NBC's Coverage of Ironman
Tracy Keanaaina
December 4, 1997
Media Alert
NBC’s Coverage of Ironman World Championship
To Include Most Dramatic Footage in Event’s History
Listing:
NBC, December 20, 4:00 P.M. (ET),
1997 Ironman World Championship from Kona, Hawaii. 120 minutes,
taped. Commentators: Al Trautwig, Mark Allen.
Since its inception in 1978, the Ironman World Championship has
commanded the attention of a sporting public usually more inclined
to watch pigskins, jump shots and hockey pucks than swimmers,
bikers and runners. The extremity of the Ironman challenge – a 2.4-mile
swim,112-mile bike and a 26.2-mile run, all completed in succession
amid the heat and wind of Hawaii’s lava fields – intrigues even your more
dedicated couch potatoes. Now as participant sports like 10Ks,
marathons and triathlons have become more popular than ever, a
growing number tune in to measure themselves up against the world’s
fittest athletes.
The race has changed dramatically since the early days – when athletes
actually were told to bring along their own support vans and crews to help
survive the challenge. Now contestants must qualify just to get a chance
to be among the 1,500 Kona elite, and at least among professional
triathletes, the race unfolds at speeds approaching world class – for any
one of the disciplines alone. In an event this challenging, though, racing
that hard sometimes gets you in trouble. NBC’s cameras pick up on a
number of scenes aptly illustrating this – it’s mesmerizing footage of what
happens when athletes realize their only victory will be to cross the finish line.
The event and its athletes always transcend pure sport -- this year NBC
showcases Baywatch actress Alexandra Paul eager to prove that her
athletic prowess is more than an act, and Ironman heroine Julie Moss,
looking for a happy ending to a triathlon career that began 15 years earlier
with a famous crawl to the finish line. Another inspiring story focuses on
Bob Jordan, a 46-year-old FBI commander from San Diego. His race
competition holds extra meaning as he and his wife, Terri, deal with the
loss of their 5-year-old daughter, Emily, to cancer earlier this year.
While in print this may seem a bit melodramatic, trust the race’s
20-year television history and more than 10 Emmy Awards that this
is as real as sports TV gets.
####
ccor...@ma.ultranet.com
In <3486f...@bonaparte.pixi.com>, tra...@ilhawaii.net (Tracy Keanaaina) writes:
> The event and its athletes always transcend pure sport -- this year NBC
>showcases Baywatch actress Alexandra Paul eager to prove that her
>athletic prowess is more than an act, and Ironman heroine Julie Moss,
>looking for a happy ending to a triathlon career that began 15 years earlier
>with a famous crawl to the finish line. Another inspiring story focuses on
>Bob Jordan, a 46-year-old FBI commander from San Diego. His race
>competition holds extra meaning as he and his wife, Terri, deal with the
>loss of their 5-year-old daughter, Emily, to cancer earlier this year.
I guess this gives us a preview of the special interest stories that
NBC/WTC are preparing for the show. I am just biting my tongue
right now, but can't resist saying...GIVE US MORE RACE
COVERAGE! How about the 1350 extraordinary age groupers who
didn't get celebrity passes to IMH? but worked their butts off either
through qualifiers or the lottery to get to the race? How about normal
people who are married, parents, working full time, etc? (my usual
soapbox everytime IMH coverage comes on TV).
Oh well, I should shut up and wait to see the show.
Cathy Corning
ccor...@ma.ultranet.com
Stacy Hills
Tracy Keanaaina wrote in message <3486f...@bonaparte.pixi.com>...
>December 4, 1997
>Media Alert
>
>NBC’s Coverage of Ironman World Championship
>To Include Most Dramatic Footage in Event’s History
>
>Listing:
>NBC, December 20, 4:00 P.M. (ET),
>1997 Ironman World Championship from Kona, Hawaii. 120 minutes,
>taped. Commentators: Al Trautwig, Mark Allen.
>
Oh I hope that the omission of Phil Ligget's name is only an error! His
voice gives added meaning to watching any race, be it the TdF or an Ironman.
