Page 2 of the Sports Section, a small 2-sentence blurb under "Briefing"
Page 2 of the Sports Section, a small 2-sentence blurb under "Briefing"
More people in Belgium know about Webb's mile than in America!
That had to be the most inconspicuous meet ever for an American distance record to be set.
I have not seen a single mention of Webb's effort in the San Francisco Chronicle. It seems that only sprinters and suspected dopers get any attention in the media these days.
-- m
The Dina wrote:
Pathetic!
You would think that with all the hype surrounding the Oly Trials in Eugene that the newspaper would make a big deal out of a 25 year old record in an event as big as the one mile run. They did report it but it was about as close to nothing as you can get.
Unacceptable.
toyo wrote:In Eugene, Oregon's newspaper it got a small blurb on page two of the sports. On the top of The very front (section A) there was a sentence teling you to go to the sports to read it though.
While Eugene may have a larger fan base for track than most-if not all- other areas in the US, its support is not large at all. Even there, most readers just dont care- most care more about the Mariners, Barry Bonds, Nascar,high school baseball playoffs, Oregon U. athletics-especially upcoming baseball season, etc. Thats why it doesnt get front page coverage.
Track Nut wrote:
The crime is that while the mainstream press ignores accomplishments like Webb's, every time someone gets busted for performance-enhancing drugs, it is a front page story. And in L.A., where I live, just about every time the L.A. Times writes about the Mt. Sac or Home Depot meets or track at all, they find a way to mix in the drug angle. I say at least be consistent. If you're not going to cover the sport in any meaningful way, then just leave it alone. But if are going to cover it, then present a balanced approach that highlights the positive achievements of athletes. The Webb story clearly deserved more attention, given that this record had stood since '82, and the mile in a marquee event.
Strangely, this morning in the L.A. Times, there was a long feature story about discus thrower Suzy Powell, in connection with the Pam Am Games, which, in pure track terms, is a very minor meet. Go figure.
People are complaining about the coverage but then look at the meet itself. It was not a big meet it all. I was shocked at how few people were there. 3 guys all runners told me I would be letdown afer watching the video and in manyways I was.
If some swimmer breaks an American record we don't care. So for the general public even though the mile resonates a bit more who really cares?
The general American public isn't into the Pan Am Games too much but it is a big deal throughout a lot of the continent. And it is getting tv coverage on ESPN deportes this year.
I think Webb's win in Paris was his best run so far this year and at leas the most impressive one in terms of the public. Have them watch that and they'll be in pressed. They'll see a packed stadium and sense it is a big deal. Running before 500 people signifies it is not important.
I agree with Wejo. In the US there is no one entity that can overcome the decades of negligence for reporting on track and field. But we now have a multitude of media outlets for coverage. How many of you took the video from flotrack and emailed everyone you knew so they could watch the race? Imagine if we all emailed all the sports editors in our local markets with the video. Don't you think they would give more attention to the record if they believed that there was a high level of interest?
We live in a day where consumers have access to technology to produce content that 15 years ago was the province of TV networks. So why don't we take advantage of that instead of waiting for some sports editor to decide to find it themselves on flotrack?
Become an advocate of the sport, not a victim of the ignorance of others.
Perhaps Webb received such little media coverage because distance running is not embedded within American pop culture. David Beckman received more than his fair share of coverage within papers across the country.
While soccer is not a traditional power sport in the states, half of Hollywood watched Beckman play a few minutes of soccer live at the Home Depot Center in LA. He is married to a pop culture icon. He gets a lot of media coverage and is certainly not camera shy. Thus, many Americans/Europeans are attracted to him.
Webb, on the other hand, is not as flashy. While he is freakin fast, he does nothing to attract the attention of pop culture enthusiasts. Based on the traditional "gym class mile" run in high schools across the country, most can appreciate how fast Alan Webb is. Nevertheless, he is clean cut and does not act foolishly. If he started dating Paris, Britney, or Lindsay, I predict you’d find a lot more media coverage around track and field in America.
i like the word blurb.
