Weak D+C coverage

[GirlsXC_Coach]

Why is it everyother sport has an article about each class finals? Basically that would be an article for 2 teams. Cross Country gets 1 article for EVERY team in Section V. Thats not acceptable in my mind.

If everyone on this messageboard took the opportunity to send the D+C sports an email explaining how you felt misrepresented maybe we could get some expanded coverage in the future. All of you deserve better ...

Here is a page on their website with email addresses listed:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=99999999&Kategori=CUSTSERV&Lopenr=51024003&Ref=AR

[wcountyalum]

Why is it everyother sport has an article about each class finals? Basically that would be an article for 2 teams. Cross Country gets 1 article for EVERY team in Section V. Thats not acceptable in my mind.

If everyone on this messageboard took the opportunity to send the D+C sports an email explaining how you felt misrepresented maybe we could get some expanded coverage in the future. All of you deserve better ...

Here is a page on their website with email addresses listed:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=99999999&Kategori=CUSTSERV&Lopenr=51024003&Ref=AR

the D&C sucks...period. they only care about the bigger sports (i.e. football, soccer etc) and with that, they only care about the bigger schools. i remember a few runners back when i was in school, noel bateman (spelling?) and leo smith. both ridiculous runners, but because it was X-C, the paper didnt care. both kids had handfuls of sectional patches but lets face it, X-C is a lower class sport to the D&C

[exlaxer78]

They only care about the bigger schools because of the population or demographics. It's called marketing. You try and satisfy the readers that actually subscribe to your publication.

I remember not long ago when NASCAR got little to no print. That changed because readers, i.e. subscribers, were up in arms about the lack of attention given to auto racing. Of course it helps that it was once (still is?)the largest sport by attendance. Those numbers have dropped this year, but I still see articles in the paper.

Bottom line is, if there is enough clamoring for more XC coverage, the D&C may respond. Until then, it's business as usual.

This may be a moot subject in a few years anyway.

[Running Fool]

I sent this in on 11/1:

Another fine fall of sports coverage sullied by lack of ANY coverage for the Monroe County Cross Country championships on Saturday. Section V has some of the state's best teams, and nationally ranked individual runners yet 24 high schools running against one another for a county championships merits a 2 inch blurb on page 8!

I understand space and time constraints, but lets try a little harder to cover a wider variety of sports including cross country!

His reply:

I have copied my boss, Steve Bradley, in on this.

Nice.

If everyone would send emails to jdiveron@democratandchronicle.com
we might start to get notice, but I doubt it. The Democrap & Comical won't change.

[X-Crunner]

The Democrap & Comical won't change.

Funny.:)

[sectionvguy1]

Believe me it is nothing personal about X-C, it is about MONEY! The D&C is a business attempting to make money. At this point sports like X-C, swimming, bowling and field hockey do not the volume of interest that the sports of football, basketball, soccer, hockey and lacrosse do. Take boys basketball, they hold the finals at BCA on a friday and saturday night and draw close to 20,000 people. People compain at the small schools as well, problem is there are a million and a half people in Monroe County (yes that accounts for about 30 or so school) while the remaining leagues Steuben, Allegany, Finger lakes, Genesee and Livingston (account for 80+ schools) combined have under half million people. To say its not fair is just wrong. Fairness comes from Section V as it provides a tournament and program for every team in each county.

[GirlsXC_Coach]

Believe me it is nothing personal about X-C, it is about MONEY! The D&C is a business attempting to make money. At this point sports like X-C, swimming, bowling and field hockey do not the volume of interest that the sports of football, basketball, soccer, hockey and lacrosse do. Take boys basketball, they hold the finals at BCA on a friday and saturday night and draw close to 20,000 people. People compain at the small schools as well, problem is there are a million and a half people in Monroe County (yes that accounts for about 30 or so school) while the remaining leagues Steuben, Allegany, Finger lakes, Genesee and Livingston (account for 80+ schools) combined have under half million people. To say its not fair is just wrong. Fairness comes from Section V as it provides a tournament and program for every team in each county.

Yes but ...
Check this data from the NFHS
http://www.nfhs.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=4198

[sportsfanatic21]

ryan moynihan barely edged calvin patten in the d/dd race. cohen miles rath had his great pace the whole race, and won the c race over Paul Schwan. both Geneseo's won, and not sure on c

[sectionvguy1]

Yes but ...
Check this data from the NFHS
http://www.nfhs.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=4198

I’m not sure how to understand the connection to selling newspapers?