I liken it to watching college football with Keith Jackson doing the color
commentary; that's just the way it ought to be.
Stacy Hills
SHi...@VCTInc.com
Reston, VA
STIDuraAce
>Tracy Keanaaina wrote in message <3486f...@bonaparte.pixi.com>...
>>December 4, 1997
>>Media Alert
>>
>>NBC’s Coverage of Ironman World Championship
>>To Include Most Dramatic Footage in Event’s History
>>
>>Listing:
>>NBC, December 20, 4:00 P.M. (ET),
>>1997 Ironman World Championship from Kona, Hawaii. 120 minutes,
>>taped. Commentators: Al Trautwig, Mark Allen.
>>
>
>
Nooooo!!!!
thats one crappy commentating team!!!
The only person who could make that worse is Adrian Carston.
Al Trautwig: CLUELESS, OVERLY DRAMATIC.
Mark Allen: awesome athlete, lots of experience in the sport, but his vioce
makes me want to hit the mute button. (no offense or anthing)
Chris
_O_
I I
I_I\/I_I
SDKellley
>Nooooo!!!!
> thats one crappy commentating team!!!
>The only person who could make that worse is Adrian Carston.
>Al Trautwig: CLUELESS, OVERLY DRAMATIC.
>Mark Allen: awesome athlete, lots of experience in the sport, but his vioce
>makes me want to hit the mute button. (no offense or anthing)
While I do agree, I have to be glad at least ONE triathlon this year is being
aired before mid-night and on network TV nontheless (for those of us in TV
stone-age w/o cable).
Steve
Tracy Keanaaina
Please don't shoot the messenger!!!!
Ray Plotecia
I don't care how good the coverage is. Until I get on TV, I'm not going to
like it.
SDKellley <sdke...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19971206021...@ladder02.news.aol.com>...
Sea2river
Ray,
When you get as old as Bill Bell, as remarkable as Alexandra, as fast as
Mark....you'll make it. :-)
>I don't care how good the coverage is. Until I get on TV, I'm not going to
>like it.
------------
Bob Williams
Sea2...@aol.com
Ken
Tracy Keanaaina wrote in message <3488b...@bonaparte.pixi.com>...
>
>Please don't shoot the messenger!!!!
Tracy Keanaaina wrote in message <3488b...@bonaparte.pixi.com>...
>
>Please don't shoot the messenger!!!!
Why not , we definatly need a new messenger. The messages delivered the
past few years have been pathetically weak at displaying what most of us
really put into the game. NBC has displayed the event as a three man, three
woman race plus a couple of unfortunate souls that have experienced some
sort of tragedy in their lives. I find it hard to believe that their
presentation draws people to the video set. They keep mentioning all the
awards they have received. OK, but who voted for them? The special video
that was put on the screen at the Ironman Hawaii awards ceremony was more of
what I would like to see. It was about the real people out there on the
lava fields, those that were not provided Gold helmets, gold swimsuits and
the like but working their butts off without the cameras in their faces.
The people that were doing IM for the personal challenge and not just for
the press. Those that paid their dues to the "Mile Monster" and
legitimately qualified. NBC producers should watch it.
No matter what, IMH is still a great event and I hope to be able to do many
more.
Have a good day and enjoy the cool of winter.
Ken@Kauai
IMH-97(1st in ag), IMNZ-97(1st+record) IMH-95(2nd), IMH-94(2nd)+++ IMH
1998-Qualified
Tricia Richter
>
> Tracy Keanaaina wrote in message <3488b...@bonaparte.pixi.com>...
> >
> >Please don't shoot the messenger!!!!
> Why not , we definatly need a new messenger. The messages delivered the
> past few years have been pathetically weak at displaying what most of us
> really put into the game.
Just to clarify....
Ken, I think when Tracy said "Don't shoot the messenger," she was
referring to *herself* as the messenger bearing the press release about
the IMH coverage. In that case, I'd just like to say that I don't think
Tracy needs to be replaced by a new messenger! We all (at least, I sure
do) appreciate having Tracy share direct communications from WTC on the
newsgroup.
