Complain to ESPN and SI: Not a mention of 10k Record

The answer is "yes" and "no." I do not think that a lot of professional sports require the patience and humility it takes to become a great distance runner. But yes, there are laudable qualities in almost all sports. But, watch ESPN (or ESPN2 or ESPN360) one random afternoon. There are countless sports/games that "play" better on television. Distance runnings crutch, perhaps, is that it doesn't make for a good highlight reel. However, that is exactly what I love about distance running. There is a subtle and learned appreciation for watching a race that I appreciate. In fact, I think lots and lots of people do (most of Europe for example).

Not much except that they have been in the news lately. My grandfather was old school in that he thought money corrupted the essence of sports. He wanted all Olympic Athletes to be true amateurs.

I can't say what direction sports are headed save for this: the crowd is the future. Sports are one of the largest industries in the world. They will continue to promote and sell what the people are buying.

FWIW, I am okay with the idea that more people want to buy other sports rather than track. I just want to make sure we stay in the marketplace.

I believe you.

I never read SI and only watch ESPN if there is a game on so even if they did mention it, I wouldn't know it.

I would hope the next issue of Running Times has a nice article on Solinsky though.

Camazotz wrote:

Message to all that peruse this board: the reality is, in the broader scheme of things, no one gives a shit about your "sport." At all.

In the broader scheme of things, no one gives a shit about anything do they?

You also surely realize that aside from Basketball, the most popular American sports (football, baseball) are nowhere close to the worldwide popularity of Track and Field (not to mention soccer, table tennis, and host of other sports non gives a shit about around here).

Well ESPN also left off that Lancaster broke the world record in the 800.. Finally it went down and they didn't even bring up the tall american?

wow i guess this country doesn't care about track at all at the d3 level.

Yeah.. pretty embarrassing really. i think that would bring Lancaster up instead they just lick tim tebow all day.

yeah.. its a real story of success, he only got 5 place at the last olympic trials and now he broke the ancient record? seriously its not going to be long under the 1:40 barrier is broken so get ready the day is near. he took out the race in 50.00 and came back. wow just wow

Who the hell is lancaster?

well i guess you don't follow track.

suck on tebow more.

... it was a serious question. I dont even like football. I looked him up quite an accomplishment for America.

Hopefully it will bring more light into the running scene. im crossing my fingers for a t-shirt.

Heh.. the 10k american record and the 800 wr smashed in one weekend? now i just need to make some bananas foster to celebrate!

Lancaster didn't even bring up the weather. We don't need runners complaining of pollen. Instead of thinking of the wind as a determent use it. As bill bowerman once said.. "Wind Guide Me."

i guess athletes don't realize that investing in some over the counter claritin will greatly negate the effect of pollen on their competitions.

Lebron makes more money playing 1 quarter of basketball than this honky will make running around in circles his entire life. Bball is where its at!

I think it is healthy to complain. Track is one of the biggest international sports. There is a lot of money America could tap into with the talent that is growing here. The more coverage=more money. More money=more professional runners and more collegiate scholarships. More runners=faster runners. Point of the sport = running faster.

I learned this last equation in Iten, Kenya. There, 3/4th of the village consists of runners. There are a lot of slow runners just like here in America. With that many people running, however, someone is bound to be great just because they have to be to stop being a face in the crowd. Here in America, we feel so isolated that we feel unworthy to have even our heroes make the news. We have become so bitter towards the mainstream media that any attention from the news is somehow considered selling out. LetsRun always likes to compare our American accomplishments with those of East Africans to somehow "ground" ourselves in reality. Ok, Ill play this game, lets do some comparing. Here in America we might applaud an athlete for winning or achieving but we don't STAND by our athletes. I watched the Berlin World Champs in a crowded bar outside of Eldoret. The whole town stopped to watch. When Linet Masai won the 10k the place erupted. When her brother (who some people say had a bad race) got 3rd in the 10k the crowd still cheered him on. Never once did I hear them comparing him to Bekele or some-one who ran a faster time. They were supporting Moses through the very end, and than partied like crazy for their efforts.

There is the difference. We scrutinize our athletes instead of supporting them.

We tear them apart to compare them to ghosts, world-record holders, etc...

We kill to dissect.

Complaint Links wrote:

In the broader scheme of things, no one gives a shit about anything do they?

You also surely realize that aside from Basketball, the most popular American sports (football, baseball) are nowhere close to the worldwide popularity of Track and Field (not to mention soccer, table tennis, and host of other sports non gives a shit about around here).

Sure, but so what? You were talking (laughably, in my view) about complaining to SI and ESPN, which are U.S.-centric outlets.

Look, SI and ESPN are in the entertainment business, that's all. They don't do "journalism." Their job isn't to show, or cover, things so that they will therefore become more "popular," or because they are "newsworthy." They show, and cover, things that they think people want to see.

As it happens, they don't show anything I care to watch, but, then, I don't get all bent out of shape about it. I just don't watch.

mo fo bumpity

Complaint Links wrote:

Do you really want to debate this or is this some faux angst, anti-corporate drivel that you picked up reading a chapter or two of Foucault?

What does Foucault have to do with this?

I've thought about this some more.

Running used to be quite popular - even with the media. So all the people saying that running is inherently unpopular because it's boring are just looking at one slice in time.

I don't think the mainstream media is gonna help us out.

I think the way the popularity will return is with the increased reliance on the internet for information and entertainment. Studies are showing that more and more people are replacing the msm on TV or on print with the internet. What's great about the internet is that people are not only viewing the major outlets they are looking at many alternative, divergent sites and viewpoints. It's projected that the internet is how the majority of people will get the majority of their info and entertainment.

Even though it's not perfect, there are plenty of sites and ways on the internet to view running races. Even casual fans can see these and get hooked more. Even NON fans can get introduced through a link, word of mouth etc. Through the internet, I have become a fan of some music bands that I barely heard of and initially thought were dumb and boring. I think the same process can apply with ambivalent running fans. Parents can show their kids links of many of the awesome races on Youtube which can inspire them more. That stuff was not available before.

I actually think these are exciting times for the future popularity of running.