US Olympic Marathon Trials Coverage This Year vs Year's Past

wejo wrote:

I'm just saying I think NYC and USATF can do better.

I don't know why anyone is surprised at USATF botching the marketing of our sport. Let's see who is doing stuff for track and field in America:

-Developing post collegiate athletes: Hanson's

-Covering distance running: Letsrun

-Covering high school T&F: Dyestat

-Covering college T&F: Trackshark

-Covering pole vault: Polevaultpower

-Old guys mumbling about T&F stuff: Trackandfieldnews

-Neat interviews with T&F people: Flocasts

-Running camps tied into national meet: Bob and Todd a while back

-Giving lots of money to established and well funded distance program: USATF

-Introducing idiotic mascot: USATF

Feel free to fill in others.

As I've said, the OT are the side show to the "REAL" race, the NYC marathon. If the biggest American race that happens every 4 years only gets 30 min of TV it shows the sad state of our sport. So much for growth that the USATF promised.

"But the main advantages was supposed to be media coverage"

Pretty much sums it up for me. They might as well be in B-ham from a fans perspective. Hopefully that AM station will streamcast it again. Thank god for Flocast.

Wejo, you've been around long enough to know that what you printed there doesn't hold any water. The decision was made by 3 people and 3 people only. the others are easily influnced individuals who were coddled and pampered by NYRR and never really had any input anyway.

As far as the advantage of New York. It's too late to moan about it, but what they promised as the primary advantage has already been cancelled out. The negatives now far outweigh the positves of this event, but USATF and the NYRR will continue with their positive slant and continue to shovle the shit upstream. How people as incompetent as those three can have so much power is incomprehensible.

As most everyone knows, this decision was based on money, plain and simple. It was not made with the best interests of the sport or the athletes in mind. Those that made the decision were not thinking about better media coverage, more recovery/training time for those who make the team, or anything else other than money. NYRR bought the Trials.

As far as Meb, Culpepper, etc. being asked their opinions, what do you think a high profile (within his/her sport) athlete is going to say? They may want to run the New York City Marathon or other NYRR events in the future. They may also need help from those associated with USATF. Regardless of what their actual opinion is, if they come out and say that it was a poor decision and they'd rather have had the Trials in the spring at another location they risk making people they may need in the future mad. I know if I'd been in their shoes I would have given the same politically correct answer because it would have been in my best interests to do so whereas being honest would have only hurt me.

LI Runner wrote:

I recall seeing Kemp tossing his cookies (or was it Gatorade?) Don't recall if that was live.

I was going to mention the same thing. I was just getting into serious running in 1996 and I remember watching this race on teevee. It was one of the most inspirational moments for me in running history. A man can work his butt off in med school come out and blow away the competition while blowing away his breakfast in the last few miles of the race.

Who were the other qualifiers? Keith Brantly and someone else I believe. I remember Mark Coogan finished fourth.

I also recall the coverage switching back and forth between the two races. Jenny Spangler ran away with the race in a surprise victory over Colleen Dereuck (?) and Gwen Coogan if memory serves me correctly.

I found out later that these races weren't live... but I didn't know any better at the time. They were so much fun to watch.

Mark Coogan got 2nd place... 5k stud out-kicked Keith Brantly who took 3rd place. That was one of the best coverages I've seen without question.

I don't doubt that people associated with the event from USATF would much rather go hand out in NYC for the weekend, NYC marathon weekend, than in Akron during March.

But at the same time all things being equal the athletes would rather be in NY as well.

That being said, I don't think, the people on the committee are just going to choose NY because they get nicer hotel rooms. Give me a break. Could it factor into the decision on some unconscious level. Yes. We're all human. You say it was about money. Well Akron had the same prize money as NY from what I understand. You act like the NY bid was inferior to the other bids. It did have some strong points (#1 of which was supposed to be media coverage). Just because you disagree with the decision or are upset with the media package does not mean these people are terrible human beings. Most of them are volunteers.

Yes the date has changed. We posted on here right before the Trials were announced that they were actually trying to move it to the day of the NYC marathon. I still trust my source on that one but think that might have been the best of both worlds in terms of media coverage if that had been successful. (And yes I can see how other cities might think it is extremely unfair if NYC was allowed to change its details of its bid or was selected without the details being known). It just depends on how early it was but you started right before the NYC marathon you would have people out on the course.

I'm hoping for more media coverage. These people have a lot of resources and 10 months to figure it out. If you have substantial concerns of information about the process please email me.

wejo wrote:

You say it was about money. Well Akron had the same prize money as NY from what I understand.

I think those saying it was about money and that the NYRR bought the Trials aren't talking about the prize money structure. I think they're implying under the table money to sway people to vote for NY. Don't know if that happened or not (I hope not), but it wouldn't surprise me.

