I was reading a column in USA Today by Christine Brennan where she says she wants the Russian track and field athletes banned from the Olympics and was struck by this line:
Christine Brennan wrote:
If it does, Russia will not be allowed to field a team in what the Olympic world calls “athletics,†the track and field events that are still regarded as the marquee Olympic discipline by much of the world even though Americans care more for swimming and gymnastics these days.
Is that true? Do Americans pay more attention to swimming and gymnastics than track and field? Can anyone (Wejo i know are good at this) look up the TV ratings for the various events in 2012 and see which sports got the higher ratings?
How could one prove or disprove her statement?