Tokyo Olympics ... [no foreign fans] [no fans period]

[donley2]

Now that many of the championship and DL meets are covered with multiple video streams with concurrent field events, one could certainly argue that being there is not better than armchair viewing.

But I have to say that all serious track fans owe it to themselves to make it to Eugene at some point in their lives to experience the new temple of track & field. When full attendance is allowed the Hayward magic will be back, and the seating, especially in the lower bowl, is a great spectator experience.

Hanging out with other track and field nuts (tafnuts maybe even) can be lots of fun.

[Conor Dary]

You veterans of big meets: I have found over the years that the best seat for an NFL game is my couch/recliner. The stadiums are huge, crowded, noisy, people in your row up and down, up and down getting beer/concessions, sometimes the weather is crappy, etc...and after a while I realized all the $$ shelled out for the in-person experience left me wanting more.

Is the T&F experience that much better in person? Of course I've been to HS and College meets, and my daughter's Regional and State meets (Texas, for size comparison) but I don't know how that compares to a big, professional meet.

I've been to a few NFL and college games and I prefer on TV...

But there is nothing like actually being there at a top meet compared to watching on tv....especially at Hayward....

[jazzcyclist]

I've been to NFL games, big-time college football games and major championship track meets and for the in-person experience, the NFL doesn't compare to college football and track and field IMO. However my college football experience has been mostly in the South, and when I went to Ohio State's homecoming in 2019 I found out that it wasn't the all-day experience of homecoming down south though it was still a lot more fun than an NFL game. However, when it comes to the viewing experience, nothing beats TV, especially for major sporting events like NCAA's, the Trials, the NFL or a Power 5 football game with all the production bells and whistles of a major network. Up until a couple of years ago before you could stream field events separately, I would have said that you missed out on too much by watching track on TV but not anymore.

[TN1965]

You veterans of big meets: I have found over the years that the best seat for an NFL game is my couch/recliner. The stadiums are huge, crowded, noisy, people in your row up and down, up and down getting beer/concessions, sometimes the weather is crappy, etc...and after a while I realized all the $$ shelled out for the in-person experience left me wanting more.

Is the T&F experience that much better in person? Of course I've been to HS and College meets, and my daughter's Regional and State meets (Texas, for size comparison) but I don't know how that compares to a big, professional meet.

I have been to only one "major" track meet (not counting things like ACC Champs), so I am not a veteran. But this is what I found. After attending the USATF in Des Moines, I came back home and watched my DVR recording. TV misses a lot of interesting stuffs that happen on the track (and the field). They always focus on the winner, and the winner alone. They tend to follow the script and often miss the unexpected. I will just give you two examples I remember.

There was a very close battle for the third place (and WC berth) in decathlon that came down to a few seconds in the 1500m. Both contenders were in the middle of the pack and the TV camera never showed them during or after the race. But both of them gave everything, and collapsed on the ground right after crossing the finish line. The jubilation and agony of those two after they learned the results was priceless. In the meantime, Ashton was on the TV camera.

Rowbury missed making the team in 1500m, and was running 6th in 5000m with a lap to go. And then, she blasted the home stretch to finish 3rd. (Simpson edged Huddle for the win.) The contrast between Rowbury's excitement and the disbelief among the three women who got passed was remarkable (not to mention Rowbury's insane kick). What was the TV camera showing? Jenny celebrating her victory.

In this year's trial, MacLean and Osika had a fierce battle for the 3rd (and a berth on the Olympic team) in 1500m , which the TV camera didn't show until the last 0.5 second. They were too busy showing Purrier's victory. Schweizer stormed to pass Monson in the last lap of 10000m, but we didn't see that until the last 0.5 second. Showing Sisson's celebration was more important for NBC. At least both women made the team, so it was not as consequential.

If you are only interested in what the TV network wants you to see, TV is the best way to enjoy the meet. But you are going to miss a lot of other stuffs that might be interesting to you.

[TN1965]

Another outrageous news about the Olympics...

Tokyo Olympic gold medal replaced after first got bitten (yahoo.com)

An Olympic gold medallist will be given a new medal after the mayor of her hometown chomped on the first.

Takashi Kawamura, mayor of Japanese city Nagoya, sparked fury online when he lowered his mask and bit on softball athlete Miu Goto's medal at an event.

[scottmitchell74]

Another outrageous news about the Olympics...

Tokyo Olympic gold medal replaced after first got bitten (yahoo.com)

An Olympic gold medallist will be given a new medal after the mayor of her hometown chomped on the first.

Takashi Kawamura, mayor of Japanese city Nagoya, sparked fury online when he lowered his mask and bit on softball athlete Miu Goto's medal at an event.

Wipes? Disinfectant?

[18.99s]

Wipes? Disinfectant?