Those numbers show that the sports I listed are bigger (especially baseball, football, soccer and baseball/softball) almost by double the amount. When you add in Hockey and Lacrosse in the Northeast as a % of the total, it maybe just the same. The most important fact to consider is the fact that the sports listed are spectator sports, so not only do they cater to the participants but to the neutral fans who may not have a direct connection.

Another fact with X-C or Track, they are NO CUT sports in high school and are based on participation. The sports above are cut sports and it has an influence of the national totals. Imagine the basketball and soccer totals if the school had to keep everyone who tried out? WOW!

[GirlsXC_Coach]

I’m not sure how to understand the connection to selling newspapers?

Those numbers show that the sports I listed are bigger (especially baseball, football, soccer and baseball/softball) almost by double the amount. When you add in Hockey and Lacrosse in the Northeast as a % of the total, it maybe just the same. The most important fact to consider is the fact that the sports listed are spectator sports, so not only do they cater to the participants but to the neutral fans who may not have a direct connection.

Another fact with X-C or Track, they are NO CUT sports in high school and are based on participation. The sports above are cut sports and it has an influence of the national totals. Imagine the basketball and soccer totals if the school had to keep everyone who tried out? WOW!

All I said was that it was interesting ... No point. Thank you for explaining all of that to me, but I have been around for a little while. I know how high school sports work. :rolleyes: I have been around long enough to see the steady decline in coverage for our sport.

Despite increased participation in XC over the last 14 years I have been coaching we have seen a steady drop in newspaper coverage of our sport. Despite this year being one of the most competitive years of Cross Country running in section v - we have seen less coverage of our sport. For pete sake, we have 4 teams with legitimate shots at a state title!

The Canandaigua girls got 3 sentances in the article!
The RH boys got NONE!
The McQuaid boys - nothing!!!

Do you think this is right? I don't ... I just thought you and the rest of us on this board might want to do something about it.

However you do bring up a point with me ... We are our worst enemies. We are too quick to accept the status quo. We should be advocating for more coverage - not pointing out how much better other sports are as you are.

But I guess if you would rather spend your energy explaining why we don't deserve coverage because it is not a spectator sport or because our numbers are lower or we don't make cuts etc ... then go ahead. I, for one, don't think we should sit on our hands and do nothing.

What does the data show? XC is around #5 for participation in boys and girls and track is even higher. Yes Football and baseball etc are higher, but who cares. And don't go into some long speech about "that's why they write articles about them". All that does is make us look like a powerless sport - instead show some passion for your sport and take a moment and write an email to the D+C.

Listen, I am trying to pick a virtual fight with you - rather I am trying to point out that many of us (Coaches and athletes) are just too accepting of this. I know you are not the only one who thinks this way. But I hope you also believe that we deserve way more coverage. Cross Country runners are some of the hardest working athletes out there. Let's use that hard work ethic and make a positive change in the coverage of our sport. Let's use that effort that you show day in and day out and put it toward getting the recognition you all deserve.

[IVAN]

Well said. Letters were sent and the D&C apologized...story will run on line.
Too little ate and too late.:mad:

History was made on Saturday and there were outstanding individual and team performances. I was excited to get up and read the paper on Sunday morning, only to find cross country was almost non-existent as it was the previous week when cheerleading dominated the newspaper and on more than one page.

[THE ROOK PRO]

All I said was that it was interesting ... No point. Thank you for explaining all of that to me, but I have been around for a little while. I know how high school sports work. :rolleyes: I have been around long enough to see the steady decline in coverage for our sport.

Despite increased participation in XC over the last 14 years I have been coaching we have seen a steady drop in newspaper coverage of our sport. Despite this year being one of the most competitive years of Cross Country running in section v - we have seen less coverage of our sport. For pete sake, we have 4 teams with legitimate shots at a state title!

The Canandaigua girls got 3 sentances in the article!
The RH boys got NONE!
The McQuaid boys - nothing!!!

Do you think this is right? I don't ... I just thought you and the rest of us on this board might want to do something about it.

However you do bring up a point with me ... We are our worst enemies. We are too quick to accept the status quo. We should be advocating for more coverage - not pointing out how much better other sports are as you are.

