Penn Boring? I Don't Think So.

[Walt Murphy]

This is in response to a post by gh on another thread, but I thought this deserved one of its own.

Excuse me whilst I doff my flameproof suit, then respond, "most boring thing I've ever sat through!" Well, maybe second worst after a similar round of 4x4s, which by definition take 5x as long. Yeah, sorry, I just don't get Penn at all.

No offense taken. Penn is not for everyone, but every T&F fan should make the trip to the Relays at least once and then decide for themselves if the meet lives up to the hype.

I'm as big a fan of the Relays as there is--I even joke that if the Olympics fell on the Penn weekend, I'd have a tough choice to make. But even I don't watch every heat of every event. And "putting up" with those endless heats in the 4x100 and 4x400 is a small price to pay for those magical moments that make Penn what it is.

There were many of those moments these past three days, but the one people will be talking about forever came in the H.S. boys 4x400 Championship. The crowd of 45,000+ knew what was on the line, the Jamaican flags were flying, and the noise level, before and especially during the race, was as loud as anyone could ever remember. It blew the Woo Index off the charts.

I looked at the crowd during the race, and thought, "this is as good as it gets--in any sport!". You had three Jamaican teams, two of which had run under 3:10 this year, battling Cal's Long Beach Poly, with the anticipation of watching two great anchors. The ebb and flow of the race made it thrilling from the gun, and then we watched Bryshun Nellum hold off Yohan Blake in a great duel as both split 45+. flotrack.com should eventually have the video of the race up on its site.

The icing on the cake was watching Obea Moore(45.08) and William Reed(45.10), who have the two fastest H.S. splits ever at Penn, presenting the awards to Poly.

[gh]

You cherry-picked what to quote! My statement was in response to the previous post:

<<Wow, 62 heats of the HS 4x100 => 2200 girls in this event alone.>>

I said only thing more boring than that was a similar thing in the 4x4s. There was no mention by me of the great Saturday finals. Saturday is a great track meet. I said I didn't get "Penn" which to me in the overall sense is hours and hours of meaningless (to me) races. That I don't get, and never will.

[guru]

I said I didn't get "Penn" which to me in the overall sense is hours and hours of meaningless (to me) races. That I don't get, and never will.

I agree. We've never gone, though we've had squads that would have competed well, simply because I don't understand the attraction of standing in a paddock for ungodly periods of time(unless you're one of the super-elite HS squads), hustled out onto the track, only to run terrible because you're cooled down and mentally out of focus(not to mention the weather is likely crappy). Just a waste of time for the good, but not great, kids. No thanks.

[louise tricard]

I said I didn't get "Penn" which to me in the overall sense is hours and hours of meaningless (to me) races. That I don't get, and never will.

I agree. We've never gone, though we've had squads that would have competed well, simply because I don't understand the attraction of standing in a paddock for ungodly periods of time(unless you're one of the super-elite HS squads), hustled out onto the track, only to run terrible because you're cooled down and mentally out of focus(not to mention the weather is likely crappy). Just a waste of time for the good, but not great, kids. No thanks.

ask the kids who run if it's a waste of time or meaningless.....................

[Dutra]

I said I didn't get "Penn" which to me in the overall sense is hours and hours of meaningless (to me) races. That I don't get, and never will.

I agree. We've never gone, though we've had squads that would have competed well, simply because I don't understand the attraction of standing in a paddock for ungodly periods of time(unless you're one of the super-elite HS squads), hustled out onto the track, only to run terrible because you're cooled down and mentally out of focus(not to mention the weather is likely crappy). Just a waste of time for the good, but not great, kids. No thanks.

As one of the paddocked a couple of times....I'm 50 years old and was discussing our memories of this with a guy who lives across the street from me and competed at Penn 20 years after I did. Neither of us have any trouble "getting it".

[jrun]

ask the kids who run if it's a waste of time or meaningless.....................

Hence, gh's key words of (understandable) selfishness:

"(to me)"

[SQUACKEE]

Im with Gh. I would love to see maybe 8 heats of a highschool relay but dozens and dozens? Im sure we could find enough kids who want to run to make 350 heats of the 4x800 but do you want to sit thru them. Where do you draw the line?

