One thing that works for the masses: have your friends measure out 29-4 on
the street with a tape measure. Say no more, it speaks for itself.
malmo
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Dalton Foster
>Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 5:13 AM
>Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: t-and-f: Leave Dwight alone! (was NBC monopoly)
>
>
>I think track and field can play to the masses, but I think for
>any major sport
>to break into the US market it needs stars and people who are doing amazing
>things, and most importantly those stars need to marketed so that people
>unfamiliar with the sport will tune in to watch that star, and
>hopefully become
>educated about the sport to watch it regardless as to who is
>running. Look at
>the explosive growth that golf has had over the past few years
>since tiger woods
>burst on to the scene. The marketing of woods has raised all the
>ships in the
>harbor and attracted a viewer ship that before thought that golf
>was stupid and
>the sport of the elite.
> I think that this is what the networks are trying to do with track and
>field, and it would be smart on the part of those of us who are
>interested in
>seeing the sport grow domestically to allow them to ply their
>trade. Hopefully,
>the drumming of marion jones, and other stars into the consciousness of the
>american public will result in the development of a larger and
>more educated
>track viewer ship, and then the coverage can become more appealing to the
>hardcore audience out there. Until that time comes however we are
>stuck with
>what we now have, but as the saying goes beggars cant be choosers.
>D
>
>[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
>> In a message dated 8/2/2000 11:44:38 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>>
>> << It is in cable's interests to appeal to small,
>> loyal, niche audiences. That means delivering what you crazy distance
>> lunatics want to watch (lap after lap after lap of Americans and
>Europeans
>> getting their butts kicked by Africans, another thing which puts
>off the big
>> broadcasters). >>
>>
>> OK, just what is being said here? Americans can't stand to see
>Americans lose
>> on the world stage or is it a more subtle racial thing? And its
>not just us
>> "crazy distance lunatics" that lose out on coverage-apparantly
>the Public At
>> Large can't stomach sprinters either because, as you say, NO ONE
>IS WATCHING!
>> Personally, I don't think track & field will ever play to the
>masses because
>> it is a sport which requires an attention span greater than an MTV video,
>> especially for those "lunatic" distance races. In this age of weepy
>> sentimentality, the only way the nets broadcast t&f is with a lot of "up
>> close and personal" BS so it will seem to Mr&Mrs America that they are
>> watching a drama unfold rather than a sporting event. But thats
>exactally the
>> point here: present t&f as a sporting event with knowledgable
>commentators
>> (and by the way, Dwight is one of the best) and maybe more than just us
>> "crazy distance lunatics" will watch.
>>
>> JT
>
>--
>Dalton Foster Ph.D.
>Post-Doctoral Research Associate
>Department of Medical Physiology
>Texas A&M University HSC
>(409) 845-7990
>
>Science without religion is lame; religion without science is
>blind. (Albert
>Einstein)
>
>
>
