How about a prize structure like: 1st 5,000 2nd 3,000 3rd 2,000 4th 1,000 5th 750 6-8 500 -total per event: 13,250 -total 12 event meet: 159,000 -Only invite 8 per event, give each $500 travel/hotel money: add another $48,000 (96 athletes). that'll easily cover a southwest flight anywhere plus a night in a nice hotel. -what's the basic overhead costs on a meet to run it? Let's not try and be Zurich here, aim for a high end college meet. Start small work up to a top end meet. let's say $50,000. -Add another $10,000 for each the top performing man & woman per the Hungarian tables for the meet. Total cost per meet: $277,000
That's chump change compared to what even the small meets are putting out for appearance fees. If a prize structure was standardized in the US, I bet USATF could organize a half dozen quality meets per spring. Total cost for a 6-meet series: $1.6 million. I'm sure that Nike contract is worth that. Also, I've always felt that US Nationals should be at the first of MAY. In addition of finishing in the top 3, in order to keep your spot on the national team, you must compete at the 3 current US meets, Pre, Oregon Track Classic, Palo Alto. No exceptions. --- "Michael J. Roth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Shawn > > AGREED! > > While we're at it, end all appearance fees. This disgusting practice is > a hold over from > the under-the-table days when T&F athletes had to fake being amateur. > Make them perform > to get paid, similar to what happens in the road races that actually > have prize money. > Their only putting 6-10 in any race/event anyway. Make a purse for each > event where > winning then actually means something. When they finish the TV people > can put the > performance and purse earned in a graphic just like golf, bowling and > horse racing. Then > people will have some idea that people are pros, not shamateurs. > > MJR > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com
