Originally Posted by Hayden (Post 9548715)

@ Lucas :joker:

Originally Posted by Hayden (Post 9548298)

I'm sad Mo lost but at the same time I'm ok with it? Like the BBC can stop spending an hours worth of coverage each on him and Bolt everytime they have a race on/the day after their races and we can finally see other people get some recognition for their achievements as well as more athletics action

Originally Posted by Cherie (Post 9549459)

Agree they amount of time spent on them is outrageous, not really fair on other
atheletes who work just as hard, sad for Mo he couldn't finish with a gold but like Bolt in the 100 it was a step too far

Originally Posted by Jack_ (Post 9550080)

The thing about the Mo/Usain exposure though is that like it or loathe it they are the big draws in athletics at the moment. The Men's 4x100 peaked at 9.9m last night for example, with the 5,000m at about 8m - that's about 2-3m higher than it's been throughout the rest of the week. While I agree it'd be nice for some other athletes to be recognised for their achievements (indeed on a personal level I like rooting for underdogs and celebrating semi-unexpected victories) it goes without saying that the biggest names (especially in their retirement year) will get the most coverage by the broadcasters, it's just supply and demand.

I get it must be a bit frustrating as a dedicated follower of a sport to have a load of casuals turn up just to support a few household names/watch blue riband events but it's the same across the board (like an England game/WC Final out rating other matches). The big names generate interest which in turn (usually) help fill stadiums, which is why I think there may be a little bit of truth to the WVN conspiracy theories since their departures are going to leave such a big hole in the sport. But I guess it all comes down to whether you prefer niche or mass exposure (and there are benefits to both, I quite enjoy snooker having a niche following), but I'm not really in the position to answer that as I'm not as dedicated as you guys are.

Originally Posted by Hayden (Post 9548311)

This is another reason why I'm NotTooBothered.ginario @ Mo and Bolt retiring, because it invites casuals who know nothing about the sport and have no interest whatsoever other than seeing Mo and Bolt win a medal, and crying when anyone dares challenge the narrative

Originally Posted by Hayden (Post 9550129)

I touched on the whole "it draws in more viewers thing" in another post:



At least now there'll be less people chatting **** about stuff they have no idea about, or if the casuals do stay and continue to watch post Mo/Bolt then it encourages them to actually understand the sport a bit better and realise that there are actually other events happening and that the sport as a whole really is incredible even without big names

Originally Posted by Hayden (Post 9550135)

Also the 2014 Commonwealth Games showed that you don't need Mo/Bolt/Jess etc to fill a stadium - the crowds were jam-packed almost every session and I think Bolt only ran like two relay races in the last two days of it. It helped boost the profile of other British athletes like Eilidh Doyle, Adam Gemili, Lynsey Sharp, Jazmin Sawyers etc. which is good for the sport.

I can't wait for next year's World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, and the 2022 Commonwealths being in England too :flutter:

Originally Posted by Jack_ (Post 9550165)

I actually laughed at the Chelimo thing so I see your point, but while there will be a void without them for a while it will undoubtedly be filled at some point and most of the attention will then shift to whoever that may be. Every sport has and needs its big name(s) and big events and unfortunately the price you pay for having good ratings/sponsorship etc is that they'll get a lot of coverage to the detriment of other athletes and events. But from what you've said it sounds like you'd prefer there to be less casuals which is fair enough :laugh:



Glasgow 2014 was a whole different ballgame though, it was two years after a hugely successful home Olympics and the appetite was still there for a multi-sport event on British turf. That's why the BBC opted for wall-to-wall coverage again, I don't think they'd ever done that for a Commonwealth Games before? But yeah, IIRC most of the venues were packed because people who missed out on or just missed 2012 in general wanted to get in on the action, I think the same has applied to these Championships too and that's why almost all the sessions have been packed out, but it goes without saying that the most sought after tickets in the ballot last summer were the nights Mo and Bolt were on.

It's not that I'm saying Mo/Bolt/Jess etc are/were the only draws of athletics, of course not, there's a whole range of factors involved (including the post-2012 legacy), it's just that for now they have been ~the names~ and that's why they've received the most coverage. One benefit of GB's victory last night though will hopefully be that people who tuned in to watch Bolt now see the strength and depth of our team and are encouraged to watch in the future.

Originally Posted by Macie Lightfoot (Post 9550221)

okay I see a lot of good Brits getting name dropped but what about daddy Greg

Originally Posted by Hayden (Post 9550366)

Denise: "I don't want these championships to just be all about Mo and Bolt"
Gabby: "Well we'll get into discussing those two later but first there's a medal ceremony coming up"

Originally Posted by Hayden (Post 9550357)

Yeah I do agree with what you're saying but like I said before I'm actually glad they're retiring because it means we aren't being force fed the same coverage every time and it means we can actually focus on other good aspects of the sports

Originally Posted by Jack_ (Post 9550398)

Well we agree there, I'm gonna miss them but am looking forward to seeing who feels the void in the years ahead

How would you assess our performance this week btw? Subpar, about right or better than you expected?

Originally Posted by Jack_ (Post 9550401)

why do I lowkey think Gabby and Paula hate each other :joker:

Originally Posted by Hayden (Post 9550357)

Yeah I do agree with what you're saying but like I said before I'm actually glad they're retiring because it means we aren't being force fed the same coverage every time and it means we can actually focus on other good aspects of the sports