t-and-f: Re: Boulami tests positive & Zurich prediction contest
>However, in the interest of full disclosure and >acknowledgement of having the most powerful >crystal balls in town, Kurt Bray and Mike Trujillo were the two who predicted >"no new >Zurich stadium records this year". > >RT > I can't speak for Kurt, but mine aren't crystal :-) -- *** Mike Trujillo, ex-Angeleno [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] (563) 391-5448 ***
t-and-f: coaches at Iowa & Illinois State?
Listers, I was somewhat surprised to read in this morning's paper that Iowa and Illinois State have new cross country and track & field coaches. Wayne Angel, who was at Wichita State last year, is the new women's head XC and asst T&F at Iowa. What happened to Joan Hansen at Iowa? Elvis Forde is men's & women's XC and T&F coach at Illinois State. Wasn't Jeff Pigg just finishing his second year there? Anyone have any light to shed on this? Thanks. Mike -- *** Mike Trujillo, ex-Angeleno [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] (563) 391-5448 ***
Re: t-and-f: Bix 7 road race report
>Allen Hall wrote: >wasn't Tim Broe supposed to be in the race? He was, but was a late withdrawal along with Todd Williams. Apparently, both are injured. -- *** Mike Trujillo, ex-Angeleno [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] (563) 391-5448 ***
t-and-f: Bix 7 road race report
Greetings all, Yesterday was the Bix 7M race here in Davenport, IA. Race start conditions were 75 Fahrenheit with 85% humidity. Uggh. Temperatures rose during the race, while humidity dropped slightly. Nice breeze from the east cooled the runners during the first half of the out-and-back course, with significant hills at the start and turn-around, and another long grade at about 5.5M. Men's winner Meb Keflezighi broke away from Abdi Abdirahman at about 1.5M with a 4:12 downhill mile, built a huge lead of about 400M and coasted to a :52 victory in 32:36. Abdirahman was 2nd in 33:28, Kyle Baker 3rd :05 behind Abdi, then a group of contenders between 33:50 and 34:25--Brian Sell, Jeff Campbell, Ryan Kirkpatrick, former winner Phillimon Hanneck, Rod DeHaven, Scott Strand, and Keith Dowling. Meb's winning margin was 3rd-largest in race history, with Bill Rogers having the widest-ever lead at the line. Rogers won his age group yesterday in his 23rd Bix race, BTW. Women's winner Colleen de Reuck took command in a similar fashion, opening an early lead and steadily cranking away to 37:44 (a :41 margin of victory) at the line. She joins Joan Samuelson as the only 4-time winners, male or female. 2nd went to former Big 10 champ Katie McGregor of Michigan in 38:25, followed closely by Libbie Hickman, Cheri Kenah, and Jeanne Hennessy (between 38:43 and 38:55). About a minute back, covering a :40 spread, were Rosa Gutierrez, Monica Hostetler, Nicole Kulikov, Kim Pawelek, and Faith Byrum. The race served as the American 7-mile championship. Prize money was available only to Americans, keeping the usual slew of Africans and other furriners away (leading to considerable controversy in the local media, especially post-9/11). Performances were thus much thinner than in years past, with only two women cracking the all-time top-100 list and only two men in the all-time top-150. If anyone wants more details, feel free to contact me privately. Oh, and list member Ray Cook ran 44:27 despite waiting nearly two minutes to get to the start line in the crowd of 16,158, and weaving through the walk/joggers for the first mile. You're welcome, Ray! -- *** Mike Trujillo, ex-Angeleno [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] (563) 391-5448 ***
t-and-f: test
Is the list down? I haven't received anything in a while, which (considering USATF was yesterday) is a little unusual. -- *** Mike Trujillo, ex-Angeleno [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] (563) 391-5448 ***
t-and-f: Iowa HS girl 6 foot HJ
Greetings all, Sorry to be posting this so tardily, but it's been a busy couple of weeks. Back on Friday April 12th, Stacy Boerema of Clinton HS in Clinton, IA turned in the highest mark in state history at the Jesse Day Relays in Davenport, IA. I don't have the progression in front of me, but I know she did not need three attempts at 6 feet. She also had no idea how high she was jumping, as the official kept the mark quiet so as not to freak her out. She then won the Drake Relays HJ title this weekend. Of course, there's a downside: She's planning on playing volleyball in college, and I haven't heard any mention of track plans. -- ******* Mike Trujillo, ex-Angeleno Asst. Girls Track & Field Coach Davenport (IA) Central HS [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] (563) 391-5448 ***
t-and-f: Vic Holchak (was: Radio anyone?)
