USATF Venue

[Run DMC]

Went to watch Mt SAC last night and realized just how much better that facility is than the Home Depot Center. It is shielded from the wind, has permanent stadium, many more seats than HD, nice warm up areas, plenty of parking, some shade, etc.

After going to two HD meets, my conclusion is that the Soccer stadium, tennis stadium, and bicycle velodrome are world class. The track is not as nice as many local high schools. It is almost as if it was an afterthought - Hey, what should we do with that open field over there? How about a track and some temporary metal/wood bleachers all for a $500K budget?

I could think of many other venues more worthy than HD Center. Who makes these decisions?

[gh]

Re: USATF Venue

USATF can only put the meet in places where somebody has made a bid, and the HD Center did.

[twittering debutante]

Re: USATF Venue

The Home Depot Fiduciary Tribunal makes all these decisions. They're a very secretive group.

[EPelle]

Re: USATF Venue

Mt Sac is not *always* shielded from the wind... Marsh ran windy 9,87, 9,89, 9,90 on that track; Lewis ran windy 9,90, 9,93 there; Raymond Stewart, 9,91w there; Bryan Howard, 9,94.

Boldon:s 9,86 had a +1,8mps and a 9,93 +1,3; Marsh had a legal 9,93 there.

Michael Marsh 20,0 - Leroy Burrell 19,6 - Floyd Heard 19,7 - Carl Lewis 19,4 4x200m = Walnut

[gh]

Re: USATF Venue

And discus throwers of hte Wilkins era loved to throw there becauseof the wind.

[Run DMC]

Re: USATF Venue

Nothing is always or completely shielded from the wind, but HD is on a high spot with no shelter from wind, sun or anything. The bench seats have no backs. It makes poor conditions for spectators and runners too. Who wants to sit through 5 hours of a track meet on a metal or wooden bleacher with no back? I love track and I can barely tolerate that.

I realize that money talks, but I would love to see a spectator friendly facility get the USATF Nationals. Throwing together a high school level facility and greasing the right USATF officials does not make it the best place.

A better facility for spectators might bring in more spectators. Plus it looks rinky dink on TV to have the USA Nationals at a facility that looks temporary (assuming it actually gets on TV). It is further relegation of track to a minor niche sport in the US.

BTW - a fast 4x200m makes no case for wind aided performance and by visual comparison, I would still take Mt SAC and many others over HD for shelter.