Promoting the Olympic Trials

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.

come on brojos! we need your help

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.

I thought NBC was covering the Trials already...no?

LanceA wrote:

I thought NBC was covering the Trials already...no?

Hey, Lance.

You thought, or was that just a shot in the dark?

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.

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.

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.

GOOD PLAN !

I just made it my facebook status.

Party in Providence to watch #OlympicTrials, July 1 http://nedistance.org/trials_party.html

Twitter is for idiots, but I am going to the trials so there's my support for you.

#nobodycares

NBC Sports is covering just about everyday.

http://running.competitor.com/2012/06/news/2012-u-s-olympic-trials-track-field-tv-schedule_54150

A Duck wrote:

The thing is, USATF is its own worst enemy.

Their website doesn't even tell you how you can watch the Trials each day.

Yes it does.

I've never understood the desire of a few here to make the sport more popular. Why?

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...

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.

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.

Scooter McPsychologist wrote:

People don't want to make the sport more popular ... I would like to see the sport get more popular ...

What?