Bear of Bad News wrote:
Give Me A Break wrote:Where do people get off comparing a niche sport to the most watched sporting event in the world?
I agree with most of your post, but no one compared XC to the World Cup Final. Unless we've just given up on any attempt at humility and we are now openly referring to the United State as "the world" now.
EAT IT
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/08/super-bowl-2010-ratings-m_n_453503.htmlhardset nipples wrote:
XC Enthusiast wrote:First of all, I've been to plenty of HS XC state championships. Almost the entire crowd are relatives of the runners who live nearby. And depending on the state, the fields are usually larger than USAXC fields.
So?
Second, USATF is a staff that works on a budget. Sure, they could fly into a city and set up a cross country race on their own. But it would cost them a lot more to do that than to have a local club handle the site, interface with local authorities, etc... It's sort of the same idea as the U.S. Open in golf. The USGA owns the championship, but clubs bid for it and front a lot of the cost.
They also waste a crapload of dough on junkets for officials and staff. USATF could wield much more power in the decision-making process than they have been. They just choose not to.
People are living a pipe dream if they think the USATF could come up with some magic advertising scheme to make USA XC championships popular with average Americans. Maybe NYRR hosted it in Central Park one year at least there would be some passersby curious enough to take a look for a few minutes.
And people are delusional defeatists if they think that USATF is really, functionally doing all they can to market a professional sport. You say it can't be done? STFU and sit down and let people with vision push this sport to higher levels.
The point on a hs state meet is that people shouldn't compare the crowd size to a USATF championship, because complete strangers don't fill out the crowd at a state meet as people like you seem to expect to happen at a USATF championship.
Please provide some evidence that USATF wastes a lot of $ on junkets. Any jackass can make a bald assertion like that.
OK, I'm sitting down now. Please enlighten us with some details of your great vision to push this sport to a higher level.
I've run many USAXC championships and still run at the Masters race. I would love it if there thousands of people lining the course, the race was broadcast live on ESPN or network, and the top athletes flew in on private jets complete with ostentatious possees. Just don't think that's going to happen.