Happy NCAA XC Monday

So I probably should have posted this yesterday but I didn't. Great times yesterday watching the NCAA Championships while talking on the phone with various other fans and following it up with another great run (10.5mi) with JLew out in Rancho Santa Fe. So without further adu a few thoughts of mine that came from the NCAA's:

• Galen Rupp is the real deal. I know there are tons of haters out there but the fact of the matter is that he is our guy and we need to get enthusiastic about it. If he didn't go to UofO he would have gone pro but the fact of the matter is Nike is able to skirt around NCAA rules and allow Rupp to train like a pro but still get to experience the fun and excitement of the NCAA. Hell, that's the way it is in all the other NCAA sports, why not ours?


• The University of Washington, I guess now referred to simply as UDub, is the perfect example of how amazing recruiting can turn a program in to a national champion. There was no reason for those girls to chose UW except that were told that if they went they would be national champions. I think other programs are starting to take that same outlook, OK State for men for example, and prove that all you need is some great recruiting and you can build a championship caliber team.


• CBS needs to do a little research on how to broadcast a running event. I thought it was GREAT that they decided to not only stream it live on the Internet but also show it live on TV on their CBS College Sports. However, they did a poor job following anything but the leaders in the two races. If they could just throw a few cameras on the ATVs that are following the lead packs we could have had some great/easy shots of the other runners and the team competition, which they make a big deal of but don't follow visually while it is unfolding. Maybe they should hire the FloTrack guys as consultants or something because, although their production/editing/presentation are not CBS quality, they certainly understand the way to cover a race better than anyone else out there.

Well that's all I have for now. Now I need to get a run in and get some work done.