NBC's Track and Field Smack Down

Sunday afternoon I watched the US Outdoor Track and Field Championship on NBC. I did not enjoy it. I cannot get that excited about track and field anymore when I suspect most of the athletes are taking performance enhancing drugs. At this meet one runner was there after an 18 month suspension for failing a drug test. Who cares if a new meet record (Tyson Gay in the men's 200 meter) is set? Who cares if the woman (Jennifer Stuczynski) who won the Women's Pole Vault had never touched a vaulting pole until three years ago and then was a world class vaulter 10 month later? Who cares if this feat is, as her coach describes,"..(as) if one of us picked up a golf club and in 10 months beat Tiger Woods and won the Masters?" None of it has any meaning with the specter of drug use floating around this and all other sports. I also hate the fact that although this used to be an amateur event it is now a Pro/Am event with a mixture of runners from American colleges and universities running against people representing sports apparel companies.

But even with these thoughts in mind I would still have got more enjoyment out of the event if not for NBC's presentation of it. Every race was a showdown between two of the participants with lots of pre-race hype from the commentators. In the Men's 200, Tyson Gay (Adidas) against Wallace Spearmon (Nike). In the Men's 1500 meter, Alan Webb (Nike) against Bernard Lagat (Nike).

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After every race a quick word with the first and second place finishers- except for the Men's 1500 meter. The race started with Webb and Lagat in front with either one expected to win it. Near the end Webb and Lagat had pulled away from the pack with only four other runners staying with them, one of those runners being Leonel Manzano from the University of Texas. The camera was on Webb and Legat at the final turn of the last lap and in the background, running fifth, you can see Manzano make his move and pass the guy running in fourth. He is right behind Leagat as Webb makes his move and pulls away from Legat. Manzano catches Leagat and then steals second place from him as he hits the tape .26 seconds before Legat does. Big upset. Webb runs a new meet record time and Legat finishes third.

So, what does NBC do? Do they interview the two men who finished first and second? They do not. The men who end up being interviewed are Webb and Legat, first and third place. Leonel Manzano is the man who wasn't there. He just disappears from NBC's radar. I wait for the interviews to be over and the commentators to mention Manzano. It doesn't happen and NBC goes to commercial. I wait to see if NBC will mention Manzano after the break. Still doesn't happen as they move on to another event. My husband wonders if they did not interview Manazano because he is Hispanic. I wonder if they did not interview Manzano because he was not running for one of the sports apparel companies. I also wonder if I will be watching the Olympics next summer. NBC is doing the coverage.

(A story about Manzano's second place finish in the Men's 1500 meter here. )