2023 World Indoor Champs cancelled (oh sorry, postponed...)

[DET59]

Tim Hutchings was calling Sedjati (Algerian) ‘ROBERT’ (French) as he stormed down the home straight in the Brussels 800m. Are these two men Kenyan?

Are you saying that in a 3000m long race the camera was always panned out so that the commentators couldn’t make out who was who? And no on screen graphics for the whole thing? Maybe I will have to watch again..

I think the point of the original post was directed at NIKE, who seem to issue a "standard" uniform and shoe color every year (BTW great marketing) that makes it hard to call a 800+ races when everyone is wearing the same thing and it is a slow, bunched up race (As was the womens DL steeple). In the good ole days announcers could make notes based on uniform colors, etc (just like in horse races, horses ID'd by colors) The bibs also are pretty worthless. The simple answer to me is make the bibs bordered by 8 different birght neon colors. I look at the whole things as a positive problem. There is more available free or low cost live track and field than ever before in history these days, so announcers are going to make more mistakes than if they just called the "big" races for an hour.5 imes a year for a network. 20 years ago we wouldn't even be seeing the women's steeple.

Bib Colors: Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Yellow, All bright neon, Maybe a rainbow-ish one (or all white) for the World Leader followed by a logical order (for non track things I've used colors in alpha order, so for track runner with fastest SB would be blue, followed by green, etc.) If the WA got the shoe companies involved they could build the bibs (or a bib "frame") into their unis and get even mor advertising space. Of course making track casual fan friendly has never been a goal (just look at the false starting fiascos at almost every big level meet)

[Powell]

How do you keep new fans engaged when their 'stars' disappear every-other season?

No global champs doesn't mean no competition. Soccer only has WC every 4 years (and that's the only real global championships they have - the OG don't mean much there). Does that mean the sport disappears in 3 years out of 4?

[gm]

The bibs also are pretty worthless.

They have the athlete's name on them. I don't see how it could be much easier for someone to identify an athlete. Get a spotter if you need one, or buy a pair of binoculars.

[Conor Dary]

They have the athlete's name on them. I don't see how it could be much easier for someone to identify an athlete. Get a spotter if you need one, or buy a pair of binoculars.

Yes.....it couldn't be simpler. Unless you can't read.

[NotDutra5]

[QUOTE=DET59;n1771745]

Why do posters insist on comparing tennis and track and field.
This sport of athletics is entirely different... f
/QUOTE]

Clementina, very good post. Of all the big revenue/fan sports track has the most in commom with tennis and golf, but only in that that the athletes are self employed independent contractors.

Where they differ is track and field is still pretty much run by governing bodies and the athletes have never seriously attempted to separate themselves from the "amateur" side of the sport. Tennis and Golf are run for the benefit of the athletes, with compensation first and foremost on the agenda. If the top 200 athletes got together and said, "we dont care where the next two WCs are held, lets just go with the bids that pays the highest prize money" things might be very different. Probably end up with LIV Track.

FWIW when Justin Thomas or Jordan Spieth are staring down a putt, I'm never sure which it is.

[TN1965]

International players are in all those championships–Super Bowl, World Series, and NBA Finals. I do not see anyone seeing those as domestic leagues. Same with NHL. The best team in those championship tournaments consist of some of the best players in the world. Better players would have been better in that tournament. IFAF World Championships, World Baseball Classic, and FIBA World Cup do not include many of the world's top players and are not considered the best possible national team by knowledgable fans.

Unless I'm missing something.

NCAA also has international athletes. It's still a domestic championship. The global championship is called the Universiade, which few Americans have even heard of.

"Knowledgeable" fans are few and far between. Most fans don't care about whether the "best players" are in the competition or not. They care about rooting for THEIR team and THEIR players. That's why HS track meets are more popular than Prefontaine Classic.

If marketed properly, USATF can attract more casual fans than the World Championships. There are more American athletes for Joe and Jane Public to root for. And "up close and personal" features that are so central to the NBC Sports production are more relatable when they are about American athletes. There is no time zone issue for American TV viewers, so everything can be seen live at a time when most of them want to watch. You can instantly interview every medalist without any need for translators. Definitely more "viewer friendly" than any meet from overseas.

[TN1965]

Well done. Love learning in this board.

Would we offer a better product if we have 6-7 Kenyans in the steeple medal race? 4-5 US American shot putters? I say yes, much better. We never have all the best together... never ever.

Unless I'm missing something.

6-7 Kenyans in the steeple? Based on their SBs this year, out of top eight steeplers,

Three Kenyans, three Ethiopians, a Moroccan and an Italian among men.

ONE Kenyan, three Ethiopians, a Ugandan, a Bahraini, a Kazak, and a Brit among women. (Even if you count Jeruto and Yavi and Kenyans, that's three out of eight.)