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USA Indoors: Where are the stars?
By Bryan Green
I hate criticizing track and field, or track and field athletes. But where the heck were all of them at the USATF Indoor Championships this weekend?
I don't want to short-change any of the champions from this weekend. Many of them are arguably the best in their respective events. Jenn Suhr, Jillian Camarena, Jennifer Simpson (or Barringer, depending on the event), Ryan Whiting, Bernard Lagat and Michael Rodgers all showed up and dominated. They should be commended for that. Unfortunately, in most cases, they didn't have to beat anyone to win their titles.
I could list all of the top US athletes who didn't appear, but that would get depressing. Apparently a US Championship doesn't rank that high on many of our athlete's to-do lists this year. Even worse, the event was shown live on Sunday on ESPN, so there was at least the potential for a ton of viewers. To see what, though? A paucity of competitive events, with winning marks that were worse than many at the MPSF Championships or SEC Championships, cheered on by crowds that were...wait, were there crowds?
Think about this: in a country with so many great milers, ESPN didn't even show the men's mile race! Sadly, it probably turned out to be the best actual race of the meet, but an argument could be made that the top ten US milers didn't show up for the meet (save for Lagat, who ran the 3000m). We can criticize ESPN for that decision, but in the bigger picture, how can USATF and ESPN sell our sport when our best aren't there to be sold?
The freedom athletes have to choose their own destiny in track and field can be a strength, but more often it's a weakness for the sport. I don't care how well this year's USATF Indoor Championships was managed, how great the facilities in Albuquerque were, or how well ESPN and RunnerSpace broadcast it. Doing those well are all necessary, but not sufficient to create a great fan experience. You need the best athletes. From a fan's perspective, it was kind of depressing to watch the meet knowing how many top athletes weren't there.
Sport captures the imagination through rivalries, through superstars, and/or through the clashing of titans when the stakes are on the line. It's why we love playoffs, all-star games, and championship meets. Sadly, anyone who tuned-in to the USATF Indoor Championships yesterday got little of the above.
That's not because track and field lacks rivalries, superstars, or great championship battles, but because the meet didn't have enough. I would argue that the only event that offered a "clash of titans" was the Men's 3000m with Bernard Lagat, Galen Rupp and Brent Vaughn (recent USA XC Champion). But that feels a little generous, as the result was essentially a foregone conclusion.
I especially love the fact that Rupp showed up to the meet and gave his all. And Lagat deserves nothing but respect for his continued dominance. But until Lagat starts to lose, his races will continue to feel like exhibitions and not the titanic clashes fans hope to see.
The fact of the matter is this critique should take nothing away from the victories earned by so many young athletes. You can only beat the people who show up to compete against you, and the winners all rose to the challenge at hand. They deserve their national championships. I just feel the fans of track and field deserved more from those who didn't bother to attend.
 Jenny Simpson vanquishes a 3000m field that might not make the final at an outdoor championship meet. |
I don't want to short-change any of the champions from this weekend. Many of them are arguably the best in their respective events. Jenn Suhr, Jillian Camarena, Jennifer Simpson (or Barringer, depending on the event), Ryan Whiting, Bernard Lagat and Michael Rodgers all showed up and dominated. They should be commended for that. Unfortunately, in most cases, they didn't have to beat anyone to win their titles.
I could list all of the top US athletes who didn't appear, but that would get depressing. Apparently a US Championship doesn't rank that high on many of our athlete's to-do lists this year. Even worse, the event was shown live on Sunday on ESPN, so there was at least the potential for a ton of viewers. To see what, though? A paucity of competitive events, with winning marks that were worse than many at the MPSF Championships or SEC Championships, cheered on by crowds that were...wait, were there crowds?
Think about this: in a country with so many great milers, ESPN didn't even show the men's mile race! Sadly, it probably turned out to be the best actual race of the meet, but an argument could be made that the top ten US milers didn't show up for the meet (save for Lagat, who ran the 3000m). We can criticize ESPN for that decision, but in the bigger picture, how can USATF and ESPN sell our sport when our best aren't there to be sold?
The freedom athletes have to choose their own destiny in track and field can be a strength, but more often it's a weakness for the sport. I don't care how well this year's USATF Indoor Championships was managed, how great the facilities in Albuquerque were, or how well ESPN and RunnerSpace broadcast it. Doing those well are all necessary, but not sufficient to create a great fan experience. You need the best athletes. From a fan's perspective, it was kind of depressing to watch the meet knowing how many top athletes weren't there.
 Galen Rupp deserves props for giving Bernard Lagat his best shot, as most US athletes opted to train for outdoors rather than compete for a national championship. |
That's not because track and field lacks rivalries, superstars, or great championship battles, but because the meet didn't have enough. I would argue that the only event that offered a "clash of titans" was the Men's 3000m with Bernard Lagat, Galen Rupp and Brent Vaughn (recent USA XC Champion). But that feels a little generous, as the result was essentially a foregone conclusion.
I especially love the fact that Rupp showed up to the meet and gave his all. And Lagat deserves nothing but respect for his continued dominance. But until Lagat starts to lose, his races will continue to feel like exhibitions and not the titanic clashes fans hope to see.
The fact of the matter is this critique should take nothing away from the victories earned by so many young athletes. You can only beat the people who show up to compete against you, and the winners all rose to the challenge at hand. They deserve their national championships. I just feel the fans of track and field deserved more from those who didn't bother to attend.
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