While I’ve always loved cross country more than track, I would have to cop to being a big fan of track and field. Ever since my formative days when I was entranced by Edwin Moses’s hurdle winning streak, Henry Marsh going from last to first on the final lap at the Olympics in steeplechase, Carl Lewis and his ability to ignite the crowd in sprints and long jump, Mike Conley in the triple, and of course Joanie Benoit crushing the first women’s Olympic marathon.
So even with my love for cross country, I really enjoy spectating track and field. I’m not entirely sure why but maybe it’s because it’s all front and center, kind of like a multi act play you get to watch as it all unfolds. Or maybe it’s a bit more like a circus, with all kinds of things going on around you everywhere you look. I’ve told parents coming to spectate their first UNH meet it’s like a fishbowl, and as a spectator, you’re in it. Admittedly, when you get down to those last few weeks of the season, when the best of the best are rounding into shape, things tend to get real exciting as the quality of the experience simply gets better.
Which brings me to Super Sunday, known more widely to most as Superbowl Sunday. When we started livestreaming the State Championships, I would find myself in Hanover early in the morning helping set up for the broadcast of both meets happening on the same day. And back at the beginning that day was always the same as the Superbowl. I recall coaches and athletes being excited when they had the early meet, that ending with enough time to get back home before the kick off. The division with the afternoon meet would hem and haw how they would be competing during the game, with a compact made for radio silence about what was going on so everyone could go home and watch what they had TEVO’d without already knowing what happened.
I myself was always more than happy to spend my afternoon at Leverone, both not knowing and not caring about what was happening in a sport called football. Many of my colleagues are big fans of other sports, and particularly Patriots fans (sorry for your loss this season but you’ve got Mike Vrabel now!) but I am not. I can appreciate big plays, great catches, close games coming right down to the last play as it all makes for great theatre. However I’m locked in on track and field, road racing, cross country and the marathon. It’s what I like, and I’ve never been in a rush to get back home so I can see the “big game.” In my opinion, the big game had just played itself out right in front of me.
Looking ahead to this year, the first time I can remember the State Championships being held on two different days, I imagine there will be Division 2 coaches looking for the Sunday meet to hurry up, so they can get home to settle in for the pregame show. I, on the other hand, will be happy to be at the AllWell Center in Plymouth, on the mic, calling out what I see over that special day. I’m sure there will be highlights, I mean who can forget the great battle between Lucien and Jamie last year in the 1K, and for me, those rival anything that might happen on TV. I was quite partial to the Oyster River girls dominance in the distance events as well. Heck, as a distance guy, I even get excited for the field events as well.
I hope I’m not offending any of those that truly love the spectacle that is the Superbowl. I mean I loved Snoop Dogg and company last year as somehow he’s my main man. But I got to see what I needed the next day on YouTube, great plays and great performances (musical and otherwise) and was impressed. But I’m hard pressed to see anything that rivals indoor track in NH. In the words of the great Snoop, I love this shizzle.
And while I won’t mind not having to drive home from Hanover late on a Sunday night, I’ll be quite satisfied I’ve seen the greatest sports performances that will happen that day.
I’ll see you out there.
