How many ART Boardsies are fans of the sport?

Pisco Sour

There seems to be a lot of people who post on the Athletics forum here and it is probably (after Football, GAA and Rugby) the most visited sports forum on Boards.ie

However I was wondering how many of the people who post here are actually fans of the sport at a professional level? How many people here would tune into say the Olympics, Worlds, Europeans, and perhaps more specifically Grand Prix or Diamond League events? And if yes why? And if not, why not?

I just wonder at times does the amount of visitors to the Athletics forum give a false impression as to the popularity of the sport in this country. It seems like lots of people like to get out and run, but so many of the same people don't know who Paul Hession or Mary Cullen are.

I'll get the ball rolling. I've always been a die hard fan of the sport, ever since 1994 when at the age of 9 I watched Sonia win Gold in Helsinki. I fell in love with the sport then and have been obsessed with it ever since. For me it is the best TV sport out there as there is always about 3-4 different events going on at one time, and the various types of events (Sprints, Hurdles, Distance running, jumps, throws, multi eventing, Racewalking) means that there is something for everyone to enjoy.

shels4ever

04072511 wrote: »

There seems to be a lot of people who post on the Athletics forum here and it is probably (after Football, GAA and Rugby) the most visited sports forum on Boards.ie

However I was wondering how many of the people who post here are actually fans of the sport at a professional level? How many people here would tune into say the Olympics, Worlds, Europeans, and perhaps more specifically Grand Prix or Diamond League events? And if yes why? And if not, why not?

I just wonder at times does the amount of visitors to the Athletics forum give a false impression as to the popularity of the sport in this country. It seems like lots of people like to get out and run, but so many of the same people don't know who Paul Hession or Mary Cullen are.

I'll get the ball rolling. I've always been a die hard fan of the sport, ever since 1994 when at the age of 9 I watched Sonia win Gold in Helsinki. I fell in love with the sport then and have been obsessed with it ever since. For me it is the best TV sport out there as there is always about 3-4 different events going on at one time, and the various types of events (Sprints, Hurdles, Distance running, jumps, throws, multi eventing, Racewalking) means that there is something for everyone to enjoy.

I miss the coverage from the '90 used to make my Friday night with the pre golden league coverage. Were great days so much harder to see meets now. Thinking of going away in the autum to see something .

--amadeus--

AFAIK the cycling forum is significantly more popular than here but this is in the top 10 overall so your point stands.

Personally I watch the Olympic marathons but would have no real interest other than that, although if there was an Irish athlete doing well or being talked about in the press I would follow it. And I know a lot more from here than I did before - names like Hession and Gillick would mean nothing to me without ART so it does rub of a bit.

I like the fact that running is mass participation; I'd rather see runners out running and knowing nothing of the elite side than see the sport end up like football with lardy middle aged men sitting on bar stools thinking they know more than the pampered multi-millionaires on teh TV

doctorchick

Have been a die hard fan since the mid-70s. Would tune into any TV coverage of athletics and watch it from beginning to end. Was spoilt during my youth as I hail from Birmingham and the Alexander stadium would host World class names at various meets and it was/is dirt cheap to get into. When I worked in Oslo I had to walk past the Bislett Stadium every day and would often just stand and stare at the track as I had seen so many class races from there on TV in my youth.

RayCun

I would guess that people who took up athletics as kids would be more likely to be fans of the sport than latecomers like me.

ecoli

RayCun wrote: »

I would guess that people who took up athletics as kids would be more likely to be fans of the sport than latecomers like me.

I think is a major factor. People introduced to the sport at a young age have more exposure to track and as such can empathize with the sport of track and field. If we look to late comers their is more of a road running orientated and as such there is very little coverage (outside Great run Series and marathons)
For me earliest memories were of Sonia and Haile in the Golden League in 1998 (yes later starter at 9:D)

rainbow kirby

I'm a latecomer to running really (started in mid-20s), but I've always enjoyed watching track and field on TV. My earliest memories of it are of watching the Tokyo world championships at age 7, and then trying to set up my own "blocks" in our back garden using a couple of broken bricks... only to realise that I'm an absolutely horrible sprinter. :pac:

RoyMcC

I guess that, with a Brit background, it's been easier for me to connect with elite track & field. Over many years there have always been a few top-class Brit athletes, often with realistic medal chances, appearing at major championships. I think you need to be a truly dedicated fan to appreciate the great performers from other nations - it's always a buzz to see your own athletes compete at the top level.

