Why does the media care so much about Allyson Felix?

idontgetit wrote:

It’s like there aren’t any other athletes competing. She is doing the bare minimum and they’re over here obsessing over her. They always interview her over the other athletes and show her warming up. I could care less, I want to hear other athlete’s stories.

Not sure what’s so hard to get. She’s one of T&F’s biggest stars from the US. Plus the best ever from America. She’s beautiful and easily marketable. She’s an effn legend.

I must have forgotten that a certain bolt exist

He's Jamaican. This is the US Olympic Trials. The subject is specific to American sprinters.

idontgetit wrote:

It’s like there aren’t any other athletes competing. She is doing the bare minimum and they’re over here obsessing over her. They always interview her over the other athletes and show her warming up. I could care less, I want to hear other athlete’s stories.

Probably because she's run some of the fastest NATURAL times ever in both the 200 and 400.

apx 4 min wrote:

It has become a bit much with every few minutes a mention that she is coming up. And enough with showing her daughter we get it sh had a kid. The kid has gotten more tv time than most of the athletes who make the team.

Sadly this entire thing (and more as they will dedicate a large chunk of time from Tokyo looking back at her career) will play put again in Japan.

Guarantee there will be a clock with a countdown on the screen till when she runs each night

You should do yourself a favor and stop watching things on TV if you are so easily upset.

I get it. as a track fan, we have been watching, listening and reading about this for the past 3 years. It is nauseating and old. But for the non-track fan, they have mostly not heard her name since 2016. They will be happy to hear a familiar name and will enjoy the story.

This is just something we die hard track fans will have to deal with. And despite how far she is from her peak, she is still probably a bronze threat, considering that most of the fastest 400m women do not hold it as their main event.

I think she's an amazing role model, and her results speak for themselves. I personally find her rather sedating in interviews, but I'm sure there are plenty of others who enjoy her interviews. I think having a lot of coverage of her and interviews with her is completely warranted.

Cause nike dropped her when she got pregnant yet is still kicking all kinds of ass in her mid 30s and is trying to amplify black/female creators with her shampoo & apparel brands. WHY WOULDNT THE MEDIA WANT TO COVER THAT. Idk y’all get mad over the dumbest stuff

Because she's the last of the drug free runners.

runnerboy70 wrote:

Because she's the last of the drug free runners.

Ha. Very good point.

Stevu wrote:

It’s the “in” thing these days.

Black folks are on every commercial, in every movie, the star if every tv show, praised for everything, certainly never criticized.

And of course all the black on Asian attacks, black on white attacks, black on police officer attacks, are simply “crime”

Surprised it took until page two for the racists to just come out and say what they really think. Thankfully I've only got a month or so until I can exit this misogynist, racist cesspool for another year until the WCs.

idontgetit wrote:

It’s like there aren’t any other athletes competing. She is doing the bare minimum and they’re over here obsessing over her. They always interview her over the other athletes and show her warming up. I could care less, I want to hear other athlete’s stories.

I'm confused. You say you don't care about her, but then you say you COULD care less, meaning you currently care to some extent.

Which is it - you are unfamiliar with the English language or you do care about her?

She's one of the greatest track and field athletes this country has ever produced. She's now approaching the end of her career, but still performing at a very high level. She is pleasant and articulate in her interviews, and as far as I know her decorum in public has always been sportsmanlike and professional. She has a husband and a child rooting for her in the stands. What could be a better combination for TV to try to sell to the public?

I don't object at all to the attention she's getting. She has earned it over her career. And if the "human interest" side makes her story appealing to people who aren't otherwise particularly interested in T&F, so much the better.

idontgetit wrote:

It’s like there aren’t any other athletes competing. She is doing the bare minimum and they’re over here obsessing over her. They always interview her over the other athletes and show her warming up. I could care less, I want to hear other athlete’s stories.

You don't get how someone going to their 5th Olympics with a ton of national title & global medals is marketable after coming back from child birth? Haters gonna hate I guess.

idontgetit wrote:

It’s like there aren’t any other athletes competing. She is doing the bare minimum and they’re over here obsessing over her. They always interview her over the other athletes and show her warming up. I could care less, I want to hear other athlete’s stories.

Why does the media care? Who has been the most decorated athlete in American track & field for the last 20 years who is still competing?

She's the modern day version of Jackie Joyner Kersee who the media covered obsessively. So many other stories to be told and it was JJK all the time. Get used to it. There will always be one "star" that gets the lion's share of the already skimpy track and field coverage.

My apologies if some of this has been addressed. I have only skimmed this and posted this on another thread:

When USATF restructured the NBA was gaining popularity by showcasing individuals such as Dr. J, Bird, Magic, etc. instead of teams. This was very successful for the NBA at the time. USATF publicly said they were going to follow this model. JJ Kersee, Lewis, Johnson, and a few others received the lion's share of publicity and attention with their backstories of course.

So now, many years later, they still think they could gain random sports fans views with this approach. This is why 4-5 of each gender are rammed down our throat. Felix is at the head of the class and has even had events (4X4 mixed gender) added to major competitions in what I believe is for her benefit.

This is why we see close-up views of athletes bent over with hands on knees after finishing while the unseen battle for third and a trip to the Olympics is unseen. This is why the very key portion of the men's 800 was focusing on Brazier fading instead of a spirited battle up front.

USATF & TV should understand via ratings that casual fans are not drawn in following the old NBA model and that those who do watch (t&f fans) do not want to listen to repeated "mom" and "dairy farm" drivel in place of great competition.

AP5000 wrote:

This take is beyond retarded. Imagine saying this about Michael Phelps and his 18 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS.

OP: "Hey Michael, um, like some of us feel like it's super unfair that you are using your superior physical gifts and relentless pursuit of excellence to hog the spotlight from the other swimmers who maybe aren't quite as gifted or dedicated as you. Do you think maybe you could, you know, sit this one out and give someone else a shot instead? Do you really need 22 FUC&ING OLYMPIC MEDALS? That seems excessive and not fair to other athletes."

NBC gave Phelps a bit too much attention and air time during the recent US Olympic Team swimming trials also, IMO. Lots of commentary, interviews, shots of his family/kid, they were talking about his golf game, etc.

At least Felix is actually still competing in these trials, and has made the 2021 US Olympic Team.

She's one of the most successful of all time you pilchards.