> >With all the difficulties T&F is having with the TV format, radio would seem >to be a perfect fit, yet I am not aware of any radio broadcasts of track >events in the US. Small market perhaps, but a loyal one I would imagine. Any >radio (or internet radio) entrepreneur ready to seize the opportunity? > >Eamonn Condon >www.RunnersGoal.com I remember a few years back there was a regular "radio" broadcast from Vic Holchak available on a 900 telephone number. He did a great job, and I really enjoyed listening to his calls of the races (he also provided a quick recap of top results). I think with the advent of Internet sites, and the ready availability of agate results, Holchak's popularity waned. However, even though I can now get more detailed results with just a few mouse clicks, I still cannot get a race call like he used to provide. Too bad-I, for one, miss it. Agate results just don't tell the story like a live announcer can (even ABC's tape-delayed broadcasts were fine). -- \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Mike Trujillo, ex-Angeleno Assistant Girls Track & Field Coach Davenport (IA) Central HS (563) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
t-and-f: satellite TV question
I've noticed lots of transponder codes and such for CBC and other satellite feeds. Can someone who subscribes to DirecTV or Dish Network access those satellite feeds? Please reply off-list if you have some information. Thanks. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Mike Trujillo, ex-Angeleno Assistant Girls Track & Field Coach Davenport (IA) Central HS (563) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
t-and-f: Expectations (was: Sprint respect)
I think that one of the reasons the men's 100 didn't get much discussion on this list was because the results weren't a surprise. Ho-hum, Greene won and the Americans swept. Nothing unexpected, so not much to get everyone feverishly typing away at the keyboard. I am surprised, however, that Burrell's bronze in the heptathlon has gone pretty much uncommented. I'll wait to see what the list says about the women's PV, men's 400, and especially women's 100. Was it just me, or did it seem that ESPN compressed all the rounds of the men's 400 into one evening of coverage? Once again, I wish that I had access to CBC! \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Mike Trujillo, ex-Angeleno Assistant Girls Track & Field Coach Davenport (IA) Central HS (563) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
t-and-f: Christian Science Monitor and Tabori
It was the San Fernando Valley Track Club, and as far as I know it still existed in 1994 when I last lived in southern California. > I think he coached at the Santa Clara Track Club, no idea if that still >exists. >David Dallman > > \\\\ Mike Trujillo, ex-Angeleno Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (563) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
t-and-f: Lets Do Regionals, But Don't Tell Anyone
Buck wrote: Here's an idea that's a lot better than the one I floated about track pursuit races :-) To qualify for the U.S. National Meet, let's switch to a system of open, regional qualifying meets, similar but not quite the same as what the NCAA is doing. I envision an 'A' standard right at the Olympic standard that gets you in automatically, but the rest of the qualifiers from regional meets (they don't have to all be on the same weekend, however). I would make six meets qualifiers, taking the top two or three, depending on the event - bumping down to lower places for people already qualified. That would be 12 or 18, with the rest coming from qualifiers. Then MJR wrote: Regionals already exist in the USATF system and culminate with the USATF Club Championships in Indianpolis in July. This was setup to afford a National level meet for emerging elites. It is also a step towards rebuilding the club system to some extent. Check the USATF website for details on his program. And now I write: I love Buck's idea. I hope USATF heads that way. The fact that they already have, and someone who is as active a part of this list as Buck is DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT IT makes me wonder exactly WHO DOES KNOW? And how are they supposed to find out? Because, and let's be honest about this, who gives a rat's ass about club championships? Will they be televised? Will the winners be national champions? Will they go to Edmonton or Athens? Because if the answers are "no, no, no" then to most people the regional meets will be meaningless. If Greene and Jones et al have to run in the regionals (or use a modified system like Buck suggests) then the meets will have some teeth and some value as a spectator event. Otherwise, it's another case of USATF blowing its own horn and no one hearing it. Unless, as MJR suggests, this is just the beginning of a grand scheme to make clubs the major focus of development and top-level competition. I hope it is. Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (563) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: t-and-f: RE:Malmo post
>Since I participated in the offending thread (even if it was just a >single-word attempt at punnery), I've decided I have no choice but to >fall on my proverbial sword here and resign from the list. As Groucho >said, roughly, "I'd never belong to any club that would have me as a >member." > >Thanks to most of you for some good chatter, my apologies to those who >were offended but sucked it up like real people and my condolonces to >those who believe that free speech only applies to the speech they like. > >gh First D W I G H T, then gh; what's this list come to??
