track and field snubbing from American media

I can open most papers and find thatsome of the most obscure sports both local and nationally receive coverage. Someone felt it was important and saw to that coverage was publicized. How is that track and field one of the most celebrated events in the olympics receives little or no coverage. It is evident that the athletes that excel most in the U.S happen to be African
Americans.
I am certain that if more white athletes were
dominate interest and coverage would be different. I also fault black publications and the two black owned televisio stations for not being responsible enough to celebrate these athletes when major competitions occur. It is understood that some whites still have issues they must resolve within themselves before ever being fair or objective enough to do the right thing, black media must take up the slack. I applaud Europeans for their color blindness and appreciation of all track participants despite their race. I say to the American media no matter how you try to justify it, it is apparent that something still eats away at the core of who you are and perpetuates unfairness. Much success to the athletes America does'nt deserve your allegiance if they can't acknowledge your equality and talent.

[Randy Treadway]

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

I don't buy the black athlete argument.
Basketball, baseball and football are dominated by blacks, and get big headlines and media coverage.

What I DO buy is the argument that America supports Americans, and more specifically Americans with names that sound 'American' if you know what I mean.
I like Meb and Abdi, but the average Joe Fan doesn't easily recognize that they're American.
I'm not suggesting they change their names- it's just reality.

Elite track & field thrived where 50 years ago? That's right, the west coast. Exactly where it didn't have any other professional sports competing for attention. When other professional sports invaded the west coast, that's when it started sliding. At least it was a major factor.

The advent of a true 'major circuit' in Europe in the 70's just cemented the trend that was already at work. Athletes follow the money. The money is in Europe. There never really was much money in the U.S. for track & field to begin with.

No, I don't buy the 'race card'.

[gh]

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

Much as I hate to agree with Randy (insert smiley, here; welcome to another Darkwing stalwart), the race-card theory just doesn't wash. Open any sports section in any American paper any day of the week and 75% (or more?) of the headlines that involve an athlete's name (as opposed to a team) will be about people of color. They may get short shrift elsewhere--that's another discussion--but so long as they're contributing to a team team effort, America becomes amazingly color-blind.

[Randy Treadway]

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

If we were to look at parallels, has anybody ever took a look at Japanese baseball?

They've had a thriving 'major league' in Japan since the 1930's and it exploded after World War II. The Japanese love baseball.
For decades the Japanese had a gentlemen's agreement with American professional baseball, that the Americans would not raid the Japanese leagues for talent.
That was fine as long as the Japanese talent didn't stack up favorably.
But 10 or 15 years ago the door was opened (Hideo Nomo?), the gentlemen's agreement was breached, and now the Japanese are suffering a major talent drain, with their best players leaving to go to North America. They can backfill with American minor-leaguers, but the overall talent level has dropped significantly.
So far, subscriptions to satellite TV in Japan to follow their favorite stars on American teams skyrocketed, but attendance at local stadiums is lagging. And nobody knows whether the interest in American baseball on television will continue long-term, especially if the American teams start raiding Japanese high schools for baseball talent before those kids even make a name for themselves at the Japanese professional level (normal American practices in the Caribbean and Central American talent pool).

There seem to be some parallels to the problems with American track & field talent being sucked across the Atlantic. So far I don't think the Japanese haven't come up with any solutions.

[miler manque]

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

Black-white aside, it's true the media just doesn't cover track, or when it does, it's very odd what they focus on: just the controversy. The Washington Post has sent a reporter to the championships, but the article in today's paper (Monday) focuses EXCLUSIVELY on one thing only, Jon Drummond's situation. Very long and thorough on that, but only a handful of words in passing about the M10,000. Also full page of box scores and results on major and minor sports, but no results printed from the championships. Notice also that drug cheating is the only thing interesting to the mainstream media, because it's controversy.

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

FYI there is a good AP story on the Drummond situation, including a picture of him laying on his back on the track at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/m ... index.html.

Lip service paid, as usual, to the other events.

