Now that Footlocker is a joke, NXN will take over

It's dead. The live feed was pure horseshit.

It's very far from dead. I have "adult" friends who've been out there this week and say that the cliche about how Foot Locker treats the kids like superstars is true. Do you think the racers even KNEW the live feed was bad?

And the girls race was terrific, with all the top suspects up front along with someone who almost stole the show. As for Solomon ...yeah, he shouldn't have been there, but Maryland should have taken care of that a long time ago. I'm hoping this kind of thing is not repeated ...but it didn't "kill" Foot Locker.

It's dead, what's up with the uniforms they were wearing this year? Looks like they cut the sleeves off a bunch of white t-shirts. They couldn't get a real running wear company as a sponsor this year?

Saucony?

1. Their live video was awful. For all those thousands of young runners sitting at home watching NXN and Foot Locker, the difference between those two videos may make the difference in which event they choose to focus on. NXN put a lot of time, energy and money into their webcast and it came up big. Toni Reavis should announce every big running event in the country. Foot Locker fell short, just as they have for the past five years.

2. Those uniforms were awful. I think they used iron-on decals to make the racing top. Cut-off sleeves look trashy. And, I think they were wearing basketball shorts.

3. They got a handful of things wrong while introducing the boys. The winner of the FL South region was from Tennessee not Alabama. And Thomas Porter qualified for FL Nationals three times, not twice. I didn't see the girls intros, but I can only assume they got things wrong there as well.

4. While the kids at Foot Locker might be treated like royalty, they are at NXN as well. So much of gaining a notable following is how you present yourself. It's funny how every year NXN has gotten better and more professional, where as Foot Locker continues to do things the way they have for 30 years. History of the event can only attract so much attention.

I like Foot Locker but I'd be surprised if they are around in 2010.

I think now that Hasay, etc. are gone, NXN will take over. Seriously the only thing that Footlocker had going for them this year was the whole "3 returning champions" clash. And Hasay being the most well known high school runner (male or female) in the last few years gave them a lot of publicity.

If it's true that Foot Locker is going to die off; than that is very sad. People will be talking about how great was, for as long as we live.

San Diego in December at the Hotel Del is truelly awesome! December in Portland ....... sucks in comparison. Thanks Nike!

Footlocker is a trillion times more interesting than NTN..

I look forward to Footlocker every year and could care less about anbother team competition.

Here it's all about the region and the individual and that is interesting..

The feed was terrible I agree.

There's always an over-reaction on these boards when anything "big" messes up. There's an enormous amount of interest generated in high schools by the Foot Locker Regionals and by the prospect of going for what is always a terrific stay in San Diego...despite any problems with the live feed. This thing is nowhere near over.

I think FL was very boring this year. The only reason to watch was to see if one of the previous winners on the girls side would repeat.

On the guys side, it was obvious that the 22+ yr. old Ethiopian was going to win, he tried to keep it close, but it was too easy.

No drama next year. The comp will be in Portland and the FL race will be an afterthought.

BTW, the team race in Portland is far more exciting than the individual race at FL.

Why would anyone want to run in the slop in the middle of a horse track for a "National Championship" when they don't run in those conditions all year and San Diego is a wonderful vanue...not to mention the Hotel Coronado and the beech. It's like playing the world series in the mud with some "whoop-ty-Doos in between bases. Why can't Nike stick to the team thing and leave Footlocker as it is. The indivdual element in Portland was weak...it was a run through for many going to San Diego. Balboa Park is a great course and it was a great individual race.

So maybe the video feed wasnt amazing, but there didnt even used to be a video feed so quit bitching, it was better than sitting and waiting for results to get posted. Sure the jerseys were terrible, but this race isnt about fashion, what are you a bunch of sissies who care more about what you look like than how you race? This event has a lot of history to it, this is where the nations best runners can compete against each other and i honesty hate the fact that Nike is taking that away. Fine let them have a top team from one part of the country race another, but stop messing with the individuals. quit knocking footlocker, its an awesome meet, did everyone bitch when Solinsky won it by something like a 40 seconds to a minute? NO, maybe he wasnt 20, but there wasnt "competition" yet it was still amazing to see. Why dont you all strap on your shitty nike trainers and go vent on a run instead of here

The civil war has a lot of history to it, but it's history. Just like the glory days of Footlocker, it's history.

Since when is xc run on a dry course in 70 degree weather. Balboa park is as far from xc as you can get. Portland with the whoop-dee-doos and all is still much more like real xc. Nike is doing it right, the little each man for himself warm weather time trial is done, bye.

tufr

I agree w/you 100%.

also....With Footlocker I get to know the names of fourty individuals....NXN I get to know the individual/team winner and that's about it.

if Footlocker goes...it will be a sad day.

Maybe a nice young white boy will win next year. But then he has to strapping and handsome or else letsrun starts bitching again.

BLCH wrote:

If it's true that Foot Locker is going to die off; than that is very sad. People will be talking about how great was, for as long as we live.

San Diego in December at the Hotel Del is truelly awesome! December in Portland ....... sucks in comparison. Thanks Nike!

I never realized that cross country racing was about having good weather. Maybe NCAAs should leave Terre Haute and go to San Diego. Thanks Nike? Absolutely! I appreciate the money they are putting in to events like NXN, the Olympic Trials, etc.

Foot Locker has been an awesome event, treating kids extremely well. NXN is also a great event and they also provide an exceptional weekend for the kids - 400 of them! Cross country is about team AND individuals. NXN seems like a natural progression. Don't be surprised when more of the top individuals choose NXN next year. The shift has already begun.

1. agree

2. agree

3. got no clue

4. jury's out

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5. I would like to see the field doubled to 80 ... but that's a $$$ decision - so in an unreal world I'd take it to 60 - more like a 'real race feel'. I would be surprised if someone hasn't entertained that idea.

6. I would do whatever it took to keep it at San Diego. Weather, fans, course seems challenging enough - but I've never been there for FL. plus the biggest thing - is to compare times from year to year and generation to generation.

====================

6. on the other side they do get results up pretty quickly.

7. They do a decent to exceptional job at getting past champs to put on the ritz.

If the audio/video WAS working the vids would have been very nice. Commentary was good - I thought.

They did an interview somewhere with Ellen Lyons - winner in '78 @ 17:28. Don't know if same course. But I think its good to foster some sense of history.

okay - I don't know anything else

Solinsky did not win by 40 to 60 seconds.

Solinsky won by 21 seconds.

Please watch hyborbole for the sake of historical accuracy.

no one wrote:

5. I would like to see the field doubled to 80 ... but that's a $$$ decision - so in an unreal world I'd take it to 60 - more like a 'real race feel'.

Footlocker is an individual race. What is point of making it feel like a 'real' team race? This will accomplish nothing.

Now that we have 20+ year old kids winning footlocker and Nike Cross getting better and better every year. How long is it going to be before Footlocker is dead and buried?