Cpvault wrote:Thank you Lon. Typically, I express such opinions on this site and immediately I'm attacked. So, I'm glad you said it first. You're right, 13 or 17 is too low for things to be paid for. But, if you are paying for the women and not the men, it just doesn't seem right. When did a 13 foot vaulter become more interesting for fans, than someone jumping 17 feet? Is it when the element of sex became involved? (I'm not exactly talking about the gender). Regardless, you are having trouble getting men in the event because they are being treated as SECOND CLASS ATHLETES.
Trust me, I love watching the women vault; in addition, they saved many high school programs by being able to compete in the vault back in the 90's. But my point still stands, emerging elite men will continue to feel slighted when events like the Simplot Games keep treating us like . . . well I've said it before.
It's not that we are trying to make anyone feel like a second class athlete.We could only get money from simplot for the Women, because they have had the women jump many times in the past and great things have happend (Stacy Broke the World Record two years in a Row on the same runway) We have never tried it with the men before and we are trying to introduce it into the meet. If it goes well, you never know, maybe next year the Simplot people will not be as cheap. But the way things are looking right now, we might not be able to have a mens vault do to lack of a field. I know that it sucks to be a male vaulter in the US when it comes to money, and being an emerging elite is very financially pressing. We just wanted to promote the mens and womens vault this year, and put on a good show for the fans.