Why did Nike decide to change it from Nike Team Nationals and have individuals competing? There's already Footlocker. I know they probably wanted to damage Saucony and Footlocker by luring some of the faster people to their race, but still, it's just stupid. A kid should not have to be contemplating which National Championship to run in. Why the hell are there two different "National Championship" races for individuals?
well..both races are just corporations looking to promote their event. none are really national championships. people can run whatever races/series they want to.
Welcome to the debate. I ca see this is your first time here. The evolution happened like this:
Kinney introduced the national meet with 32 individual qualifiers from 4 regions.
Nike financially supported the meet for many years and at some point asked Kinney then Footlocker to consider adding teams. KY/FL resisted the change.
Nike later put their energy into the team race by introducing Nike Team Nationals while footlocker still cooperated with Nike by allowing the top-two west qualifiers fr NTN to attend Footlocker.
A couple of years later decided to include individual qualifiers like NCAA and ended their cooperation with FL.
Doesn't one championship make sense? FL said "no" so Nike said "we'll do it."
It's that straightforward. No one should disagree.
XC Historian wrote:
Doesn't one championship make sense? FL said "no" so Nike said "we'll do it."
It's that straightforward. No one should disagree.
We now have two individual "championships" so I don't even understand what you are saying. It looks like Nike said "no" to one individual championship.
Guess it's not so straightforward when the sheep don't just blindly follow your propaganda.
XC Historian wrote:
Welcome to the debate. I ca see this is your first time here. The evolution happened like this:
Kinney introduced the national meet with 32 individual qualifiers from 4 regions.
Nike financially supported the meet for many years and at some point asked Kinney then Footlocker to consider adding teams. KY/FL resisted the change.
Nike later put their energy into the team race by introducing Nike Team Nationals while footlocker still cooperated with Nike by allowing the top-two west qualifiers fr NTN to attend Footlocker.
A couple of years later decided to include individual qualifiers like NCAA and ended their cooperation with FL.
Doesn't one championship make sense? FL said "no" so Nike said "we'll do it."
It's that straightforward. No one should disagree.
Nike only got involved with Footlocker in 2001 or so. You make it sound like Nike was always the sponsor of the meet.
That's all fine and dandy but Nikes course is a joke. Don't give me that European circuit crap either. That course is not a true test of what America considers to be cross country. Balboa park (as well as all the fl/nxn qualifying courses) are more fair American XC course.
Furthermore NCAA doesn't run on that course neither should high school.
Sometimes, the best runners in the country run for potential NXN qualifying teams. NXN didn't want to force kids to choose individual or team. Plus, adding the highest caliber of talent to the field adds legitimacy to the event. Footlocker has the heritage, so NXN doesn't yet stack up. Give it time though. Nike is the center of the American running universe.
Sunny San Diego wrote:
NXN didn't want to force kids to choose individual or team.
Ummmm... in 2008 they were recruiting my runner to choose NXN over footlocker in the finish chute of the CA State Meet.
The course is a joke, yes. Not Europe as it circles in on itself 2-3 times. It is not a 2k loop. I have run the fake hills and it does nothing but cause an awkward stride. 2 steps up 1 and a half down. What a waste.
I was being facetious about not wanting the kids to choose. Of course Nike wants people to choose Nike.
The Animal Within wrote:
Sunny San Diego wrote:NXN didn't want to force kids to choose individual or team.
Ummmm... in 2008 they were recruiting my runner to choose NXN over footlocker in the finish chute of the CA State Meet.
The course is a joke, yes. Not Europe as it circles in on itself 2-3 times. It is not a 2k loop. I have run the fake hills and it does nothing but cause an awkward stride. 2 steps up 1 and a half down. What a waste.
If a boy or girl can win both in the same year then there is no debate on who is the true national champion. Verzbicas was tough enough to do it.