Have been watching the world IAAF Indoor Athletics  from Portland Oregon over the weekend and have been amazed  at the grotesque theatrical fireworks and smoke walking down the ramp intro for some of the main clashes. This type of tacky  theatre has become common place for boxing bouts but for it to be grafted onto an athletics meeting be it a Diamond League or a Worlds just beggars belief. I think it is likely that it is a case of national we can put on an even better show  attitude  associated with each Olympic games where the host nation is under pressure to outdo the spectaculars of the preceding event.  Thankfully no heavy rock anthems as an accompaniment but that may only be a matter of time ? Yes Athletics like any other sport has become heavily commercialised and yes there is a need to please the crowds but I would hope that the majority of spectators or viewers are genuine supporters of the sport who simply want to see the best (hopefully drug free) track and field competitors battle it out in a conventional arena. When I saw the shotputters being introduced before  bouncing down the ramp one at a time I half expected some of them to be facing up to each other in  eyeball to eyeball , nose to nose staring poses a la Fury v Klitschko. Heaven forbid that this sort of rubbish is ever introduced to Cross Country.Thankfully it is unlikely ever to be the case as even the best producers and set managers in the world would I think have a great deal of difficulty in ” sexing up” the drizzle and mud scenario at the start of the races what with the mud splattered  just warmed up running kit and the”God it is freezing just get the bloody thing started ” expression on a lot  of the runners` faces.