Looks like Eugene might be permanent......

[einnod23]

....I've been advocating taking the trials/nats around the country, but in all fairness, Tracktown USA is Tracktown USA. Hayward looks absoulutely gorgeous on TV, and one day I will be there. That "Tracktown USA" needs to be hyped up in mainstream circles more!

My understanding is that Hayward was renovated, and that's great. Remember, Omaha had to step to the plate and get a new park (or, alternatively, do major work to Rosenblatt) or NCAA Baseball was going elsewhere!

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/si ... /story.csp

[The Klingon]

I certainly hope Eugene is not made the permanent site for trials/nationals. I have been to Eugene two or three times and, well, lets just say I would like to see the trials/nationals moved around the country.

[Andy4]

I certainly hope Eugene is not made the permanent site for trials/nationals. I have been to Eugene two or three times and, well, lets just say I would like to see the trials/nationals moved around the country.

I second that, no other sport that I know of has it's National Championship in just one location year after year. Let it move around for better exposure to the sport.

[dj]

I certainly hope Eugene is not made the permanent site for trials/nationals. I have been to Eugene two or three times and, well, lets just say I would like to see the trials/nationals moved around the country.

I second that, no other sport that I know of has it's National Championship in just one location year after year. Let it move around for better exposure to the sport.

U.S. Tennis.

[jamaicantrackfan]

I hate Eugene as a location. It is extremely windy there 99% of the time during the US trials and it gives the sprinters a false sense that they are running blazing fast when it fact, most of their times are just average if they ran elsewhere.

There have been a few suspicious times there recorded last year(Tyson jogging a 9.77, Torri jogging a 10.78) which most track experts believe were wind aided.

What’s wrong in bringing the trials to NYC(Randalls Island) which is home of the Reeobok Track Classic. It is a great fast track and hurricane time winds(read Eugene) usually isn’t an issue in NY.

[texas_speed]

You hate Eugene and yet you've never been there. That's hilarious. It won't be moved to New York because its an absolute nightmare tryin to get around in New York and everything is higher than eagle snot when it comes to daily expenses.

[texas_speed]

I certainly hope Eugene is not made the permanent site for trials/nationals. I have been to Eugene two or three times and, well, lets just say I would like to see the trials/nationals moved around the country.

I second that, no other sport that I know of has it's National Championship in just one location year after year. Let it move around for better exposure to the sport.

College baseball.

[jamaicantrackfan]

You hate Eugene and yet you've never been there. That's hilarious. It won't be moved to New York because its an absolute nightmare tryin to get around in New York and everything is higher than eagle snot when it comes to daily expenses.

I am not talking about a permanent move to NY. The US trials should be held in different locations. How boring it is just to have it in one location all the time.

Ichann Stadium(NYC) is not that difficult to get to and stop being cheap

[jkjoregon]

Anywhere else in the country is going to have a difficult time matching Eugene in attendance, community support, newspaper coverage, and facility. Just a fact, I'm not being a homer.

In an ideal world, it would be good to rotate the meet .

The west.....Eugene
The middle of the country.....where? Drake or Fayetteville? Or a major city?
The east....who has the facility and the interest?

[jamaicantrackfan]

Anywhere else in the country is going to have a difficult time matching Eugene in attendance, community support, newspaper coverage, and facility. Just a fact, I'm not being a homer.

In an ideal world, it would be good to rotate the meet .

The west.....Eugene
The middle of the country.....where? Drake or Fayetteville? Or a major city?
The east....who has the facility and the interest?

The Reebok meet in NY has been sold out the past two years.

[texas_speed]

When you're trying to get hundreds and hundreds of athletes, coaches, trainers, officials, etc there - yes it is EXTREMELY difficult to navigate to and from in a cost and time efficient way.

And it has nothing to do with being cheap and everything to do with being practical. The amount that would be spent for airfare, food and lodging in New York for several days prior to competition even beginning and then through competition is ridiculously high.

[Powell]

I second that, no other sport that I know of has it's National Championship in just one location year after year. Let it move around for better exposure to the sport.

U.S. Tennis.

If you're talking of the US Open, that's not really a national championship.

[knite]

When you're trying to get hundreds and hundreds of athletes, coaches, trainers, officials, etc there - yes it is EXTREMELY difficult to navigate to and from in a cost and time efficient way.

And it has nothing to do with being cheap and everything to do with being practical. The amount that would be spent for airfare, food and lodging in New York for several days prior to competition even beginning and then through competition is ridiculously high.

Oh stop it...Do you know how many events this area has on a daily basis...

Your reasons are not valid enough to state as to why there shouldn't be suggested.

Travel alone would be easier than any other place in the country to get to. That is, to the city of NY. They can have shuttle service for the coaches/athletes/staff from the host hotel locations, etc. Airfare to NY would not necessarily be more expensive than Eugene Oregon, especially since NY is a MAJOR STOP from most airlines...that is DIRECT FLIGHTS, not one where you hop on one to get to a location in order to jump on another plane for a 2nd flight. How many times have you been to NY to make the claims about expense. Many would not even have to rent a car. These thigns would all be taken up by the planning committee of whomever would like to have the event at Ichan Stadium. But please don't act like the most touristic city in the US cannot host something liek a T&F national championship meet.

Do you know how many teams come to NY just for the Armory Collegiate Inv every yr? PLENTY make the trip and mind you those are TEAMS, not individual athletes. At the ame token its a 2 day meet, so if you give 4 days that's even better.

It can be done, now whether it WILL be done is a totally other question.

Another location:
Greensboro, NC, where this yr's East Regional(?) was and hosts the HS Nike Outdoor Nationals event every yr, goes off well.

[26mi235]

The Reebok meet in NY has been sold out the past two years.

How many Jamaicans would show up without any Jamaicans competing? What is their portion of the crowd (my sense was 20-40?%)?

[Al in NYC]

When you're trying to get hundreds and hundreds of athletes, coaches, trainers, officials, etc there - yes it is EXTREMELY difficult to navigate to and from in a cost and time efficient way..

I've said it before and I'll say it again: nonsense. NYC holds literally thousands of national and international events every year. More than anyplace in this country other than Las Vegas. Some of them, like the U.S. Tennis Open, involve housing and moving many more people than any track meet. Hell, any regular season Yankees or Mets game involves moving many more people than have attended any nationals session within my memory. Literally millions of people move in and out of Manhattan every day with no problem and the city receives millions of visitors a year from around the U.S. and across the world.

In my business I organize and book trips to NYC for people from overseas ranging from school groups to major trade shows. Except at the very busiest seasons of the year (and this isn't one of them) we're always able to get very decent rates on hotels. The city and state convention and visitors bureaus are very helpful in setting up any events, and are generally open to new ideas for major events in the city and pro-active in finding ways to make them work.

There are certainly some difficulties associated with trying to organize and hold a national meet in NYC, but the ones you cite really aren't among them. I've also said before that, as nice as Eugene may be, it is a small town in a relatively remote part of the country and the USATF is being seriously short-sighted and limited in their vision of the future of the sport if they continue to hold all or nearly all of our national level meets there.