I don't like the diamond league so far

[gh]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

anybody who couldn't find LOTS to love in today's meet isn't much of a fan.

[bruce3404]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

anybody who couldn't find LOTS to love in today's meet isn't much of a fan.

Agreed. Today's meet was fun to watch. Meet organizers have the right to add additional events, as they did today with the historical mile. There's no reason meets should be diluted unless promoters strictly adhere to the Diamond League requirements; those that do so will do so at the peril of selling less tickets. The real disappointment in NY is Bolt's withdrawal. I attended last year and there were plenty of empty seats, despite the promoters putting on a very good meet. I can understand people being put out for having spent the money to see Bolt, but real fans had their seats lined up without consideration as to whether Bolt would compete or not. He won't be competing in Eugene this year, but......

“The fields are by far the strongest in the meet’s 35-year history,” says meet director Tom Jordan. “Unless fans have been fortunate enough to attend an Olympic Games, they will see more gold medallists at this year’s Pre Classic than at any other meet ever held in the United States.”

[JWiz]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

Gay pulls out because he's not ready? **** this ***!

Diamond League is a joke!

[kuha]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

This is a terrible two-edged sword.

On the one hand it gives people in all the events a chance to compete for the biggest prize and in the biggest meets. That's nice and fair for all the athletes.

On the other hand, when it comes to invitational meets (as opposed to OG or WC), I'm a firm believer in a Darwinian system; survival of the fittest. If an event puts bodies in the seats, then it should be part of your program. If an event doesn't draw, then you shouldn't be forced to stage it.

These are, after all, independent business enterprises.

In other words, every DL meet should have a men's 100 and 1500, just to name the two most important off the top. Yet only Oslo, London and Brussels will see that combo. Not good for the meet promoters, not good for the sport.

Yup. I haven't worked up any special interest whatever in the Diamond League, and I just don't care about athletes' point totals at the end of the season. I care about great individual meets, great performances, and great competitions, and I'm all for giving meet directors near-complete autonomy in their decision making. Thus, the rich meets will get more top names, the less-rich ones, fewer, but I'm fine with capitalism and the "free market." I do think that the key events (however we might define them) should be pretty standard in nearly all meets. But I also love the idea of meets having individual character: thus, a mile and a 10,000 at Oslo, a 1000 at Stockholm, or whatever. For me, the near absolute standardization of events is a recipe for long-term boredom.

[chuku69]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

I told u so. Gay, bolt and powell ain't happening.

[72]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

Cripes, only just noticed that some genius tells me that ''the sport revolves around the 100 metres'' If ''revolves'' is a reference only the man in the street, who cares about people who probably have never heard of Usain Bolt.

I have read some cobblers on this Forum but that takes the biscuit, as we say.

Is it that the gent cannot concentrate for more than ten seconds or does he suggest that the rest of the nation get bored with Track over 100 metres long.?

Shame on all those boring athletes who compete in all the other 40 plus events in a major meet.

What he meant to say was some fans of track and field somewhere out there are a bit cerebrally challenged,sportswise.

[AS]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

Building meets around a 100m is more of a problem than a solution to the sport's woes.

As noted, it only goes for 10 seconds (but of course occupies far longer on the programme with loads of standing around, introductions etc). It is a recipe for disappointment. So much can go wrong:
- a false start or two (especially now these can eliminate a star immediately)
- headwinds slowing times
- a huge non-record setting anti-climax
- very little "wow" factor in terms of race dynamics (blink you miss it anyway)

I'm all for leaving 100m off some programmes so as to give more entertaining races/events centre stage. Give a javelin comp or a 800m head-to-head its due (i.e. commentating all the way through etc) and fans may walk away with a fresh, exciting experience to talk about...

And gh, haven't you been on here whinging about the lack of decent 200m races for several years? And then you want all the DL to run a 100m instead...

[Alucard]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

The problems i see so far with the diamond league are that they promise but fail to deliver the matchups promised. I am not just talking about the Bolt, Gay, Powell mess but the diamond league failure to give us for example VCB- Felix, Rudisha - Kaki, Dibaba - Defar. I am sure there are other examples.
I also think the diamond league ambassadorship program has been a disaster Beleke, Isanbeyeva, Ricahrds-Ross, Fraser fell by the wayside. Bolt, Blanka, Thorkildsen, Spotokova and Felix are the only ones on target for diamonds with Felix's claim a bit questionable given the apparent slight of her main rival in her event by the diamond league bosses.

[notorious]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

Unfortunately, the DL organizers can’t force athletes to be in competitive matchups unless the athletes themselves want to do it.

Aside from injury, the athletes and their agents/managers decide when and where they run.

The top male sprinters are wimps when it comes to matchups. The top female hurlders race each other week in week out and is fun to watch.

With Asafa out of today Stockholm clash, I would not be surprised if Tyson pulls out of the Brussels match after he loses today citing a “tight groin”. It seems to be a familiar excuse.

[Omega4ul]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

THE DIAMOND LEAGUE IS GREAT!!!

This is a great opportunity to see more athletes compete at a high level and have a chance to make money. The reason the Diamond League is 'watered down' this year is because it is an off year. Many top athletes are taking this year as a training year. NEXT YEAR.... YOU WILL LOVE THE DIAMOND LEAGUE!!

[Flumpy]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

I love it this year. It's actually on TV!!! :shock:

[Alucard]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

reading VCB IAAF diary this morning it is seems she is being lowballed by the meet organizers. she did not come out and say it as she is a very quiet and diplomatic person but reading between the lines i think she wants to run but is not getting her rite due

[ATK]

Re: I don't like the diamond league so far

im curious as to what the point of the ambassadors were from the start? Because if it was for promotion they did a pretty poor job, seems like most of the ambassadors are not so concerned with the diamond league and actually winning a diamond. And the 3 biggest circuit stars from previous years being out from the start was an even bigger blow.
If it didn't work this year what motivation would these ambassadors (who would obviously be the serious medal contenders) have for the diamond league during championship years?