| Charles Wiegand |
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So lets get this straight. In well over 100 posts we have had one "media person" (Jim Gerwick) step forward and say that this would be a disaster as far as publicity is concerned. There have been ZERO people involved with the media that have stepped up and defended the 3 race idea. On the other hand one of the big selling points of the 3 race scam is that it will provide additional media. This is of course coming from people involved with USATF that no nothing about the media. THE MEDIA SAYS THAT IS WRONG. I think that Jim Gerwick is far more qualified to tell us how this scam will be percieved by the media than the snake oil salesmen that are trying to push the scam. |
| Jorge Strada |
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Who do you think pays Fred Finkes way there? And further....wht do you have to do with the process Fred? A voice? Maybe... A vote? No.... A picture? ABSOLUTELY!!!! |
| The Process |
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OK, Fred Finke is the LDR Division Chair, so his job as a volunteer is to help shape the seletion process, period. He is the mediator in this process and if any person out there has a problem contract Jim, Fred, Glen or Elizabeth. Otherwise, stop this cheap shot shit where you question the best volunteers this sport has had in years! The Policy $500K is for the USOC registration fee to be Olympic Sponsor as any formal bid for the Olympic Trials has to have an Olympic Games Sponsor and the cost at the lowest level for this sponsorship is $500K that goes to the USOC, not the US runners, period. The new idea would change that slipping fundage and put more in the LDR/USATF Coffer for development. |
| Average_Joe |
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I think they should take into account whatever is the best way to choose our 3 Olympic Marathoners and keep all other considerations secondary. Very secondary. |
| Little fish in a big pond |
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We are coming off of a year that we had 2 medalists. The only country in the WORLD to do this in 2004. Other countries should be looking to us as to why this happened. Are we better than Kenya in marathoning? HELL NO. But during this last Olympics we were. We are so stupid that we don't even recognize when we have a good thing going. The current system is NOT broke, leave it the f*** alone. We are far better off going to a little town like Peoria or Louisville that does nothing more than slap mile markers down and says go, then we are trying to change the system. |
| Wags In Illinois |
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"The day the Olympics goes to a format where it's three races and the winners of those races each gets a medal, that's the day that the US team should be selected in such a ridiculous manner. The Olympics (or any other championship) are about the results that were on a given day, not about do-overs until you get the result that you wanted. The one shot trials system is the fairest and most American of all processes -- inoculated from the whims and corruption of selection committees and back-room tribunals." ================================================= I agree with Malmo's comment also. There have been some great stories to come out of the US Olympic Trials marathons in the past, and Jenny Spangler's 1996 UPSET WIN comes to mind immediately. I don't think having 3 selection races will generate the same interest in media coverage, nor do I feel it will have positive impact in developing athletes at the club level. Jeff Wagner aka Wags In Illinois |
| The Process |
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So, you are saying that Birmingham and St. Louis were known and followed by as many Americans as Chicago, NYC, or Boston on live Television. (whatever!) The days of 2:31 females winning a trials race are over, the women's marahton in the US has come into a new level. It is a time where 2:48-2:40 is a joke qualifier anyway! Jeff, you have no concept of the MEDIA offered in doing a 3 race drama. In the end, getting money funds in athletes pockets, who are doing all the work, not the coaches or the agents. Yes in the 3 race options there are issues like; If Ritz debuts in a qualification race for example without prior qualification (for trials selection), he is not selection elegible for the Olympic Team, just running for time! One has to qualify to be in the Elite/Selection Race. Another good point, how much money goes to 4th through 10th. In the 3 race deal, more to the athletes period. I agree with Mr. Gilmore, who is seeing how this could be very big for the US top runners and create excitement for the sport. All the other sporst, NBA, MLB, NFL have expanded and made things more interesing for the fans. Why not our turn in Marathon? Consider all the factors; now is the time to make it BIG in the media with 2 returning medalists. "SHOWDOWN IN BEAN TOWN!" Winner has to have A standard in 3 race trials, prior to the qualification race, no doubt. No doubt the Chicago winner would have the best time! Chicago and Boston will be for the brave non A guys (Olympic A) going for a Standard and David Monti will get those who already have standard with a little appreance money! Hate The Game; Not the Players The Process |
| wildbill |
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I am in favor of this, the only one it hurts is the people who don't have a chance at making the team. I don't think the 220 guys deserve to say they qualified for a olympic trials any way, that would be like qualifying for the 10k with a 29:30. We need to do whats best for the people who have a shot, so the best team is selected and with this process a injury or some timly misfortune wont ruin some ones chance to medal. |
