USA Track & Field has written President Bush to express our concern at Marion Jones’ application for pardon or commutation of her conviction for making false statements to federal investigators. Make your own voice heard and join USATF in writing to President Bush. For more information on how to write the White House, click here. Below is the text of USATF’s letter. Read more…
New USATF CEO Doug Logan held his first teleconference today as he was introduced by USATF President Bill Roe, who has been serving as acting CEO since Craig Masback’s resignation in January. Logan will assume his new job on Monday morning when he arrives in Indianapolis from his current residence in south Florida.
“I’m delighted to be in this position,” the 64 year-old former Major League Soccer CEO told the teleconference. “As the staff will learn, I keep a picture on my desk from 1980 of me dressed in clown makeup. It’s a reminder not to take myself too seriously.”
Yet he takes over an organization with serious problems and challenges, including a mandate by the USOC to fundamentally change its governance model and streamline its bloated board of directors. Read more…
INDIANAPOLIS - The USA Track & Field Board of Directors on Thursday approved top sports executive Doug Logan, the former Commissioner, President and CEO of Major League Soccer, as its next CEO. A bilingual sports and entertainment leader with a proven track record of generating long-term sponsor partnerships, television outreach and high fan attendance, Logan and MLS in 1996 were named Sports Industrialist of the Year by Sports Business Daily. Read more…
A full debrief of the Olympic Trials with special guest Coach Vin Lananna (co-chair of the Eugene ‘08 organizing committee and director of track & field at the University of Oregon). Toni and Matt kick off the show with their assessment of the Trials - the highs and lows, surprises and disappointments - before bringing on Coach Lananna, who gives a candid recap of the show.What lived up to his expectations? What can be improved for 2012? How do we make the sport more professional? Can USATF succeed in Indianapolis? This and more on the Toni & Matt Show.
Another sell-out crowd jammed into Hayward Field tonight for Day Six of the 2008 Trials. Expecting fireworks on this Fourth of July with the semifinals of the men’s and women’s 1500 meters, along with the finals in the women’s 5000 and the men’s 10,000 - track crack for the Eugene distance junkies - the mood in the old barn was instead somewhat subdued compared with the other nights’ action. Maybe it’s expecting too much for the Eugene fans to keep rising to new heights of frenzy, but though appreciative, there wasn’t the ferocity tonight we’d seen on night one with the women’s 10,000 meter final, or Monday night for the men’s 800. Still, it was somewhat surprising.
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.
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.]
Track visionaries have been saying it for years: the sport of track & field is stale and requires massive change to elevate its status to that of other professional sports. Those who voiced such opinions, pleading for change, ran up against brick walls. Then proceeded to bang their heads against said brick walls. Years of banging resulted in severe apathy - track is track; it is what it is. Except among a select few who kept the movement alive and inspired the next generation. So here we are today, witnessing a perfect storm of BALCO, the internet, world-class U.S. performances, a second running boom, and the chronic underperformance of our governing bodies. Finally someone has taken notice.
In a stern letter from Jim Scherr, USOC chief executive, to Bill Roe, USATF President and our guest on The Toni & Matt Show #13, track’s governing body was given an ultimatum: change your structure or else risk sanctions and possible decertification. USATF has until June 24 to submit a plan. If the USOC chooses decertification, it will actually take over USATF until a new federation can be formed. Although rare, it has happened in modern pentathlon, team handball, and taekwondo. (click “read full article” for the rest of this story) Read more…
Cathy Griffin of The Griffin Network joins us this week on the Toni & Matt Show to discuss the search for USATF’s next CEO. Griffin’s executive search firm has been tasked with finding a replacement for Craig Masback, who left the organization at the end of last year. We’ll learn more about the search process and find out what type of candidate will lead the organization.
Think you could do a good job? Check out the USATF CEO Fact Sheet to find out.
We have often suggested the PGA TOUR as the model for professional running, but here’s a model that USATF or Running USA should consider for banding together the millions of runners who race across the USA.
Cross Nationals are easily my favorite National Championship each year (NCAA Cross Country, notwithstanding). In the past few years we’ve had Messrs. McDougal and Withrow make auspicious in-roads toward elite senior status as college kids. Max King had everyone asking “Who’s Max King?” in New York. A photo finish on frozen tundra in Indianapolis, and a local guy making good in the long-course race. (I forget his name; I just remember the gist of the story.) Ryan Hall claiming the mantle of Best American Distance Runner in 2006 (though we didn’t know, at the time, that this one dominating race was only the beginning). Last year, Boulder’s best defending their home turf — er, home mud. Read more…