Advertising would help, but just like gymnastics, figure skating, skiing, etc...we are seen by the public/media eye as an "Olympic Sport" and so are only important every 4 years. There are really only two reasons why people watch cars race around a track 500 times: 1. Redneck Population in the South. 2. Want to see a big burning crash. As long as there are millions of rednecks in the south with their '75 Corvette up on blocks in the frontyard there will be a huge audience for NASCAR. Also, most of us males love fire and brimstone. We love violence. We watch speeding cars for one reason...blood. We want to see a violent, firey crash. That's the same reason why some of us males watch downhill skiing...we want to see the little dude on sticks wipe out. Speed and violence is easy to sell. The Olympics on the other hand is easy to sell every 4 years. Beyond that most of the Olympic sports cease to exist in the public eye.
What we need to do is separate elite Track and Field from the Olympic frame of mind. Skating has done this to an extent. For this to happen there needs to be more meets on US soil beyond the college meets so many of our elites attend. We need meets showing US guys beating other US guys, because interest will drop when TV shows Joe Kenyan beating US guy #1-10. The US road championship races should also be televised, but not live. NO track and field or road race should be televised live because people will become uninterested and confused. Do what the Ironman does. The Ironman is an 8 hour race, but is packaged in a pretty little 1-2 hour box with key moments, "pretty" stories and whatnot. That is what we need. No one except a die hard fan is going to watch 13 minutes of people running around a track endlessly. What can happen is showing the opening laps, then go to a segment about Mr. Hard Training US guy with all the pompus and sob stories and then show the key moment when Mr. Hard Training US guy takes the lead, pulls away, etc....Plus we need better commentators. Give Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Carl Lewis, Micheal Johnson, etc a job. People have an idea who they are. Alan http://www.geocities.com/runningart2004 >From: "Michael Contopoulos" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: "Michael Contopoulos" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: t-and-f: USATF Advertising idea... >Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 09:19:10 -0500 >MIME-Version: 1.0 >X-Originating-IP: [63.93.49.194] >Received: from [128.223.142.13] by hotmail.com (3.2) with ESMTP id >MHotMailBE214FF000924136E85280DF8E0D99F10; Wed, 30 Jan 2002 06:37:33 -0800 >Received: from darkwing.uoregon.edu (majordom@localhost [127.0.0.1])by >darkwing.uoregon.edu (8.12.2/8.12.2) with ESMTP id g0UEJHT7028262for ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Wed, 30 Jan 2002 06:19:17 -0800 >(PST) >Received: (from majordom@localhost)by darkwing.uoregon.edu >(8.12.2/8.12.2/Submit) id g0UEJH55028261for t-and-f-outgoing; Wed, 30 Jan >2002 06:19:17 -0800 (PST) >Received: from hotmail.com (f183.law12.hotmail.com [64.4.19.183])by >darkwing.uoregon.edu (8.12.2/8.12.2) with ESMTP id g0UEJGT7028252for ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Wed, 30 Jan 2002 06:19:16 -0800 (PST) >Received: from mail pickup service by hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC; >Wed, 30 Jan 2002 06:19:11 -0800 >Received: from 63.93.49.194 by lw12fd.law12.hotmail.msn.com with HTTP;Wed, >30 Jan 2002 14:19:10 GMT >From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wed, 30 Jan 2002 06:38:30 -0800 >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >X-OriginalArrivalTime: 30 Jan 2002 14:19:11.0230 (UTC) >FILETIME=[164CB1E0:01C1A999] >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Precedence: bulk > >OK, why is distance running not popular in the US but fly fishing gets >great >ESPN time? Why can't the general public watch a 13 minute 5k, but I have >co-workers (in NYC, not down south) getting amped to work half a day so >they >can sit on their couch and watch machines speed around a track 500 times? >Its all about advertising. Television advertising. Now, I tried a few >years ago to e-mail Craig Masback about this and all I kept getting in >response was: "USATF's budget is only a million dollars, we can't do >anything about it." > >Well, my first issue is, if USATF's budget is really only a million bucks, >Masback and his crew SUCK! I could probably raise a million dollars given >a >year's time for something much less interesting than the development of >America's Track and Field athletes. Come on! Having said that, once >someone, ANYONE, raises enough money to air commercials for USATF, I have a >great idea to help promote the support. It will help sponsors like Nike, >Adidas and Fila, too, because the whole point of the campaign would be to >get American Distance runners exposure. The more people who know who Tim >Broe is, the more runners who are likely to buy adidas shoes, and the more >likely people are to go watch meets on TV, and the more likely people are >to >pay money to actually go and sit in the stands of a competition. OK... so >here is my idea: > >You take about 7 athletes... > >Krumenacker >Ritz >Webb >Broe >Meb >Goucher >Kennedy > >and you have a split screen on the TV. Half of the screen is the person >from the chest on up talking, the second half of the screen is a clip of >him >in his event... preferably a clip of him winning a race, beating an >African, >setting a record, etc. These are things the general public can relate to. > >The clip would go something like this: > >"My name is Bob Kennedy, I'm 32 years old and the American Record Holder in >the 3000 and 5000 meters. When I'm hot, I can run with anyone in the >world, >Kenyans, Moroccans, American's. Some people think I'm too old to continue >at this level... well, they have a lot to learn." > >"My name is Tim Broe, I'm 24 years old and the American Record Holder in >the >indoor 3000 meters. Bob Kennedy better realize, the torch of American >Distance Running has been passed, only this time, I'm bringing home a medal >in 2004" > >"My name is Alan Webb, I'm 19 years old and the High School mile record >holder. In 3 years time, I'm going to be chasing gold in Greece." > >Etc etc etc. > >I know, perhaps my clips aren't very original or engaging enough, but I'm >not an advertising exec... I just think its a good idea to try and get the >public to know who these guys are and to build up some rivalries even if >they don't really exist. Have Goucher come on and shoot his mouth about >being the best until being dethroned (a clip of him beating Kennedy would >be >a good one). Have them all talk about beating Kenyans and how they have >done it (Ritz at 3k Cross for example, or Webb "chasing down" the WR holder >El G at Pre) a number of times and how they are closing the gap. Steal one >of Nike's advertising geniuses, I'm sure they could put together an >exciting >and somewhat controversial commercial. Something as small as this, run on >a >few prime time stations, would stir up National interest immensely. Why >has >this not happened yet? What is Craig waiting for? And what do you all >think about the idea? > >Mike > >_________________________________________________________________ >MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: >http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx > _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