t-and-f: Re: timing (was: a great stadium game)
>It you want to play a fun game at major meets (and improve your timing >skills at the same time), get a group of your friends together and throw a >quarter into the pot for each race (best played in a meet like a nationals >where there are lots of heats . Then try and match the auto time. You'd be >surprised how good you can get with a little practice. As in within 0.05 >with regularity, and getting it right at least a couple of times an >afternoon. > >It's also surprising how some people, even after years of trying, just >can't catch on to the concept and consistently produce times that are >0.2-0.3 fast. > On a related note, it's amazing to me how many people think that just because their hand-held Casio has digits to the hundredth, it's ACCURATE to the hundredth. Trying to explain to them why it isn't is an even harder task than explaining provisional qualifiers and altitude adjustment to the layman (to paraphrase another lister). I've given up explaining to folks around here just why the local sprint phenom did NOT run 10.27 (no wind gauge, no FAT, etc.). BTW, I continually impress my athletes and head coach by doing the exact thing you describe at big meets. Must've been all the years of practice at Mt. SAC, Pepsi, etc Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
t-and-f: high jump rules question
Netters, I'm a relative newcomer to HJ coaching, and I have a question. If a jumper scrapes her shoe against the pit on the way up to the bar, but clears the bar and it doesn't fall, is it considered a miss? This is a matter of some urgency, since we have our indoor conference meet tomorrow and the official at an earlier meet said it was okay. We're talking high school, not college (if there's a difference). The National Federation rulebook I consulted had no direct answer that I could find. Thanks in advance for any help. Mike \\\\ Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: t-and-f: world records
>On a much smaller scale, Texas is already this way for high school >competition. State records can only be set at the state meet. This is >specifically done so the UIL can control the conditions a record is set under >and make sure the officiating is up to par. There are marks out there that >are superior to the official state meet records, but I've never once heard >any complaint about how any of those marks are superior to an official >record. > California does this, too, which leads to interesting situations of a clearly superior mark not being recognized as the State record. Jeff Nelson's 8:36 2-mile and Tim Danielson's 3:59 mile come to mind. As I recall, records can be set in sectional champs, too, so Nelson has the record due to his solo 8:40-something at the Southern Section meet at Cerritos CC in 1979. \\\\ Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: t-and-f: High Schools Distance Medley?
>Could someone tell me what states run the Distance Medley Relay as one of >their state meet events? > Iowa. The boys run a 1200-400-800-1600. The girls run what used to be called the "mile medley" but they now call it the distance medley. It's not. It's sprint medley, although none of the officials I've talked to really care about such titles. The so-called "distance medley" for girls is 200-200-400-800. Does anybody from Iowa know why it's been misnamed? BTW, Iowa girls also run a shuttle hurdle relay, a 4x100, a 4x200, a 4x400, a 4x800, and another sprint medley (100-100-200-400) in addition to the mile medley. Does any other state contest so many relays? Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
t-and-f: Devil Take the Hindmost, Scott Davis, and me
Back in the days when track & field was still reasonably prominent, the Los Angeles area supported two indoor invitationals: the Sunkist meet at the Sports Arena, and the Los Angeles Times Indoor Games at the Forum. The latter made more of an effort to include local athletes and had a full slate of high-school and college events. I ran in the Devil Take the Hindmost mile in 1983, when I was a junior at Cal State Northridge. The devil was in full costume, and there were about 15 guys in the race. Since it was an 11-laps-to-the-mile track, there were 9 times that someone would get dropped (the first and last laps were freebies). Since I had watched the race before, I knew a bunch of idiots would go out way too fast. My strategy was to run in the middle of the pack, safe from the devil but also avoiding the maniacal surges and ridiculous early pace of the frontrunners. Everything was going fine for the first few laps. I cruised along in about 6th or 7th, having no problems other than running on slippery banked wood for the first time in my life. I was just beginning to feel comfortable when I heard the announcer (Scott Davis, who IS the voice of track & field in southern California) say "It looks like the devil will get Mike Trujillo of Cal State Northridge at the end of this lap"! I looked around in panic and sure enough, the only guy behind me was the devil. My oh-so-smart strategy of staying out of trouble in the pack didn't account for the race attrition behind me! While I had been maintaining my distance behind the leader, the back of the pack had been creeping up on me. I immediately surged like a madman (which, after all, is the point of the race as far as the fans were concerned), sacrificing a runner from Cal Lutheran on that lap. (Poetic justice? a religious school nabbed by the devil?) I stayed nearer the front for the rest of the race, finishing 3rd or 4th in about 4:20. Not fast, but hey, I got my name in the paper! So, I owe Scott Davis a big thank-you for saving me from the eternal shame of being yanked off the track by a guy in "full red satin costume including hood with horns, a cape, long forked tail, etc, and a fake goatee--and of course carrying a long plastic pitchfork." \\\\ Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
