Hmmm... Interesting tidbit of information, (or propoganda) that I found on the USATF Web Site. Does this mean that we are all stressed and worried over nothing? Or does it mean that we should worry more, since USATF believes they have everything figured out?
Are they going about it the wrong way?
And yes, for anyone worried about copyright infringement or anything like that, here is the link... Curtesy of our friends at USATF and the Internet. "Praise be to you, oh Bill Gates and Al Gore." (Note slight air of cynicism in that last statement.)
http://www.usatf.org/about/
"Pushing Ahead
Although our sport traces its roots back to ancient Greece, USATF is on a mission to put track and field at the cutting edge of the 21st-century sports scene. In 1999, USATF established the Golden Spike Tour for indoor and outdoor track and field, a series of elite competitions that gives American athletes what they've requested for years - to compete at home, to receive increased television and other media coverage, and to be paid significant prize money based on performance.
Using innovative meet formats, the Golden Spike Tour has helped to repackage the sport, drawing new fans and new sponsors alike. The Indoor Golden Spike Tour typically averages more than 10,000 fans per meet, while Outdoor Golden Spike Tour meets are standing-room only. Financially, USATF has doubled its overall revenues since 1997. The organization currently has an impressive line-up of sponsors that includes Verizon, General Motors, Nike, Xerox, BenGay and Visa.
This surge in revenue has coincided with a hefty increase in the number of track meets broadcast on television and TV ratings. Our sport has upwards of 50 national TV broadcasts in any given year, and average Nielsen ratings for track and field broadcasts are higher than those of the NHL, the WNBA and Major League Soccer. In addition to getting national TV coverage of the Golden Spike Tour, USA Track & Field has worked with ESPN and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to bring same-day, prime-time coverage of international Golden League meets to ESPN throughout the summer season."
Comments? Anyone have a tv and watch these meets, since as a grad student I can't afford the time or money for one.