Unfortunately Delanys, Coughlans & O'Sullivans only come along rarely

RayCun

I think that Sasanach bastard is slagging Irish runners! 800 years of oppression, and now this! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

RoyMcC

RayCun wrote: »

I think that Sasanach bastard is slagging Irish runners! 800 years of oppression, and now this! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

I think you ought to lighten up mate - re-read the post and tell me where I'm slagging anyone.

RayCun

The bit where you said "It's easy to be a British track and field fan because we have lots and lots of top-class athletes to cheer on as they collect their weight in medals, while you paddies have three half-decent runners in the last century" is what I was pretending to be offended by.

RoyMcC

RayCun wrote: »

The bit where you said "It's easy to be a British track and field fan because we have lots and lots of top-class athletes to cheer on as they collect their weight in medals, while you paddies have three half-decent runners in the last century" is what I was pretending to be offended by.

Fair enough then.

I'm an Irish passport holder and love to see Irish sportsmen and women do well. My favourite t&f moment ever is seeing Ronnie Delany rip those last 200m in 1956 - I could watch it time and again.

But it's also been great to be able to cheer on (for example) the Coe/Ovett/Cram dramas - there's no denying that sort of stuff builds a following of fans. Which is what this thread was all about I thought.

token56

I'm definitely a big fan of watching the sport. If there is any athletics, even triathlons etc on tv I'd watch them if I have the time, and if there are any major events here, like the european cross country last year I'll try go them if possible. But then again I have been brought up in the sport from a fairly early age.

Ruu_Old

ecoli wrote: »

I think is a major factor. People introduced to the sport at a young age have more exposure to track and as such can empathize with the sport of track and field. If we look to late comers their is more of a road running orientated and as such there is very little coverage (outside Great run Series and marathons)
For me earliest memories were of Sonia and Haile in the Golden League in 1998 (yes later starter at 9:D)

Same here, I used to follow Sonia O' Sullivan for the most part. I remember her standing with Michael Johnson posing for pictures in the Golden League final race who dominated at that time as well and the battles Sonia had with Szabo!

Brianderunner

At the Frank Duffy 10 mile last year, i was rushing out of there to get back to see Olive Loughnane winning silver in the walk in Berlin. I said it to a few others there and they didn't have a notion about it, at which stage i just bit my tongue. It amazes me how runners are not interested in the sport at its highest level. I mean how many golfers would switch off the British Open on tv, how many rugby players would not watch the heineken cup, etc. As we now have the worlds greatest current sportsman in our sport there really is no excuse for any runner not to be watching.

robinph

Needed a maybe/ Atari Jaguar option, but I went for yes.

I'd watch big city marathons when they are on, and if I happen to notice other events on telly then I'll probably watch them although I'd not go especially out of my way to do so.

dna_leri

I have been a fan since childhood, particularly the 80's with Coe, Ovett, Coghlan, etc. My interest in it waned as did my participation, probably also due to the big doping scandals like Ben Johnson.
Got more intersted again in the last few years as I returned to compete as a master and now would try to watch grand prix events etc on TV. Actually only got to a live major meet in the last few years.

Pisco Sour

Brianderunner wrote: »

At the Frank Duffy 10 mile last year, i was rushing out of there to get back to see Olive Loughnane winning silver in the walk in Berlin. I said it to a few others there and they didn't have a notion about it, at which stage i just bit my tongue. It amazes me how runners are not interested in the sport at its highest level. I mean how many golfers would switch off the British Open on tv, how many rugby players would not watch the heineken cup, etc. As we now have the worlds greatest current sportsman in our sport there really is no excuse for any runner not to be watching.

This

hot to trot

I confess that I run for fitness, fun and for myself. I have been running for about 2 years from scratch. I am not interested in it as a sport per se.
Like Golf, I find it very boring to watch on TV. I will support Irish athletes in Major events if they are on but I dont get to watch much telly so havent seen any events or games at all in the last two olympics.

