Competitor Group's Decision is a Wake Up Call for Track and Field
Competitor Group's Decision is a Wake Up Call for Track and Field
Competitor Group's Decision is a Wake Up Call for Track and Field
- Competitor Group Pulls the Plug on Elite Racing via tonireavis.com
- Competitor CEO Scott Dickey Responds via tonireavis.com
The sport needs to wake up. Let's not jump on Scott Dickey for trying to better his business. They have invested more for the sport than almost anyone and even with all their MBAs, lawyers, and money, they could not justify the expenses of professional runners. Now we are complaining because they tried and failed?
They cannot lift the sport alone. The sport - athletes, coaches, agents, meet directors - needs to work together and think about the people outside in lane eight or on the sidewalk cheering. Athletes race less and less, coaches and agents shy away from matchups that people want to see because someone is getting paid more or it will hurt the athletes confidence.
We need to look at ourselves and ask what we are doing to give back and grow the sport, not complaining when someone invested millions into it and now can't make a return. It is our fault, not Competitor Group.
To Toni's point on the NFL. If the NFL thought it could make more money on Flag Football than in its current form, you better believe we would be seeing a NFFL every Sunday... and if the NFL did that it would probably be awesome.
That's the point. The NFL is trying to make a profit and that is why the game evolves. When is the last time track and field evolved?
We should not be getting angry at Dickey. Instead, we should be looking at ourselves and asking how we can get that level of investment back into the sport and make a return. What do we need to do? Where do they see value in our athletes? What can we do better?
- Competitor CEO Scott Dickey Responds via tonireavis.com
The sport needs to wake up. Let's not jump on Scott Dickey for trying to better his business. They have invested more for the sport than almost anyone and even with all their MBAs, lawyers, and money, they could not justify the expenses of professional runners. Now we are complaining because they tried and failed?
They cannot lift the sport alone. The sport - athletes, coaches, agents, meet directors - needs to work together and think about the people outside in lane eight or on the sidewalk cheering. Athletes race less and less, coaches and agents shy away from matchups that people want to see because someone is getting paid more or it will hurt the athletes confidence.
We need to look at ourselves and ask what we are doing to give back and grow the sport, not complaining when someone invested millions into it and now can't make a return. It is our fault, not Competitor Group.
To Toni's point on the NFL. If the NFL thought it could make more money on Flag Football than in its current form, you better believe we would be seeing a NFFL every Sunday... and if the NFL did that it would probably be awesome.
That's the point. The NFL is trying to make a profit and that is why the game evolves. When is the last time track and field evolved?
We should not be getting angry at Dickey. Instead, we should be looking at ourselves and asking how we can get that level of investment back into the sport and make a return. What do we need to do? Where do they see value in our athletes? What can we do better?