Mr. Oti wrote:
<<...because it took 4 hours to show a game consisting
of 1 hour pure playing time, and 3 hours for shots of bulky players
milling around aimlessly, giving each other countless high-fives, and lots
of tinsel involving boy-bands, teen pop stars, and renditions of various
anthems.>>
Yup, and the above is what the American public thirsts for. That if there
is not enough action on the football field, the basketball court, or the
athletics track, they can be entertained by the "spectacle" around them.
For the American audience at a track meet, this means ideally allowing no
more than five minutes between events (you want to wait for the grass to
grow, go to a baseball game or cricket match), having an On Field Expediter
to cue the announcer to significant goings-on in the field events, live
music before (and perhaps during) the meet, offering a kids tent, autograph
table, and other (hopefully) value-added attractions to the main event. My
own number one wish from Santa is a video replay screen at every track
venue. These are now standard in football, basketball, and baseball stadia.
Track & field needs them, too.
For track & field to be successful at attracting spectators in the United
States, it must be non-stop and it must be understandable (announce both
metric and Imperial, and always announce world-leading or significant
marks). If one is fortunate, there are great match-ups and competition,
which is still what makes the sport thrilling to the track fan. But to
attract the general sports fan in the U.S., it must above all ENTERTAIN.
Tom Jordan
