competition
Standing in Fenway Park last night watching the Sox and Yanks duke it out reminded me that one of the reasons running pales as a sport in comparison to baseball is, quite simply, a lack of competition. At least the kind of competition that creates headlines, brings out fans, and gets jerseys buried below the visiting team’s new stadium. Not since the Johnson-Bailey “rivalry” — and let’s face it, few outside of track circles knew about that — has competition been able to spark a somewhat wider interest in the sport. The problem with Johnson-Bailey, though, (IMHO) was that many — including myself — simply saw the circus as two huge egos seeing who can stick his chest out further.
Granted, the bulk of the Sox-Yanks rivalry is largely created by the New York and Boston media and the fans who eat it up, but who cares? People pack out Fenway Park when the Evil Empire rolls into town, and pack out Yankee Stadium when the Sox visit New York. I had to stand up the whole game because there wasn’t a seat to be had. Just being inside the park, smelling the smells and hearing the cheers and jeers in person, watching big play after big play, was enough. The allure of being near the action was romantic in itself.
Maybe it’s because runners are generally nice folks, respecting of each other and the work they put into their training. The nature of track and field athletes certainly plays a part in the lack of competition that is marketed to the general public. But the bulk of the blame, once again, falls on the governing bodies.
Let me get all MLK on you now — I have a dream that one day, thousands will pack stadiums to witness attempts at American and World records, historic match-ups, and back-and-forth rivalries. If we believe that running is as interesting — if not more — than the mainstream sports, then athletes, governing bodies, and watchdog blogs must see that this happens. I haven’t been to the mountaintop, but I can see it from here …