But I guess if you would rather spend your energy explaining why we don't deserve coverage because it is not a spectator sport or because our numbers are lower or we don't make cuts etc ... then go ahead. I, for one, don't think we should sit on our hands and do nothing.

What does the data show? XC is around #5 for participation in boys and girls and track is even higher. Yes Football and baseball etc are higher, but who cares. And don't go into some long speech about "that's why they write articles about them". All that does is make us look like a powerless sport - instead show some passion for your sport and take a moment and write an email to the D+C.

Listen, I am trying to pick a virtual fight with you - rather I am trying to point out that many of us (Coaches and athletes) are just too accepting of this. I know you are not the only one who thinks this way. But I hope you also believe that we deserve way more coverage. Cross Country runners are some of the hardest working athletes out there. Let's use that hard work ethic and make a positive change in the coverage of our sport. Let's use that effort that you show day in and day out and put it toward getting the recognition you all deserve.

Don't worry about this guy he goes to different sites just to start trouble.

[NY Beast Yankees 28]

Its worse in schools when all of the morning announcements only concern Football, JV Football, Soccer, JV Soccer and volleyball when the cross country team win a big invite or sectional title. Its a shame.

[THE ROOK PRO]

Its worse in schools when all of the morning announcements only concern Football, JV Football, Soccer, JV Soccer and volleyball when the cross country team win a big invite or sectional title. Its a shame.

I was at the Section V cross country sectionals and the runners did our Section PROUD! What a great bunch of races.

[lakers13]

I was at the Section V cross country sectionals and the runners did our Section PROUD! What a great bunch of races.

this is why this site is so great we dont need the newspaper when you keep getting fed the info. right here.

[rj518]

or what about the daily messenger? its ALL canandaigua or victor all the time. red jacket girls won their league division last weekend-NOTHING. 2nd place this weekend, 3 people in the top 25 and sarah coon wins sectionals for her second year in a row and absolutely nothing. there wasn't even anything about the D/DD race in the paper because they messed up with the honeyoye girl bysaying shes from class c. its bs and this is for all the papers.:mad:

[split 7's]

Why is it everyother sport has an article about each class finals? Basically that would be an article for 2 teams. Cross Country gets 1 article for EVERY team in Section V. Thats not acceptable in my mind.

If everyone on this messageboard took the opportunity to send the D+C sports an email explaining how you felt misrepresented maybe we could get some expanded coverage in the future. All of you deserve better ...

Here is a page on their website with email addresses listed:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=99999999&Kategori=CUSTSERV&Lopenr=51024003&Ref=AR

Tell me another sport that has every class of both boys and girls from every section V team competing on the same day at the same venue other than X-C? It was too easy to write a quick but thorough article on the great team and individual performances we wittnessed on Saturday. I can't give the D&C a free pass on this one either.
There are some talented writers at the D&C but a total lack of commitment to our sport.
Truth is that you can get vastly better and almost real-time coverage from the internet. Maybe that's tough to compete with but, they make absolutely no effort.
The internet and the lamness (or lack) of coverage have made the D&C totally irrelevent. There was a time when the D&C was a very solid newspaper for the "other sports" but sadly today it is barely worth wrapping up a dead fish in.

[sectionvguy1]

First I applaud your effort to increase attention to the sport. I hope your campaign is successful in getting what you would like to see done.

But… I think you are taking it personally. Again I have no ill-will toward X-C as you can see in my post. The point of the thread is about “weak D&C coverage” on X-C. I only intended to point out why this has occurred.

1. Take a look at D&C coverage for all sports in the newspaper over the past few years. I think it was at an all time high about 5 years ago, but with the change toward web based media all sports have experienced a decline in newspaper coverage.

2. As a business owner my goal is very simple, how I can maximize my profit margin. I believe that a company like the D&C is doing that based on some strong research that shows what they should spend money on to make money. This is not about what is fair, it’s about what is going to make a profit.

3. It is funny no one is every happy with D&C coverage. Sports like X-C and Bowling complain that sports like Football & Basketball get to much coverage, Small schools complain that the large schools get all the coverage, girl’s sports complain about boys sports, and public complains about private dominating the paper. Where does it end?

4. Why does the newspaper have to be the pinnacle of coverage? I just think people put to much stock into the D&C and forget what their goal is to make $$$.