| hebrewhammer |
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this will make the top american runners compete in OUR major marathons why is that a probem? |
| Chi Town |
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It may end up being a 2 race (NY, and Boston) series, but I Guarantee it will not be a 3 race series. |
| Wags In Illinois |
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At the BIG RACES (BOSTON, CHICAGO, NEW YORK), the media will follow the people up front making the race, and these runners are almost always foreigners. I do not see how an American running 2:12 for 10th place will generate more exposure than a separate Olympic Trials race. When was the last time an Anerican won Chicago or New York or Boston (or Grandmas for that matter)? Our sport is all about developing athletes with hopes of achieving goals. What is the best way to keep runners in our sport after college? Qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the marathon is a great way to keep runners in the sport of long distance running in our country. |
| Opinion Much |
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I don't think people should be able to talk about getting pay raises, promotions at work, or the new cars they get, but they do. Oh wait, that is called life and people are proud of certain things in their life. Some people might actually call these goals that create direction in their life. Good for you. |
| Martha |
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I think it is a good idea to have the trials in conjunction with a major fall marathon so that our runners get to compete against a great field pushing them to their best performances. Chicago would be ideal. Let out athletes line up against the best in the world and run fast. Then they have almost a year to recover and prepare for the olympics too. They could be required to demonstrate fitness in the summer before the Olympics by competing in the Olympic trials 10,000m event. Both Deena and Meb won the Olympic trials 10,000m last year on their way to a medal performance in Athens. |
| maurits |
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I wrote: ------ Similarly, for coverage of the race itself, USATF could/should spring for someone (or more than one person) experienced to do race commentary. Pay a good production company to edit the race video, and actively shop it around to ESPN, Fox Sports, etc . JimG replied: ----------- Birmingham had Rod DeHaven doing color commentary, Toni Reavis was in St. Louis, both did great jobs, but only the local TV outlets picked up the broadcast (Rod's commentary was "hijacked" for webcast, however, with some knowledge of the producers). -> Well great, then! That means we have good footage of both races with good commentary. So how about my other idea, to which Jim did not reply: produce a DVD of those races. It can't be that expensive to put together a well-produced DVD with both races, interviews with "cast members", background information on the trials, etc. There are a ton of college students on this board: anyone a media major who'd care to do this as a thesis project? Then it could be distributed, as I also suggested, through various existing outlets. Giving it as race awards would be one. Including it in the goodie bag of major marathons would be another. Including it with every copy of RW would be another still. I subscribe to Entertainment Weekly, and last year I got several DVDs of new shows that way (the DVD comes in a little tear-open plastic sleeve that's simply glued to a page in the magazine). If you think your show (in our case, the OT marathon) might face an uphill battle to generate public interest, you go the extra mile in promotion. Simple as that. I seriously doubt this would be prohibitively expensive. And I bet the organizers of the next OT marathon would be happy to pony up some of the funds, as it would generate more interest in their events. Especially if they could add some preview information for their events on the DVD. |
| LoJack |
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How would the OT organizers and USATF find the money to produce a DVD ? They don't think that way. They are absolute minimalists when it comes to the athletes and fans. They are primarily concerned with 4-star hotel rooms, free airfare, and showing a good time to Bill Roe, Fred Finke, Craig Masback, John Chaplain, Stephanie Hightower, etc. |
| Miles and Miles |
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Why don't we require them to stand on their head and juggle knives too? What the heck. In conjunction doesn't mean they would be running head to head with the rest of the field. Lots of scenerios flying around here. |
| JimG |
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Definitely true - hell, it's hard to fit all the coverage you'd like in stories about the majors now - add the Trials into the mix and it will be nothing more than a sidebar at best, a few grafs in the main story, more likely. Forget the "increased media attention" angle - it's a red herring. To answer your question: Dan Browne, Twin Cities '99. |
| really |
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"To answer your question: Dan Browne, Twin Cities '99." Journalist??? Wrong Khalid Khannouchi at Chicago 2000 2:07:01 (then an American Recoed) 2002 2:05:56 2002 Khalid Khannouchi at London 2:05:38 2003 Blake Russell Twin Cities 2:30:41 |
| JimG |
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My fault - my mind was thinking "male" and "native born" when he said "American". |
| Chi Town |
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Dan's win in TC was not in 99? I think it was 2001. |