I was at Hayward Field today for Nike Outdoor Nationals. The place was basically empty and still the greatest place in the country to have a meet.
It's a high school meet plus a U20 championships tacked on to save money. No one is traveling to Eugene unless they have a kid running in it. The locals and Portland track fans are not buying tickets to watch random teens race each other.
After George Floyd was murdered, social media destroyed Police Immunity in the United States. Who would have predicted the Blue Line would be cracked wide open and police sentenced to 40 years hard labor for murder?
Now Nike and alleged shills, Track Town, USATF, Citius Magazine, Runnerspace, T&F News, Flo Track, Oregonian, Register-Guard, etc. are being beat down mercilessly by social media. How'd that happen so quick like?
Anyone arguing to put this meet at Drake or Austin is not a serious person. It was VERY disappointing to see the meeting have so many empty seats. But, that's not a solution to improve attendance. Asking East Coast track fans to cross the country to EUGENE 2x a year to watch the 2 biggest (3 if you count Pre) in the country is also not the answer.
My post wasn't to say put it in Austin. A more accurate interpretation would be to have events in any other place than Eugene.
What if someone were to build a similar type facility elsewhere in the country eg somewhere in the NE USA or middle of the country or somewhere south close to major transportation hubs in the South? What would be the reason for holding such events in Eugene then?
I’d love to know who this someone is that would build a track facility similar to Eugene’s anywhere in the US.
The destruction of the old Hayward Field left a bad feeling for long time track fans A creative idea by Tinker Hatfield to save the old stadium into a modern building without destroying it was rejected by Nike.The stadium lease with the University of Oregon has never been disclosed.Hayward Field with a few community outreach events is closed to the public.It was not that way till the 1980s.Kenny Moore referred to these plans as”a monstrosity” at a Eugene City Council hearing. Neta Prefontaine lamented what was to become..Phil Knight referred to the decision to detonate as perhaps being” the most hated man in Eugene” in a Register Guard interview.
Track Town USA starting as an ideal to the sport is a copyright with perhaps a lot of money.Travel Oregon on message refers to the beauty of Oregon and the greatness of the sport for several television presentations while the empty half full stadium says something else.
I wish the other shoe companies would contribute to remodeling historical stadiums and transfer the money going into Eugene too other cities fault Nike and USTAff for the monopoly almost mafioso.
As a long time fan (first big meet I ever saw was the 1972 OT at Hayward), I thought the razing of the old facility was sacrilege akin to tearing down Wrigley Field, but my perspective shifted the first time I set foot in the new one. It’s a great facility for athletes and spectators alike. Sight lines are perfect from any seat in the house. In summer I wouldn’t want to be sitting on the East side, but that was true of old Hayward Field as well.
The destruction of the old Hayward Field left a bad feeling for long time track fans A creative idea by Tinker Hatfield to save the old stadium into a modern building without destroying it was rejected by Nike.The stadium lease with the University of Oregon has never been disclosed.Hayward Field with a few community outreach events is closed to the public.It was not that way till the 1980s.Kenny Moore referred to these plans as”a monstrosity” at a Eugene City Council hearing. Neta Prefontaine lamented what was to become..Phil Knight referred to the decision to detonate as perhaps being” the most hated man in Eugene” in a Register Guard interview.
Track Town USA starting as an ideal to the sport is a copyright with perhaps a lot of money.Travel Oregon on message refers to the beauty of Oregon and the greatness of the sport for several television presentations while the empty half full stadium says something else.
I wish the other shoe companies would contribute to remodeling historical stadiums and transfer the money going into Eugene too other cities fault Nike and USTAff for the monopoly almost mafioso.
As a long time fan (first big meet I ever saw was the 1972 OT at Hayward), I thought the razing of the old facility was sacrilege akin to tearing down Wrigley Field, but my perspective shifted the first time I set foot in the new one. It’s a great facility for athletes and spectators alike. Sight lines are perfect from any seat in the house. In summer I wouldn’t want to be sitting on the East side, but that was true of old Hayward Field as well.
I understand there's a Class Action lawsuit is pending by the neighbors of Hayward Field on UO, architects, and City of Eugene for lack of urinals, parking, food safety, unsafe corridors, Pioneer Cemetary intrusion etc.
The only problem with Eugene is they need to expand the airport. Hotels etc will take care of themselves.
It is truly a world class destination that offers far more than just T&F.
The airport has plans now to double capacity. I think ground breaking is 2025 but may be 2026. Passenger counts at the airport are roughly 150% of pre-covid.
That only helps the Eugene Mission, the largest homeless shelter in the Western Hemisphere ;-)
As a long time fan (first big meet I ever saw was the 1972 OT at Hayward), I thought the razing of the old facility was sacrilege akin to tearing down Wrigley Field, but my perspective shifted the first time I set foot in the new one. It’s a great facility for athletes and spectators alike. Sight lines are perfect from any seat in the house. In summer I wouldn’t want to be sitting on the East side, but that was true of old Hayward Field as well.
I understand there's a Class Action lawsuit is pending by the neighbors of Hayward Field on UO, architects, and City of Eugene for lack of urinals, parking, food safety, unsafe corridors, Pioneer Cemetary intrusion etc.
Where are the athlete’s families? Watching the W400 relay at the NCAAs, I commented to my friend that the stands seemed 70% cheering for Oregon’s relay and that the stands seemed 35% full (which correlates to the listed attendance in this thread). The lack of other schools having fans at the meet not supporting their athletes in an empty venue was quite evident. A more central location after fans have traveled and paid dollars to attend league meets and the Prelim round would allow more parents and fans of teams other than the locals to attend.
"Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated" - Mark Twain (and Hayward Field)
I was at the OT and it was rad. Every fan was an "insider" and I sat with a designer from Nike, a shoe designer from Adidas, and a girl who is on the UO team (that my kid knew from high school). The guy in front of me was a HS coach with his kids who both run in the D3.
My point being, the stands weren't 110% packed but the people who were there (enjoying the 74° sunny weather) were all awesome "track people." Last time I sat with Sage Hurta-Klecker and Vince Recuprio.
That seems to happen every time I am at Hayward. And honestly, that counts for something. I don't think I would have liked it if every empty seat had been full with randos. Would that be better?
Good observation. Another issue is how long it all stretches out. I know people who have been in Eugene for a month. That's fine if you are coaching and on your school's tab. However do we really expect a 'fan' to commit to 4 days in Eugene for the NCAA's and then 9 days of the trials? To have a few prelim's each night, then take 2 days off isn't reasonable on a family budget. Don't compare it to the NBA or NHL where teams travel back to home arena's and the fans stay home. The last 3 days are when you expect people in the stands.
Well put! That's what a lot of people on LRC fail to grasp. What makes Hayward and Eugene special is that athletes are both celebrities and normal people here. They freely mingle amongst the fans in and out of the stadium and become fans sitting in the stands with the rest of us. You can grab a beer at Wild Duck and chat with Ryan Crouser, run into Parker Valby at Whole Foods, or playfully debate al pastor vs. carne asada while waiting in line at a food truck with Kenny Bednarek.
No overreactive security guards. No cordoned off athlete seating. No secure underground garage for limos and motorcoaches to sneak people in/out of the facility. That's the Hayward magic! You simply don't get this experience in some overly serious place like New York or an overly pretentious spot like LA.
I will say that there were far less tweakers and homeless folks in Eugene during the Trials, than during NCAAs. I guess the city moved them out somewhere else 🤷🏼♂️