Disclaimer- never been so dont know what the hell im takin bout.

[Dogfan]

62 4X100 heats?

Wow. Officials must get free booze after that. Drake is down to 10 4X100 heats for each boys and girls. As a 'classless' meet, qualifying is on time only, heats and then finals. You have 1A & 4A schools at times competing against each other. Does Penn class the HS relays? Do they have a qualifying standard or is it all comers? The continuing controversy is whether to allow out of state HS to participate at Drake. Very emotional topic similar to sex and religion, not to be discussed in polite company.

[Walt Murphy]

You cherry-picked what to quote! My statement was in response to the previous post:

<<Wow, 62 heats of the HS 4x100 => 2200 girls in this event alone.>>

I said only thing more boring than that was a similar thing in the 4x4s. There was no mention by me of the great Saturday finals. Saturday is a great track meet. I said I didn't get "Penn" which to me in the overall sense is hours and hours of meaningless (to me) races. That I don't get, and never will.

I admit I took some liberty with your quote, but I did want to address your "I don't get Penn" comment. Those 4x100 and 4x400 heats are as much a part of the Relays as the Championship finals, but for different reasons.

[gm]

The great part of the "mass" aspect of Penn is that most of the kids are getting their only chance in life to perform in front of 20,000+ fans. The looks on their young faces in the paddock are priceless, a microcosm of teen America, from cowed to cocky.

As for enjoying watching 80 43-second 4x1's..........

[spikey]

Penn Relays Boring?????

Completely disagree.
Penn is the superbowl of track. I attend all three days and at the end I can't wait for next year. In recent years its even better as ouside the stadium it truly is a carnival atmosphere. The whole are is transformed.
I personally enjoy watching all the heats of the 4x1 and 4x4 for both HS and College. For the pure track fan each heat provides the opportunity to analyze running form, acceleration, hitting the wall, passing the baton etc..etc.
The cheering crowds (including the thousands of Jamaicans rooting for their squads) and USA vs World events are icing on the cake.
I've noticed GH's negativity toward this meet in previous threads and will never understand it.
Long live the Penn Relays.

[trig]

That's why they make different color cars.

[Brett Hoover]

why i like it

As someone who is pushing two decades of attendance at the Penn Relays, I figured that I'd add my thoughts.

The Penn Relays certainly isn't a track meet in the normal sense of a track meet. I believe that the fan's experience can best be judged over the years. If you go again and again, you realize that it is a strange annual reunion and ritual among friends. The people I spend the Relays with each year are good friends, even though we rarely talk on the phone and spend 362 days apart, we get together and bond over track at its finest.

Sometimes a race can seem utterly insignificant given its pace. And yet when a kid tracks down another kid at the finish and the crowd gets crazy, one team comes away with a moment it will never forget. It is a joy to be there for them.

I'll take those moments over the fifth heat of the 100-meter dash before 2,500 fans at the Olympic Trials any day.

The Penn Relays does a better job of capturing all of your senses than any sporting event I have ever attended. Its the smell of the Jamaican food cooking below and the sound of the woos warning the leader. You can feel the sound.

I wish everyone got it, because it is good for the soul.

[gh]

Re: Penn Relays Boring?????

...I've noticed GH's negativity toward this meet in previous threads and will never understand it.
Long live the Penn Relays.

So we're clear, my "negativity" reflects merely my personal taste in viewing pleasure. I'm more of a field guy than a track guy (as noted eslewhere, I'd rather spend the afternoon at Salinas watching a non-stop collection of discus competitions than sit at Penn). But that's what makes our sport such a wonderful one; there's something out there for everybody.

And make no mistake, I think of Penn as one of the sport's true crown jewels. I'm just wearing rhinestones when most of you prefer to sport diamonds.

[jammin]

So GH,

Are you going to put Yohan Blake on the cover as track's next "Great Sprinter".

I think you should. Your magazine will sell millions then.