I agree with most your points about how great the kids are and how great they do. But I do not think you should judge your success by what the D&C has established as the standard. Make your own standard or create your own media option. If it really deserves what it does then the demand will support it




All I said was that it was interesting ... No point. Thank you for explaining all of that to me, but I have been around for a little while. I know how high school sports work. :rolleyes: I have been around long enough to see the steady decline in coverage for our sport.

Despite increased participation in XC over the last 14 years I have been coaching we have seen a steady drop in newspaper coverage of our sport. Despite this year being one of the most competitive years of Cross Country running in section v - we have seen less coverage of our sport. For pete sake, we have 4 teams with legitimate shots at a state title!

The Canandaigua girls got 3 sentances in the article!
The RH boys got NONE!
The McQuaid boys - nothing!!!

Do you think this is right? I don't ... I just thought you and the rest of us on this board might want to do something about it.

However you do bring up a point with me ... We are our worst enemies. We are too quick to accept the status quo. We should be advocating for more coverage - not pointing out how much better other sports are as you are.

But I guess if you would rather spend your energy explaining why we don't deserve coverage because it is not a spectator sport or because our numbers are lower or we don't make cuts etc ... then go ahead. I, for one, don't think we should sit on our hands and do nothing.

What does the data show? XC is around #5 for participation in boys and girls and track is even higher. Yes Football and baseball etc are higher, but who cares. And don't go into some long speech about "that's why they write articles about them". All that does is make us look like a powerless sport - instead show some passion for your sport and take a moment and write an email to the D+C.

Listen, I am trying to pick a virtual fight with you - rather I am trying to point out that many of us (Coaches and athletes) are just too accepting of this. I know you are not the only one who thinks this way. But I hope you also believe that we deserve way more coverage. Cross Country runners are some of the hardest working athletes out there. Let's use that hard work ethic and make a positive change in the coverage of our sport. Let's use that effort that you show day in and day out and put it toward getting the recognition you all deserve.

[THE ROOK PRO]

First I applaud your effort to increase attention to the sport. I hope your campaign is successful in getting what you would like to see done.

But… I think you are taking it personally. Again I have no ill-will toward X-C as you can see in my post. The point of the thread is about “weak D&C coverage” on X-C. I only intended to point out why this has occurred.

1. Take a look at D&C coverage for all sports in the newspaper over the past few years. I think it was at an all time high about 5 years ago, but with the change toward web based media all sports have experienced a decline in newspaper coverage.

2. As a business owner my goal is very simple, how I can maximize my profit margin. I believe that a company like the D&C is doing that based on some strong research that shows what they should spend money on to make money. This is not about what is fair, it’s about what is going to make a profit.

3. It is funny no one is every happy with D&C coverage. Sports like X-C and Bowling complain that sports like Football & Basketball get to much coverage, Small schools complain that the large schools get all the coverage, girl’s sports complain about boys sports, and public complains about private dominating the paper. Where does it end?

How would we all get by without the Section V guy to guide us. I for one am very thankful for his greatness.

[Running Fool]

http://http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20101108/SPORTS08/11080332/1026/Canandaigua-girls-win-Class-A-girls-cross-country-title

Don't know who let them know we were/are PO'd at them, but someone took notice and got something on the web.

[sectionvguy1]

Odds are at some point you will be able to contribute a point with some merit

How would we all get by without the Section V guy to guide us. I for one am very thankful for his greatness.

[THE ROOK PRO]

Odds are at some point you will be able to contribute a point with some merit

You told us you own a business which makes you smarter. Next you'll tell us about your big house and next the great car you drive to prove a point. Always about you great one.

[sectionvguy1]

You told us you own a business which makes you smarter. Next you'll tell us about your big house and next the great car you drive to prove a point. Always about you great one.

ok.. now I know why Penfield football is where it's at with people like you leading the charge!

[THE ROOK PRO]

ok.. now I know why Penfield football is where it's at with people like you leading the charge!

It's not about you it is about cross country. Not everything has to be about YOU!

You going to start name calling again? You're good at that.

[pctc1545]

Man its not me and the mcquaid guys starting the trouble now! im impressed ;)

[THE ROOK PRO]

Man its not me and the mcquaid guys starting the trouble now! im impressed ;)

The Section V Guy has to make everything about him. He always puts people down to show he's the smartest person in the room, when all we ask is to discuss the topic of the thread. He does this every place he goes in the talkback website. When he starts the name calling he has gone to far.