One of ProTriNews hosts (can't remember if it was Talbot or Pat) said he'd talked to Warriors management and Super League were trying to create a Formula 1 structure. Basically they want the teams to be funded privately and the league to be financed by SLT.

So the Arab prince who likes to execute protestors can literally own an SLT team and if he's really really rich and likes to massage his ego a lot, then everybody else is shit out of luck. (This is my narrative, not ProTriNews').

That's why, is the argument, SLT aren't getting rid of the team format that everybody hates.

(I still like SLT racing and think it's the best, by a stretch).

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"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

I think that same podcast had Paula Findlay on there last week who wanted to get her and Eric's brand TTL as a team next year for the brand awareness.

I dont think the team aspects is such a turn off, but I just don't think it adds much to the product. But if they are using that aspect to help offset costs, fair enough.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Finally caught up with the two SLs, brilliant racing so far, I'd pretty much wrote Jonny Brownlee off after Paris but it seems he was having a bit of a personal issue and he's right in the mix again (he's probably still going to struggle to podium at a WTSC race again though) would be good if he could win this series.

Juliano made some points and I sort of agree with the last one he made about the start lists, some of them have been terrible, but Toulouse men's field was pretty strong.

No contest with GB Vs USA! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

I know I’m late, but this viewpoint doesn’t make sense to me. Granted, I watch the races and listen to their podcast and follow the socials, so I’m not an average viewer, but the team stuff is pretty fun. Super League is the best tri viewing.

Watching those sprints for short chutes or sending folks like Reese out for individual points is fun.

Cycling isn’t the perfect analogy, but think of the different sprints for the green jersey, for example.

I also appreciate that they are open to changes and keep trying to innovate.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

I agree 100%. I'll give you an example of how good it is. My grandsons are 16 & 10 and really into soccer & basketball. Yet, they will sit and watch a SL race if I have it playing on the TV. Ironman ... no way! To quote the 16 yr old: "Pop, isn't it boring to watch some guys ride a bike for 4 hours?" And before you say "That's what the Giro, TdF & Vuelta are!" they will actually watch cycling races for longer than an Ironman because they like to see the scenery of the countryside and they like how the "big group" (peloton) rides together so fast. With SL, they will even remind me of who's got the Short Chute. I think that the fast paced action of SL is the media way to capture the interest of the younger generations and get them interested in triathlon.

There is going to be a difference moving forward of being an SLT fan and an “tri fan (especially among new viewers). SLT makes it really really easy to just watch and see bad ass racing to the new viewer. It’s still really hard to then pull that person even to itu racing beyond likely the MTR format. So I think the SLT is precisely how you bring in viewers, it’s just harder imo to keep that fan around for other events when their response will likely be “meh” to the “this is boring” format.

SLT is almost an entirely different sport than anything else. There will be growing SLT fans that then have zero interest in doing the sport or watching annything else.


It’s very similar imo to the whole F1 rage post Covid, I don’t think F1 fans are then tuning into nascar races.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

This is my point, though: make it *only* about the team stuff. Award maybe an MVP at the end of the year. But put the most focus on team format and let it cook!

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Yes it was great to see Jonny doing well in superleague. GB need him for the team relay come Paris. Don't really have an all rounder to replace him yet.

Fair point - but that’s what happens when you make interesting content. The boring content stays boring and maybe even looks more boring than before, due to the contrast.

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"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

I think SLT has to be careful with their course design, it's almost like their socials celebrate some of these fast action crashes, which have very thankfully been low injury. The technical aspects of it + the barriers pushed in make it even more technical, so that's something they really have to be careful of.

Also there's nothing IM can do from a content or format to not be "boring". It's an 8 hour fucking race, lol. Even if they went DL, people would simply tune out at mile 15 through mile 100 and wait to see what the gaps are at T2. So like no duh IM is boring, it's never not been boring, it's also never really tried to build fans through it's race day broadcast, it's the magic of doing the what 1-2 hour "infomercial" that allows the IM magic to work to the masses of "you can be an IM".

PTO learned this very quickly when they have gone all in on the 3 hour race format vs even the "longer" distance they were initiially going to bring to their championship series.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Yep, Olympics round the corner, no one decents going to want to risk missing out by crashes.

Who are the two girls who crashed into each other? Looked deliberate to me at first glance.

I believe for sure the courses are set up for excitement and drams for viewers, Meaning crashes. In my opinion its like the athletes are thought of as disposable. Someone rides crazy around a corner and nearly wipes out a group and they are a "hero with no fear" . Plenty have been hurt in these races throughout the years, by the heros, ending their seasons but no one makes a big deal about it.