The Toni & Matt Show #16
USATF board member Stephanie Hightower discusses the state of of our sport AND our governing body. The LA Marathon is sold; Chris Devine apologizes. Tiger Woods does it again. Meb is ready. Athlete values rise and fall at NCAA Champs. It’s all on today’s episode of the Toni & Matt Show.
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The Big Story - Stephanie Hightower joins us in the “studio” from Ohio. The four-time U.S. 100m hurdles champion and 1980 Olympic Team member, Hightower currently serves on the board of USATF and is the chair of USATF’s Women’s Track and Field Committee. In today’s discussion she responds to the demand from USOC for USATF to restructure. Is this a chance to split the organization into different governing bodies (e.g., race walking, track & field, youth, masters, ultra, etc)? Yes, but no. We find out where things stand in the CEO search. Will we have a new one by June 27th, the start of the US Olympic Trials? Sounds doubtful. And Matt digs in about the presentation of our sport on television and in person. What happens in the board room - are their conversations about what the fans want? A great conversation, and some great insight into the challenges facing USATF in this CEO-less Olympic year.
Quick News: The LA Marathon is sold. Tiger wins on Monday, which Toni loves. But Matt argues that the US Open got really, really lucky. Toni puts an end to the LetsRun rumors - Meb is healthy and ready to go, according to his brother and agent, Merhawi. And what athletes gained and lost value at this year’s NCAA meet?
Major Russ Stewart calls in from Tikrit, Iraq. If you listen to only two-minutes of the show, these are the two minutes you want to listen to. The Tikrit Running Club is up and running (who wants a t-shirt?), Russ roots for Webb and laments people who don’t consider Bernard Lagat an American. Thanks Russ. Stay safe!
What do you think? Call us at 206-888-0346 or email to comments (at) runnerville (dot) com.
[Music is “Keep on Running” by The Trojans.]
Last 5 posts by Matt Taylor- The Toni & Matt Show #17 - Vin Lananna - July 9th, 2008
- LetsRun.com Eugene '08 - June 30th, 2008
- USOC to USATF: Change Now! - June 14th, 2008
- The Toni & Matt Show #15 - June 11th, 2008
- Toni & Matt at the Running Film Festival - June 11th, 2008
June 18th, 2008 at 11:18 pm |
A Runnerville/LetsRun “TV” show should be good.
June 25th, 2008 at 1:57 pm |
Hey Toni,
Just listening to your interview with Stephanie Hightower on Runnerville.
I was wondering if any one has brought up Condoleeza Rice as a candidate for USATF CEO? She says her goal is to be the commissioner of the NFL in the near future. This may be a good step towards that for her. What do you think?
Anonymous
June 25th, 2008 at 4:50 pm |
I’m interested in Toni’s take on why he feels the new CEO doesn’t have to have a running background. Given two candidates that have salesmanship, wouldn’t it be an advantage to know the product - or would that cloud their vision?
In the millions of runners out there, surely there must be one with the right stuff. It seems a little to me like someone saying it doesn’t take an American to be president. Poor analogy? I think not.
June 25th, 2008 at 10:27 pm |
It’s more about the need to re-configure the organization. Just as the USOC has suggested. If that re-organization creates a more direct management by the executive office rather than a serie so of committees, then someone from inside running with the propre skill set would be perfectly appopriate.
I spoke with Jim Millman, the new CEO of USA Boxing this week. He came from the sports marketing and sponsorship arena outside boxing to take the job a year ago. Before he arrived the USOC had required USA Boxing to re-organize its old governance which at one time had had nine CEOs in nine years.
A new board was brought in, and the decision making was quickly taken out of committee hands and installed in the CEO’s office.
“We are a sport,” said Millman. “We are a business. And we are a non-profit. It’s the strategic blending of those three, taking advantage of all three, recognizing if we just do one we will be left behind. We have to think like the PGA and NBA better.”
Soccer turned their focus on youth 15 years ago. Today, soccer is the king of the playground, and live coverage of the European Championship is drawing viewership on ESPN2.
Running and track will have to make a similar, long-term committment, and going forward with the old system which isn’t nimble enough to compete with not just soccer, but many other leisure time pursuits is what requires fixinng.