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The Future of Track and Field
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Conway
Olympic Medalist
Olympic Medalist


Joined: 25 Aug 2001
Posts: 3570
Location: Northen California

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2001 7:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmm .. I just want to be able to watch a track meet wehn I want to .. In person if it is in the states .. ON TV if it is abroad .. Whatever it takes to do that is fine with me .. And I would imagine would be fine for most who truly love the sport .. I guess the question is what will that take .. And i think it lies somewhere in between totally pure and scandal ridden .. Smile

We just have ot generate enough money to f supporting .. And quite frankly I think it is already there .. teh problem is that all the moeny is being creamed off the top by a few top athletes .. What is needed is amore equitable payout system .. So that some of the money can be put back into the sport .. YOu know marketing and the like ..

We have had good personable stars .. And when they have gotten proper PR (Dan & DAve; the 3 M's) The sport gets rave reviews .. WE just need to do a better of of doing that ...
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Dan
Chief Pontificator
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Joined: 22 Mar 1999
Posts: 9334
Location: Salem, OR

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2001 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I remember one of my econ professors talking about how salaries were justifiably high for athletes and entertainers because the odds of making it are so slim for any one individual that the potential payoff must be very high to entice them to try. A variation of supply and demand.

So, I don't see there being enough money in the sport currently to pull everything together. Sure, a more even distribution would be good, but good enough? MJ, Marion, Maurice, Szabo, and the like make the news when they pull in $1-2 million, yet those are numbers NBA veterans are offended by. How much can that be spread around across the hundreds of athletes and still be enough to be seen as worthwhile by the top tier?

As has been discussed, running isn't much of a money sport. Advertisers seem to know this, which makes it difficult to infuse money. People are used to attending events for free or very little and are not heavy merchandise purchasers. I'm as guilty of this as anyone. As usual, I'm not sure what the solution is...

Dan
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Conway
Olympic Medalist
Olympic Medalist


Joined: 25 Aug 2001
Posts: 3570
Location: Northen California

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2001 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We're not talking about NBA numbers here though .. The NBA has been around as aprofessional sport since what the 40's .. Track and Field is still in its infancy as a Professional Sport .. And even if you take a look at the NBA their salaries have only escalated in the last decade .. Do you remember wne Magic JOhnson signed a 10 year $10 million dollar contrac that was unheard of ?? Wasn't that long ago my friend ..

My point is that proper management of the money on the tabel would still enable the stars to get their million a year and redistribute some to the lower levels .. NOt saying all are going to make great money mind you .. But many more will be able to survive during the building stage of the professional sport ..

Would enabel perhaps an Andreas Brugger (who runs the WEltklasse meet) to venture out and create another event (perhaps one in North America) ...

I hate to say it but what Track and Field needs is someone the likes of Don King on Board .. Creat some Hype and MOney .. Don would have had a Worlds Fastest Man Pay Per View event by now featuring Mo Greene, Ato Boldon, Donovan Bailey, et al, without the need for a Worlds Championship and quailfying rounds .. AND generated about $100 million dollars for it ..

THAT could help run the sport and get "salaries" closer to the NBA level .. And would keep Quincy WAtts, John Capel, Stanley Floyd, Mel Lattany, Michael Bates, James Jett and others from leaving track and field for the financial lure of professional football .. And help put the sport on th map in the minds of Joe Six Pack .. Boy I've had abusy day and lots of pent up thoughts Smile
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Dan
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Joined: 22 Mar 1999
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Location: Salem, OR

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2001 7:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Of course track would be hard pressed to compare favorably to NBA salaries, but it's not just basketball salaries that have increased fairly proportionately over the past 10 years or so. It seems that the big name track stars have seen similar percentage increases during that time (endorsements aside), it's just a much smaller total to start wtih, so the percentage doesn't add up nearly as quick.

Without a major infusion of sponsorship money, which ironically would be more difficult to achieve if top end salaries are capped to the point where stars consider switching over to football or what not, I don't see that there is enough money to spread around and come up with anywhere near enough to keep the big dogs happy.

On the other hand, if we could remove the international federations (IAAF, IOC) from the equation, there may just be enough money flowing through the sport that we don't know about... Freeing up the resources allotted to this joke we call drug testing would probably fully fund the squads from several medium sized countries.

Dan
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Conway
Olympic Medalist
Olympic Medalist


Joined: 25 Aug 2001
Posts: 3570
Location: Northen California

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2001 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with getting rid of the federations .. AT least in their current incarnations . But I see you completely bypassed Don King LOL ... He can generate Money, Interest, and Enthusiasm .. Just what the sport needs .. And it wouldn't have to be Don, but someone who can accomplish those things .. The sport has to find a way to support itself .. And by that I mean without "sponsorship" .. Sponsorship is like a non-profit that is dependent upon grant money .. You're always chasing it .. TRack and Field needs the equivalent of an Endowment Trust (former non profit CEO talking) a large pot of its own money that it can use today and into the future to support itself .. Then the idea is to manage the trust and find ways to continue to add to it .. Grow it through management and additions .. Which means you need incredible fund raising capacity in the beginning .. That's where I get the Don King type ..

Of course I'm sure that some would say that a 100 meter chamionship, held in the Super Dome, sold to capacity, with a TV audience of 50 million, all paying $49.95 isn't track and field !!!!! And you know what ??? THAT is the problem ...
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Dan
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Joined: 22 Mar 1999
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Location: Salem, OR

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2001 9:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, I forgot to comment on Mr. King... Hmm, that's probably just as well. Wink I agree that some excitement and promotional savvy is needed, but I'm not sure I could stomach anything of that sort.

Quote:
a large pot of its own money that it can use today and into the future to support itself ..

What, you mean instead of paying its TV revenue to the IAAF for the mistakes of previous leadership? Wow, that's a novel idea! Smile

Dan
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Conway
Olympic Medalist
Olympic Medalist


Joined: 25 Aug 2001
Posts: 3570
Location: Northen California

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2001 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well why not .. What do the federations do ?? Thank you .. Not a damned thing .. Well nothing of consequence anyway .. AS I have said through out this thread there is enough money in the sport to make it thrive .. Needs to be reallocated however .. There is the rub ..

TRack actually needs a financial plan (the financial planner talking) .. It is not going to get anywhere until it decides on where it wants togo and devleops a solid plan to get there ..

At some point you have to develop a fire department .. Can't keep putting out fires with a hose forever .. Smile
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Dan
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Posts: 9334
Location: Salem, OR

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2001 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok, how about David Stern instead of Don King? Equally effective and not nearly as abrasive. Do you remember the name of one of the other two candidates who Masback beat out for the USATF job, who I believe had NBA ties (the Nets?)? I thought at the time that they made the wrong choice, although I've been fairly impressed with the job Masback's done since in a virtually winless situation.

Dan
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Conway
Olympic Medalist
Olympic Medalist


Joined: 25 Aug 2001
Posts: 3570
Location: Northen California

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2001 10:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No I don't remeber who they were actually (& I'm a abig NBA fan) .. I was surprised at the choice of Masback .. Was a commentator and attorney when he was chosen .. WAs avery surprised .. VEry nice guy .. I have met him and commcunicate with him on occasion .. But he did get the job from hell so to speak which is why I was surprised they didn't chose someone with more experience in some different areas .. And that is no slight at Masback in the least .. He has done well given the situation .. And I would settle for someone in between Stern and King .. King is abrasive but his results are awaesome .. Stern could take over once teh money had been raised .. And take things to the next level .. So who were the two ???
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