Absurd newspaper piece of high school track "journalism"

I don't think anyone here is really "offended". It's more along the lines of how a journalism "professional" could write an article like this and somehow think it's worthy of publishing.

epicTCK wrote:

I think he is right if you look at most t&f Highschool athletes. Ever watch the girls steeplechase at a Highschool meet? At the back, it's girls jogging, climbing over hurdles and smiling, waving to the crowd. It's not that they are slow, they don't take it seriously ( then again, the steeplechase isn't their event).

Even seen a JV football game or freshman 'b' team practice?

Yeah, the first paragraph comparing football, track and frisbee pissed me off (and I didn't like his tone in a couple other parts), but I think he was pretty accurate about most high school track athletes not taking the sport seriously. I ran track and also played hockey in high school. There were a core group of us in track that took it very seriously, but it was a social activity for half the team. In hockey no freaking way you were on that team treating it like a joke or goofing off during a game.

And I think he kind of hit the nail on the head with this section. This is how I remember high school track meets:

compare and contrast wrote:

"Consider, at big-meet track’s essence, the medal stand. The top eight - eight! - finishers in each event at meets like Saturday’s Lancaster-Lebanon League get medals."

Contrast this with football, where you can be a "state champ" without ever playing a down because you rode the bench on a good team.

Valid.

If this guy's got a problem with finisher's medals, then he should have WAY more beef with EVERY LOCAL 5K/10K/HALF-MARATHON/MARATHON. No need to take that out on HS T&F.

This author reminded me of the guy that was proud of his football playing son in the movie Whiplash. Dismissing the work and skill of the 'core' drummer at the nations 'best music school. It was a pretty funny moment.

I also think it's pretty funny when you see a 'tough football player' quit track because the workouts are too tough or because they get exposed on the track (no other players to hide behind out there).

I think more than half of DI schools go to bowl games (some with sub-.500 records). I think they all get bowl rings even if they lose in the lowest ranked bowl game... even if they sit the bench. That always made me smile a wry smile.

I don't know what school you or anyone else went to, but everyone took it seriously at my school -- even the guys who were probably not good enough for D3.

The tone there is condescending and almost chastising, and yet it is a mirror of exactly what an NFL game is like (even though NFL is football at its highest level). About football, one could easily write:

A big game is a smorgasbord of diverse and diffuse activity and inactivity: The clock starting stopping with approximately 7 to 15 seconds of activity punctuated by a leisurely saunter back to the line. On the sidelines are several athletes waiting to play, some stretching, some riding exercise bike to warm up, some simply seated. This reporter recalls one such player often with a towel draped over his head while on the bench. They seem happy as they exchange jokes with their teammates, or stand Gatorade in hand, waiting to be subbed in or for their side of the ball to play. While a reporter is usually stationed sideline for post-game comments, interviews rarely consist of any revelations. Comments like, "It was a team effort," and "Those are all great guys out there," as well as "We trusted our coach and stuck to the game plan," are very common. After a game, both sides walk to congratulate each other, and frequent acquaintances usually smile with a handshake or even a hug, regardless of how spirited play may have been beforehand.

The point is not to hate football, but rather to point out that EVERY sport has alternating bouts of activity and inactivity. Totally inaccurate for Mike Gross to characterize track and field as somehow being a standout example of lazy moments in sport, even at the high school level.

Lolololol wrote:

What an idiot. Complete and utter ignorance.

The writer is spot on. High School T&F will take all-comers. Football & basketball make cuts. High School T&F will not. It is after-school daycare IN PLENTY OF INSTANCES.

U know I am right on this. High School T&F will take ANYONE. High school T&F IS after-school PE class.

I am astounded by the lack of competitiveness in PLENTY of these kids. High School T&F is way more social than competitive.

SOOO Funny.

The little niche sport of track and field takes umbrage when someone states that their sport isn't on the same level in the U.S and Football.

Well, sorry to tell you bunch of yahoos, BUT IT ISN'T.

When Ato Bolden cries about the number of NFL draft picks that ran track< they used it as off season conditioning.

You don't see "TRACK " athletes using Football as off season conditioning.

LancasterPARunner wrote:

This jem showed up in my local paper today,

http://lancasteronline.com/sports/trackandfield/highschool/high-school-track-it-s-springtime-and-the-living-is/article_b79f8096-3983-11e7-8c1a-8f3b8cf08cb2.html

If we as track and field fans want a prime example of why our sport isn't covered look no further then this. Ato Boldon left a nice comment,

"Mike Gross, kindly return whatever sum you were paid to write this. Then go look and see what percentage of the first ten NFL picks this year did track and field as well" but I'm sure my local newspaper has no clue who he is...

