LetsRun.com wrote:
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/06/24/6509475/good-showing-by-sacramento-could.html#storylink=cpyWe were going to go with a Mary Cain quote but for QOD tmw but will hold off until Thursday. This has to to be it.
John Mansoor said:“This is a chance for Sacramento to show once again what a great track fan base we have here,” said John Mansoor, the meet’s co-director. “In some respects, we’re in a rivalry with Eugene. We don’t have the Nike money like they do, but we have a better fan base – and Eugene’s is rabid and knowledgeable, but not as many as what we have. We have larger fan-base numbers and better weather. And we’re going to do innovative stuff to add to the experience.”
Do you agree or disagree?
I think it would be great for other cities to help drive the popularity of T&F, but the need to compare everything to Eugene tells you right there where the current heart of T&F is.
Venue: Hayward beats Hornet Football field with track wrapped around it hands down (btw, don't think Hornet configuration even allows for many field events to actually be contested at the main venue & no, copying Des Moines and trying to move events into grocery stores and downtown to distract from the fact that main venue to accommodate the actual events isn't Bonus Points)
Great Pic of Hayward; couldn't find a great Hornet stadium pic that demonstrated T&F at it's best (http://tracktown12.gotracktownusa.com/UserFiles/Pages/3d2cf39a-ef14-46cd-af74-2bbeef801841/56b425f3-fe93-47a5-972b-5a62da8c105c/sample-header.jpg)
Fans/Attendance: Regardless of weather, time of day/night, etc. fans in Eugene stay for ALL T&F EVENTS. Total attendance comparisons between Sac & Eug are essentially the same if you measure by most recent hostings (2004 & 2012), Eug's numbers are actually bigger (When you consider the MSA for Sac is north of 2million people and Eugene-Springfield MSA is 351,000, one can reasonably argue - and Mansoor agrees - that Eugene's fanbase is a much more passionate. Combined with the Oregon's T&F history/legacy and extremely involved Track & Field Club and volunteer participation, Eugene definitely has "knowledgeable" fans on it's side of the ledger). Add more seating to Hayward, which is likely to happen for 2016 Trials and Eugene will top Sac's attendance.
Trials T&F Experience: do you want to sit in a football stadium with fans leaving before distance events?, do you want a suburbia anywhere feel or do you want to experience a community that lives & breathes T&F?
Scenic/Nature Experience: within hours of both venues are great outdoor experiences whether by ocean or in mountains, difference is do you want to fight all kinds of traffic and experience nature as a Disneyland visit (Yosemite in summertime is crazy packed with people/traffic/noise) or a wilderness experience.
Cosmopolitan: Neither is that, you can travel two hours to the enviro/hipster/progressive/quality urban living Portland or two hours to SFO (used to be enviro/hipster/progressive/quality and now offers lots but is Gentrified)
And to all those mentioning random cities (east/west), step right up and show that you can organize and execute a TOP NOTCH T&F championship & the site hosting will be awarded to you (only takes thousands of committed volunteers, community & business members and expert & experienced T&F officials who contribute 100s of 1000s of hours to each event). Again, step right up and show what you HAVE DONE. Empty claims about how great you/your city/venue are will be evaluated by your ACTUAL PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS.