When is USATF going to announce when and where the Oly Trials marathon is going to be held??????????????????????????????

I completely agree that a race is the way to decide who makes the olympic team. My point was/is that there is no real pressure on the USATF/USOC folks when it comes to organizing that race, because the athletes will participate no matter what.

The NCAA is indeed a similar situation, a monopoly, which is why so many problems exist (ask any college athlete). Yes, the NCAA does a great job with the Final Four, because their market is tv viewers, who do have lots of other choices, so that keeps them honest. If the NCAA handled the Final Four like USATF/USOC is handling the marathon trials, they would get lower tv ratings for the tournament. Lost viewers = lost jobs. Ditto for NBA and MLB (which did fire some execs a few years back when they basically didn't televise the initial rounds of the playoff).

What are the negative career consequences for the USATF/USOC folks for not having their act together enough to schedule the trials well in advance?

IF you read my post you WILL notice that it doesn't specifically talk about any individual Nonprofits but Nonprofits in general. AND IF you read the prior post you'll notice that THREE (3) nonprofits were mentioned. The problem here is with the USATF and the USOC not the local bidders. Both the USATF and USOC make a profit from the sponsorship money while trying to get the locals to pick up all of the real costs for the "honor" of hosting the race. Pretty typical sports nonprofit strategy. It is not that different from Pro teams saying give us a new stadium or we will leave.

Why can't they just have the trials in say, Iowa. I propose West Liberty to Iowa City, which would be a cool course. Its almost exactly the 26.2 distance and would be a good test. The folks there would love to have the Olympic Trials in their hometown, and plenty of hotels in Iowa City. Much, much cheaper solution and lots of friendly people to help out.

screw the athletes is wrong and lier

it's all about the sponsor giving moohah to the usoc

Hold on tigers,

1. Downhill – Player’s Union, that a double edged sword. While I believe elite athletes need to have a stronger voice, the player’s unions for major sports represent the good and evil of modern day sports. For example, drug policies for all the major leagues were suppose to be tougher, but the player’s unions all vetoed it. Elite runners should create a union, but please don’t use the NFL, MLB or NBA as the model.

2. Fuzzy – You are right. Just like the NFL, NBA and MBL, they USOC is a not-for profit. The three major leagues provide different revenue sharing program; the USOC provided financial support to all National Governing Bodies. For some NGBs, if you remove USOC funding, they collapse. My point was that the USOC has a track record of re-investing into each sport to make TEAM USA stronger; USATF does the same thing but focuses on running. Remember the USOC is the only National Olympic Committee that is not funded by the government. Unlike other countries, none of your tax dollars goes to support the USOC, NGBs or Olympians.

3. Vanny – The Marathon Trials are challenging, they are unlike any other Trials, no gate revenue! NYRR is making an investment in the sport. Mary Wittenberg is passionate about improving the opportunities for American distance runners, she’s willing to take a lost in one area and hopefully raise monies through another channels to balance it out. We should applaud Mary & NYRR, but also support them but doing the little things (i.e. buying Trials Merchandise, watching the TV coverage and attend the event to increase the impressions that are so important to all sponsors), at the end those little things that you and I can do will make a difference. What makes everyone think that it’s not possible to bring in sponsors to the Olympic Trials? The LOC and the NGB can do it; they just need to follow the USOC’s rules. You can’t compare the 2008 Trials to the past, because the rules have changed. Like I said before, it’s not an easy model, but the rules have changed (some might say too slightly) but they give the NGBs and LOCs more ammo.

4. NEB – Cycling, Fencing, Beach Volleyball, Judo, Wrestling and Triathlon…due to issues related to the USOC, International Federations, IOC or just internal, they don’t know when their Trials will be held or EVEN IF THEY ARE HAVING A TRIALS.

5. SomeActualData –Look at both organizations; the Trials Process basically begins just after the previous Olympic Games. If you look at USOC now and compare it to 2002, they are two different organizations, same for USATF. Craig Masback might be the only person involved in the process that directly has worked on both events. Have you read or heard about the Board of Directors for both organizations? Both are very hands on and demand the same level of excellence from their athletes and staff. When the Trials and Olympics are over in 2008, if the model didn’t work and the medal count is off…just like every post-Olympic games people will lost their jobs.

