The fix is in.
Brilliant! Moving from one quagmire of a situation to another.
Considering that Hayward will not be finished by the, which local high school track will they hold it at? Or maybe Lane Community College?
Can Lananna go back to his position as president of TrackTown USA now?
The Trials in Eugene will be great especially to kick off a new stadium.
If the stadium isn't finished then people who start booking places now will be F***** but the whole point of the U of O doing the ridiculous lease back of land to Phil Knight is so nothing gets in the way of stuff getting built.
****
The Trials themselves could be moved to another location with ease on short notice (well very little in our sport is done with ease but you get the point). There are events at 20,000 seat stadiums daily in the United States. The logistics aren't that complicated. If the Trials were in two weeks and got cancelled for some reason you could move them to Austin. Fans would be screwed more than anyone else. But bring out the Texas Relays crew and they could do it.
Not to rub it in the face of those who inexplicably wanted them held anywhere else, but I couldn't be more psyched! Had zero interest in attending anywhere but. Made the last 3 & they were by far, the 3 best T & F events ever.
My thoughts:
1. I think Eugene will do a great job with the Trials. They were awesome when I went in 2016 and everyone I've talked to said 2008 and 2012 were great as well. TrackTown USA, the volunteers, and officials in Eugene are all top-notch. And I expect that the new Hayward Field will be magnificent. Obviously they have to finish it in time, but now that the old one is knocked down and there is an actual outline of how the new one is going to look, I expect them to get it done by June 2020.
2. I don't think it's good for the sport in this country to have the biggest domestic meet in the same location four times in a row. Unlike USAs or NCAAs, I think the Trials will draw a good crowd wherever they are held. They don't need the "Eugene boost." I was really looking forward to having them at Mt. SAC and I would have preferred to see the Trials go there than back to Eugene again. From a selfish perspective, I like SoCal and it would have been neat to have a meet there. But I think you'd also grow the sport more by having it in a major metropolitan area like LA as opposed to a tiny one like Eugene.
3. That said, if USATF decided Mt. SAC was not an option -- and I don't know if they should have -- I wasn't thrilled about Sacramento. The stadium can get hot as hell during the day with no shade cover and I didn't get a great vibe from the crowd at USAs in 2014 or 2017. I think the Trials crowd would have been better (they did host in 2000 and 2004) but I wasn't stoked to go back there. Austin is a cool town, and I would have been fine with them getting a shot to host, even though it can get very hot as in Sacramento. At least they'll have the NCAAs.
4. It's funny to me that USATF took the Trials away from Mt. SAC because of stadium issues and are giving it to a place whose stadium doesn't exist yet. I'm sure they have assurances from Eugene that the stadium will be done on time, but they probably got those same assurances from Mt. SAC when they initially awarded the Trials (BTW, I think the Mt. SAC stadium will be ready by June 2020 but USATF was clearly scared off by the lawsuits and some lack of communication from Mt. SAC).
It's not a good thing when a certain sport in your country is dictated by a single commercial organization that is dictated by a single man in charge.
2020 Olympic Trials is not being held in Eugene, it's being put on by Nike. 1984 came about 36 years late, but clearly Orwell nailed it with his little gem of a story.
Jonathan Gault wrote:
My thoughts:
1. I think Eugene will do a great job with the Trials. They were awesome when I went in 2016 and everyone I've talked to said 2008 and 2012 were great as well. TrackTown USA, the volunteers, and officials in Eugene are all top-notch. And I expect that the new Hayward Field will be magnificent. Obviously they have to finish it in time, but now that the old one is knocked down and there is an actual outline of how the new one is going to look, I expect them to get it done by June 2020.
2. I don't think it's good for the sport in this country to have the biggest domestic meet in the same location four times in a row. Unlike USAs or NCAAs, I think the Trials will draw a good crowd wherever they are held. They don't need the "Eugene boost." I was really looking forward to having them at Mt. SAC and I would have preferred to see the Trials go there than back to Eugene again. From a selfish perspective, I like SoCal and it would have been neat to have a meet there. But I think you'd also grow the sport more by having it in a major metropolitan area like LA as opposed to a tiny one like Eugene.
3. That said, if USATF decided Mt. SAC was not an option -- and I don't know if they should have -- I wasn't thrilled about Sacramento. The stadium can get hot as hell during the day with no shade cover and I didn't get a great vibe from the crowd at USAs in 2014 or 2017. I think the Trials crowd would have been better (they did host in 2000 and 2004) but I wasn't stoked to go back there. Austin is a cool town, and I would have been fine with them getting a shot to host, even though it can get very hot as in Sacramento. At least they'll have the NCAAs.