The medalist doesn't want to be reminded of that slimy dude biting the medal every time she looks at it.

And the IOC has surplus medals. It's no big deal to provide a replacement. They don't manufacture an exact number of medals, because the number of medals cannot be be exactly predicted. Ties can happen, relays can have anywhere from 4 to 8 medalists per team, etc.

[Halfmiler2]

You veterans of big meets: I have found over the years that the best seat for an NFL game is my couch/recliner. The stadiums are huge, crowded, noisy, people in your row up and down, up and down getting beer/concessions, sometimes the weather is crappy, etc...and after a while I realized all the $$ shelled out for the in-person experience left me wanting more.

Is the T&F experience that much better in person? Of course I've been to HS and College meets, and my daughter's Regional and State meets (Texas, for size comparison) but I don't know how that compares to a big, professional meet.

A big difference in person, of course, is watching the entire field events instead of one or two attempts per field event on television.

[Atticus]

A big difference in person, of course, is watching the entire field events instead of one or two attempts per field event on television.

Absolutely. And you don't get the "3-ring-circus" effect at home. It's definitely part of the fun and spectacle. One of my fave memories is the Oly Trials in Eugene (12? 16?) where the HJ was hotting up, runners were lining up for a great race and then gh drew our attention to the mDT where things were going crazy in the last round, and we saw a dramatic come-from-behind winning throw.

[dukehjsteve]

Conor, I fully realize that hindsight is always 20/20, but do you still feel the holding of the Games was a mistake ?

[TN1965]

A big difference in person, of course, is watching the entire field events instead of one or two attempts per field event on television.

Isn't it possible to watch the entire field events with streaming these days?

[Atticus]

Isn't it possible to watch the entire field events with streaming these days?

But not in their natural habitat, among the larger goings-on all around. And it's not as if you can suddenly shift your focus to something around a crowd roar elsewhere. I hate when an important race is going and you can hear that roar in the background, and when you try to find which feed is involved, you discover it runs 20 seconds late from reality.

Several simultaneous events are what makes BEING THERE so much better than streaming. That said - proper multi-tasking streaming is great fun too and I immensely enjoyed this year's OT and Tokyo 'experiences'.
But I HAD to go to OT 08, 12 and 16, just as I must go to Eugene22 WC.

[NotDutra5]

But not in their natural habitat, among the larger goings-on all around. And it's not as if you can suddenly shift your focus to something around a crowd roar elsewhere. I hate when an important race is going and you can hear that roar in the background, and when you try to find which feed is involved, you discover it runs 20 seconds late from reality.

Several simultaneous events are what makes BEING THERE so much better than streaming. That said - proper multi-tasking streaming is great fun too and I immensely enjoyed this year's OT and Tokyo 'experiences'.
But I HAD to go to OT 08, 12 and 16, just as I must go to Eugene22 WC.

I'm in agreement with Atticus. The spectacle of 3 different(at least) events occurring simultaneously cannot be duplicated on TV even if streamed separately. Then it's like watching 3 different baseball or football games.

[Conor Dary]

Conor, I fully realize that hindsight is always 20/20, but do you still feel the holding of the Games was a mistake ?

A good question.... I still think they should have delayed until the autumn.

I wasn't too surprised they could pull it off the isolation worked so far..and it was an excellent meet...

As for myself...Jake Wightman had a poor final... but as I told his aunt, who along with his mother ran at Seoul, I thought there was a good chance the Olympics would get cancelled. But Jake got to run so will always be Olympian...a rare accomplishment. And she agreed with that. He is 27 and this might have been his last chance....

But cases are skyrocketing in Japan....whether there is a direct link is debatable..... I'm certainly glad they are over...

Japan's daily total of COVID-19 cases surpassed 20,000 on Friday, logging a record figure for the third straight day, while the number of patients with severe symptoms also hit a new high as concerns over a possible collapse of the country's medical system continue to mount.

With the virus spreading rapidly and showing no signs of abating, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is set to hold talks with relevant ministers next week on expanding the state of emergency beyond Tokyo and other prefectures where it is currently in place, according to sources close to the matter.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2...cord-5773.html

[Conor Dary]

Having the Olympics didn't do the PM any favors...the Financial Times...


Japan PM fails to gain bounce from Olympics


A recent poll for the Asahi newspaper was one of several that showed Suga’s approval rating had dropped below 30 per cent, widely regarded as a danger level. “Within the LDP, that creates a feeling that Suga can’t front an election,” said Atsuo Ito, a political analyst and former party official.

The public appeared to have enjoyed the Olympics: 56 per cent of voters in the Asahi poll said it was the right decision to go ahead with the Games. But they did not approve of the way Suga forced the event to happen, with 54 per cent saying it was not held in a safe and secure manner.