t-and-f: Re: Clubs
The Mikes (Roth and Rohl) and Ed all bring up some interesting points about the club system, or lack thereof, in this country. Another Mike (Platt) maintains that there IS a club system in place; I disagree with him. The club system, as it now exists, serves one of four different functions. It can be a youth/developmental club, aimed at introducing our sport to novices. It can be an elite club, producing national-level (and beyond) performers. It can be a masters club, which needs little explanation. Or it can be a social club, usually limited to runners, with little or no organized coaching or training. I think most of us can think of local examples of the first, third, and fourth types. (Here in what's known as the Quad Cities, we have only the last of these [Cornbelt Running Club], with a couple of small youth clubs on the horizon.) The second type is HSI, the Enclave, and a few others. The shoe companies are NOT clubs; they are sponsors. Illustrating story: I have a photo that Bill Leung took at the winter XC champs from Washington on the desktop of the computer in my classroom. Sometimes students will comment, "Wow that team is really good! Look at how many of their runners are in the front!" They're referring to the Nike uniforms and assume (erroneously) that they are members of a team that trains together-after all, that's true for other sports, right? Same uniform means same team which means same coach, arena, etc.? Obviously, shoe companies aren't clubs. What's wrong with this picture? WHERE ARE THE POST-COLLEGIATE, SUB-ELITE, SUB-MASTERS, NON-SOCIAL CLUBS? There aren't more than a handful of these in the country, and that IS the problem with our sport. There OUGHT to be a fifth type of club, are there just isn't. (For convenience, let's call this fifth type a True Club.) There used to be, by all accounts, up until the early-70s (I wouldn't know, I didn't start running until high school in 1976). We need True Clubs if our sport is going to survive as something other than an Olympics-only sport. Figure skating and crew and team handball are Olympics-only, as far as most people are concerned, because the only people they ever see doing those sports are on TV every four years. T&f is fast becoming that type of sport. Sure, kids do it in high school and college, but grown-ups don't, or so it seems to the outside observer. Unless and until there's a network of True Clubs prevalent in this country, t&f will remain a lower-tier sport. How do we get True Clubs going? Indianapolis isn't the answer, I think, because they can't come into every community and establish a by-the-books True Club and expect it to take hold. At least, they can't without an enormous amount of money, which would detract from elite-level support, which I think needs every cent is gets (and then some). So-called "grass roots" can work, but it takes a near-saint to get one of those started and to keep it going for more than a couple of years. Ask Skip Stolley about his experiences with Track West in southern California if you want to know how it REALLY works. There are those of you who will respond, "Oh, one club can do it all! Youth and post-collegiate and masters all rolled into one!" I disagree. Youth clubs can't do it, because youth clubs stop at age 12 or 13 and the True Clubs won't even start until age 21 or 22. Yeah, I know that there are youth clubs that extend beyond 13, but let's be realistic: Every decent athlete in this country is competing for a SCHOOL between age 13 and 21. For example: who gives a damn who wins Junior Olympics or USATF Juniors? But, we all know who wins the State meets and Footlocker and National Scholastics, and later the NCAAs, don't we? To expect the National HS Federation and NCAA to relinquish their grip on t&f just so youth clubs and USATF can step in is foolish at best. Therefore, youth clubs will lose their influence over their athletes for nearly ten years while they're in school, and to expect an athlete to go back to the same club is unrealistic. So, we're back to the question: How do we get True Clubs rolling? The fall XC champs are a good start, but hardly have made much impact. And it hasn't addressed the needs of other event areas. Suggestions? Comments? Mike Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
t-and-f: spectator's report from NCAA XC
