I've been reading about this for a few days now, and between SlowTwitch.com, Liz's All Access (which was hilarious), and a few others, I've found something I think is spot on.
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/pace-of-chicago/2010/10/relax-its-just-the-ironman.html
...Worth 1000 Words. »
Relax! It's just the Ironman.
David Wallach on 10.29.10 at 12:06 AM
David Wallach
I am your typical BOPer. I love to train more than racing. If you have a race, let me know, I'm there!
Yesterday (Thursday) The World Triathlon Corporation announced the launch of the Ironman Access Program. In a nut shell the Ironman Access program gave people a week "head start," to sign up for an Ironman. The catch, it came at a cost of $1000 for a year membership and then $600 for the race entry.
If you have ever tried to sign up for an Ironman event, then you know it can be a test of patience, since most of their U.S. events sell out within 24 hours, this option did alleviate some of the stress of signing up, if you could afford it.
I received hundreds of e-mails from people who were upset and hurt. The Ironman Corporation took an immediate beating on the blogs, chat rooms and on Facebook. A lot of you out there, though this was unfair, that it took away from the "everyman feel of the sport," and was a greedy move by The World Triathlon Corporation.
The end result was a classy move by the WTC. In a video message delivered by a tired looking President Ben Fertig, they canceled the entire program and refunded the money to the athletes who jumped at the chance to get a head start on signing up for their dream at finishing an Ironman. Click here to see the video.
I think what the WTC was a great PR move, but believe it or not, I completely disagree with what they did. The thousands of you who lost your minds when this new program was announced blew a great opportunity to help the sport of triathlon grow. Hold on, before you start your "have you lost your friggin' mind e-mail," hear me out.
The Ironman is just a brand. What you did by running around like a bunch of whiny kids was put them in a bigger position of power. All of the calls, e-mails and blogs weren't making the people at the WTC mad but instead sending the message, " yes, we love you more than anything, we live for you, we love you Ironman, forget Rev3, forget Silverman, all we care about is your brand, please be nice to us. Congratulations you are a monopoly."
That's right, you blew it. Yesterday was a line in the sand, and instead of saying "enough, we refuse to cross this line," you all jumped over it like good lemmings. Instead of getting over the fact that Ironman is just a brand name, and there are dozens of other 140.6 races out there that offer more difficult courses, easier sign ups and better athlete experience, you collectively dropped your pants and took it in the back side. This was the chance to support other races. This was your chance to help triathlon grow, to realize that it's not about the brand name, but the accomplishment. You thumbed your noses at the other race directors and let them know, "you are an after thought Rev3 or Silverman, a cute diversion after we do the Ironman."
The Ironman Corporation is a business, make no mistake about that. They are in the business of making money and growing their brand, just like Coke, Disney and Jay Z. The difference between The Ironman and Coke, is that The Ironman is a lifestyle brand, it effects all of us at such a deep level, that it becomes personal, we are invested in it, it can change your entire life. Coke, you drink it, you burp, it quenches your thirst, the experience is over. As a lifestyle brand when they make a change that seems unfair or greedy, it hurts, you feel betrayed and "left out in the cold," as a lot of you have stated. It's understandable, but at the same token, get over it.
This is not an "everyman sport," as one of you said in an e-mail. This is a rich guy, type A intense sport. The average salary of an Ironman is $150,000 plus. Now there are a lot of you out there(including me) who make much less than that, but this is not "everyman or woman's sport," that would be Social Club Volleyball. If you cross the finish line at an Ironman event you are part of the fittest 1% people in the world. 1% out of 6,697,254,041 people in the world and the Ironman Corporation is trying to make a profit off of that tiny margin. Yes kids, they are a business.
This isn't new, bands have been doing it for years. Yes, membership to the Jonas Brothers Fan Club is only $34.99 and you get early access to pre-sale ticketing before the general public, but then have you have to pay hundreds for the tickets, t-shirts, parking etc. Eventually the t-shirt will fade, the music will be dated, the Jonas Brothers will end up in re-hab and the experience will be gone. With Ironman the memory lasts a lifetime, how much is that worth?
You didn't have to do this. It was an option, like the Community Slots and volunteers getting early entry. Some people spend a lot more than $1000 to travel to a race, rent a car, pay for a hotel and volunteer, so they get an early entry. Should we protest that as well? Should volunteers only be local folks who don't spend a ton to volunteer and cut to the front of the line?
I applaud the WTC for making a smart business move, listening to their customers and staying on top of their game. When the Ironman entries jump to $1000 per race, remember this day and your victory over "the man," you won the battle but lost the war.
Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/pace-of-chicago/2010/10/relax-its-just-the-ironman.html#ixzz13lAtShoe
