Why the stands were half full in Des Moines

You flunked Eugene climatology. If you know anything about west coast climate, you would be aware there is a pronounced dry season during the summer over Oregon and California with persistent high atmospheric pressure, blue skies, few rainy days, and only rare thunderstorms. Eugene tends to have sunny warm dry 80's during the day and cool 50's at night. Almost ideal.

Stop lying.

So Cal and Nor Cal is dry all summer. The Pac NW has frequent rain storms all summer long.

Checking historic records we see that Willamette Valley typically has a drought period extending from late June until early October, with moderate temperatures averaging around 80. California may be just as dry, but the difference is smog and dirty air in California.

Which is why 2010 NCAAs was another disaster for Eugene. It rained for two days. Another crap meet. You effing liar !

The Northwest USA and Western Canada has unexpected torrential thunderstorms, lightning, and rain all during the summer. We like it that way. Love it or leave it you asswipes.

Eugene 2010 was a disaster wrote: There should never be any T&F championships held in Eugene during June, July, and August.

Sunny Skies for the Pre this weekend. Full house. Life is good.

Not a champs. Pre is a 2 hr TV meet. BFD.

Laker wrote:

Don't hold US T&F championships in a place like Des Moines, Iowa during the summer. Go to the places where the stands fill up. Eugene, Stanford, Phillie. I am sure there are other great places. Just not Des Moines.

http://www.letsrun.com/2010/craven0628.php

I believe a locale has to put in a bid for the championships. So USATF can only choose from the cities that bid.

Besides Des Moines, what other cities bid and what were the financial details of those bids?

That's a failed model that has to be replaced immediately for our sport to survive. Walmart, Home Depot, etc. open stores in new areas with their own capital. USATF and NCAA should do the same and not rely on local small timers to drive their national media goals.

If left up to a new model where USATF and NCAA were to self-fund their meets, every meet would be held in Eugene. Nowhere else would the draw elsewhere be good enough for a profit, or any real level of interest. Be satisfied with the current model where cities like Des Moines are willing to bid, even if they lose money on the meet itself.

Yes, Eugene was a disaster of epic proportions. The stands with filled (standing room) with nearly 13,000 on the final day, the four day meet had an all time NCAA record attendance, the fans loved it, the athletes loved it, there were fantastic races, everyone made money.....yes, some disaster.

Good job at being facetious. It highlights that we need a new vision and model for our sport at USATF and NCAA T&F. We're dead in the water and sinking as it stands now. Volleyball, Soccer, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating, UFC, Nascar, MMA, X-Games, are kicking our asses bad. The PAC-10 in Walnut Creek recently has deferred to the Hollywood TV execs to advance the #1 Athletic Conference in the NCAA to new horizons (read $billions). I would suggest USATF LDR and High Performance, and NCAA T&F move their offices to Hollywood and to adopt the Hollywood Sports Media Empire model.

athletes hated ncaas 2010. it rained 2 days.

Why were the stands half full in Des Moines?

Because it's goddamn Des Moines in a year when the championship really doesn't mean much.

I don't get what is so appealing about Eugene (the town) as a tourist destination? I've been there lots of times. Other than Hayward field, Eugene is a sleepy college town. There is nothing more to do in Eugene as a tourist as there is in Des Moines.

"Phillie"?????

Laker wrote:

Don't hold US T&F championships in a place like Des Moines, Iowa during the summer. Go to the places where the stands fill up. Eugene, Stanford, Phillie. I am sure there are other great places. Just not Des Moines.

http://www.letsrun.com/2010/craven0628.php

laxmack117 wrote:

i must agree Des Moines is a great place for track but in mid summer why the heck would anyone want to put there hard earnings into a trip to iowa and not a pace like california where there is so much you can do other then running.

You suck at writing, please stop doing it.

tyikt wrote:

they need to try franklin field just once...

Put in a regulation track, then come talk to us.

You can't hold a championship at Franklin Field in Philly because there are only 5 legit lanes on the track.

Also, the main reason Penn Relays is so packed is that the stands are all full of the participants and their parents since so many high schools and colleges are competing there.

You wouldn't get a packed stadium there with people coming in to watch USA Champs.

Failed Model wrote:

That's a failed model that has to be replaced immediately for our sport to survive. Walmart, Home Depot, etc. open stores in new areas with their own capital. USATF and NCAA should do the same and not rely on local small timers to drive their national media goals.

i agree except usatf doesn't have the capital and ncaa isn't going to spend theirs on track.