Until they air the Ironman live from Hawaii on TV the race will always seem like either:
a) A made for TV tear-jerker movie,
b) A music sports video,
c) A race fought between about 6 athletes,
d) A race that’s either all about the best biker, or all about the best runner, but never about the best swimmer,
e) A curious side show event that only the truly crazy, or ultimately hardcore types decide to contest,
f) A race that seems much shorter and perhaps easier than it really is.
I don’t know about you, but when I watch the coverage of the Ironman Hawaii I really enjoy seeing the finish line late at night. When the dads, moms, grandmas, grandpas, the thin, the fat , the abled and the disabled cross that sacred threshold and go from Everyman to Ironman. To me that is the essence of the race itself. It is the Everyman accomplishing something that is so amazing and difficult that it sends shivers down my spine and tears down my cheeks.
But all too often when I watched the race coverage on television, there is a need on the part of the producers to create drama. To feature the most painful, sad athlete story possible. Which is fine.
What I don’t like is when that story is put to music, played in slow motion, and made more dramatic with Hollywood style camera tricks and deceptive editing. To me that takes a personal challenge and makes it commercial—like promoting a product to generate revenue. It takes something that is real, painful,
and truly sad or courages, thrilling, and heroic and changes it into something that becomes entertainment. And in that process the soul of the story gets sold to the highest bidder.
I believe that if the race were televised live, the race would create its own drama-- and an incentive to tell the real story as it unfolds during the day.
I used to live in Europe; and I would spend way too much time watching Eurosport. So it came as a huge slap in the face when I returned home and watched the American coverage of the Olympic games.
In Europe they tend to have commentators that come from the sport, follow the sport, and focus on the event. (think Tour De France coverage). They focus on the day’s performance, and not as much on the individual trials and tribulations of the athlete.
In America we seem to have a need to focus completely on the individual athlete. You know what I mean; “Sally will be attempting the daunting triple axle but it must be very difficult for her to concentrate as her toy puddle Fluffy has just had a horrid mating induced accident that has left her shaking at the sight of all Saint Bernards.”
I know it seems like a crazy notion… but wouldn’t it be great if we could just enjoy the race for what it is, instead of for what it some producer thinks it is?
I found myself completely captivated by the coverage of the actual sport in Europe. There was plenty of drama and excitement to be had just by watching the athletes compete and perform to their abilities. Sometimes records were broken, and sometimes hearts were broken. That’s just the nature of competitive sports.
I’ll never forget the courageous performance of an Israeli figure skater who, during the winter Olympics games in Lillehammer, crashed on every jump-- piling onto the ice like a rag doll and slamming into the side boards of the rink. And yet after every fall he got up, dusted the ice from his pants, and kept skating.
Was he having a bad day? You bet. Did his father die of some horrendous disease or fiery car crash just days before the Olympics? I didn’t know and it really didn’t matter. What mattered was that he picked himself up and kept skating. All of us watching him that day gave him a standing ovation.
In the end, by manufacturing drama we risk loosing the actual meaning and the actual drama of the race. Because what I may find to be inspirational and dramatic, you may find to be completely boring and trite.
I began this story saying that I find the late night finishers the most inspiring and dramatic. But you may enjoy the drama of the pro race. I only wish the producers of the race would allow us to decide this for ourselves instead of picking, embellishing and/or producing the drama.
Trust me ladies and gentlemen producers, there is enough real thrill of victory and agony of defeat to go around during the seventeen hours of the Ironman. Just show us the race and leave Fluffy at home, where she belongs.