RUNit. wrote:
...you are, more or less, why running in general gets a bad review. You're a Debbie Downwer and people in general aren't attracted to your type...then, Shazzam! they find out you're a "runner" and you make us all look like idiots, thanks.
What I don't think you realize is that you are criticizing someone that is ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING for the sport and that, JRunnerJ, is pitiful.
But, I guess the alternative is having nothing at all in terms of track and field/distance running promotion. Is that what you're looking for?
I'm sure you're one of those bashing runnerspace, flotrack, letsrun's front page for being "unprofessional".
Where to begin? First, to borrow your phrasing, what I don't think YOU realize is that I was actually criticizing people (like you) who scold those running fans who are critical of the media we are given. The "be glad you are getting anything at all!" mentality that you perpetuate is garbage and that is a major reason our sport does not get the respect, coverage or exposure from the mainstream media that I believe it deserves.
How do I know? Because in 2007 I was advocating to get a story on the Men's Olympic Marathon Trials in a mainstream media outlet, and was roundly derided by my superiors for suggesting it. (Trust that this is maybe Exhibit F or G of me "ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING for the sport." And here I thought I actually wanted "nothing at all in terms of distance running promotion"... silly me!) Now, why a TV exec will pursue THIS story instead of THAT story is a complicated issue, but in this case, it boils down to sports media-types being (largely) risk-averse. Without a critical mass of potential audience members clamoring for coverage of big-time running OR a road-map of extant media showing the mainstream exciting AND professionally well-conceived ways to present our sport, we will continue to exist in our own private little bubble in non-Olympic years. And -- newsflash -- we will never gain a critical mass so long as we (read: you) continue to badger people (eg. saying "bashing" when the accurate word is "criticizing" or "pointing out") into being satisfied with a professionally-sub-par status quo, because our niche outlets will not be pushed by their audience to improve their production methods.
To wit: I realize that by being less-than-precise in my original post I inadvertently was more critical of Fam's creative efforts than I intended. Having seen "Run Like Hell" I have much praise for Fam's efforts to promote and expose the sport. He is really working to create the excitement that is needed to attract new fans and catch the attention of mainstream media. Unfortunately, the production methods in RLH have evidently made it unwatchable to at least one running fan on the board. If that's the case, how can we hope to entice the would-be running fan to invest his time, interest and energy into following our sport through such avenues?
POST-SCRIPT: I would like to point out that I managed to express myself and my viewpoint without directing attacks at you... despite you making wildly off-base accusations about my ("lack") of effort to better our sport. I would humbly suggest you try doing the same in your future posting, lest you accidentally "make [yourself] look like an idiot" (and without any help from this Debbie Downwer(sic)!) once more.