Bad News - Larry Rawson Is Commentating NCAA D1 XC Meet on Versus

I actually don't expect we'll here about hydroplaning. That's a little tough to do on a grass course.

It doesn't terribly upset me that these guys are announcing. Just make sure the pictures are there. We know who the runners are.

I recently saw Big Ten's XC on the "Big Ten Network." Luke Watson did a very nice job commentating. They might consider him in future years. The dude with him was OK, too, but I didn't recognize his name.

Chelanga got the chimmie chungas (is nervous) so I'm not sure how he'll race.

If you don't know what the chimmie chungas are, just watch the new TV ad for Pepto Bismol: so funny.

Ok state Fernandez is a baller so I know he'll throw it down and finish strong in a good position

Sadly, the regular (ie: non-Olympic) TV coverage of the sport has not advanced much since inception. ABC's Wide World of Sports began coverage of the Penn Relays and a couple of the big indoor meets with the excellent Jim McKay, but from then on it has been mediocre at best and many times infuriating. CBS sports started first regular coverage every weekend throughout the summer of 69-72 (albeit with odd programming times) with footage of European meets with voice overs by announcers Jack Whitaker (a smooth football and horse racing guy who knew little about the sport, but apparently liked to travel to Europe since he usually took up part of each program with a traveloge), the unintelligble former long jumper Ralph Boston, Dick Bank (1969-70)(unmemorable) and Bill Toomey (1971-72)still cruising on his '68 gold medal laurels, and mostly indifferent to anything longer than 400 meters. They never showed more than the last lap of anything over 1-mile and would then always focused on the winner recovering after the finish and would dod an immediate post-race interview with the breathless athlete ("so, how do you feel?"), ignoring all the other finishers times/places, duel to the line, PRs, etc.

If you've ever heard Steve Cram cover a meet for the BBC you know that's how it should be done. Clear, concise, no "up close and personal" interviews where you have to listen to crap about their relationship with God, no bizarre analogies in order to explain the sport to the stupid.

But I think basketball's Dick Vitale could give Rawson a run for most unpopular announcer by serious fans of a sport.

Bob Kennedy did some announcing a few years ago. He seemed okay. I think he rode the cart.

I thought Lynn Jennings did a great job with the men's Olympic Marathon Trials a couple of years ago, but we have not heard from her since. She would be perfect for cross country.

I'm with you on this one...the Queen of XC would be the class of the field.On another note, I think the Rawson choice is about on par with Brent Musburger announcing football games. The powers that be do it not for competence but for viewership. They know that a small majority like them but a vast majority will tune in just so they can bitch...

OldXCguy wrote:

I thought Lynn Jennings did a great job with the men's Olympic Marathon Trials a couple of years ago, but we have not heard from her since. She would be perfect for cross country.

I beg to differ wrote:

I actually like both of them and think they do a decent job.

Some of us that watch these things drag our non-track nut friends and family to the TV/computer with us so the abundant analogies and descriptions of relative speed for the non-track folk are appreciated.

Also, for you all you haters, L. Johnson was a better track athlete than 99.9% of the people on this board.

My non-athletics crazed friends prefer the latter much more than the former.

Holy Cow!!!!!!! Do those elite runners really run over 1.000 mile in a year?

waited untill the 36th minute !

Montesquieu wrote:

What's the over and under in terms of minutes until we hear, " . . . go down to your local track . . ."?

I met J.Fred Muggs twice wrote:

waited until the 36th minute for legturnover!

Montesquieu wrote:

What's the over and under in terms of minutes until we hear, " . . . go down to your local track . . ."?

Some of these athletes are logging 1000 miles...

Man! I couldn't agree with you guys more, that was probably the worst coverage of a running event in History. Who is in charge of putting this on, a 10 year old kid! I could have gotten better coverage by listen to it on radio.

I would have been embarassed to put my name on this coverage. I would seriously like to complain about the poor coverage, who would I write too. Too much Blah, Blah and no race coverage, especially the team event.

LONG LIVE RAWSON....

LOVE HIM!

GO YOUTUBE HIS CALL OF BOSTON WHEN ROGERS TAKES DOWN SEKO...

THE MAN IS BRILLIANT...

YOU PEOPLE TAKE YOUSELVES WAY TOO SERIOUS... HE IS OUR DICKIE V, JOHN MADDEN, DON CHERRY, RIZZUTO ALL IN ONE....

"LEG TURNOVER".... GREAT LINE! CAN'T HELP BUT BRING A SMILE TO MY FACE. LIGHTEN UP PEOPLE AND ENJOY HIM FOR WHAT HE IS.

;lkjd;lkj wrote:

I recently saw Big Ten's XC on the "Big Ten Network." Luke Watson did a very nice job commentating. They might consider him in future years. The dude with him was OK, too, but I didn't recognize his name.

I second that. But what was up with his hair in the back? Looked like some emo stuff?