No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

[Conor Dary]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

I'm all for a permanent home for the thing--in a city like Helsinki, i.e., a place that's reasonable to get to and which has a humane, athlete-friendly climate. And make it once every four years ONLY.

I completely agree. A WC every year would bring it down to the level of the Davis Cup. A competition hardly anyone cares about.

[Marlow]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

I completely agree. A WC every year would bring it down to the level of the Davis Cup. A competition hardly anyone cares about.

or . . . Wimbledon, The Masters, Kentucky Derby, Indy 500, Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, etc..

[Conor Dary]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

I completely agree. A WC every year would bring it down to the level of the Davis Cup. A competition hardly anyone cares about.

or . . . Wimbledon, The Masters, Kentucky Derby, Indy 500, Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, etc..

These are silly comparisons. Some are one day things. A yearly Zurich was a very special event.
And comparing the WC to American pro sports is beyond dumb.

And then we have Wimbledon. But these grand slam events is tennis. And besides big bucks are involved.

[Marlow]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

These are silly comparisons. Some are one day things. A yearly Zurich was a very special event. And comparing the WC to American pro sports is beyond dumb.

Because you say so? I think not. An annual Global Championship is de rigeur in most sports; why not T&F? A track year without a Global Championship is ALWAYS more boring than one with one!

[Dilan Esper]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

.... If someone wants a bigt stadium in a metropolitan area for track events, this was an area where track and field people should have been making their voices heard....

here's this track person's voice: hahahahahahahahahah!

What possible redeeming value does saving a track have for anybody who wants to promote a team ball sport?

These stadiums are almost always owned by municipalities. (Sports teams owners prefer an economic model where they get the stadium rent-free and capture all the revenues, and the community pays the upkeep of the staidums.) So the relevant actors are not the sports teams owners-- they are the communities. The point is, a stadium like RFK could be saved if it is seen as beneficial to the community to save it. And the "minor" sports should all be pushing for these outcomes-- these stadiums are useful for international soccer matches, motocross, rodeos, etc. (The Astrodome is still standing because of rodeos. Big thing in Texas.) Track and field should be pushing for preservation of any major stadium owned by a municipality that is big enough to fit a track in it. You never know.

[GDAWG]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

I'm all for a permanent home for the thing--in a city like Helsinki, i.e., a place that's reasonable to get to and which has a humane, athlete-friendly climate. And make it once every four years ONLY.

That would depend on the American city. Put it somewhere where there is no chance of a local professional team "stealing" the stadium away, and it could work. A humane, athlete-friendly climate would be like Florida or California, where a majority of the American track athletes live. Both would be a bad idea depending on the city. You propose something like that for San Diego, then there will be a certain local NFL team that will pretend to back a San Diego World Championship bid, knowing full well that after the WC's end they will steal the stadium from USA Track and Field, remove the track around it, expand the seating and add a bunch of luxury boxes and all of a sudden its no longer a track and field stadium. Something similar would happen for the Bay Area and Tampa/St. Pete. I think something like Helsinki would depend on the location.

Its also why an American Olympic bid hinders track and field more than it helps, depending on the city. If San Francisco had been the USOC pick for 2016 and had won the 2016 bid from the IOC, we all know what happens to the San Francisco Olympic Stadium after the games end and it would not be for track and field.

[GDAWG]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

[quote=Dilan Esper]

.... If someone wants a bigt stadium in a metropolitan area for track events, this was an area where track and field people should have been making their voices heard....

here's this track person's voice: hahahahahahahahahah!

What possible redeeming value does saving a track have for anybody who wants to promote a team ball sport?

These stadiums are almost always owned by municipalities. (Sports teams owners prefer an economic model where they get the stadium rent-free and capture all the revenues, and the community pays the upkeep of the staidums.) So the relevant actors are not the sports teams owners-- they are the communities. The point is, a stadium like RFK could be saved if it is seen as beneficial to the community to save it. And the "minor" sports should all be pushing for these outcomes-- these stadiums are useful for international soccer matches, motocross, rodeos, etc. (The Astrodome is still standing because of rodeos. Big thing in Texas.) Track and field should be pushing for preservation of any major stadium owned by a municipality that is big enough to fit a track in it. You never know.
[/quote:1wp1cbb9]

I think it depends on the city. If the city had a choice between one of the local sports teams wanting that stadium or USA Track and Field, the city would choose the local sports team, especially if they need a new stadium badly. I mentioned in my last post San Diego, and that if they ever hosted a IAAF World Championships, most American sports fans will know what's going to happen to the stadium after the World Championships.

[Conor Dary]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

These are silly comparisons. Some are one day things. A yearly Zurich was a very special event. And comparing the WC to American pro sports is beyond dumb.

Because you say so? I think not. An annual Global Championship is de rigeur in most sports; why not T&F? A track year without a Global Championship is ALWAYS more boring than one with one!

Gymnastics, swimming etc. need a WC every year because what else do they have? Track has a whole circuit missing in other Olympic sports.

[Marlow]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

Gymnastics, swimming etc. need a WC every year because what else do they have? Track has a whole circuit missing in other Olympic sports.

The track circuit is so NOT on the public radar, we might as well not have it, for what they know. We need the WC to keep our name out there.

[kuha]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

Gymnastics, swimming etc. need a WC every year because what else do they have? Track has a whole circuit missing in other Olympic sports.

The track circuit is so NOT on the public radar, we might as well not have it, for what they know. We need the WC to keep our name out there.

And what "public" are you talking about? The circuit has attracted SRO crowds for years--because these folks were sure of seeing a great program in a "perfect" 4-hour (or whatever) format. We have seen the WC essentially gut the regular circuit--the whole damn year ends up (I exaggerate only slightly) being the lead-up to the WC and the few odd meets that come afterwards. This is a dire situation--and it threatens to kill the "real" sport and to uproot it from the sustaining soil of real audiences, in real cities.

If you're talking about the US public, then forget it--that boat sailed, burned, and sank decades ago. If you want to scuba dive for survivors, go right ahead.

Once again--I'm strongly in favor of a healthy "regular" season, with meets that have individual character, and which are attended by the fans of their respective cities/regions. But, sadly, "thanks" to a be-careful-what-you-wish-for World Championships and the buzzing sugar high provided by the big O, the regular circuit is now, sadly, under real threat.

[Marlow]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

Once again--I'm strongly in favor of a healthy "regular" season, with meets that have individual character, and which are attended by the fans of their respective cities/regions. But, sadly, "thanks" to a be-careful-what-you-wish-for World Championships and the buzzing sugar high provided by the big O, the regular circuit is now, sadly, under real threat.

The 'circuit' is still there, with or without the WC, and it is most definitely NOT the WC that now 'threatens' it. If anything, the WC helps it, by garnering buzz from the upcoming Showdowns, and then affording revenge matches after the fact.

[kuha]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

The 'circuit' is still there, with or without the WC, and it is most definitely NOT the WC that now 'threatens' it. If anything, the WC helps it, by garnering buzz from the upcoming Showdowns, and then affording revenge matches after the fact.

I don't see that at all. Most of the circuit hardly matters at all in a WC or O year--which, if my math is correct, is 3 out of every 4.

[Marlow]

Re: No Worlds bid for the US anytime soon WOW

Most of the circuit hardly matters at all in a WC or O year

Really?! I thought some pretty cool stuff happened this year on the Circuit.