If track ever has a hope of regaining popularity as a spectator sport, it's going to have to put the stars on the track week in and week out competing to win. What other sport can you think of where tuning in you have no firm idea who is going to compete? Fans of no other sport would settle for excuses like "I can't compete today because I'm saving myself for Europe" or "Today was just a training run, I'm saving myself for 4 months from now" or "I scratched out 5 minutes before the race because my stomach was achy from Taco Bell." Please.
--- "Michael J. Roth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Wayne > > The point that most people miss with Road Racers and T&F, is that most > of the Racers have > never had anything to do with T&F, and know nothing about it. 95% of > these (RW > subscribers) do this for fitness and have no interest in T&F. They > think that they can't > possibly run on the track, it is only for fast, competitive people. > Additionally, they > don't watch the sport and don't help with its administration either. > The collective groan > when TAC became USATF came from this group, becasue they felt like they > were getting less > of the pie, so they took their toys and left. Its only the recent work > of Craig, et al, > and RunningUSA that have turned this around somewhat. On a whole > Racers, still > disassociate with anything on the oval. > > If we are to build the fan base, it will never come from the Road > Racers. The HS Kiddies > are the group we want to get. They are also the TV demographic, too. > Team scoring all > season long (sans the Relay Meets) is the only way were going to create > interest. This > can work, but it means that many coaches are going to have to learn how > to coach (not > athletes) a team. This is very different than getting you best athlete > a qualifier (which > is what pisses off the Hogs coach). You have to manage the talent > available to get them > to win & perform well to boot. Many coaches today just can't do it. > Sure they can win > the NCAA, but that is all the studs banging heads, try getting that 4:15 > miler to > contribute as much as the 3:59 guy, now that is coaching. > > MJR > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com
