Great Outdoor Games return scrutinized
Is Lake Placid big enough to be permanent home for ESPN event?
By DENNIS APRILL, Outdoors Columnist
Will the ESPN Great Outdoor Games be back next year?
That was the question frequently asked in the media tent, at the venues and in the streets of Lake Placid a week or so ago. And as of right now, probably no one, including ESPN, knows for sure.
Gary Morgenstern, Executive Director of ESPN Outdoors, told me on the last day of competition, "We will do a ‘postmortem,’ analyze information, and probably come to a decision in a couple of months."
Morgenstern was very pleased with the crowds, almost four times more than during the inaugural Games of 2000.
There are some strong arguments for a fourth year in Lake Placid, and one is those increasing crowds — up to 59,000 this year compared to 18,000 or so two years ago.
Excellent weather, streamlined events, and a general better understanding of the competitions by the public had to have contributed to these favorable numbers.
But even so, it is doubtful Lake Placid, with its limited number of people in the area, can compete, size-wise, with more Metropolitan places like Seattle, Wash. or Portland, Ore.
Yet, it is hard to imagine putting outdoor games in an urban or suburban setting. Certainly the Adirondack scenery alone can’t be matched in a more populated setting. And where else can you find good river trout and lake bass fishing so close to the Games’ central location?
ESPN, as everyone knows, is a television station first, so setting and crowds in the background are important, and I believe the filled-up stands in Lake Placid, even though the bleachers were small, will film better than large, half-filled stadiums.
Photographer Michael Phillips and I have covered the Great Outdoor Games since May 2000, when ESPN had its first media conference. I admit to being a bit skeptical back then, figuring I would be covering a made-for-TV event more than a test of outdoor skills.
I took the "show-me" approach, and after three years have come to appreciate these unusual outdoor competitions.
Unlike writing about something controversial like wolf restoration or lamprey control, I had to first learn about the event I was covering — hot saw, boom running, tree topping and dog agility, to name a few — then pass on that information, a story line and any local connection to my readers.
The ESPN staff was a great help in providing background information, access and support. Even the higher-ups in the chain of command — Gary Morgenstern and Eric Matijevick, the Director of the Great Outdoor Games — were very approachable, down-to-earth people.
Amy Lupo, ESPN’s Director of Marketing for the Games, did everything possible to help Michael and me out as did Alex Rozis, ESPN’s Marketing and Coordinator, who is permanently stationed at Lake Placid. Alex is all of 24 years old and has worked with the Games since their inception. There is obviously a lot of pressure with putting on such an event, and both Amy and Alex did an outstanding job.
I found that the media coverage for the Great Outdoor Games varied greatly, especially the local coverage, so important for getting the public involved. I didn’t see anyone from WCAX, Channel 3 (CBS) or WVNY, Channel 22 (ABC), both out of Vermont. The latter was a surprise because of ABC’s close relationship with ESPN.
WPTZ (NBC) in Plattsburgh did cover the Games to some extent, I was told, but missed out on the big Saturday afternoon event — Big Air dog jumping that featured a world record leap as Governor Pataki and Senator Stafford looked on.
Earlier that day, I went to the Tupper Lake Woodsman’s Days and found a big turnout, so I wonder if, as has been speculated on in certain quarters, one really did draw spectators from the other.
The local, paid circulation newspapers did an excellent job, however. Matt Crawford from the Burlington Free Press, Fred LeBrun from the Albany Times Union and Tony Zappia of the Watertown Times were among the regional writers who put in a lot of hours at the Games and logged stories.
But getting back to that original question: Will the Great Outdoor Games return to Lake Placid in 2003?
My guess is that they will come back for one more year to hone their operation and build upon the tradition ESPN is trying to create. One example is a list of former medal winners displayed in the Oval. This gives the event a history and, coupled with Lake Placid’s Olympic roots, gives the Games a credibility I don’t think they would have received in, say, the midwest.
After next year, though, I wouldn’t be surprised to see ESPN move on and spread out to another section of the country.
How accurate is my prediction?
Just remember, in the three years I have been covering competitions in the Great Outdoor Games, I have featured only one competitor who has won a medal — Peter Thilverous in the 2002 bass fishing — so my track record for predictions is not very good.
But, if this area is lucky enough to have the Games back next year, I will look forward to another four days of exciting competitions, enthusiastic crowds and some very interesting, if not unusual, events.