Two NTN Meet Officials Fired on the Spot!

It's VHSL now. Teams are required to run in dual/tri/quad meets throughout the week - that's more than enough instate meets to qualify. I have no quibs about teams going out of state to seek comp - NTN or no NTN.

West Springfield didn't run Octoberfest because they knew they had a poor 5th runner and would get chewed up - not because of the weather or course. That's why they did well at Maymont and didn't do so well at their state meet.

What's wrong with NTN is its focus on mid-season meets. That's where the rankings come from - if a team runs well over the final three weeks of the season (dist/reg/state) there's not enough evidence to push them in the top 2 - unless other teams have a complete colapse.

Also, you can't call a course with three man-made hills and haybales set up in order to make it difficult "nice". It is not a runner-friendly course. It's a Nike friendly cousre. We need to trash NTN and footlocker and have regional meets to decide both team and individual qualifiers.

Can ANYONE tell me how it makes sense to have two national meets - one for individuals and one for teams? We already have a region qualifying meets in place - why don't we take advantage of them?

Kents wrote:

We need to trash NTN and footlocker and have regional meets to decide both team and individual qualifiers.

Um FootLocker already does have regional qualifying meets and has for a long, long time.

Well said. Agree all around.

Once again, the only issue I have - as a member of the old school - is that cross country is not meant to be pretty. Maybe it's just 'cause I know the NorthEast might get hammered if it wasn't on a messed up course.

Ok I will weigh in on more time about this:

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Schwag (first post) - why is the race crap? Because there is mud? Are you mad that Nike didn't build your perfect XC course? How does this compare to the NCAA course?

The "experience" IS nice - it is more than the race! Go to the meet and see all this other stuff and then complain.

Why do you not want monetary support for the race? So that no team can ever leave their own town to compete? Myopic.

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Saw it coming - Nike pays for the meet so ii) and iii) might be the only choice. Deal. i) Why didn't Midlo and ER win if all the teams were peaking for Manhattan?? I think the NY teams don't try to maintain a peak. iv) Was it worse than nothing? v) sounds like the girls race did suck - are you saying more than this? I saw worse when I was in school.

Lambs being led to the slaughter? Moron. The parents and coaches take their kids on a nice trip for a good meet that they wouldn't otherwise attend. Isn't sport supposed to expand your horizons? They don't sell their soul to Nike to go. Get over it.

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pre841 - i agree (thank you!)

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reality check - why does the meet suck? Afraid you might get some mud on you?

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Sagacious

Schwag (second post) - now the race is good?? Make up your mind!

I agree with your later point that much of these events are fueled by adult ego. That is why I question the new meet - will it be "just one more race" on the schedule for the kids? That would be bad. And if it is being created simply because someone doesn't like Nike, then it sucks.

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Slippery - maybe the kids are doing this because they love to run. Ahhh, no that can't be in their best interest. STOP THEM FROM RUNNING. Moron. This post says nothing about if NTN is good or bad.

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track800guy - I agree with you two (thank you!) "I wish it was there when I was in high school." So do I.

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Super G - maybe you have a point, but I think a national class team (that has a chance for NTN) will crush mid level state teams, so they are going to get trounced, not run together. Maybe regionals would alleviate this potential problem, but I think that is just one more meet in the season, and I don't support that.

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protoloco - I agree (thank you!)

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Sagacious and Slippery Slope - get a room so you two can continue to "pound" each other. We don't what to see what is all over your faces....

Congrats, you're the stupidest person to post to this thread so far.

Thanks for making it a threesome you narcissistic bitch! Now on your knees while Slippery Slope whips you and I watch.

This post was useless to match the worthiness of yours.

Got inferiority complex?

Freud Dude wrote:

Got inferiority complex?

What makes you say that? I mean, I might, but I'm really looking for you guys to substantiate ANYTHING you say and it's just not happening. Now first of all, Freud would not come to the diagnosis you did based on my posts, so there goes some credibility right there. But if you still want to play, defend your post with something resembling intelligence. This is great fun and all but does get boring with no worthy adversaries.

try

www.XCNATION.com

Looks liket the other one was just temporary.

probably just to get the info up just incase NTN had occur what did occur

thats my guess

Thanks for the confirmation!

Computers can sometimes suck. Imagine this:

As runners walk through the finish chute, you give them a card with their place on it.

Their coach writes down their names with their place next to it.

He/She then brings said paper with their names to a scorer's table where some nice volunteer person uses a simple calculator to add up the 5 places.

Another nice volunteer writes all this information down on a really big posterboard and the results are posted.

At a national meet does it always have to be sophisticated? I have seen more mistakes and had have to wait very long for results since the computer age took over XC.

Freud Dude wrote:

Thanks for the confirmation!

Slipper Slope=Freud Dude

Same pattern of hit and run when it comes to substance. Go for a third name you think makes you sound intelligent. Or go back to school and let those of us that actually know something about xc continue.

runn,

That system is flawed, although it is good for a quick score. Coaches transfer scores wrong, kids lose cards, kids get mixed up in the chute. You are right about not being dependent on computers though. we scored things right for years before computers. I find that a guy with a pad writing #'s down works well as a backup for pull tags. Video is always good as a last defense, which they astutely checked yesterday.

I think in a day and age where track and xc country is viewed as a nothing sport with declining attendance (with only minor once every four years interest during the Olympics) Nike should be thanked for what they do for the sport by putting on the NTN and NON. I've been to the last two NON's and the NTN this past weekend and Nike does a great job.

In a sport where most of the individuals and teams have a hard time getting any recognition even at their own HS-thank god Nike steps up and foots the bill.

Are they in it for their own good and shareholder profit? hell yes! But more power to them-they footed the bill, they took the risk and it was their CEO on the winners podium handing out awards. Where was your employer?

No, I don't work for Nike but how many of you got the company you work for to sponsor hs athletics or make a donation? Bet they didn't step up to the plate. So-get some perspective. Thank Nike for putting on the NTN and NON-if they didn't then who the hell would do this for our kids?

How do you fire people who aren\'t paid ? The officials are all volunteers. Nike has many $B, yet doesn\'t pay officials, and has hokey crap vid casts on dyestat. Nike is a bottomfisher. But you already knew that ;-)

My company, which is mine, has given much to local xc and track teams in the last few years but I do see your point. I have said the meet is a good thing, I hope you saw that, but that much should be done to make it better.

Although many thought the course was hokey, feedback was that that the course was a blast and that the Nike people thought of everything and made the teams feel very special.

In a day and age where we depend on replay to watch football, our heroes have to get steroid tested and kids go pro before they complete their education...the NON and NTN is a really good thing. Its a pure private enterprise stepping up to make a sport, an experience and memory for tons of kids.

I agree it\'s great that Nike has NTN and NON. I\'d like to see more comapnies hold big events such as these. Borderwars should be great and adds another dimension to the holiday season. I\'m glad people are following Footlocker\'s lead.