The demise of U.S. Track and Field

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Runner Coug

Fair enough, but you're at the Olympics for crying out loud. Surely the athletes know that if they fall short, someone will ask them for an explanation.

I for one have no problem at all with a reporter asking tough questions, that's his job. Don't you ever get sick of pointless interviews like "So, how do you feel"? Tyson Gay has stood on that same sideline with that same reporter all week and answered tough questions like a grown up.

finally, a voice of reason.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

If some no-name guy beats a known guy who is favored, then of course they are going to focus on the known guy.

i.e. Carl Lewis say gets beat by John Drummond. Doesn't mean John Drummond is the story.

Aha... So when the US ice hockey team upset the Russians 1980, nothing should have been said about the US team? Focus completely on the Russians?

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

They did speak to the winner, and he was even more arrogant than Wariner.

I will admit I fast-forwarded that part. Doesn't surprise me. Male US track athletes are pretty arrogant overall, IMO.

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

You guys probably wonder why the newspaper doesn't have more good news than bad news.

Oh brother.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

What makes track so attractive to European sports fans, but so unattractive to American fans?

Americans need sensual, quick and cheap gratification. Gaudy glitzy uniforms, lots of points scored. Bodies crashing. Jumbotrons. Talking heads. Noise noise noise. We need teams to mentally associate with as escapism. Plus, our world class athletes are migrating to the sports where local taxes and tax free bonds are subsidizing their bloated salaries.

We aren't a country that can appreciate the most stripped down and pure form of athletic competition, one on one, just running or throwing stuff, or jumping, and scantily dressed and doing it just for themselves.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Runner Coug

Fair enough, but you're at the Olympics for crying out loud. Surely the athletes know that if they fall short, someone will ask them for an explanation.

I for one have no problem at all with a reporter asking tough questions, that's his job. Don't you ever get sick of pointless interviews like "So, how do you feel"? Tyson Gay has stood on that same sideline with that same reporter all week and answered tough questions like a grown up.

Without fail, they ask the losing athletes a series of questions that are clearly meant to elicit an excuse for the loss. That's what bugs me. Some athletes refuse to get drawn in. When Wariner cut the guy off, it was in response to a similar question. That's how I interpreted it anyway.

[bluegoose]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

If some no-name guy beats a known guy who is favored, then of course they are going to focus on the known guy.

i.e. Carl Lewis say gets beat by John Drummond. Doesn't mean John Drummond is the story.

They did speak to the winner, and he was even more arrogant than Wariner.

You guys probably wonder why the newspaper doesn't have more good news than bad news.

I didn't see the Merritt interview. I tuned in for a good 30-45 minutes after the race. They obviously didn't feel like the guy blowing the field away for one of the fastest 400 times ever was as big of a priority as the guy who just choked away his medal defense and might have some nasty words about his former coach.

Sorry Waters. I'm just not much of a shock-value kind of guy. I'd rather hear from Walter Dix, who appears to be very classy and a legitimately good guy, than Spearmon or Wariner any day.

[Runner Coug]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Without fail, they ask the losing athletes a series of questions that are clearly meant to elicit an excuse for the loss. That's what bugs me. Some athletes refuse to get drawn in. When Wariner cut the guy off, it was in response to a similar question. That's how I interpreted it anyway.

To me, the best way to not get drawn in would be to stand there and just say "It just wasn't my day". Not wave my arm and storm off.

But of course, I'm not the one who trained my butt off for four years only to lose by a full second, which would be the equivalent of getting beat 35-0 in a football game. So it's pretty easy for me to armchair quarterback. I'll just say that I have a ton more respect for Tyson Gay for standing and answering questions every bit as tough as the ones asked of Wariner, then I have for Wariner himself.

[Runner Coug]

Originally Posted by bluegoose

I'd rather hear from Walter Dix, who appears to be very classy and a legitimately good guy,

I absolutely agree. That guy is a stud.

[Flystripper]

Originally Posted by Runner Coug

That's a good question. You know how sometimes you just can't stand someone, but you're not totally sure why? That's how I feel about him. He comes of as an arrogant a-hole to me, which is fine if you at least have a personality.

My suspicions were confirmed when he got his butt kicked yesterday and instead of taking it like a man, he acted like a spoiled little brat. The interviewer asked him how dropping his coach a few months ago contributed to him losing, a completely legitimate question, but he just dismissed and walked away, like he's above being questioned.

They asked him if if was a mistake to have dropped his previous coach 2 minutes after he lost the race and you expect a civil answer? That being said he is not all that likable.

[Flystripper]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

If some no-name guy beats a known guy who is favored, then of course they are going to focus on the known guy.

the guy wasn't a no-name. He had beaten Wairner before.

[Flystripper]

Originally Posted by Runner Coug

Fair enough, but you're at the Olympics for crying out loud. Surely the athletes know that if they fall short, someone will ask them for an explanation.

I for one have no problem at all with a reporter asking tough questions, that's his job. Don't you ever get sick of pointless interviews like "So, how do you feel"? Tyson Gay has stood on that same sideline with that same reporter all week and answered tough questions like a grown up.

I don't like sideline reporters talking to athletes immediately after they lose. Did you see what that idiot woman sideline reporter did to the little Asian girl when she didn't make the finals in platform? Give the athletes some time. They just barely lost and 4 years of training has come to an end. To expect a response other than a dickhead one is unrealistic.