1996 Women - 1st Jenny Spangler; 2nd Linda Somers Smith; 3rd Anne Marie Lauck. Gwen Coogan was 4th

the TV presentation of the men's race was the afternoon of the event and pretty well done.

The women's presentation was over-produced (filmed weeks earlier) with a lot of idiotic commentary.

I wonder why so many of you feel that NYRR is out to get the athletes. I have spoken with Mary Whittenberg and Sam Grotewald on numerous occasions and they seem to be so excited about hosting this event. Everytime I talk to them they tell me about new plans to get fans on the course and cool ideas they have to promote the event. I believe they are sincere about their efforts to promote the elite athletes. They have done a lot for the sport in the last few years.

As for media coverage I think they are trying their best to get coverage. I know many local stations will be broadcasting entirely and Mary told me each athlete at the trials will be interviewed for TV if they are around.

In my opinion they are trying very hard to make this an amazing event. I hope people begin to see this also.

USATF Cross Country Nationals... "An epic event"..."the Super Bowl of distance running"... "Buy your plane tickets now." Well you'll need plane tickets because it's the only way you're going to see it.

"Record Coverage" of the sport? ha! Maybe track and field, but how can USATF not arrange coverage for this event in Boulder? They found a way last year in NY. This year dozens of track meets and hundreds of sprinters will be on TV, but the most important XC meet of the year is ignored. USAXC now!

it is on tv - and not at 1 AM in the morning

All of you are so cynical and envious.

New York has something that other cities can only dream of.................................Toby Tanser.

I removed the posts from the person who pretended to be on the selection committee in this thread (from there other posts I determined they weren't on the committee). It is sad someone would come on here and pretend to be on the committee. We're trying to have a constructive conversation and you come on here and make stuff up. It doesn't help the process. If you have serious complaints it is best to address them seriously. If you make stuff up, no one will take your complaints seriously.

Good move. Not productive.

wejo wrote:

If you have serious complaints it is best to address them seriously. If you make stuff up, no one will take your complaints seriously.

wejo, if folks have 'serious complaints', perhaps they'll get a better, more authoritative response if they direct their concern(s) toward those in a position to best answer them. I'm not sure who that person would be w/in the USATF office but it wouldn't take much to find out.

Complaining here on this message board will NOT affect change. And, I can't imagine anybody feels they're making a difference by complaining here. If they do, they are mistaken.

Making stuff up is THE stuff of Letsrun. I like a lot of what I read here but too much is nonsense. I know the difference so I'm not put out by it.

xxxxxx wrote:

it is on tv - and not at 1 AM in the morning

I hope you're right, but if it is USATF is keeping it a secret...

1/28/07 12:00 AM Fox Sports Net P.F. Chang's Rock N' Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon

1/28/07 3:00 PM ESPN2 Reebok Boston Indoor Games

1/29/07 12:00 AM Fox Sports Net P.F. Chang's Rock N' Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon

2/2/07 7:00 PM ESPN2 100th Millrose Games

2/3/07 2:00 PM NBC 100th Millrose Games

2/5/07 12:00 PM Fox P.F. Chang's Rock N' Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon

2/6/07 12:00 AM Fox P.F. Chang's Rock N' Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon

2/11/07 1:00 PM ESPN2 Tyson Invitational

2/25/07 4:00 PM ESPN2 AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships

3/17/07 6:00 AM ABC Rodes City Run

4/28/07 1:00 PM ESPN2 USA vs. the World at the Penn Relays

5/19/07 5:00 PM ESPN adidas Track Classic

6/2/07 11:00 PM ESPN2 Reebok Grand Prix

6/3/07 1:00 PM CBS Reebok Grand Prix

6/10/07 4:00 PM NBC Nike Prefontaine Classic

6/22/07 8:00 PM ESPN2 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships

6/23/07 2:00 PM NBC AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships

6/23/07 7:00 PM ESPN2 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships

6/24/07 1:00 PM NBC AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships

7/4/07 7:00 AM Fox Peachtree Raod Race

I agree that just complaining won't affect a lot of change. But if people here discuss things and enough people decide to do something about it there could possibly be change. And discussion can lead to people coming up with new ideas. I mainly started the thread because I disagreed with it being called "record" coverage, wanted to draw a little attention to it, and wanted someone to answer my questions about the coverage in the past. (But no one has given a complete rundown on the past tv coverage) So I started the thread to get the dicussions started.

But people from USATF do read these threads. I heard from people associated with the Trials bid today because of this thread. So I would say that some (valid) complaints can have influence. Public opinion and accountability can make a difference. The internet disseminates information much faster than in the past.

10 years ago if people thought we could be doing a better job with anything, it was a lot harder for them to voice their opinions or find information on anything.