And the comments show again how 95% of America could care less about it.
I kind of see your point, but it's not that 95% don't care. It's that there are a lot of ignorant, stupid people out there.
There are as many who "don't care" about any sport.
I don't get my so many "runners" on this web site are so down on the sport. It confuses me. It is the #1 participation sport in the world. It is not that people don't care, it's that the media doesn't know what to cover.
In my hometown, the newspaper is going broke- subscriptions dropping like crazy. Why? They plaster the sports section with HS Football- they're lucky to get 200-400 spectators and most of them are students who don't care about the game.
People actually tell them to print more about XC and soccer. They refuse.
The popular sports will be what is promoted by the media.
I like this comment:
"3 miles? weak for a cross country meet. But good for her she finished while in pain."
People are just ignorant. I know some 10:00/mile "runners" who have no clue that those kids are running as fast as they are.
I had one parent tell me that her brother ("he's a real good runner and knows a lot about running") said that anyone who breaks 21:00 for 5K is really good, even a man.
This parent went to every meet from when her daughter was in 7th-12th grade. Didn't she notice all the girls under 21:00 and all the boys under 18:00?
Believe me, they cared, they just don't get it. It's kind of like all the people who think that pro quarterbacks are good athletes. It's how we measure athleticism in this country- on a very low level and the average person doesn't comprehend the real athlete.
There are football fans who follow a team and care and think some fat guy on steroids is an athlete. They give credit to the hobble kneed QB who threw the pass and not enough to the receiver who jumped up and caught it, all the time knowing some steroid raged maniac is gonna try to kill him before he touches the ground.