If it wasnt for these boards, I wouldnt know any names at all. :o

--amadeus--

Brianderunner wrote: »

there really is no excuse for any runner not to be watching.

That's a load of rubbish, runners don't need an "excuse" not to have an interest in elite T&F. You either like it and watch it or you don't.

hot to trot

Its a bit like asking runners who swim for a bit of cross training if they are supporters of competitive swimmers. Many people run or swim or bike for activity rather than as a sport .

Pisco Sour

hot to trot wrote: »

Its a bit like asking runners who swim for a bit of cross training if they are supporters of competitive swimmers. Many people run or swim or bike for activity rather than as a sport .

True, many people run for fitness, and to help them perform better in other sports etc. I wouldnt expect some GAA player who runs 20k a week to have an interest in top level athletics.

But then there are others who do treat distance running as a sport. i.e. they are running in road races, trying to beat PB's, trying to finish as high up in a race as possible. No way would I classify that as "activity". That is sport.

Which is why I am surprised that people who spend hours and hours training and trying to cut minutes off their PB's have no interest in watching the best do what they try to do.

For example, all local club rugby players would obviously watch the Heineken Cup and 6 Nations. If you are heavily involved in rugby it would make sense to have an interest in watching Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connoll etc. These are among the very best and who club players would look up to and strive to be like.

Similarily, people who run marathons in 3-4 hours are no different to club rugby players. They spend a lot of time training. They are committed to the SPORT (i.e. it has gone long past the stage where it is merely an activity). So I find it surprising that people at this level are not interested in watching the likes of Haile, Derartu Tulu, Radcliffe, Gete Wami, Tirunish Dibaba etc etc etc

But each to their own I suppose.

hot to trot

I think that with Rugby and sports like that - where you watch them on TV you can look at their skills/plays and imagine what you might do in the same situation - how you would have played the ball etc but in running and golf ( in my humble ignorant opinion) running is running and nothing changes apart from strategic moves for position - but the running technique itself is the same so ( God forgive me ) after intitial admiration for the length of their strides , body posture etc - its a bit like watching a hamster on a wheel. Now I know I have probably offended anyone with an interest in competitive athletics. Forgiveness requested instantly
:eek: I am so dead...

ultraman1

hot to trot wrote: »

I think running is running ,its a bit like watching a hamster on a wheel. Now I know I have probably offended anyone with an interest in competitive athletics. ..

probably:D

ecoli

I Think exposure is something which comes into play here as well. If we look to golf,football,rugby cricket etc. we see that the amount of tv coverage for these sports on national and international competition is so much more than athletics. Hard to follow the sport without the internet (like many of use here). For me i spend so much time scouring for streams and results sites in order to follow. For the average fan this is not always possible

--amadeus--

I think ecoli has a good point, look at rugby as an example. Has the recent boom been because Irish provinces and the national team are doing well or is it because the fairly new Heinekin Cup has driven print & TV exposure? If top rank athletics had similar levels of exposure how much more popular would it be?

I think there is a visual skill element as well though. A club GAA or football player can watch elite teams and learn from them - he can watch the players movement off teh ball, see how they track back or close down or whatever. For a casual runner - once you get over the awe at the speed - there isn't the same obvious skill to see on teh track.

And besides which simply classifying as activity versus sport is a false dichotomy. There are sports you watch and sports you participate in. the most popular "sport" in teh British Isles is (or at least was) angling. Yet programs about angling focus on the recreational side and you never see coverage of competitive fishing, nor could I see fishermen wanting to watch it. Same applies with running. I like to run. I like to race. I like to compete against myself and I like to see people I know progress. Why should it automatically follow that because I run 26 miles as a hobby that I should want to watch people running 400 or 800m or whatever?

thirtyfoot

hot to trot wrote: »

Its a bit like asking runners who swim for a bit of cross training if they are supporters of competitive swimmers. Many people run or swim or bike for activity rather than as a sport .

I would agree with that as a reason why people wouldn't have an interest and a valid reason too.

hot to trot wrote: »

running is running and nothing changes apart from strategic moves for position - but the running technique itself is the same so ( God forgive me ) after intitial admiration for the length of their strides , body posture etc - .

