and their own
athletes.
Many would think the HUGE appearance fees that some athletes get are unfair, when
others are barely getting travel and $500. You might argue that the big names fill the
stadiums, which is true, but if you're arguing for a greater athlete voice in how the
sport is run, what do you think the majority of athletes would request? A more
equitable distribution of money, which might not go over too well with those making
over $100,000 per meet.
I'm not attacking anyone here. I think the sport should be run in a more equitable
manner wherein athletes have more power, since, for lack of a better term, they are
the proletariot. But track does not have a league. There are no salary caps. There are
no rules, really. There is prize money, but there are no rules as to who gets what
appearance fees, etc., and trying to control it would just make it go even more
under-the-table.
The IAAF implemented the wild-card rule to protect its meet from harsh national
qualifying procedures. USATF implemented its rule to ensure its top athletes would
show up. We should remember that USATF now gives prize money at nationals. Sure, it is
only a token to athletes like Mo, Marion and Stacy, but it is a token of goodwill.
I would think that top athletes have a vested interest in the health of the sport and
would be willing to compete at our national championships in order to promote it. In
an ideal world, USATF would pay some top stars $100,000 to show up, but they don't
have that kind of money.
sideshow