6. MillroseDave – Revenue raised through USOC sponsorships is how the USOC supports the NGBs.

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Brooklyn Dude wrote:

... business decisions need to be agreed upon, now not later.

The time for business decisions is not now. The time for business decisions was prior to the close of bids.

If the trials bid process is to be fair and open, information concerning the trials should have been disclosed to the bidders. That includes information such as possible restrictions on sponsors.

If the trials bid process is to be fair and open, it should have a well-defined time by which the selection is made.

If the trials bid process is to be fair and open, it should have a well-defined time by which the selection is announced.

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All well argued but it's still a mess. Incompetent administration is to blame. Their primary duty is to the athletes.

Everything else -including sponsorship - has to be balanced.

Exactly...you could buy tickets for next years NCAA Basketball Tourney while watching this years tourney. Let these poor saps know when they're going to race.

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The first question asked to any potential host should be "How do you propose to get around the sponsorship issues with the USOC and do you think you can work within their guidelines." When the response came back, "we'll worry about that later", USATF should have packed up their briefcases and walked out. They didn't. We have incompetent people as our volunteer leaders and this is the end result.

As someone else pointed out, the problem is compounded by the "professionals" at our national office who really don't see this as an important issue. If I'm not mistaken, issues from previous OT including contract signings, were never addressed by these paid "leaders" who continue to be more concerned with covering up drug use and travelling around the country on everybody elses dime to "promote and develop the sport."

Brooklyn Dude -- even though I have a different point of view, I appreciate your intelligent response. If the people at USOC/USATF had put as much thought into how to host the trials, perhaps you wouldn't be in the position of having to defend them.

The apologist for the USATF are everything that is wrong with this sport. All of this waiting to find out the host is based on a faulty premise.

1. NEW YORK IS THE BEST PLACE FOR THE TRIALS.

The wait is based on this crock of shit.

If I were USOC I would not trust New York to accept the rules as handed down. New York would screw their grandmother if it were in the best interest of their event.

Just watch how well New York protects ASCICS interests. Keep in mind that this is their shoe sponsor. Nike is now going to unveil their new ipod technology with the help of Paula and Lance at New York (an asics event). Now some of you may say that "New York can't control that". The USOC tends to agree and that is the problem. They must control non USOC businesses from advertising. If they can't protect their own sponsors then how important is it to them to protect the USOC's? I will continue to send the USOC examples like this every week. New York and USATF decided 2 years ago that the mens trials would be held in New York. Why haven't these issues been ironed out long ago? Because New York is crooked.

So why doesn't the USOC take control, hire some part time illegal immigrants to run the trials. Screw the USATF, they can handle the national championship road series (and we all know that is working out real well with all of our top marathoners shooting for those championships).

USOC should take control and run the damn thing themselves…cut out the middle man.

I agree. I have found that the USOC listens to me far more than USATF. Thus the letter writing campaign. If you really want some action write the USOC. I was suprized by their response. USATF just blames it on everyone else.

What happened to Boston? It was almost universally assumed they were getting the trials. Even Masback thought NYC wasn't a valid option due to the fall date, although he isn't directly involved in the decision. When did NY jump to the top of the list?

That was all a smoke screen set up by Glenn Latimer to act as if their was some sort of process in place to decide the best option. Boston will host the women but New York always wanted the men. They even fired George Reagan who was in charge of the selection comittee for 2004. Why? Because George stood up for the athletes reccomendation. They put Hank Brown in charge. Then Hank Brown resigned because he realized that input was not being recognized by Latimer and Estes. The trials will be in New York because of Jim Estes. Estes appointed Latimer to his position to play the heavy and act like he was giving everyone input. No one had any input that was considered.

I also predict that Estes will be working for the NYRR within 2 years. I mean officially as he is already on the payroll.