Watching USATF nationals on TV right now. It looks like half the seats in the facility are empty. Place got sold out for Reebok Indoor Games. Why is the place empty now?
Watching USATF nationals on TV right now. It looks like half the seats in the facility are empty. Place got sold out for Reebok Indoor Games. Why is the place empty now?
usatf doesnt give a rip
well, it looks funny and is not good for our sport.
wow i didint even know nationals was today
not enough people care about track in this country. plain and simple. reebok sells out because of the international stars...the ethiopians of boston alone probably are 10% of the crowd....also, the high school races pull in a lot of younger fans, but what's the attraction at today's meet? for someone who is not a tracknut that is.
Every person there was like lounging with their heads rested on the seat behind them and their feet rested on the seat in front of them and each arm spread out like they were sitting on a couch. Now that might be comfortable, but it looks ridiculous for attendance at a national championship meet. The athletes had hardly anybody to cheer for them and wave at after the won. It looked real silly.
Indoor track is dead in this country, were I in Boston today I probably wouldn't have gone unless tickets were $10 or under. It's time we gave up the ghost and made xc our winter sport to coincide with the international calendar. Start high school and college seasons (in the lower 48) in October and have the championship meets during college bowl game season (mid-December to mid-January). Or at least cap the distance of indoor races at 1000m. Or both.
On a weekend with performances like those by Fernandez and Barringer, it's silly to declare indoor track "over." USATF just couldn't get people, athletes or spectators, to a meet in Boston, plan and simple.
except it snows in most of the northern US during the college bowl season....so there goes that plan...
Wasted Effort wrote:
Indoor track is dead in this country, were I in Boston today I probably wouldn't have gone unless tickets were $10 or under.
It was free.
I didn't know that nationals were on. I was flipping channels and just came across it. My girlfriend said something to the tune of, "I didn't know they had gay Olympics."
Really? Like $9-$30 free?
http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USAIndoorTFChampionships/tickets.asp
i'm not sure if what was on tv was from last night or today. if it was from today...one thing to consider is A. the weather B. its the first sunday of march in boston that means 7 weeks till patriots day...most runners were out on the course training...
BostonSweetLou wrote:
i'm not sure if what was on tv was from last night or today. if it was from today...one thing to consider is A. the weather B. its the first sunday of march in boston that means 7 weeks till patriots day...most runners were out on the course training...
sweet lou forgot to mention that with the times that the people run at Boston these days, if they were out on the course training today it was an all day affair.
Something has to be done. We can't accept the current state of things. It's embarrassing. Either eliminate the meet altogether or improve the meet so that more people would actually care to come and watch. Right now it's almost a joke. Almost any high school or collegiate meet would have been more exciting than what took place yesterday and today at indoor nationals.
george J wrote:
Something has to be done. We can't accept the current state of things. It's embarrassing. Either eliminate the meet altogether or improve the meet so that more people would actually care to come and watch.
Not sure it's even USATF's fault. The athletes have to care first.
Flanagan herself would put a 100 people in the stands just from people who know her, not to mention people who are jut fans.
Kara goucher would have brought some people to the stands for sure.
Symmonds and Krum would have drawn a few more.
Hoffa and Cantwell didn't show up
None of the top men vaulters competed.
The mens long jump was pitiful, as was the triple jump.
They got rid of the 200, which is a fan favorite.
Not one top 400 runner for the men was there.
If Webb was running well he'd have packed a good 100 or so more.
No Solinsky, or Teg, or Ritz, goucher, or any top 3k/5k guy really other than Riley.
None of the top sprinters showed up for the 60m for the men.
If half of those guys showed up, this place would have been packed.
Ditto. Nobody wants to watch a predominately junior varsity championship.
Hubba wrote:
On a weekend with performances like those by Fernandez and Barringer, it's silly to declare indoor track "over." USATF just couldn't get people, athletes or spectators, to a meet in Boston, plan and simple.
Not seeing any connection. Nobody cares outside of relatively few hardcore fans. Where's the carry-over from those performances??
uh_no wrote:
except it snows in most of the northern US during the college bowl season....so there goes that plan...
Explain.
The athletes are beyond it, for the most part. USATF doesn't make it worth their time to go rather than prepare for spring road races or WXC. Simplify it by eliminating the distance races or use the resources on something that'll bring greater return. Interest in the WNBA and even pro indoor lacrosse puts indoor track at the pro level to shame.