What Can The USATF Do For Track and Field?

 Angelo Taylor 400m 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Adidas Classic 2009

 Do you ever wonder if  the sport of Track and Field will be around in it’s  complete fullness and grandeur when our kids are old enough and blessed enough to perhaps be a part of the landscape of Track and Field ?  Awhile back I happen upon on article on the state of USATF.  They linked an open Letter from reporter and blogger Alan Abrahamson. Here are a few points (questions) I took  from the letter asked in his Open letter to Doug Logan  He  commented on the general state of Track and field, as well as specifically the recent  adidas Track Classic in Carson California  that had a embarrassing 4500 spectators (May 23rd-24th  LA Jets meet had over 3,000 athletes and 8,000 spectators hum???) Looks like they need to integrate the enthusiasm of YouthTrack with Professional Track and Field for starters.

Here are some  of the thoughtful points Mr Abrahamson made.

   “USATF needs to own the sport of track and field in this country. Right now, it does not.

1. Who does? Shoe companies? Agents? Coaches? Promoters? It’s not clear. But what is clear is this: If your federation is going to work with people who put on meets under the USATF aegis, the responsibility is then on you to insure the meet is up to acceptable standards. If it doesn’t go well, what entity is most vulnerable to looking bad? Yours. Who has ultimate authority and responsibility? You.

 2. Do you see the NFL ceding that authority – granting individual promoters the right to put on its games? The NBA? Major League Baseball? Hardly. So that’s the case in track and field because – why, exactly?

3. Because it’s obvious there needs to be a league or a circuit of some sort in the United States, something that makes track and field here something other than a collection of warm-up meets……  what you need is instead an electrifying presence in New York, in Chicago and especially in L.A. Why L.A.? Because L.A. is the entertainment capital of the world”. ….You’re a former concert promoter. Jack Nicholson would look good in the front row watching Allyson Felix, wouldn’t he?