True or false: Christine Brennan says Americans care more about swimming and gymnastics than track and field

Oops i forgot the link to the article:

Brennan: How can world let Russians compete in Rio?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/brennan/2016/03/30/russia-track-and-field-doping-rio-olympics/82436006/?

TV ratings would be proof and I think she would be right

True. USA cares about the sports in which is does well. They'll tune in T&F to see Bolt dominate, but that is about it.

I've avoided Brennen like the plague, ever since she attempted to defend Jones after the Sydney Olympics by saying she just made bad choices in men. She's like the Runners' World version of sports journalism.

Delete all threads referring in any way to her.

Thanks

It's true.

The reason? NBC markets these athletes/sports better. It's basically whatever or whomever they want to market that will be popular in said Olympics.

I can already tell you the 2016 Rio focus athletes/teams from NBC's perspective...

Swimming: Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky and Missy Franklin

Basketball: Dream Team

Gymnastics:Womens Team USA..esp Gabby Douglas (if she makes the team)

Womens Beach Volleyball: Misty May-Trainor, Kerri Walsh and probably someone else I am missing.

Golf

Basketball -Drean Team (again)

Womens soccer - Team USA (even if men were in it, they wouldnt show them..the womens team uses the full National Team so the pkayers are recognizable. The mens use U-23 players and in USA case, a bunch of no-names).

Mens and Womens Diving.

They will show Track too...but prob not much in prime time.

That list probably just covered 85% of main channel NBC's prime time coverage

If you are referring to tv ratings... Maybe.

But track & field is the most participated sport at the high school level. Our state meet puts 14,000+ in the stands annually. The only sport that comes close to this is wrestling.

At my school more students come watch home dual meets for track than swimming.

rojo wrote:

True or false: Christine Brennan says Americans care more about swimming and gymnastics than track and field

It sounds like it's true that she said this.

I dislike her immensely professionally speaking, but she is 100% correct in this instance.

Without stats to back it up I'd say false. Americans like the three equally. I would bet these three are the top viewed Olympic sports. Most Americans will never watch any of the three until the Olympics.

Swimming got a promotion to the top tier of sports funding by the IOC after London if my recollection is correct.

Rio ratings will be very interesting given how long the IAAF's troubles have lasted.

It's true only insofar as NBC promotes these sports at the Olympics every four years. The rest of the time, absolutely no one cares about swimming.But NBC forcefeeds them the sport every four years.

I assume she's talking about during the Olympics, in which case she is absolutely right. First of all, right out of the gate the field portion of track and field is dead in the water. Races are exciting, throwing and jumping events are not. Even runners don't care about field events. In comparing swimming races to running races, swimming has several advantages:

-An American has a chance to win every swimming event. We are far less dominant in running. For everything 800m and up, we have an outside shot of putting one athlete on the medal stand, and that is an improvement over the last few Olympics. We are better in the sprints, though Jamaica has taken the mantle of fastest nation recently.

-Swimming stars can compete in many events. This helps viewers build a familiarity with the stars. In track, 95% of athletes do one event and only a small handful do multiple.

-Swimming stars are more attractive. They just are, and this goes for both men and women.

I'm not sure why gymnastics is so popular, something about teenage girls I guess. Note that no one gives a shit about men's gymnastics.

Check the prime time schedule when the Olympics rolls around.

Gymnastics and Swimming always draws a TV crowd for reasons that have nothing to do with how well the US performs.

Alan

rojo wrote:

I was reading a column in USA Today by Christine Brennan where she says she wants the Russian track and field athletes banned from the Olympics and was struck by this line:

Christine Brennan wrote:

If it does, Russia will not be allowed to field a team in what the Olympic world calls “athletics,” the track and field events that are still regarded as the marquee Olympic discipline by much of the world even though Americans care more for swimming and gymnastics these days.

Is that true? Do Americans pay more attention to swimming and gymnastics than track and field? Can anyone (Wejo i know are good at this) look up the TV ratings for the various events in 2012 and see which sports got the higher ratings?

How could one prove or disprove her statement?

Ratings for the olympics are best for the events that women will watch. Men will watch any sports. That is why figure skating and women's gymnastics are always number one.

The Guy Who Says wrote:

It's true only insofar as NBC promotes these sports at the Olympics every four years. The rest of the time, absolutely no one cares about swimming.But NBC forcefeeds them the sport every four years.

The same thing could be said of track and field. Let's face it, track is thought of my few except every 4 years.

Not sure NBC forcefeeds it. If people were not watching, they would relegate it to MSNBC.

Gymnastics is also very popular, but again once every four years.

That guy... wrote:

Without stats to back it up I'd say false. Americans like the three equally. I would bet these three are the top viewed Olympic sports. Most Americans will never watch any of the three until the Olympics.

They are the big three anchors of Olympic coverage and have been for a very long time. I don't even see how this is debateable. All three receive tons of coverage and build-up. All three are relatively obscure between olympics.

Between the three, I would guess the popularity sort of waxes and wanes with the success of the nation's athletes. Everybody loves a winner.

rojo wrote:

I was reading a column in USA Today by Christine Brennan where she says she wants the Russian track and field athletes banned from the Olympics and was struck by this line:

Christine Brennan wrote:

If it does, Russia will not be allowed to field a team in what the Olympic world calls “athletics,” the track and field events that are still regarded as the marquee Olympic discipline by much of the world even though Americans care more for swimming and gymnastics these days.

Is that true? Do Americans pay more attention to swimming and gymnastics than track and field? Can anyone (Wejo i know are good at this) look up the TV ratings for the various events in 2012 and see which sports got the higher ratings?

How could one prove or disprove her statement?

From Canada BBM TV ratings.

1. Gymnastics - Womens

2. Athletics ( But only Men's 100M Final) All other events outside Top 8

3. Swimming

And Winter :

1. By far , Figure Skating

2. Alpine

3. Curling

4.Hockey

Brennan is right about Gymnastics but that is because women, in general, like sports which involve judging. Figure skating and Gymnastics as a for instance.

I don't agree about swimming.