Ultimately, the marathon was cancelled because of hatred that had been generated in the media and on Twitter. Logistically, they could have had it. But it could no longer be guaranteed that the runners would even be safe.
Several of the football players at the Meadowlands talked about how they understood the problems people were facing and said they hoped they could give folks a little respite and entertainment. The marathon could have done that, too.
Why weren't you out there making the case for the marathon? The Mayor's office would have loved to hear from some supporters, as would NYCM, and not every media outlet was hostile (at least initially), so where were you?
Bitching anonymously on here is nice and easy, but in the end runners who wanted the race and did nothing to counter the anti-marathon propaganda have nobody but themselves to blame for the cancellation.
There was really no outlet for anyone who wanted the marathon to go on. While the ones who didn't where on the news all day. Not one of these stations put anything on about why the Giants and Knick game should have been, and some even said it was good that they played.
The NY Giants and NY Knicks games are an important part of the city’s economy, and people who died in the storm would want the games to go on.
The bottom line is, some people said you shouldn’t have these games. There are an awful lot of small businesses that depend on these games. We have to have an economy.
ataglance wrote:
somebody should point out that the runners would generate revenue for the city *sigh*
sorry folks but the games are not an good comparison.
Its time for runners to stop whining about this and move on.
The race was cancelled due to a terrible hurricane that hit the city only 4 days earlier.
(Just read that sentence out loud.See it doesnt sound unreasonable at all does it?)
Fail to you. It is a totally good comparison. Stop supporting the media hype of pro sport and use your brain.
That last sentence sounds even stupider when people argue that a pro sport should be played just 4 days after a terrible hurricane.
nope. There is a gas shortage and there is limited public transport. Police are needed too. 80000 driving to transiting to a game burn much needed gas, and tie up the streets so that relief trucks, etc. can't get through. The police are working paid overtime, cozy and warm at the game instead of being in SI.
there are tons of bottles of water at the game that are not being donated to the cause - lots or warm team merch as well. The marathon is supposed to donate all its food and water and blankets to the effort, why not these teams - oh yah bc the media needs pro sport to make money.
Silicon Valley, California USA wrote:
I just closed my checking, savings, and credit card accounts at ING Direct and Capital One because of Mary Wittenberg
Do it NOW!
I just closed all my accounts with the banks that support the NFL because they did not cancel the game this weekend. Do it now.
GenericID wrote:
So what did you do to shut down the games? Did you email or call the Mayor's office? Did you start an online petition? How about the Giants' and Knicks' management, did you contact them? Did you call the New York Post and express your disgust at their hypocrisy?
I'm not certain that many of those people hang out round here, so if you are expecting them to cancel games because you started this thread, I think you are going to be disappointed.
People on here are upset that the marathon was cancelled, but (if you are one of those people) shouldn't you be asking yourself why you didn't mount a pro-marathon campaign as effective as those who wanted the race shut down? Bitching on a small-time message board in a backwater of the internet isn't nearly enough - the race was shut down because YOU failed to act - no more, no less. Leadership (the Johnsons perhaps?) was lacking, but none of you stepped in to fill the void, and none of you are doing anything effective about the sports events that are still able to take place.
So, if these games offend you so much, either do something about it, or shut up.
I did all of things you suggested and more - and it still didn't help. So I get to keep complaining and pointing out that those that see a distinction between the two events are media fed zombies.
long sox wrote:
The NY Giants and NY Knicks games are an important part of the city’s economy, and people who died in the storm would want the games to go on.
The bottom line is, some people said you shouldn’t have these games. There are an awful lot of small businesses that depend on these games. We have to have an economy.
So is the marathon dingbat. Jesus. But I know you are trolling, so it's cool.
There was really no outlet for anyone who wanted the marathon to go on.
This is just a (poor) excuse for passivity - not all media outlets were hostile, at least until they saw which way the vocal portion of public opinion was swinging.
And that's really the point; compare the passive response of runners to the active and aggressive campaign from the anti-marathon camp. No wonder the race got cancelled.
While the ones who didn't where on the news all day. Not one of these stations put anything on about why the Giants and Knick game should have been, and some even said it was good that they played.
This is simple ignorance of how the media reacts to an orchestrated public opinion campaign. The anti-marathon people were on the air because they made sure the media knew how to contact them and where to find them. If you wanted the race to go ahead, why didn't you do the same, only twice as loudly?
look, running is a tertiary sport at best. No one cares about the elites. Football is the #1 sport in the country. So there is a question of size and importance.
But also - running is an elitist sport - done by rich people with time on their hands. Blue collar types see runners as narcissistic, probably not very patriotic and not like them.
Football fans, on the other hand, are SUV driving, suburban living, patriotic, etc.
Clearly some class issues going on here - cancelling the marathon would hurt rich people, which was the point. Cancelling football would hurt regular people, and no one wanted to do that.
Think of it in beer choices - at a bar after the marathon, you think marathoners are ordering budweiser? Not bloody likely.
I did all of things you suggested and more - and it still didn't help.
Did you? So prove it - you were happy to go on the public record in NY, so why the anonymity here?
GenericID wrote:
I did all of things you suggested and more - and it still didn't help.Did you? So prove it - you were happy to go on the public record in NY, so why the anonymity here?
Face it, he burned you, so don't prolong it. Some people are on the right side of this issue, others make arbitrary distinctions to make the screwed up world make sense.
agip wrote:
look, running is a tertiary sport at best. No one cares about the elites. Football is the #1 sport in the country. So there is a question of size and importance.
But also - running is an elitist sport - done by rich people with time on their hands. Blue collar types see runners as narcissistic, probably not very patriotic and not like them.
Football fans, on the other hand, are SUV driving, suburban living, patriotic, etc.
Clearly some class issues going on here - cancelling the marathon would hurt rich people, which was the point. Cancelling football would hurt regular people, and no one wanted to do that.
Think of it in beer choices - at a bar after the marathon, you think marathoners are ordering budweiser? Not bloody likely.
??? Running is one of the cheapest organized sports. Look into the cost of playing hockey, shooting a round of golf at a good course, going skiing, etc.
Ho Hum wrote:
agip wrote:look, running is a tertiary sport at best. No one cares about the elites. Football is the #1 sport in the country. So there is a question of size and importance.
But also - running is an elitist sport - done by rich people with time on their hands. Blue collar types see runners as narcissistic, probably not very patriotic and not like them.
Football fans, on the other hand, are SUV driving, suburban living, patriotic, etc.
Clearly some class issues going on here - cancelling the marathon would hurt rich people, which was the point. Cancelling football would hurt regular people, and no one wanted to do that.
Think of it in beer choices - at a bar after the marathon, you think marathoners are ordering budweiser? Not bloody likely.
??? Running is one of the cheapest organized sports. Look into the cost of playing hockey, shooting a round of golf at a good course, going skiing, etc.
__
no question, but in the real world at least around NYC, runners are almost completely wealthy types. The NY Post wasn't shooting at poor Kenyans - they were firing at yuppie runners.
He/she only "burned" me if he/she actually did what he/she claimed, otherwise it's just a fantasy. My money's on fantasy.
GenericID wrote:
He/she only "burned" me if he/she actually did what he/she claimed, otherwise it's just a fantasy. My money's on fantasy.
My money is on marathons make lazy americans feel bad about themselves. Couple that with the Post's political agenda and you have a mob mentality bent on tearing down the hard work of others so that the mob doesn't feel so crappy about their own failure to more than fat lazy football watching oafs.
I am really disappointed in NYC. It used to be, to me, a beacon of the can do spirit of America. Now it has become just another locale with envious and "me first" politics. The people of MYC used to be better than this. Not any more.
agip wrote:
no question, but in the real world at least around NYC, runners are almost completely wealthy types. The NY Post wasn't shooting at poor Kenyans - they were firing at yuppie runners.
Agree with this. Properly training for a marathon, while also holding down a full time job, takes a lot of discipline, single-mindedness and competitive drive. People who have these qualities tend to also do well in the working World. Furthermore, the cost of the NY Marathon in particular further stratifies this divide as poor runners, such as myself, would never pay that amount of money to enter a race.
TMu wrote:
MediaHatingOnRunnersOnly wrote:I see the Knicks and Giants are still playing their home games today while millions of runners who lost their marathon are downtown volunteering their time to help with cleanup efforts. I think we know who has class and who doesn't in this whole argument.
Well, not "millions" of runners, but I agree with the sentiment. Plus, the Nets played their opener in Brooklyn last night - to a sold out crowd - including at least one guy from Staten Island because it "never occured to him to miss Saturday's game."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/sports/basketball/nets-opening-day-arrives-but-few-feel-like-celebrating.html?ref=sportsLook, I agree that the race should have been cancelled, but seriously, the hypocrisy is stunning. We all know what's going on here. "Popular," big-money, big-influence = the show must go on.
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BTW , did you see the pre game announcement on the field with free tickets being given to 100 cops and firemen , 200 showed they said. Whats wrong with this picture. Is this the only home left for the Giants they could not have gone to something later in the schedule ?
My money is on marathons make lazy americans feel bad about themselves. Couple that with the Post's political agenda and you have a mob mentality bent on tearing down the hard work of others so that the mob doesn't feel so crappy about their own failure to more than fat lazy football watching oafs.
And that is my point - where were the runners, who should have been offering a counterpoint to this "mob mentality"?
If a politician sees one very vocal group opposing his//her decision, and nobody offering support, then they will "cave in" - that's what a politician has to do.