4. It's funny to me that USATF took the Trials away from Mt. SAC because of stadium issues and are giving it to a place whose stadium doesn't exist yet. I'm sure they have assurances from Eugene that the stadium will be done on time, but they probably got those same assurances from Mt. SAC when they initially awarded the Trials (BTW, I think the Mt. SAC stadium will be ready by June 2020 but USATF was clearly scared off by the lawsuits and some lack of communication from Mt. SAC).
I love you you say it's funny "USATF took the Trials away from Mt. SAC because of stadium issues and are giving it to a place whose stadium doesn't exist yet". Mt Sac was not telling the truth and getting sued. I think it's completely different!
yawn
why is this thread being pushed all over the site?
I think it'd be useful if, instead of complaining about Eugene and randomly suggesting other locations, we thought about the qualities that makes a good host for the Trials. I went in 2012 and 2016 and had a great time in Eugene; I'll go again in 2020 (and 2021 for Worlds) as my schedule permits. The big things I see as necessities for hosting are reasonable weather (not too hot), easy access for travel, the city's ability to absorb a crowd (hotels), and a sizable stadium ideally with sun protection for the fans. What are the locations that fit those criteria (and others that I'm forgetting)? It's too bad that neither Seattle nor Portland have track stadiums. And, on the list of things that would never happen, blowing out five rows of stands at Franklin Field to make a proper 8 lane, 400m track would be awesome.
The_Conductor wrote:
I think it'd be useful if, instead of complaining about Eugene and randomly suggesting other locations, we thought about the qualities that makes a good host for the Trials. I went in 2012 and 2016 and had a great time in Eugene; I'll go again in 2020 (and 2021 for Worlds) as my schedule permits. The big things I see as necessities for hosting are reasonable weather (not too hot), easy access for travel, the city's ability to absorb a crowd (hotels), and a sizable stadium ideally with sun protection for the fans. What are the locations that fit those criteria (and others that I'm forgetting)? It's too bad that neither Seattle nor Portland have track stadiums. And, on the list of things that would never happen, blowing out five rows of stands at Franklin Field to make a proper 8 lane, 400m track would be awesome.
I have never found Eugene particularly easy to get to. It involved flying into Portland, which isn't cheap and rarely direct, and then renting a car to drive two hours to Eugene. One plus is that it's easy to get around Eugene when you are there and the whole town really puts on a show.
But none of the other choices are very convenient either. Mt SAC is a good distance from LAX and then there's the LA traffic. Maybe flying into Ontario is the best option there. Sacramento means you are most likely flying into San Fran and driving from there. Austin does not have a big airport and getting around Austin is generally awful.
Best options would be Franklin Field in Philly or building something in Portland, but those are purely pipe dreams.
No one really cares, the only people that show up are friends and family of the athletes and a smattering of fans. T&F overall is freaking boring.
USAs has looked pathetic on TV outside of years when it has been held in Eugene. I think we need to forget about trying to grow the sport by going to a big market just because. Eugene is track town usa. The trials will be on tv in all the big markets. I like it being in a place that has history and knows track and field. The atmosphere will be great. Fans will have a good time. Keep the Trials in Eugene every year. Do what we do well in that town, and if we ever find an actual way to grow the sport, expand things then. Hosting the Trials in LA would not have grown the sport. The same fans that would have gone to Eugene would have gone there and the rest of the US wouldn't care. We tried the marathon trials in LA. It looked bad. A bunch of competitors in the shape of their lives and they run in garbage conditions on a garbage course. What percent actually ran under the A standard? Do people in LA now love the marathon?
vivalarepublica wrote:
But none of the other choices are very convenient either. Mt SAC is a good distance from LAX and then there's the LA traffic. Maybe flying into Ontario is the best option there. Sacramento means you are most likely flying into San Fran and driving from there. Austin does not have a big airport and getting around Austin is generally awful.
Best options would be Franklin Field in Philly or building something in Portland, but those are purely pipe dreams.
You obviously have never been to Mt. SAC, Sacramento or Austin. All three are very easy to fly into, and easy to get around.
Philadelphia is a dump with terrible access.
ayyyyyyy wrote:
USAs has looked pathetic on TV outside of years when it has been held in Eugene. .....Keep the Trials in Eugene every year. Do what we do well in that town, and if we ever find an actual way to grow the sport, expand things then.
The first part of your statement is factually inaccurate. What you and (even Jonathan Gault) don't seem to get is there is a huge difference between a USAs and Olymic Trials. What looks pathetic is a USA Champs not in Eugene. The OLYMPIC Trials do well wherever they are held.
