Most track seasons are defined by a championship. Every four years it’s the Olympic Games. For the years directly before and after the Olympics it’s the World Championships. Everyone’s focus is on those meets, and it is typically the performances produced in the Major that create the most lasting impressions – and define a season. 2010 was an “off season” however – a season without a major. And off seasons tend to define themselves differently. 2006 saw the rebirth of the 200 meters. 2002 opened the floodgates on BALCO. 1998 saw the World Cup in Johannesburg’s high altitude produce Mexico City like results. 2010 was a very busy year. We…

A couple of weeks ago USATF posted the job description for the incoming CEO. At least it’s the job description that they are using in their search to fill the position. While it’s nice to know that the organization is looking for someone that is: A passionate leader Innovative marketing and sales professional Supporter of athletics and volunteers, and a Skilled team builder As I read the document I’m more interested in exactly what they want this person to do – as I’m sure whomever is hired is going to want to know as well. And I’m not referring to the generic items referenced in the job description: Strategy Communication…

Christmas is nearing the final countdown, so time for only one more request from Track Santa. After much thought I decided to put in a request for a U.S. bid to host the World Championships. After all we are LONG LONG overdue. Not a single bid in the 27 years that the event has been in existence. I don’t know what’s worse, that we haven’t seen Bolt & Gay head to head in the deuce since ‘07 or that the U.S. has yet to bid for the World Championships – I think perhaps the bid. Now this will take a lot of work – we don’t even have a viable…

There are some crucial areas of this sport that are in need of repair if we are to move forward and become all that we can be. One of the most critical being the perception of this sport when it comes to doping. Just this past week came news that Laverne Jones Ferrette – World Indoor 60 silver medalist and the first woman to run under 7.00 in over a decade – didn’t compete outdoors this year because she was suspended for a failed drug test! And I have to scratch my head and ask: why weren’t we told back in February  when it all occurred? It adds to, and…

A staple under most Christmas trees are good old clothes. Sweaters, pajamas, socks, and scarves will be opened up on Christmas morning in homes around the world. On my list this year, I’m asking Track Santa to put some clothing underneath the USATF Christmas tree, because I think it’s time that our national squad got some new uniforms. Since the Barcelona Olympics back in 1992, blue has been the primary color of our national uniforms. While we have had our share of success in “blue” uniforms, the past couple of Majors we seem to have been a bit “snake bit” with dropped batons, injured athletes and the like. The blue…

If Track Santa is kind enough to give me some exciting matchups this coming season, I’d love to be able to actually watch them as they occur. Don’t get me wrong, I love YouTube – because everything ends up on YouTube sooner or later. But there is something to be said for watching something happen when it happens, as opposed to reading about it first and then watching it. Some things are just more exciting LIVE – especially track and field. Besides most track meets are televised now. We don’t get to see them here in the US, but most meets are televised “locally” in Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Since…

As I stated previously, one of the things that has been missing from the sport are high level rivalries. We have some of the best athletes the sport has ever seen, but getting them to compete against each other with anything remotely resembling regularity seems to be nearly impossible as issues such as contract disputes, injuries, and simply not enough money to go around, leaves us with many meets where the field consists of a star vs. supporting cast. That’s unfortunate because rivalries have been a very important part of the history of track and field. Typically, high level rivalries have brought a lot of attention to the sport. Even…

This is the time of year when you submit your wish list to Santa Claus in hopes that come Christmas morning you will find something special beneath the tree. While that list has already been sent off, I do have another list that I’m hoping the “Santa” of track and field will fill. And that list is headed by the establishment of some real hot rivalries in the sport. Every year we are promised some exciting head to head action in track – the kind of competition that once made this sport exciting and great. Something similar to what we had this past year with Chaunte Howard Lowe and Blanka…

Within the past fourteen months we’ve seen the U.S. defeated in two bids for major global competitions. Last year losing out to Rio in the bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, and this past week losing out to Qatar in the bid for the 2022 FIFA Soccer World Cup. And track and field sits in the stands without even submitting bids for the World Championships. Sadly for America’s sporting community, these things are announced in the media and seemingly quickly forgotten. As America seems to have lost it’s appetite for “Olympic oriented” sports with the NBA, NFL, and MLB filling their sporting plates – not to mention huge sides of…

As discussion has shown, selecting the “Greatest Of All Time” is a rather daunting task. This sport has been blessed to have a plethora of outstanding athletes – and sorting out their careers is difficult at best. As I went through the process there were four areas that I deemed as important. 1) Head to head competition against one’s peers. Especially those who were also at the top during their era of competition. 2) Major championships, because in this sport it is the only guaranteed location where one will encounter the absolute “best” athletes in competition. 3) World records – not so much in terms of “how many” but in…