(you meant you wouldn't mind replacing NBC with a "new messenger", right?)
> NBC has displayed the event as a three man, three
> woman race plus a couple of unfortunate souls that have experienced some
> sort of tragedy in their lives.
Check. Very true.
> I find it hard to believe that their
> presentation draws people to the video set.
Well, perhaps, but remember, you're a participating triathlete, so your
perspective on what's interesting to see in coverage of a triathlon is
different from Joe CouchPotato's.
> The special video
> that was put on the screen at the Ironman Hawaii awards ceremony was more of
> what I would like to see. It was about the real people out there on the
> lava fields, those that were not provided Gold helmets, gold swimsuits and
> the like but working their butts off without the cameras in their faces.
> The people that were doing IM for the personal challenge and not just for
> the press. Those that paid their dues to the "Mile Monster" and
> legitimately qualified. NBC producers should watch it.
I totally agree with you here. I, too, would love to see some of this. I
don't know what it would take to get WTC and NBC to see it this way,
though.
Tri-Baby
_
- o
' - __o - </\_
` ' - \< - __/\
/\o_ - (()) (()) - /
^^^^^^^^^^
"REAL Triathletes don't draft."
*** Ironman Canada 1997 - 13:04:09 ***
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~brooksie
Mracg
In response to "NBC Producers" should watch it (i.e., the IMH Awards ceremony
video they played this year). Well, they did. Ken Murrah is the Executive
Producer for Ironman. Ken puts the show together each year and in my honest
opinion does a fantastic job.
Yes, each year the top 3 or 4 are focused on, but take into context Football or
Basketball. Doesn't Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan,
Shaquille O'Neal, et al, gain more media coverage in their sports? Why? Because
they are the "stars" of their sport. That's what people watch for. They want to
see the best "winning". You rarely see much coverage of the defensive lineman
or the secondary players or the "off the bench" players. Unless they do
something exciting. Same thing. If an Age grouper was kicking butt at IMH,
he/she would most definitely be up there. Remember, Julie Moss will be shown
alot I am sure. And she raced as an Age grouper.
Ratings will sell with Mark Allen, going for his sixth IMH title, over John
Smith from Kansas doing his first. Now granted, you and I and other age
groupers would love to see John Smith and other age groupers competing. But you
know what? What if they covered John Smith on IMH. Wouldn't that make him just
another "human interest story". And what if you didn't like John Smith.
Wouldn't you get tired of seeing him over and over again on the show and
hearing how is progress is going?
You see, the show isn't long enough to cover 1500 athletes, who quite frankly,
ALL deserve the credit to be shown and talked about. From Pro to Age Grouper.
From celebrity to athletes with Aids ... anyone who is at Ironman deserves some
congratulations and some recognition, but for the most part it is unrealistic
to believe that will happen.
Personally I think that IMH and WTC and Ken Murrah do a great job with IMH in
showing the age groupers at the end of the broadcast. I could watch that a
hundred times. I get teared up and inspired each time I watch it. But I enjoy
watching the pro's too and seeing them conquer (or not) the course.
The IMH awards video was cool and guess who put it together? Ken Murrah. The
same guy who puts it on NBC.
I know my views and opinions won't sit well with everyone out there. Sorry
about that. I guess I just love seeing ANY coverage of Triathlon. Be it Pro's,
Age Groupers, IM's or even ITU races.
Okay, 'nuff ranting.
Dennis McMinn
IMC '98
Stev1014
Anyway, I live in Colorado and of course it's below freezing outside. I'm on my
trainer and when the part about Emily Jordan
comes on, I start crying uncontrollably. What a great story. It must
be a great feeling to have that motivation at the start of a race, let alone
the biggest race in the world.
I thought the IMH coverage was pretty powerful. You need to realize that your
audience isn't just 1499 other athletes. I hear the same whining every year
from people who have problems with
something about the coverage.
It's a sporting spectacle that needs to be shared on every level. Be proud of
it.
