Finns and track and field
Finns and track and field
I like track and field but I am amazed at how much tv coverage they have of it. Right now my husband is watching the national meet between Finland and Sweden and is jumping up and down swearing at the tv...I didn't know he could speak so fast...and use so many swear words in such a small amount of time! I just shake my head in wonder....and have to smile at how competitive it is between the two countries!
Carrie J.
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."- Robert Frost
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."- Robert Frost
I think there's something rather nice and old-fashioned about it. Let's face it, the quality of the competitors (excepting a few class Swedish acts) isn't that great, but it IS competition. All too often nowadays athletics is all about highly-paid guys running in GP events against a clock, with a bunch of helpers to get them a good time. The money they win is paramount, and the punters couldn't care less who wins as long as he or she sets a new world record.
When I was a kid, athletics internationals were still quite a big thing in Britain. I remember going to a three-way meet with the US, the UK, and France. Now these things are as rare as rocking horse !"#¤%. The Sweden-Finland event is the oldest track and field international still in existence.
It might not be Celtic against Rangers any more, but it's Sheffield United v. Sheffield Wednesday or Bristol City v. Bristol Rovers. Serious stuff.
When I was a kid, athletics internationals were still quite a big thing in Britain. I remember going to a three-way meet with the US, the UK, and France. Now these things are as rare as rocking horse !"#¤%. The Sweden-Finland event is the oldest track and field international still in existence.
It might not be Celtic against Rangers any more, but it's Sheffield United v. Sheffield Wednesday or Bristol City v. Bristol Rovers. Serious stuff.
Arrgggh, I am SO sick of athletics on TV!!!!
I don't know if any of you know it, but there was a football world championship in Finland like a week or two ago. It was the U-17 championship, but it is still important.
Well, besides having almost 0 promotion, people still showed up to see the games, but stadiums were far from being full.
Finland is trying to have the Euro cup held here in the future, but for what I've seen with this U-17 championship (no ads and no games shown on tv) I don't think FIFA will give anything to Finland again.
Ok, my rant is over
Any opinions about the lack of sports (other than hockey and athletics) on tv?
I don't know if any of you know it, but there was a football world championship in Finland like a week or two ago. It was the U-17 championship, but it is still important.
Well, besides having almost 0 promotion, people still showed up to see the games, but stadiums were far from being full.
Finland is trying to have the Euro cup held here in the future, but for what I've seen with this U-17 championship (no ads and no games shown on tv) I don't think FIFA will give anything to Finland again.
Ok, my rant is over
Any opinions about the lack of sports (other than hockey and athletics) on tv?
-
gavin
The finnish Formula 1 coverage is pretty comprehensive (even though I miss old Murray Walker- and aye, he's retired now anyway)Santtu wrote: Any opinions about the lack of sports (other than hockey and athletics) on tv?
I'd love to see at least the major rugby matches though. Even if it is a bit depressing for a lad brought up in the early '70's in Wales, when we were kings of the world!!!
Cheers
Gavin
1. Games being shown on TV - several WERE shown, though not live. This may simply have been a scheduling thing - I would venture to suggest that there might have been a good few people who would have bitched at having youth football (however entertaining) at prime time. Alternatively it could have been a rights issue. If FIFA sold exclusive live rights to Eurosport (I watched several games on Eurosport and went to a couple in the Finnair Stadium), there is little the national carrier can do about it.Santtu wrote:Arrgggh, I am SO sick of athletics on TV!!!!
I don't know if any of you know it, but there was a football world championship in Finland like a week or two ago. It was the U-17 championship, but it is still important.
Well, besides having almost 0 promotion, people still showed up to see the games, but stadiums were far from being full.
Finland is trying to have the Euro cup held here in the future, but for what I've seen with this U-17 championship (no ads and no games shown on tv) I don't think FIFA will give anything to Finland again.
Ok, my rant is over
Any opinions about the lack of sports (other than hockey and athletics) on tv?
2. Advance promotion. Unfair. There was a good deal of newspaper advertising, and also targeted advertising through clubs and junior leagues. The fact that it wasn't blazoned all over the TV - though it did receive some coverage on daily sportsnight bulletins - should not be seen as indicating there was no publicity at all. People here still read newspapers.
3. The Finnair Stadium was full or close to it on several occasions. 10,000 turned out to watch Brazil murder Portugal in Tampere. FIFA didn't seem too upset, either;
5738 spectators per match
The average attendance of the tournament amounts to 5738. This is a very good figure in Finland, especially if you compare it to the average attendance of the Top Finnish League (approx. 2500).
