Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=512/newsId=23419.html

2004 IAAF Golden League Events Approved in Paris

Men
200m
800m
1500m
400m Hurdles
Triple Jump
Discus Throw

Women
100m
400m
1500m
3000m/5000m
100m Hurdles
High Jump

The rich get richer. The poor get poorer.

[gh]

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

But are they really wrong? Consider this sentence from the press release:

<<Following a careful examination of the athletics disciplines and in an attempt to select the most exciting and most interesting events>>

They're practicing athletics Darwinism, and who's to say that that isn't better for the sport as a whole? Do you want the biggest meets, the ones in the TV series, to have appealing events or dogs? Unfortunately all events are not created equal.

This setup rankled me a lot more when the GP itself also had only limited events, but now that there's a year-end meet with ALL THE EVENTS, and all of them having a decent payday, at least the field eventers are no longer in feast-or-famine mode.

Personally, I like field events more than track, and I constantly rail against unfair treatment, but for the overall good of the sport, I can't fault the IAAF here.

ps--remember also that this doesn't mean that other field events won't be in the GL meets; they just aren't part of the GL series and the big-assed bonus.

[Jnathletics]

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

The IAAF should be supporting all the events. They should not have a favorite child. This is pretty much a slap in the face by the IAAF to the womens throwing events. I understand only have a few field events due to length of meet, but there should be a minimum 4 (2 jumps and 2 throws) otherwise you never help encourage viewing of those events.

I thought there was a cycle to this so all the events (except multi and marathons) would get at least one shoot at the big prize over 4 years.

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

I never understood the whole GL thing. Every year great athletes are arbitrarily prevented from winning simply because thier events are not "in" that year. It never creates any excitement for me as a fan, since the winner is only starting out the year competeing against the best in 6 events, rather than the best in every event. I agree that T&F doesn't help it's cause by eliminating so many field events from the competition. You would think after the fiasco last year when Mutola wrapped it up sans too much competition that they would consider increasing the number of events contested next year.

[polevaultpower]

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

>But are they really wrong? Consider this sentence
>from the press release:

<<Following a careful
>examination of the athletics disciplines and in
>an attempt to select the most exciting and most
>interesting events>>


How can the pole vault not be considered one of the most exciting and interesting events?!?

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

You ever try to watch an entire vault competition?
It takes hours!

[trackstar]

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

>You ever try to watch an entire vault
>competition?
It takes hours!

If this is about getting track on TV, there is a good way to deal with this: start the vault well before the broadcast, and try to time it so that the last few rounds coincide with air time. (Of course, since all we ever see in the U.S. is tape delays, this is moot here.)

[polevaultpower]

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

>You ever try to watch an entire vault
>competition?
It takes hours!

Not if they do it right. You would think they could figure it out for a Golden League Meet. Limit the field, and don't let in that local athlete in who jumps 2 feet lower than everyone else. Have the first couple bar progressions be 15-20 cm. Have a competent pit crew.

It's not hard.

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

they r afraid that Lobinger will "moon" the GL TV audience..he he he he he he he

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

vault does not take hours. The opening height in big meets is 5'50 and the pegs are shorter thanks to the IAAF

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

Gateshead had a world record in the polevault this year. Most people only found out the next day. It was so late finishing that it not only missed the TV coverage but only a few hundred fans were left in the stadium. The rest had gone home thinking that the competition was over.

[Olegi2]

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

What really bugs me is the fact that, in Europe at least, when the TV companies are advertising their programmesin the days prior to the broadcast, they ALWAYS show the jumps. Never do they show a bunch of Africans running round and round in circles

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

I think that the WR in the Women's vault was set three times this year, Indoor and Outdoor

[michael lewis]

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

I agree with Mr. Hill's logic, and I also agree that logic would dictate the women's pole vault be included. The IAAF could sell calendars to hype the events. Well some of them.

[tafnut]

Re: Golden League Screws Field Events AGAIN!

They are promoting a self-fulfilling prophecy. The field events are no good, so we'll ignore them. Then the fans have no interest in them because they don't see them. Circular argument. Let's cycle through all events blindly (I'll let the 100 and Mile (not 1500) stay, cuz they are always a draw)and BUILD interest in the 'smaller' ones. I could get into the Hammer (not the 10K) if I were educated properly and it was showcased intelligently. Those ARE big guys throwing big old nasty weapons of mass destruction.