I recognize that the grandstand is sort of packed, but there are lots and lots of empty seats everywhere. And all the big names are competing and there are still tons of empty seats everywhere. Not fitting for "Tracktown USA." Our sport is really in trouble!!! We got to fix this.
Agreed
Yeah if this race was in Sacramento it would be sold out. Every race in Sacramento was sold out. Oregon sucks. Who would want to go there.
Actually the fact that Oregon is such an appealing place for a track meet, makes me wonder why they can't fill the seats.
Too expensive and too random a place for 99% of people to bother going to. Impossible for about 85% of the population to drive to.
Put the damn thing back in Indy. Anyone can get there, and it's CHEAP.
I was a little surprised at the lack of attendance here in Eugene. I expected it to be packed because of everything you read about - the Eugene fans and it being "Track Town USA". The numbers in attendance don't compare to the numbers in Sacramento. I was in Sac for all the years they held the nationals and both Olympic Trials and it was packed. Not so in Eugene. So much for it being "Track Town USA". The fan base here can't compare to the fan base in Sacramento. Absolutely a lot of the top distance runners train here but California has the ability to draw a lot more people to the meet. Having the meet in Eugene has to be a money loser next to Sacramento.
No!!!!Indy is in the middle of nowhere and has nothing to recommend, and that's coming from an Indiana native.You gotta go to the track towns at sea level and there need to be amenties for families--Indy has none of this. My recommendation:WEST COASTEugene (the running capital of the US)Palo Alto (close to San Francisco)Los Angeles (Coliseum)REST OF COUNTRYChicago (somewhere around there, but NOT Indy!)Austin or other SW US site (hot weather is a problem)New York (Reebok site)Now the common denominator on my list is that these are all places peole would enjoying visiting after the track meet.
Dumby wrote:
Too expensive and too random a place for 99% of people to bother going to. Impossible for about 85% of the population to drive to.
Put the damn thing back in Indy. Anyone can get there, and it's CHEAP.
I was wondering the same thing. Where are the fans? No Spectators?
i guess they arent track town USA
T&F is a very fringe and gay sport. Most regular people want nothing to do with it.
Could Palo Alto hold enough crowds though?
anyone who's been to stanford knows the track stadium is tiny. I wouldn't hold a big meet there. That's why they had it in Sacramento because it has a 30k person stadium.
The track in Indianapolis is scheduled to be torn out. There's no track in the Colisseum and to put one in would mean tearing out all those seats that USC has put in for their games which do actually fill the venue. Palo Alto can't hold that many people. And the Chicago track is where?Icahn is a good size and in the biggest market in the world but keep in mind that lack of Jamaicans at the US Champs.
Indy Smack wrote:
No!!!!
Indy is in the middle of nowhere and has nothing to recommend, and that's coming from an Indiana native.
You gotta go to the track towns at sea level and there need to be amenties for families--Indy has none of this.
My recommendation:
WEST COAST
Eugene (the running capital of the US)
Palo Alto (close to San Francisco)
Los Angeles (Coliseum)
REST OF COUNTRY
Chicago (somewhere around there, but NOT Indy!)
Austin or other SW US site (hot weather is a problem)
New York (Reebok site)
Now the common denominator on my list is that these are all places peole would enjoying visiting after the track meet.
Dumby wrote:Too expensive and too random a place for 99% of people to bother going to. Impossible for about 85% of the population to drive to.
Put the damn thing back in Indy. Anyone can get there, and it's CHEAP.
another problem with getting more people interested AS FANS, is the current fans who follow the sport. We, as track fans, eat our young!!! Read the condescending responses on this board when someone make an error or posts an inaccurate piece of information or historical point. We don't really know how long they have been following the sport, but they get bashed for their 'obvious' stupidity and lazy ignorance. It's really no wonder there aren't more fans. The current ones can be real a$$holes. Fortunately, there are a few model athletes and coaches who give enough to keep enough interested to justify the continuance of the sport. BUT, and it's a big but, if it were left up to the current "fans" to bring in the next generation of fans, we would very likely see the end of athletics in a little over one generation. (sigh)
what a bunch of suckers on this thread.
the stands are as full as ever for this kinds of meet.
sacto was never full for the second to last day.
and all of the stars are not really competing.
most of he wc's are only running heats and not sticking around.
dix did not make it to the final etc...
A) The economy is in shambles, nobody is taking extra flights or drives for track over family vacations
B) A lot of the healiners are skipping primary events and even skipping finals
It's pretty simple really, no drama, no draw.
I almost went out to Eugene to watch it, but wouldn't have even considered if it were in Sacramento or somewhere like that.
FYI:
http://www.wunderground.com/US/CA/Sacramento.html
Over 105 degrees? No thanks.
They're all on flotrack
When Jordan Hasay got introduced the crowd went crazy...
27,000+ for the first three days. The 4 day total will be around 40,000. Had this meet been in Sacramento, 40,000 would have been a hard sell and unlikely. Who would want to go back to aluminum seats in 105 degree heat, with no shade, rude security, and horrible sight lines? Eugene is the best place to hold this kind of meet, and I can't believe anyone is arguing for anywhere else.
you forgot to mention the smog in Sacto.
the attendance is about what I expected in Eugene given the economy, the number of big meets there this year to pay out for, and the lack of stars racing.