Hello all, Just pulled in from Ames after watching two great races. A quick recap from memory, without any printed results to supplement/correct names: Weather Ungodly. 20 degress F, maybe; steady NW winds at 15-20 mph. Sunny for the women, cloudy with flurries (and dropping temps) for the men. Women Palmer (Wisc) and a teammate built a decent lead for the first 3K of the race, running side-by-side with a pack of about 4 following 30+m behind. At 3.5K, Grgas-Wheeler and the other three in the trailing pack caught the Badgers, and Grgas-Wheeler inched into the lead. By 4K she was solo in front, by 4.5K she was :05 up, by 5.5K it was :10 at least, and she just kept pulling away. Awesome last half of the race! Team battle was anyone's guess at first, then CU started moving to the front. Stanford moved up late, but couldn't move up enough (from my viewpoint). Men A HUGE pack for the first two miles. Even at 5K the gap from the leaders to the back of the pack (which included almost everyone except some trailers) was only :30-:40. For the first 2K the runners were 10-wide across the course. Team race too close to call until 6K or 4M, when suddenly Arkansas appeared near the front. Wisconsin was up there, too, with only a few Stanford and CU runners. I must admit I wasn't familiar with Providence uniforms, and was looking for Stan, CU, Ark, and Wisc. Individually, Kimani and another African (unknown school, white singlet with a blue mustang (?) stenciled on the front) opened a lead during the last 2-3K and appeared to have it won. Torres was 4th, I couldn't see who was 3rd, and Kelly was 5th past 9K. At 9.3K, up a slight hill and into the penultimate turn, Kelly passed Torres (who tagged along) and the other runner. The unknown leader opened a bit from Kimani, who then closed again, then dropped a bit (:01 at most). Kelly kept charging, Torres hanging for a while but eventually settling into 4th. Through the final turn (6M) it was unknown, :01 to Kimani, then :02 or :03 to Kelly. Kelly stepped in a hole, but quickly recovered and bore down on the leaders. Kimani wasn't chasing for the win, and Kelly went past with about 80m left. Kelly kept going after the leader, catching him with about 50m left (from my vantage behind him, it was hard to judge for sure) and eking out the win. Amazing last 500m!! Meet Management Best-conducted XC race I've ever seen (I must admit I haven't been to many lately). JumboTron at the finish area displayed team scores as the computer calculated them, and the announcer did a great job of calling the race and highlighting the scores. Within ten minutes of both men's and women's winners, the unofficial scores were popping up on the screen. Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: t-and-f: America's Disgrace!!
In 1997 I went to the USATF champs in Indy. Saturday night, my wife and I and a friend went out to dinner. We encountered another friend who was sitting with two sprinters (both Olympic champions, World champions, and WR-setters) and joined them for dinner. During the course of the evening the talk turned to the new generation of US sprinters. One of us asked what the veteran sprinters thought about the new kids on the block. The more prominent of the sprinters at the table paused for a moment, then said: "Ever been to the monkey cage at the zoo? That's what these new guys are like." Here it is 2000, and he's finally proved right on worldwide TV. /// Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] \\
Re: t-and-f: Women's 10,000m Report
>Electronic Telegraph >Sunday 1 October 2000 >Mark Reason > > > > >She [Paula Radcliffe] admitted as much when she said: "I am really, really >disappointed. I >suppose it was a PB, but I could have run faster if I hadn't used such >tactics. Trying to win the race probably cost me a medal. Who remembers who >came fourth." > >Only the 100,000 at the stadium and the billions who watched the race on >television will remember. In four years time more people will recall her >performance than the names of those who won the medals. > Unfortunately, the millions in the United States were denied the chance to share the race. NBC showed nothing of the race, not even the list of medalists. /// Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] \\
t-and-f: Marion Jones drug test in HS
> Well let's not forget that Marion Jones is in fact no stranger to drug >controversies, having been suspended by TAC while in High School for >missing a mandatory drug test. > > OJ Simpson's attorney Johnnie Cochran was the one who represented her at >the hearing. > > Tony Craddock > _ I lived in Los Angeles at the time, and was professionally acquainted with Jones' coach at Rio Mesa (Brian Fitzgerald, who had some other notable sprinters come out of his program). The way I remember it, Marion was summoned during school hours and was unaware of the severity of the request. She pretty much blew it off, then was surprised when TAC got all bent out of shape about it. Cochran entered the picture and the non-issue was dropped. No one at the time had any notion that she was using something. It was mostly a case of poor communication (nah, our NGB has NEVER done that before, have they? :-) /////// Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] \\
t-and-f: Re: Another comment on NBC TV; alternative view