Scrap Iron Steve
Ken
Mracg wrote in message <19971213052...@ladder02.news.aol.com>...
>In response to "NBC Producers" should watch it (i.e., the IMH Awards
ceremony
>video they played this year). Well, they did. Ken Murrah is the Executive
>Producer for Ironman. Ken puts the show together each year and in my honest
>opinion does a fantastic job.
>
>Yes, each year the top 3 or 4 are focused on, but take into context
Football or
>Basketball. Doesn't Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan,
>Shaquille O'Neal, et al, gain more media coverage in their sports? Why?
Because
>they are the "stars" of their sport. That's what people watch for. They
want to
>see the best "winning". You rarely see much coverage of the defensive
lineman
>or the secondary players or the "off the bench" players. Unless they do
>something exciting. Same thing. If an Age grouper was kicking butt at IMH,
>he/she would most definitely be up there.>
Yep, you are correct. NBC tries to make Triathlon into a football game.
That is indeed the big problem. They don't know how to display triathlon
and have stuffed a little football into each ear so learn nothing from the
critiques presented by the viewing public.
.> Remember, Julie Moss will be shown
>alot I am sure. And she raced as an Age grouper.
Julie Moss may have competed as an "AGE GROUPER" but certainly was not
treated as one. she was set up on a gold plated pedistall prior to the
start. But at least she is a triathlete and came up through the ranks.
Nice to see her compete.
>SNIP
>You see, the show isn't long enough to cover 1500 athletes, who quite
frankly,
>ALL deserve the credit to be shown and talked about. From Pro to Age
Grouper.
>From celebrity to athletes with Aids ... anyone who is at Ironman deserves
some
>congratulations and some recognition, but for the most part it is
unrealistic
>to believe that will happen.
True, with the exception of the celebrity and sick people. Those folks
have their own games to play and get plenty of strokes doing them.
Triathlons, and IMH is no exception, gained popularity as a peoples sport.
A sport that all could participate in. Most of us took the challenge
believing that finishing such an event is next to impossible. It could only
be accomplished by taking ourselves to the limits. We did it for personal
satisfaction, ego building, and to establish an identity that made us a
little different from the others in our office. IMH was a little different
as it evolved into what is dubbed as " The Triathlon World Championship" a
contest for triathletes that have excelled in other triathlon events.
I am all for those celebrities, poor souls that have suffered personal
tragedy or anyone else that has taken the challenge and excelled in the
qualifying events to get their strokes at IMH. I am against bringing in
sad stories, big names and pretty faces of publicity seekers that are not
there for the challenge of the sport. This type of coverage places IMH in
the same class as wrestling.
>
>Personally I think that IMH and WTC and Ken Murrah do a great job with IMH
in
>showing the age groupers at the end of the broadcast. I could watch that a
>hundred times. I get teared up and inspired each time I watch it. But I
enjoy
>watching the pro's too and seeing them conquer (or not) the course.
We really differ on our thoughts about this. Many of the age groupers do
not crawl, stagger or sob after crossing that finish line. We finish
smiling and strong. NBC could very easily learn who the top age groupers
are and put some small focus on those races within the race. Each age
catagory winner gave as much to get to the finish line first, as did the
Pros. A little coverage on that would make the program far more interesting
than sad stories and celebrity faces.
The performances of the top pros are awsome and do deserve the majority of
coverage. They do some unbelievable things out there.
>
>The IMH awards video was cool and guess who put it together? Ken Murrah.
The
>same guy who puts it on NBC.
Yep, A very cool video that gave strokes to the people of triathlon, the
volunteers and the people behind the scenes. All really good stuff. Makes
me wonder why they continue to blow it when they present it on the Big
Tube.
>
>I know my views and opinions won't sit well with everyone out there. Sorry
>about that. I guess I just love seeing ANY coverage of Triathlon. Be it
Pro's,
>Age Groupers, IM's or even ITU races.
>
>Okay, 'nuff ranting.
>
>Dennis McMinn
>IMC '98
See ya at the starting line next year,