Run-Down Forums

[Conway]

Let me state off the top that this is NOT intended to be used for the discussion of drug use !!! For the sake of this topic we will a) acknwledge that there is use and b) assume that said use is NOT a good thing ...

So having gotten that out of the way ... How do we propose that the sport be policed ??? What needs to be done ... And how should it be done ... So that the sport:

A - Limits its bad press
B - Minimizes any negative images it may have
C - Creates a Safe competitive environment
D - Provides for a "level" plaing field
E - Has a set of records that are realistic and potentially attainable

Is this possible ???

Conway

[Dan]

I don't believe all of those goals can be accomplished. Some can maybe be approached, but probably at the expense of one of the other items...

Also, I'm not sure how to discuss this topic without drug use entering the picture, as all 5 items are directly related to it...

Dan

[Distance_Guru]

I think that all of those goals are attainable, the issue is how much money, time, effort, ect are the powers that controll the sport willing to put into making them a reality. With better funding for increased testing, better utilization of currently available testing methods and developement of new and better tests the above goals are acheivable. I'm a firm believer that in todays world anything can be achieved it's simply a matter of if the powers that be will shell out enough cash to make it happen/
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[Dan]

[Micah Ward]

Let me think about this one for a while. But right away I look at the first two topics and my gut reaction is that our problem isn't so much bad press or negative images, as it is a problem of not enough press period.

If we had more coverage of the sport in the mainstream sports media the bad and negative images might just take care of themselves. I haven't seen ESPN Sports Center since the Chicago Marathon but my guess would be that any mention of the race was minimal.
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[Dan]

Well, the general tone of t&f press is negative, so simply adding more coverage would increase the volume of negativity... The sport needs to improve its own perception before we can expect the coverage of it to improve dramatically.

Dan

[Distance_Guru]

The idea behind my statement was simple we are (or can be) bigger than they are. Or at least more organized (I haven't heard of any organized group for the promotion of taking banned substances ). If you have the governing body of a sport focusing on testing both pre and post compotition, funding new and better tests, and making moves like freezing test samples to test for any currently undectable drugs in the future then it becomes less and less worth while for individuals or small groups to cheat. You don't have to make it impossible, just make it either so difficult or impracticle to get away with that it becomes less than worth the effort and risk.
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[Micah Ward]

Dan, I disagree. In my profession we have to constantly combat negative press coverage. The way to do that is by flooding the media with prepared press releases on the positive things we do.

If the T&F governing bodies just sit back and allow the press to cover the sport any way they want, then the press will look for sensationalism and that will probably be negative. But if they would aggressively seek to establish contacts in the press and keep them supplied with positive information then the tone of the reporting would eventually turn more to the positive.

I don't agree that the general tone is negative. It's just that negative sensationalism gets the bigger headline. And one big negative headline overshadows the 3 or 4 small back page stories on meet results and broken records.
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[Conway]

Well I agree a little with both Dan and Micah ... I do think the overall tone of news regarding the sport is negative ... And that does need to be addressed ... But I also agree with Micah in that one of the ways you do that is by flooding the market with your own positive press ... Of course we need some positives to promote ...

I do think all of the things I mentioned can be achieved ... And I don't think it would be that dificult ... But you need a plan and you need to carry it out .. And you need governing bodies that are willing to admit everything that has been stated so far ..

Conway

[Dan]

[Distance_Guru]

On a non-policing note...What about an ad campaign, I can't think of how many commercials I've seen for the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. And I'm not talking about networks promoting games on their station, I'm talking the the PGA "these guys are good" type ads on TV. Or how about spliting the cost of air time to actually try to get networks to promote events. Instead of having golden league meets, or even US meets go esentially unadvertised, how about splitting the cost of air time with ESPN or NBC or whoever to advertise when meets will be on.

Another thing I'd love to see (and this may be a christmas list item) is I'd love to see companies that sponsor athletes actually put them in ads. Nike is the only company that I've seen put track athletes in TV commercials in ages. New Balance has some cool ads although they don't usually feature athletes that I'm familiar with.

To refernce a Kevin Cosner movie, instead of if you build it they will come, tracks motto needs to be if we market it, it will build!
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[Micah Ward]

EXACTLY

If the press doesn't give us a fair deal then let's go out and flood them with so much that they have to report it.

Hire a PR firm...do the ad campaign...what ever it takes.
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[Conway]

OK .... But ... Ummm ... What are we going to report on ?????

Conway

[Micah Ward]

Let's start with KK and Radcliffe at Chicago. My local paper had nothing and the sports talk radio station I listen to also had nothing.

And I am not talking about just world class t&f. I would like to see the college competitions pulicized more. Again, my local paper has yet to print anything on the local college or high school cross country teams this season. If they don't have the reporters or the inclination to go out and look for the story then the college SID and high school coaches need to make sure they have a press release faxed to them after every meet.

The mainstream press concentrates on the big three: football, baseball and basketball with other sports getting the left over attention. We need to market our sport just as some of the others have done. Maybe USATF could take some of the resources it pours into drug testing and redirect it to a massive pr campaing to get people watching the sport. (Did I just say that?)

I guess the bottom line is, if we want better coverage of the sport we need to take the responsibility to give the press the info they need to do the reporting.

It's all PR baby
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[Dan]