>In a message dated 9/19/2000 8:02:05 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > ><< After watching the evening NBC session with me since Friday, my wife >informed me earlier that she wouldn't be watching tonight "as it was just >trach." I asked what she meant and she said that she liked watching the >competition, but there was too much of the rest. So much for the NBC plan to >reach out to the non-sports fan, at least at 101 Greenwich Ct, Madison, NJ. >> > I think many of us are missing an important point here. Many on this list have held up quotes like the one above as evidence that NBC has made the wrong choices. Has anyone considered that list members have heard comments like these from friends and family ONLY BECAUSE WE ARE LIST MEMBERS? In research analysis, there is a phenomenon called "self selection." It describes how a researcher can obtain desired results simply by making sure that the research subjects are chosen from a biased sample. [I'm sure I've bungled that definition badly, but hopefully you get the idea.] Now, since all of us reading this are die-hard t&f fans, it stands to reason that our friends and family are likely to be (if not fans) at least supporters of sport. They would share our likes and dislikes in a general way, or else we wouldn't be friends with them, would we? And, since we feel so strongly about NBC's coverage, wouldn't our friends and family share that opinion just a little? So, when we point to our wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/coworker/etc., and say "S/he doesn't like the coverage either!" all we're really doing is pointing at a mirror. If you want to support your position, the trick is to find someone who ISN"T a fan of sport, someone who ISN"T a friend or family member, and ask THEM what they think. NBC has done this research, and their conclusion is that the up-close-and-personal storytelling approach is what the majority of the viewers want. People like us and our friends and family just don't make up as much of the demographic as we'd like to believe. Unless and until this changes, we're likely to see more of the same. Depressing, but I think it's the immediate future. /// Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] \\
RE: t-and-f: '74 AAU XC Natls. @ CRYSTAL SPRINGS
I too was in the 1981 NCAA II West Regional. My experience was less pleasant than Ray's. My Cal State Northridge teammates went 13-14-16-17, but then had a huge gap back to me (sick, 65th) and our other two teammates (one sick, one injured). We placed 4th by a few points, but only 3 were auto qualifiers and we did NOT get an at-large bid although the three teams ahead of us wound up in the top six or seven at nationals. We were pretty pissed. I also raced there earlier in the season, so we could get a look at the course. My first race there was much less than fun as I lost a contact lens before the race and had to run nearly blind. Anyone who's raced that course would attest to how difficult the footing is if you can't see it. So, I guess my impressions of Crystal Springs have more to do with being blind or sick than with the actual course. I can't say I miss running on it. /// Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] \\
t-and-f: mixed metaphors, t&f style
I just returned from a long-overdue visit home to Los Angeles. While driving around town, I noticed several large billboards for some telecommunication company or service (sorry, I can't remember which one). It features someone clearing a hurdle (it looks like 400H from the camera perspective). The text next the picture reads, "Raising the bar." At first, I was pleased to see t&f being used as a marketing strategy. Then I did a double-take -- raising the bar, in the hurdles? Wouldn't THAT be an interesting event! Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: t-and-f: Leave Dwight alone! (was NBC monopoly)
Justin has it right, IMO. In the last few weeks, I have had nearly a dozen people ask me whether Janet Trujillo (who won the adidas Oregon 1500) and I are related. (We're not.) The ONLY way they would ever think to ask that question is if they watched the NBC coverage; ergo, they did. None of those people are fans of t&f, most of them are non-athletes, and about half of them are female. Sound familiar? I've just described the demographic that Justin cited as one of the target audiences for NBC. Apparently, their marketing people know a little about what they're doing, because (in at least one instance) they succeeded. Do I wish NBC (or anyone else, for that matter) did a more thorough job of showing our sport? Of course, just like the rest of you. Did I appreciate seeing t&f on a weekly basis in June? Of course. Did I watch, knowing that they weren't going to show much of the field events or distance races? Of course. Will watch the Olympics? Will I watch other t&f broadcasts in the future? Of course I will, which was another of Justin's points. We will all watch, because we enjoy our sport. Some of us will make suggestions to Dwight, and others who have some input into the packaging, while others of us will continue to rant and rave and alienate potential allies. Let's hope the voices of reason can be heard above the din. Mike Trujillo, Angeleno-in-exile Asst. Girl's Track & Field Coach Davenport (Iowa) Central HS (319) 391-5448 [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
