Well, count me in as one of those who would very much like to see
spectators and TV involved in the sport.
My reasons why are very simple and straightforward - a good sized chunk of
my operation is subsidized by sponsors. It is very, very difficult to get
them a decent return on their investment with the levels of exposure to the
outside world that we currently get.
The reasons why we're not doing it now are well-defined: effort and cost.
The often-voiced chesnut about how it would "ruin the sport" is, at best,
specious.TV would ruin Solo2 like Major League Baseball ruined Little
League, or how the Formula One empire ruined IT racing.
But a lot of the proponants seem to have the cart before the horse. TV
costs money, but it also costs time; the time to determine how to best
incorporate the TV production requirements into the event format.
Consider the difference between the one-camera, local-access channel
production of a high school sporting event, and the network TV version of
the same sport. It takes time and experience to be able to develop the
production values to the point where it makes good TV.
There's a far easier and cheaper way to start building up a fan base: set
up some cheap bleachers, mark off the spectator areas with some snow fence,
double the number of Blue Rockets, add a concession, charge a minimal gate
fee, and buy a radio spot on the local C&W and Rock stations, and watch
what happens.
You'd be AMAZED at the things people will watch, and what hardships they'll
endure to watch it. Not everybody needs an air-conditioned skybox and a
JumboTron. For a great number of people, a plank of wood with a good view,
and a decent announcer, is all they need.
With a bare minimum of promotion, I'd bet we could pull an easy 1000
spectators to the average ProSolo, and if the facilities to support them
were at all halfway decent, I bet we could retain half of them.
All that seems to be lacking is the will to actually TRY it.
DG
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