Why do people call slow races tactical? A race where they jog and sprint the last 400 is a slow race. There are no tactics. Just racers scared to take the lead
We don’t want gimmicks in track and field, it is already pure competition, and that should be the selling point. If people can’t appreciate that, they can go to their silly ball games with stupid random rules judged by old men in striped shirts. “That was holding, offsides, interference, illegal block, he wasn’t set, he touched the ball, his toe touched the line …” none of that is sport, it is silly games.
Of course I love the silly games also, which provide so much sports gossip, but I realize track and field is a much more pure competition.
Wtf? I don't know anyone who follows the sprints. Why would anyone want to watch an event where a bunch of clowns are walking around in circles, posing, preening, puffing up for 10 minutes, take 10 minutes to set up in blocks, wait another 10 minutes for false starts then run 10-20 seconds? It's so boring
I agree totally, except the boring part. Once they start its a battle royale for some physiological specimees. I enjoy the womens 200, mens 100 especially. ETH v SFP, Abbey Steiner debut. Its all good.
It's just so off-putting. Just can't watch. Physiological specimens? You mean tiny roided people? Most sprinters are 5'7-5'9" midgets. It's a midget race. If you want to watch physiological specimens then try at least WWE wrestling or something.
Wtf? I don't know anyone who follows the sprints. Why would anyone want to watch an event where a bunch of clowns are walking around in circles, posing, preening, puffing up for 10 minutes, take 10 minutes to set up in blocks, wait another 10 minutes for false starts then run 10-20 seconds? It's so boring
I can't see how anyone could not be into speed, this is excitement, far more exciting than and around and around and around they go, talk about boring there it is, hell can go grab a beer at the Mini Mart come back and they are still going around and around, yawn~~~~~~~~
Watching Tommie Smith down a good 15 yards on a 4x2 anchor to Bernie Rivers a 20.5 cat for New Mexico, getting the baton and in chase mode with the crowd on their feet as Smith is gaining and gaining as the crowd.....WOOOOOOOOOOO~~~~~~~~ that beats the hell out of.....and around and around and around they go. Yep, Tommie blew by Rivers with a ho hum nothing to it look on his face, this is excitement.
1954 at the Cali State HS Champs Delano's Leamon King a 9,4 HS record holder will finally meet James Jackson out of Alameda HS who also holds the HS 9,4 record, neither sprinter had ever lost before. The crowd was stoked...............
Just don't get the excitement part. I guess to each is own. Seen people get more excited during nascar races than sprinting in stadiums packed with 80000 people, and I don't get either. When a man is supposed to run he's supposed to run, not start running than stop almost immediately.
Nothing like watching Jakob in full gallop. Just flying down the track covering each 200 meters faster than most people can run for just 200 meters. I start to get interested around the 400 mark. 800 is awesome. 1500 best. 3000 is great. 5000 is similar to 400. 10000 starts to get a little much.
Let's face it: 5000m and 10000m races will never be "popular" except for us weirdos. We live in a world where the average person cannot appreciate the nuances or sit still for the durations of such things. Sheesh, for NBC and others this is the time for commercials.
I don't get the sprint vs distance animosity. I'll watch it all including throws and jumps. I like sprints best but will even tune in to the low budget night broadcasts of the distance events. Favorites are 200, 400, and 1500.
The 5K and 10K will never be popular. It's boring as hell and Americans historical suck at the elite levels.
Rupp won a 10000 medal and Fisher is sniffing medals in both 5 & 10. Just a matter of time for him too. Americans are there now. +Hocker and Teare are coming.
Just for fun I went back to the 1964 Olympics, where of course Billy Mills famously upset the field to win the 10K. But the average person doesn't know that we went gold, bronze in the 5K, with Bob Schul for the win and Bill Dellinger in 3rd. Of course, the East Africans were not yet a part of the proceedings, with the lone exception in the 5K being the Olympic debut of Kip Keino, who went on to greatness later on.
Credit to Bill Dellinger for jumping into the lead. He eventually faded and looked out of it, but somehow found a final burst to nab 3rd at the finish line. The great Michel Jazy of France probably started his kick too early and in the final homestretch Schul blew by. Fun times for the U.S.
History was made with the running of the 5000m Final at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. On this video clip you will see the final three laps of the race, perha...
Just for fun I went back to the 1964 Olympics, where of course Billy Mills famously upset the field to win the 10K. But the average person doesn't know that we went gold, bronze in the 5K, with Bob Schul for the win and Bill Dellinger in 3rd. Of course, the East Africans were not yet a part of the proceedings, with the lone exception in the 5K being the Olympic debut of Kip Keino, who went on to greatness later on.
Credit to Bill Dellinger for jumping into the lead. He eventually faded and looked out of it, but somehow found a final burst to nab 3rd at the finish line. The great Michel Jazy of France probably started his kick too early and in the final homestretch Schul blew by. Fun times for the U.S.
You and Adoi both could not have described it better. Changing the sport for the sake of mainstream attention would make it lose its identity just to appeal to the lowest common denominator.
Nobody cares about unknown East African villagers. They don't speak English and the IAAF can't promote / market them.
That is why they found and gave protected status to Mohammad Farah. They could market him as a British athlete or even a European athlete.
The difference?
In 2008 when Kenenisa Beke won the gold in the 5K/10K, Beijing Olympic stadium was 75% empty.
In 2012 when Mohammad Farah won the gold in the 5K/10K, London Olympic studium was 100% full and they are all standing, cheering and applauding for the duration of the races.
The marketing factor of the athlete makes all the different in the world.
You have to be kidding. I rewatched Bekele's race just to check if you were right and the stadium was completely full. People were also cheering. Why do you lie that much just to prove your stupid point?
I don't get the sprint vs distance animosity. I'll watch it all including throws and jumps. I like sprints best but will even tune in to the low budget night broadcasts of the distance events. Favorites are 200, 400, and 1500.
Probably because every meet I went to no distance people got to run because there would be like one heat of 20 guys for the 5k meanwhile 200m got like 50 heats in a row so even the worst sprinter in the league got a turn.
...until probably never. Long distance runners were truly diverse in the 1970's and early 80's, lots of charismatic personalities from US, Western Europe, Soviet bloc, Japan, Korea, Africa, South America, Middle East. Even so, except for a few Olympic finals, the general public didn't know or care anything about these races or athletes. Be honest, who outside of the die-hard running community could tell Frank Shorter from Lasse Viren from Henry Rono? My family and friends can feign interest when I explain how exciting it is to watch people run around an oval 25 times, but their eyes glaze over and they start to enter a catatonic state pretty quickly.
I have to agree that gimmicks would just gimmick up the sport. Pure competition - no sticks and balls, no artistic flair scores, etc., just get to the line first. Love it at any distance from 60 meters to the marathon. I do wish there was less down time between races, however.
And as to the Steiner vs. Richardson contracts:
a. I'm pretty sure the $2M vs $50K is not correct and not apples to apples.
b. Contracts are a bet on the future, and Abby Steiner is now a double world gold medalist and Sha'Carri Richardson is basically out of the sport at elite level.
Or, you could just grow an attention span and learn to enjoy the nuance in a tactical race.
If not, go and watch monster trucks or endlessly skim through tik tok - whatever it is you braindead facks do.
Agreed.
At some point we need to accept the fact that each track event is only going to offer so much entertainment to spectators, each event will have their own fan base to support it. You can't change the racing aspect of running, it is what it is. Those who appreciate the sport will support it.
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