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

Get a dish and pick up either Eurosport, the BBC, or CBC. Read foreign news services online. Failing that, just leave the country and start ending your sentences with "eh?".

And don't, under any circumstances, subscribe to ESPN magazine. They literally have no one on staff plugged in to the track world. For example, their lampoon cover in the current issue speaks of fantasy shot put picks and calls Arsi Harju "the man". Obviously, someone just looked up the defending OG champ's name!

[RussJD]

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

I was away from the computer this past weekend and had absolutely no idea of anything that had happened at the Worlds. The media coverage is the worst in 40 years. And it's no use setting up logical theories why this is so. American coverage of sports is distinctly and aggressively weird. All I ask is a line of type with results. Impossible.

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

the problem is we are a spirit dominated country who gives the most support to distance runners who can't compete with the world

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

>I don't buy the black athlete
>argument.
Basketball, baseball and football are
>dominated by blacks, and get big headlines and
>media coverage.

What I DO buy is the argument
>that America supports Americans, and more
>specifically Americans with names that sound
>'American' if you know what I mean.
I like Meb
>and Abdi, but the average Joe Fan doesn't easily
>recognize that they're American.
I'm not
>suggesting they change their names- it's just
>reality.

Alan Culpepper wasn't mentioned either so I think it's more of an event related snub than anything else.

Elite track & field thrived where 50
>years ago? That's right, the west coast.
>Exactly where it didn't have any other
>professional sports competing for attention.
>When other professional sports invaded the west
>t coast, that's when it started sliding. At
>least it was a major factor.

Growth in the major sports has hurt T&F enormously.

jd

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

The reason that the Worlds isn't getting any media coverage is because the community is too passive, and we as track fans like to bitch but we rarely call or write and complain to the media outlets. It is a sad day when we lose ESPN coverage to the Little Leauge World series. The heads of ESPN all want to relive their pipe dream of playing pro baseball. I don't know if it is race or cultural but the owners of most media outlets are older white men who grew up watching Micky Mantle, Joe Dimaggio, and Willie Mays. I guarentee people would watch track and field if it was covered by the media. Track is a sport that showcases women and minorities, but the heads of these media outlets believe that males 22-50 are the main target. Look at how much people enjoyed the last winter olympics. Their are a lot of women who would watch our sport if we marketed it with them in mind.

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

If the US had entirely white track and field team, it would receive even less attention than it does now. The media loves to promote black athletes. Only the most naive would deny that these days. Track is not that popular these days, face it. It also isn't anywhere near as popular in Europe as American fans think. Soccer is king over there, by a large margin.

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

AMERICANS WON'T, NOR SHOULD THEY, SUPPORT A SPORT DOMINATED BY DRUGGIES......THE SPORT HAD A GOOD FOLLOWING WHEN RYUN, LIQUORI, SHORTER, PREFONTAINE,WOTTLE, ETC ETC WERE RUNNING AND WINNING....EPO HAS DESTROYED THAT ABILITY FOR AMERICANS....CLEAN UP THE SPORT, ELIMINATE THE JOSH HERMANS AND THEIR ILK, AMERICANS WILL WIN AND THE INTEREST WILL COME BACK.

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

sadly, t&f will shortly void my opinion....they are big supporters of the drug culture.

Re: track and field snubbing from American media

>AMERICANS WON'T, NOR SHOULD THEY, SUPPORT A SPORT
>DOMINATED BY DRUGGIES......THE SPORT HAD A GOOD
>FOLLOWING WHEN RYUN, LIQUORI, SHORTER,
>PREFONTAINE,WOTTLE, ETC ETC WERE RUNNING AND
>WINNING....EPO HAS DESTROYED THAT ABILITY FOR
>AMERICANS....CLEAN UP THE SPORT, ELIMINATE THE
>JOSH HERMANS AND THEIR ILK, AMERICANS WILL WIN
>AND THE INTEREST WILL COME BACK.>

Exactly. That is the principal reason why the American public ensures that they are not planted in front of their TV sets every fall and winter Saturday and Sunday to watch College and NFL football.