The highest crowds were registered in Helsinki (Finland-Mexico: 10176, Colombia-Finland: 10200, Brazil-Spain: 10452) and Tampere (Portugal-Brazil: 10190).
The figure compares reasonably well with New Zealand in 1999, but falls a good way short of Trinidad and Tobago in 2001. I cannot remember seeing ANYTHING on the net or in the media about those two previous events. Equally, the main criteria for organisations like FIFA is that everything goes off smoothly and without too many glitches. Bums on seats helps, but it's not everything by any means.
4. The BBC gave the 2003 event zero coverage except in its "African Football" section hidden away on page 1294, where they briefly followed the fortunes of Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Cameroon (and mentioned the missing Sierra Leone players). Did this mean that the Beeb thought it was a waste of time, or does England have to be in something before they get interested?
As for the European Championships, it was a joint Nordic project rather than a Finnish one; it would also have been a UEFA decision, rather than a FIFA one. As it happens, Austria and Switzerland won it.
Believe it or not, there are a large number of people in England who groan when the Premiership starts - different strokes for different folks.
re other sports, Formula 1 is covered in depth, as is rallying, and now the RR series. Until BSkyB went and snagged the rights, we had 1st Division football (as it then was) live every Saturday - which is more than terrestrial viewers in England had. Considering there is no Finnish involvement (except a couple of players), it's amazing we get so much ECL coverage.
Sure, there's no racing from Catterick every day, and no snooker, and those who want to watch the cricket are out of luck, but what the hell do you expect? I hardly imagine a fanatical Swedish handball fan (they are the defending European Champions) is going to get very lucky with coverage of next year's tournament if they happen to live in the U.K.
I don't deny any of the facts you show. I said almost 0 promotion (I don't remember seen any ads on TV advertising this) and that some people went to the games. Still, 5000 spectators per game is far from full capacity. I think it could have been better promoted.
One thing I found very interesting is that the Finnish championship was still going while the world cup was being held. I think it would be a very bright idea to have the Finnish players watch the world championship, so they learn from the best youth players in the world. That'd help avoid things like losing 9-0...
One thing I found very interesting is that the Finnish championship was still going while the world cup was being held. I think it would be a very bright idea to have the Finnish players watch the world championship, so they learn from the best youth players in the world. That'd help avoid things like losing 9-0...
Santtu: I was there for that game. It was 9-1, but that's hardly the point. The Finns had to win, and they were a trifle unlucky to be 3-1 down at the end of the first half - the Colombian penalty was a farce.
From the restart, it was obvious the coach had told them to play "!"#¤% or bust" tactics, and they effectively stopped defending and pushed men up at every available opportunity. It was a foregone conclusion that they would conced a hatful, but losing 3-1 - whilst it would not have made for juicy headlines - would not have done them any good at all either.
In fact there WERE a hell of a lot of youngsters in the audience that evening - it seems that the Finnish FA at least hit the mark on that score.
Part of me agrees with you, but to be quite honest, I think you over-estimate the drawing power of junior football. In a much MUCH earlier thread I did point out the championships to people looking for things to do this summer, suggesting that these kids of 16 or 17 could make adult football look very dull indeed, but I think people are a bit starstruck, and will go along only if someone famous is playing.
Apart from a singularly dull final in which the "wrong" team won, the Championships were a great success, and a veritable goal-fest. 117 goals in 32 games makes the REAL World Cup look like watching paint dry.
From the restart, it was obvious the coach had told them to play "!"#¤% or bust" tactics, and they effectively stopped defending and pushed men up at every available opportunity. It was a foregone conclusion that they would conced a hatful, but losing 3-1 - whilst it would not have made for juicy headlines - would not have done them any good at all either.
In fact there WERE a hell of a lot of youngsters in the audience that evening - it seems that the Finnish FA at least hit the mark on that score.
Part of me agrees with you, but to be quite honest, I think you over-estimate the drawing power of junior football. In a much MUCH earlier thread I did point out the championships to people looking for things to do this summer, suggesting that these kids of 16 or 17 could make adult football look very dull indeed, but I think people are a bit starstruck, and will go along only if someone famous is playing.
Apart from a singularly dull final in which the "wrong" team won, the Championships were a great success, and a veritable goal-fest. 117 goals in 32 games makes the REAL World Cup look like watching paint dry.