"jem"?

You might not want to toss stones...

Alternate Reality wrote:

SOOO Funny.

The little niche sport of track and field takes umbrage when someone states that their sport isn't on the same level in the U.S and Football.

No. F that. I constantly have to mind my p's & q's, making sure not to offend anyone else, whether it's about a movement, lifestyle choice, or whatever. Well running is MY lifestyle, and if I have to be nice to & respect everyone else, then they're going to respect me, or be done with all political correctness movements.

messi wrote:

Lolololol wrote:

What an idiot. Complete and utter ignorance.

The writer is spot on. High School T&F will take all-comers. Football & basketball make cuts. High School T&F will not. It is after-school daycare IN PLENTY OF INSTANCES.

U know I am right on this. High School T&F will take ANYONE. High school T&F IS after-school PE class.

I am astounded by the lack of competitiveness in PLENTY of these kids. High School T&F is way more social than competitive.

Trolling, but you're missing the obvious here. For football, they make cuts because they can't afford the equipment. For basketball, they make cuts because there aren't enough positions and/or room on the court. In track/XC, neither of these problems exist.

More so, I know of several schools in my area that do make cuts - this is because they have too many kids and can't support them all - similar to football.

LancasterPARunner wrote:

This jem showed up in my local paper today,

http://lancasteronline.com/sports/trackandfield/highschool/high-school-track-it-s-springtime-and-the-living-is/article_b79f8096-3983-11e7-8c1a-8f3b8cf08cb2.html

If we as track and field fans want a prime example of why our sport isn't covered look no further then this. Ato Boldon left a nice comment,

"Mike Gross, kindly return whatever sum you were paid to write this. Then go look and see what percentage of the first ten NFL picks this year did track and field as well" but I'm sure my local newspaper has no clue who he is...

Oh look! Another person who takes themselves and track to seriously! This is just like that time the NYTimes had that article making fun of running and everyone who takes themselves so seriously thru a hissy fit

8/10 great job trolling.

I think this is a solid article in rebuttal

"As most of our audience is well aware, high school track and field does not get the respect it deserves from traditional media. This is an undisputed fact."

Wrong... They don't get as much respect, but, what should be disputed is whether they DESERVE to get more respect.

Lol, thanks for writing that spoof paragraph about football! Made me laugh.

It is true... the tone in the article was degrading to the sport. Every sport has people that are in for the social aspect... in fact, I would say 30-40% kids on our school's football team just do it for social status.

I agree he's a total idiot, but his concept is correct. At my high school we had a 100+ person distance team. The vast majority just wanted to have fun and hang out. Boys could go run run a 6+ minute mile and girls 8+ minute mile and then go sit in the bleachers and relax and talk with their friends for hours on end.

The top guys would be running their sub 4:20s and sub 9:20s and a 51 split in the 4x400 all in the same day and they'd be lucky to get 10 minutes of relaxation during the day.

The coach was great. He knew and accepted the fact that the sport was a social experience for 90% of the kids. It was better the kids were their than roaming the streets getting caught up in gangs and getting pregnant.

In high school track, team results really only matter at conference and state. With that in mind, the vibe at most weekend invitationals is rather picnic like while many quad meets do have an advanced P.E. feel.

That said, conference, and to a lesser extent, county meets are generally intense affairs with the best athletes competing in as many events as possible. The 4x400 at mid to high level high school championships can take on an almost religious feel , especially if the team championship is still on the line.

I went to a working class school that had never won our conference track meet until my junior year. When we did win, our school put on a celebration that was much more heartfelt than a lot of the scripted ra-ra football and basketball rallies.

The author's complaint about there being eight medalist's at an invitational meet is ridiculous. At a football game, exactly half of the players go home "winners" regardless of their own individual accomplishments or even participation. At a twenty team invite with two entries per school, only the top twenty percent in each event will receive any recognition for their effort. To me, that seems like a much higher competitive bar by definition.

Pretty good article.

He kind of nailed it.

Sorry the LRC crowd is offended.

But it's right on.

Here for once the term 'snowflakes' is appropriatedly wielded. This is a tongue in cheek article that actually gets a lot right about what a track meet looks and feels like. Yes, it is pretty dismissive of track and field. Big deal. The author also does not see that virtually every one of the athletes out there in a typical big meet is better than virtually anyone in the general public. So what? There are (or used to be) many, many local newspapers articles like this every day.