You want courage? Later in the same telecast, ABC showed Jon Drummond cramping up while running the first leg of a relay heat and valiantly plugging on to get the baton to a teammate and the U.S. into the semifinals.
You want drama? Just before signing off Saturday, ABC reported that the U.S., in "a developing story," had been disqualified for running outside the lane . . . only to open its Sunday telecast with the "news" that the U.S. had been reinstated after successfully appealing the disqualification Saturday night.
You want poise under pressure? Dennis Mitchell and Tim Montgomery bobbled their handoff in the semifinals but Montgomery stayed cool as he made sure the exchange was legal and then blew away the rest of the field to keep the United States in contention for the gold.
You want to know who's going to win the final?
We're not going to show it to you, ABC informed West Coast viewers shortly before 3 p.m.
Tune in to ESPN2 at 7 p.m. and they will show it to you.
What ABC wasn't telling viewers is that track and field in this country is a ratings dog and that the network would rather show you the Dayton Air Show at 3 p.m., followed by Sheena at 4, instead of staying with the world championships and airing the men's 400 relay final, scheduled for 4:10 p.m.
So what viewers got, just before the first jet plane barrel-rolled over Ohio, was ABC's Carol Lewis declaring, "The relays are always, I think, the most exciting part of any major championship"--althoughnot exciting enough to be shown live, or even by this network, because, well, you know, it's just track and field.
All play-by-play commentator Terry Gannon, poor guy, could do was ask analyst Michael Johnson for his prediction for the relay final.
Johnson said that the U.S. men's 400 and 1,600 relay teams have "tradition to uphold and I think both teams . . . will uphold the tradition tonight."
But, first, here come the stunt pilots.
News bulletin, networks: You can stop calling emergency executive meetings to scratch your heads over the decline of TV sports ratings. This is how and why viewers are finding other things to do and watch instead of your half-cooked, half-finished, half-fast coverage of athletics.
It's a good thing the networks weren't doing this 50 years ago. Game 3 of the 1951 National League playoffs, middle of the eighth inning, Dodgers lead the Giants, 4-1, and the network has to cut away for Biplanes On Parade.
"So, Russ Hodges, your thoughts as we head into the bottom of the eighth, which will to be shown four hours later on our sister network?" "I don't think the Giants are going to win the pennant, I don't think the Giants are going to win the pennant."
By the way, for those who didn't have access to ESPN2 or four hours to kill Sunday, the U.S. men's 400 relay team won the gold medal.
As you may have heard, it was really exciting.
