To Whom It May Concern, the problem with Track & FIELD is that the FIELD is given such short shrift by the TRACK people who apparently run our sport (quite unsuccessfully, I might add).
For instance, this article on the Millrose Games by Scott Bush. Take note that virtually ALL of the TRACK events get a thoughtful & detailed promotion of the athletes involved, while the FIELD events are relegated to One SHARED heading, with almost no analysis of the competitors!
Quite frankly, Track & Field in this country is dying BECAUSE it's headed up
by RUNNERS who have little or no regard for the MOST exciting events in our sport, the FIELD events!
They ignore the personalities and stories of field-eventers while they lionize marginal distance & middle distance runners! For example, Runners idolize the late Steve Prefontaine less for his running prowess than for his tenacity and dynamic personality. In short, Prefontaine was a distance runner with the personality of a Jumper/Vaulter/Thrower! As a field-eventers, Pre would have just been "one of the guys".
I eagerly await all angry & inevitable tirades against what I've just written, but if you can open your mind a bit, I hope you'll see the validity of the point I've made. Let's see how that goes..........