Forgiveness given but alas running is not just running and athletics is not just running;)

--amadeus-- wrote: »

For a casual runner - once you get over the awe at the speed - there isn't the same obvious skill to see on teh track.

True but if you want to be more than a casual runner I would find it strange that people who are serious about their sport would not believe they can learn something from the best. Comes back to hot to trot's that if they are just in it for fitness etc but if uts your sport I'd find it strange for people to not have an interest.

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Why should it automatically follow that because I run 26 miles as a hobby that I should want to watch people running 400 or 800m or whatever?

Again it depends how serious you take it and how much you want to max yourself, but as a coach I find that watching any sport at the highest level can teach you so much. Whether discus, cross-country skiiing, speed skating, rugby, cycling etc they will have teach you something about sport.




Generally dismissing watching and being a fan or student of a your sport because you won't learn anything when you actually do want to better yourself is very naive and is the fatal flaw when it comes to sportspeople/athletes/runners/coaches/self coached athletes etc. The fatal flaw is the belief you know it all already and won't learn anything (and that could be from watching the sport you call your sport) and when you come to that day you will never progress.

It may just be running but as I said there is more to athletics than running but even at running there is so much to learn by just watching, observing and taking it all in like a sponge. It may just be 0.1% each time, but 1000 x 0.1% is a lot.

Ignore the last two paragraph ramble if you just do it for fitness but ignore at your peril if you want to progress in whatever guise or level in the sport. A picture paints a thousand words and watching a sport will tell a lot more than any article or book.

Its interesting that the % in the poll is similar to the 'In a Club vs Not in a Club' poll a while back at 2:1, maybe those in clubs and the competitive side can appreciate the elite sport more as competition and not just fitness is their gig. Not saying does 'not in clubs' can't be interested in the elite sport and appreciate it.

--amadeus--

I spotted teh parallel in ratios as well, I wonder if it's coincidence.

As for the rest...

I don't think anyone is claiming to "know it all". That said there are thousands (tens of thousands?) or runners who occasionally race and who have very litle interest in maximising thier performance. In the last month I have met 2 runners for example who are both simply clicking off marathons with little or no regard for time (1 is chasing membership of teh 100 marathon club, 1 is aiming to do every Irish road marathon in a 12 month span). It may be pretty much the opposite of what T&F people (or even teh majority of club runners) do but it's no less valid a participation for that.

Nor does not watching elite runners imply that you don't think you can learn anything from them. Of course you can; thier training methods, nutrition, sessions, equipment all can be of interest and use for sub elite / club or recreational runners. But in reality what lessons will your average road runner glean from watching an elite sprint? What will an ordinary marathon runner pick up from a 400 or 800m race - or even a 10,000m? Whatever about seeing teh athletes live you will get very little from TV coverage - when I watched the Olympic marathon a hefty proportion of teh coverage was either close ups of heads and torsos or helicopter overhead views. Kind of hard to see the finer points of technique from 3,000 feet up.

Put it this way if you had to list the top 5 (or 10 or 20) things that a runner could do to improve thier performance where would "watch athletics on TV" rank?

drrunner

I would watch as much athletics on TV as I could get my hands on. Have also gone to most of the majors in the last 15 years. So am definitely a fan of the elite end of the sport as well as the other parts. Reasons....

- Knowing how hard Irish athletes train and their dedication, I am fascinated to see how they perform on European and World stages. They rarely have a world class infrastructure behind them yet they frequently produce performances that can be considered to be world class (not necessarily medal winning). This is great to see. And totally under appreciated by the public at large, but c'est la vie.

- Being a participant in the sport makes me appreciate how talented the top guys are and how phenomenal the human performances are and I love watching events in the anticipation of a phenomenal performance - whether it's Valerie Vili in the shot put or Thorkildsen in the javelin or Mr Bolt or Blanka Vlasic in the high jump or Bekele or whoever....

- The competition in some events is gripping and there are some classic rivalries which make it more entertaining - the individual head to head nature of the sport (as opposed to team sports) make the psychology very interesting - who will crack and who will thrive under the pressure?????

- It is always interesting to then find out more about the athletes when you see them perform in a major championships or event....

But at the end of the day, I guess it's down to whatever floats your boat...some people are involved just for their own performance, some people are non-participants, but are huge armchair fans and some are both...