Personalities needed to make T&F more popular!

[aaronk]

I know this topic (How does T&F become more popular?) has been done many times over.
But I wonder if the SOLUTION has been covered as it should!
This beautiful sport needs more PERSONALITY---i.e. personable athletes!
Even more "positive" controversy (NOT drug bans, etc!).

Where are the Raised Fists of John Carlos and Tommie Smith...today?
Where is the Lightning Bolt stance of Usain Bolt...today?
Where is the actual charisma of Steve Prefontaine---today?

We need more Mondo's, more Karsten Warholm's!
More gold and green hair of SAFP!
More great tattoos!
More Gabe Grunewald's!

So what if the winner removes his shirt 50 meters from the finish?
Who cares if Drummond lays on the track, refusing to exit?

We want more Record Breakers to SCREAM "I'm the Greatest!" to the faces of their victims!
More daring WR attempts---but without pacers?
(Remembering Hassan's rabbiting herself to a 3:51.95 at the Doha WC's!)

Let's allow CELEBRITIES back into the sport with open arms!
More Lolo's!
More Sandi Morris's...with her singing and her snakes!
More Sydney McLaughlin's...with her juggling!

Lloyd Price had a great song called "Personality" in the 50's!
Let PERSONALITY return!
The sport is dead without it!!

Comments?

[Atticus]

We peaked when Mo Greene had his spikes 'put out' with a fire extinguisher.
Mondo and Sydney will be the faces of the decade.

[aaronk]

We peaked when Mo Greene had his spikes 'put out' with a fire extinguisher.
Mondo and Sydney will be the faces of the decade.

Didn't Nick Symmonds do something like that also?
(Speaking of....We need more Nick Symmonds's!!)

[gm]

Gwen Berry raised a fist... Noah Lyles does some pretty nifty dancing... Gianmarco Tamberi has some unique facial hair...

[user4]

..
We want more Record Breakers to SCREAM "I'm the Greatest!" to the faces of their victims!..Comments?

I'll suggest that such screaming would be the last nails in the coffin of our great sport.

[lonewolf]

I'll suggest that such screaming would be the last nails in the coffin of our great sport.

I agree. I suspect more people admire Barry Sander's modesty than flamboyant chest beaters. Usain Bolt was a phenom but his antics turned me off.
I could be wrong. Let's take a poll.

[polevaultpower]

They do have personalities. They are showing them on Instagram and Snapchat and TikTok.

[SoCal45]

I'll suggest that such screaming would be the last nails in the coffin of our great sport.

Agree...dumbest idea in a long time!!

[dukehjsteve]

Nothing beats good sportsmanship, modesty, and a friendly demeanor

[gm]

I would like some input from the under-50 crowd... 😁

[aaronk]

Agree...dumbest idea in a long time!!

OK, maybe a bit much!
But total modesty isn't the answer either!
Watch any NBC interview---you get the same answers from most athletes--
"God got me over the hurdles...."
"I just executed...."
"I ran my own race...."

SNORE!

I for one LOVED Bolt's antics.
And the tears & honest statements from Kara Goucher.
Anything that gets attention--wakes people up!
And I would imagine most agree!

[Atticus]

I like 'brimming with confidence' and hate false modesty. No cockiness or taunting, but when you win, embrace and revel in it. That's the time to be the showman (Mo Greene). Holloway at the WC did it well.

[aaronk]

My main idea is that exciting people make for exciting crowd response!
TV cameras love flamboyance.
Go back to original crowd pleasers----PRE!!
He was (everyone said) cocky, confident, and he wasn't shy about "showing off" to "his people"!

All elites have great athletic talent.
Not all have equal personalities!

Think Karsten Warholm, Mondo Duplantis, et al.
In other sports, think Muhammed Ali "I'm the greatest!".
And people loved him!!

[NotDutra5]

I agree. I suspect more people admire Barry Sander's modesty than flamboyant chest beaters. Usain Bolt was a phenom but his antics turned me off.
I could be wrong. Let's take a poll.

On this board? Why bother.

What Aaronk is getting at is that the geriatric crowd not being impressed by chest beating isn't helping the sport. Talk to the under 40 crowd or younger and Barry Sanders modesty isn't going to be nearly as popular.

[user4]

I agree. I suspect more people admire Barry Sander's modesty than flamboyant chest beaters. Usain Bolt was a phenom but his antics turned me off. I could be wrong. Let's take a poll.

The greatest are almost universally very humble and modest people. The greats that are immodest and petty and disparaging of others are very rare indeed.