As a high schooler I went to the Trials in New Orleans, it seemed full to me.
Many track fans who always love track don't realize there is a HUGE difference USAs and the Olympic Trials. When my brother was running, he'd tell people hje was a pro runner and they'd look at him like he was crazy. If he told them he was getting ready for the Olympic Trials, they got all excited and acted like he was already on the Olympic team.
Rather than host the Trials all the time in Eugene, I think the following should be the rule. Hold USAs every year in Eugene but the Olympic Trials should never be held in Eugene.
Ok I've spent the morning finding the attendance figures of past trials since 2000. Do people not realize that Sacramento 2000 is the all-time record?
Eugene 1980 - 121,727
LA 1984 - 143,826
Indy 1988 - 1988 - 90,070
New Orleans 1992 - 137,262
Atlanta 1996 - 151,522
Sacramento 2000 - 187,103
Sacramento 2004 - 172, 000
Eugene 2008 - 167,123
Eugene 2012 - 173,153
Eugene 2016 - 177,000
Jonathan Gault wrote:
My thoughts:
1. I think Eugene will do a great job with the Trials. They were awesome when I went in 2016 and everyone I've talked to said 2008 and 2012 were great as well. TrackTown USA, the volunteers, and officials in Eugene are all top-notch. And I expect that the new Hayward Field will be magnificent. Obviously they have to finish it in time, but now that the old one is knocked down and there is an actual outline of how the new one is going to look, I expect them to get it done by June 2020.
2. I don't think it's good for the sport in this country to have the biggest domestic meet in the same location four times in a row. Unlike USAs or NCAAs, I think the Trials will draw a good crowd wherever they are held. They don't need the "Eugene boost." I was really looking forward to having them at Mt. SAC and I would have preferred to see the Trials go there than back to Eugene again. From a selfish perspective, I like SoCal and it would have been neat to have a meet there. But I think you'd also grow the sport more by having it in a major metropolitan area like LA as opposed to a tiny one like Eugene.
3. That said, if USATF decided Mt. SAC was not an option -- and I don't know if they should have -- I wasn't thrilled about Sacramento. The stadium can get hot as hell during the day with no shade cover and I didn't get a great vibe from the crowd at USAs in 2014 or 2017. I think the Trials crowd would have been better (they did host in 2000 and 2004) but I wasn't stoked to go back there. Austin is a cool town, and I would have been fine with them getting a shot to host, even though it can get very hot as in Sacramento. At least they'll have the NCAAs.
4. It's funny to me that USATF took the Trials away from Mt. SAC because of stadium issues and are giving it to a place whose stadium doesn't exist yet. I'm sure they have assurances from Eugene that the stadium will be done on time, but they probably got those same assurances from Mt. SAC when they initially awarded the Trials (BTW, I think the Mt. SAC stadium will be ready by June 2020 but USATF was clearly scared off by the lawsuits and some lack of communication from Mt. SAC).
What about bringing the trials to the east coast for a change? Sure, we don't really have a historical track stadium to have that kind of draw (we do have Penn, but size would be an issue), but maybe hosting it at Icahn Stadium in NYC or maybe some Southeastern College track with a big stadium, like JMU or Richmond, or maybe even NC State.
RogueMoose wrote:
What about bringing the trials to the east coast for a change? Sure, we don't really have a historical track stadium to have that kind of draw (we do have Penn, but size would be an issue), but maybe hosting it at Icahn Stadium in NYC or maybe some Southeastern College track with a big stadium, like JMU or Richmond, or maybe even NC State.
I'd love to have it back on the East Coast. Franklin Field would be fantastic but because of the layout, I think that's a pipe dream.
But to have it on the East Coast, you need a city willing to bid on it. None have expressed serious interest.
rojo wrote:
The first part of your statement is factually inaccurate. What you and (even Jonathan Gault) don't seem to get is there is a huge difference between a USAs and Olymic Trials. What looks pathetic is a USA Champs not in Eugene. The OLYMPIC Trials do well wherever they are held.
That's exactly what I said!
"Unlike USAs or NCAAs, I think the Trials will draw a good crowd wherever they are held. They don't need the 'Eugene boost.'"
Thanks for (unwittingly) supporting my point, Robert.
PS. Most of my attendance figures came from the "History of the Olympic Trails" which ran through the 2004 Trials:
http://www.usatf.org/usatf/files/69/695a8112-b7a0-4b9d-9dbb-8b4bca22677c.pdf