Any other longtime Penn Relays Thursday night distance fans pissed off about this new policy last night? I've always thought it was maybe too great a deal to get in for free, and I don't mind paying something, but going from free to $16 in one year is screwed up. What are they trying to do anyway, keep the small fan base away? That's a brilliant stategy, almost as smart as USATF charging $10 admission to watch XC nationals back in February.
Those events cost money to put on.
I think that when things are free, people actually hold it as less value.
Have you been to a MLB game lately?
If you want something to grow then oddly enough generating revenue will make it grow.
I will point to marathons. People have figured out ways to make money and meet the demand.
How many of us here pay $100 to run a marathon? You can run 26.2 miles for free, why pay?
this is one reason why there are so few pros and why the sport is in major decline. if the small fan base can't afford $16 to watch an event, then the sport shouldn't survive.
Fair enough and good points. Maybe I'm just a cheap-ass. Of course, I did pay it and enjoy the event rather than turn around and drive back to Maryland. I was surprised and pissed but wasn't going to let it ruin the night.
nothing is for free. somebody is paying for it somewhere even if it is free for you.
Any good races??
Yes, not anything as impressive as Fam's steeple from last year (which was actually more of a time trial), but some exciting races with close finishes, even though no very fast times. Women's collegiate 5K being one good example. I didn't stay to see the 10s because I had a long drive home and I didn't personally know anyone running this year. There are links to the results on the letsrun newspage.
Fishnbrew wrote:
I did pay it and enjoy the event rather than turn around and drive back to Maryland.
You'd drive all the way from Maryland and then actually contemplate whether a $16 admission is too much?
LOL, that's good. I guess I'm rethinking my indignation from last night. Maybe I'm both a cheap-ass and a moron. Maybe I shouldn't start a thread first thing in the morning off of 2.5 hours of sleep. Just forget it, I'm going out for a run, LOL.
It just seemed like such a darn good idea to be pissed along with the rest of the crowd. Last night, everyone was grumbling but reluctantly paying and it was pretty much the main topic of conversation in the stands. Oh no...I just realized something...I'm becoming a grumpy and stingy old man...help me...help me somebody, quick, LOL.
I just stay at home and watch the coverage on the net. Even if it is tape delayed I get to see what I want, when I want. It's self gratification which is the future of our great country. Just ask the Obama supporters. Everyone is equal and no one should pay except those with jobs.
it was free after 8:00. I missed the steeple, but still got to see the 5k and 10k for free. Not a bad deal.
Yea I got there just before 8 and asked the guy when it would be free. He said at 8 unless there were still people in line buying tickets. Waited it out until about 8:15 and then it was free. Sucks for those who paid $16 as I only missed 2 heats of the steeple.
Unlike most sports, the school has to pay for their runners to run in the race. PENN is no exception. In fact PENN charges for just entering... the schools athletes might not even be accepted into the races but they still have to pay. It shouldn't cost this much to put on a meet no matter what meet it is!
PENN Relays entry fees:
$35.00 per relay event
$20.00 per individual event
$20.00 per decathlon/heptathlon entry
$20.00 for distance classic road race ($35.00 if not pre-registered)
$5.00 for kids’ distance classic road mile ($10.00 if not pre-registered.)
jonos wrote:
It shouldn't cost this much to put on a meet no matter what meet it is!
So how much should it cost to put on a meet?
Please break it down for all the costs (stadium, equipment, staff, timing/results, etc).
You do realize that the Bush administration inherited a big surplus, created a huge deficit with tax cuts. and pushed through a huge, unfunded Medicare Part D as its big domestic accomplishment, right? And then there is the wars.
I'd still rather spend my five dollars building a tank to kill a terrorist than feed a welfare momma with 20 kids......
And who is the terrorist?
Is it the biggest person on the block, with the largest weapon telling everyone to give him their lunch money or "to live this way?"
With what's going on in this great country the way people have been losing their jobs, I find your statement odd. When there's 6 to 7 million people who have lost jobs, money in the stock market, and the value of their homes depreciating. Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach him how to fish and he'll eat forever!
look, if fam, webb, and/or other pro was coming to penn I would understand the $16. BUT no pros were there last night except luke watson. Penn is just trying to make $ without giving back any value to the consumer.
One other thing that seemed absurd about last night...the $16 did not allow you access to the home straight, even though if everyone in the whole stadium had "crammed" into the home straight stands, it would have only been about 30 percent full on the lower level and nobody up top. WTF? The only people there were about 10 people who paid extra for the home straight ticket and twice as many security guards in yellow jackets keeping the rest of us from cheering for runners down the stretch. It had to be the quietest home stretch in Penn Relays history.
I'm sorry, I'm wide awake now unlike when I started this thread this morning and I'm getting pissed again about what a rip off this experience was for $16. Thursday night has always been a lightly attended time, even in an Olympic year with big names running and running fast. They should have charged something in the $5 range and not been such sercurity Nazis about protecting the best seats for people who weren't there.