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| Track Fan 2012 |
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Letsrun community, As you all know the Olympic Trials are only a few short days away. Over the last year a lot of Track and Field fans and athletes have discussed promoting our sport beyond just the Olympics. The trials is a great place to start. It has high stakes, both an Olympic berth and U.S. title, and all the best U.S. Track and Field athletes will be there. One thing it does not have is a lot of main stream media coverage. It has always been my personal opinion that ESPN dictates what sports are popular in the United States. Fortunately for us, the consumer, ESPN has newly dedicated itself to consumer input, becoming newly responsive to twitter especially. The idea. We, as a community that is passionate about Track and Field, need to lobby ESPN via social networking, twitter specifically, to cover the Olympic Trials. It is my belief that if enough fans start tweeting about the meet before it happens to generate some hype (or at the very least knowledge that it is occurring) and then tweet about athletes, stories, or exciting races, it would help to promote our sport and our athletes to people outside the immediate track and field community. What we would need is for everyone to get on twitter and tweet at ESPN, Sports Center and PTI particularly, using #OlympicTrials or including our favorite athletes twitter names (@NickSymmonds, @BernardLagat, etc…) We need to ask them about their coverage or express our own excitement “Cant wait for the #OlympicTrials in Eugene, whats the best storyline? @SportsCenter” "Who will win the 1500 at the #OlympicTrials in 7 days? @Sportscenter" or something to that effect. I really do think this can work. If the Egyptians can use twitter to depose Hosni Mubarak I think a bunch of running nerds can get some video of Galen Rupp on SportsCenter. I am personally still angry the 2008 Olympic Trials Men’s 800 meter final was not a SportsCenter top play. Looking forward, we just need support. Tweet this thread to fellow friends AND CELEBRITIES (running related or not, maybe we can get Lady Gaga or Edward Norton on board). I know Letsrun trolls will tear this down, and really cannot be deterred (that’s why they are the best trolls) but if we don’t try we will never know. I think its time to back up all our talk about getting this sport a wider audience. All it might take is a few tweets. Sincerely, A fan of Track and Field |
| actually..... |
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If this can get organized, and be on the front page of Letsrun, then I think we could at least get SOME mention by sportscenter or ESPN. The Brojos, Flotrack, T&F News, etc would have to get behind it though. Probably not going to happen. If only there was an organization out there, that was in charge of marketing the sport that could really try to make this happen...they could even be paid to do it too! Oh well. |
| StanfordRunner |
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come on brojos! we need your help |
| Oly WC |
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Sorry but I can't get excited until the Summer Olympic Games in London begin. Post a similar thread a week before London then maybe I'll help out... Peace, out. |
| LanceA |
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I thought NBC was covering the Trials already...no? |
| tip your waitress |
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Hey, Lance. You thought, or was that just a shot in the dark? |
| A Duck |
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This is actually a decent idea. I wonder what it would take? 1,000 people participating? The thing is, USATF is its own worst enemy. Their website doesn't even tell you how you can watch the Trials each day. |
| Track Fan 2012 |
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I am glad the couple of you who responded have been receptive (more or less). I contacted the Brojos and asked for their help, no word yet. In the meantime people need to start tweeting. Its got to start somewhere. The good thing about this idea is that if it fails, its not as if it required any tremendous investment of time on any singular persons part. |
| hoping against hope |
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I just hope that they don't screw us and tape-delay everything. I think it's awesome that they are airing from 6-8, which has the chance to show a few events live. I especially hope they show more than just the last lap or two of the 10k's. I understand no one really wants to watch the whole race (except for us die-hards), but at least show the entire last mile, and live. Then go back and show the events from earlier. Again, here's hoping. |
| track fan #1 |
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GOOD PLAN ! I just made it my facebook status. |
| NE Distance |
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Party in Providence to watch #OlympicTrials, July 1 http://nedistance.org/trials_party.html |
| in the heat of the morning |
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Twitter is for idiots, but I am going to the trials so there's my support for you. |
| The Truth About Your "Sport" |
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#nobodycares |
| gnatroni |
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NBC Sports is covering just about everyday. http://running.competitor.com/2012/06/news/2012-u-s-olympic-trials-track-field-tv-schedule_54150 |
| u r wrong |
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Yes it does. |
| Ok with myself |
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I've never understood the desire of a few here to make the sport more popular. Why? |
| Scooter McPsychologist |
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People don't want to make the sport more popular they want to make the sport more accepted. How fun would it be to gather in a bar with friends and strangers and watch a track meet like people watch Premier League games? It's a pretty standard desire to have others believe the thing you care about is important. Now, I'm a little older and don't really care about being accepted as much, I would like to see the sport get more popular so that: It's on TV more --> People watch more regularly/become fans --> Advertisers notice that people are watching --> they pump more money to networks --> they show more on TV --> athletes start getting higher salaries --> more people want to be a track athlete when they grow up --> more talent into the sport at an early age --> better product --> it's on TV more... |
| NJ Possible |
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I like both the enthusiasm and the idea, but this should have been done months ago if we wanted a shot at actually changing tv programming. And sportscenter top plays -- no way, unless your name is Bolt or you just beat him. |
| Here's The Deal |
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There's nothing exciting about watching a bunch of skinny white dudes with self-absorbed, boring personalities and imported Africans run around in circles on television. Especially when the results are quite predictable when compared to other sports. At least in NASCAR (which I think is equally boring to watch if you don't "get it") the hillbilly redneck drivers have so-called "colorful personalities" and there are conflicts and controversies and massive car crashes and that kind of "made for TV" kind of stuff. The only people who give a crap about track and field and distance running are people who did it semi-seriously in high-school or college... the families and close friends of the participants... and a few nerds in Eugene. That's it. You're looking at less than 0.001% of the population there. If I were in charge of a major network and my job was to attract advertisers, I wouldn't consider track and field at all. I mean... just look at MMA/UFC. It came around way, way later than track and field, and has completely blown it away as far as popularity goes. So for those of you who keep dreaming of track and field gaining popularity as a "sport" someday, I'd give it a rest. It's a niche "sport" and it always will be. |
| Huh?? |
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What? |
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