It's to bad that the American society can not relate to distance running and the heart and effort that goes along with something like Alan's mark. Think about it??? How many people in this this country can relate to what runners do. There is no glory, no money, no cheerleaders, no media, no press, no crazy money contracts, no drama from the outside, no bullshit, no support, no future, no rules, no short cuts... Only long, tired miles every f***ing day rain or shine and the most purist form of self sacriface. Everthing that Americans think America reflects, Distance running questions that?? Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey, Golf, Soccer, Poker, Softball, Hotdog Eating, NASCAR, ect... Just look at what ESPN and ESPN 2 Air.. Why??? It's not USATF.. As a runner f*** them anyway!! It comes back to the lazy, beer drinking, judgemental, money making, racist, short cut society we live in... Alan!! Job well done, The same can be done in the marathon as well...
Well, letsrun is my newspaper so it was on page one with a great video link and plenty of reader commentary. Excellent coverage!
Why anyone wastes time reading a newspaper anymore mystifies me.
I've said this before and I will say it again. LETSRUN is all the media coverage we need. Why rely on NBC or ESPN or some other media group who will never respect the sport, air the races properly (read: ESPN's statement that they might be able to show a complete 800m race), or provide a competent commentator (Mark from flotrack is way more exciting than Carol Lewis or Larry Rawson)?
We can do this ourselves right here. Pick any meet, someone or multiple someones with video cameras can get all the shots we need, upload them to someone with some video editing software, then it can be packaged with commentary and super-anal accurate split times and presented on page one.
Meanwhile every rational question right up to who is Webb's barber will have been hashed out on the message boards. Comparisons with every significant past top miler will have been presented. Within a few hours the full story is there. Do you think something like this will ever happen on ESPN?
In a short time, live streaming video should be easy enough to set up that we will be able to pipe it here to the site.
Forget about the rest of the fatass society out there who will never understand what is happening on the screen. We can produce and view this here for our own enjoyment.
I plead guilty to the charge of being an idealist.
When that steam pipe burst last week in New York, no one had to send a press release out in advance in order for the thing to be covered. Similarly, when, in mid-afternoon on an otherwise slow July Saturday, news comes across the wires that a 25-year-old record has been broken in a premiere event that Americans have not won on the international stage in nearly a century, something called "news judgment" should have kicked in. A reasonably bright intern on the sports desk could have put together (say, using this website as a resource), the legs of a story that would have informed readers of the significance of this.
It's about doing your job, not depending on others to do it for you. It's also about finding and elucidating "news," as opposed to sinmply following the journalistic herd.
A local paper covering running? HA! That's a funny one.
Actually, my local newspaper had Webb on the front page. And when I went to the store to get the paper, all of the locals were talking up a storm about this sensation named Alan Webb. Everyone in my hometown thinks Webb will be the next Tiger Woods.
what place are you from?
In Birmingham, Alabama, the Birmingham News said:
on the 3rd page of the sports
"Webb sets American record in mile: At Brasschaat, Belgium, Alan Webb set the American record in the mile, running 3 minutes, 46.91 seconds."
thats it
@@@?? wrote:
Everthing that Americans think America reflects, Distance running questions that?? Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey, Golf, Soccer, Poker, Softball, Hotdog Eating, NASCAR, ect... Just look at what ESPN and ESPN 2 Air.. Why??? It's not USATF.. As a runner f*** them anyway!! It comes back to the lazy, beer drinking, judgemental, money making, racist, short cut society we live in... Alan!! Job well done, The same can be done in the marathon as well...
Hotdog eating...LOL! I don't know why i found that so humorous but it was pretty damn funny...
As for the rest of your post, you hit the nail on the head. Distance running is the complete antithesis of what American society has become. It is a solitary activity that must be persued for years to reach one's potential. There is no fame and fortune, only personal satisfaction from attempting to reach long term goals that require a great deal of discipline and sacrifice. Most Americans can't relate to that.
David Hudman wrote:
what place are you from?
thats it
I'm from Lake Wobegon.