DaveW wrote:
As if there wasn't enough in fighting in this sport between:
1: Running Shoe companies
2. Running apparel companies
3. Running training groups
4. Running websites
5. Running publications
Now we have it between running venues. Pathetic.
Competition among running venues could be a good thing if it were among venues of those competing to, say, host the Super Bowl. The pathetic part here is that the three current competitors - Drake, Sac St and Hayward - are all in 2nd-3rd tier cities and host the meet in small venues. Of the three I see Hayward as having the advantage of looking great on TV.
I've never been to any of them in person, but I find Drake ugly on TV [and watching people sitting in uncomfortable-looking bleachers with no shade in sight in Central Iowa in June is just sad] and Sac St kind of passable but nothing special. On the other hand, every time I see Hayward on TV, I think, "Man, one of these days I really have to attend a meet there" and I think that's one of the effects you want a meet venue to have on TV/web spectators.
p.s. I see that the wikipedia article on Hayward lists the seating capacity as "10,500 (expandable 21,000)" - anyone with first-hand knowledge of both Sac St and Hayward care to comment on how Hayward in its expanded set up compares to Sac St?