I'm just a poor boy from NJ who does not have cable TV so the only track events I see, unless I'm at my friends house, is on CBS or NBC or last years ABC world champs coverage. Now it seems to me that they ALWAYS show the mens and womens 100 200 400 and usually the 400IH. Also they put in a few monites for the shot put on the mens side. THe 4x400's are always on if its an NCAA meet too. Usually they will show either the 1500 or the 800, but never both on the mens side and same for the women and will not even mention the 5k or the 10k. Does something seem wrong here or is it just me?
I understand the 28 minute 10k is far too long to show when there is only an our or 90 min of coverage. The 5k is not though. They can show the first 2 laps, cut away and show the last 6. Rather than showing the first 4 cutting away and missing where the whole race takes place and showing the last 600m. Even that I could tolerate. WHy is it that they always show the sprints, especially the 100/200 when it is basically the same athletes in the same race. Granted, the US is on top of the world in the sprints, but to show those same 6 events week and and week out is ridiculous. I'm so sick of hearing about Marion Jones and her attempt at 9 gold medals this year at the WC's.
Here's how I see it. The people who follow the sport are like me, DISTANCE athletes. I like the sprints too, but while they are showing literally (since exaggeration is not needed) 4-5 replays of the 100m, they could have shown the entire mens 800 and 1500. The people who watch these TV events are primarily distance athletes. How many HS sprinters do you know that were pretty good still run after college or even have the slightest clue about the sport? Then again look at distance runners. There are road races and such all over the place, thus, we stay in touch with the sport and actually sit down to watch it when it is on TV, to see nothing more than 6 sprints replayed a half a dozen times each. Not to mention the 3-4 min it takes via all the false starts.
They should show the distance races, 800-5k and maybe the last 3 laps of the 10k if there is even a 10k being held, which many times there is not. The viewers of the sport are 5-10k guys not 110HH's.
Another thing, Stacey Dragila is the worst thing to ever happen to T&F. Yeah shes good right now since the PV is a new event but she gets so much coverage it makes me sick. At the stanford meet last year they actually cut away from the mens mile (4:00 race) to show her FAIL at her attempt at 15'9 or something. They not only showed the attempt but replayed it 3 times. When they cut away it was about 400m in and of course everyone was still together. When they cut back the leader (Chichir) was on the homestretch with a little more thana lap to go. He had 40 meters on the next runner. What is the purpose of even showing that? I saw no race. I saw a bunch of guys run a 58 second 400 and then one guy alone run a 59 second time trial.
In conclusion, the TV coverage makes me sick. They should stop trying to push T&F as a "bigtime" sport because its never going to happen. Instead, they should attract a loyal following who will tune in every week and show the events we want to see. No offense to Mo Greene. I would like to see him, but only once, not 6-7 times.
PS I almost forgot, those stupid life story things they do where they interview people and then show a clip of it DURING the race is awful as well. Response to my thoughts is welcome.