Coffee with Larry, episode 757, June 24,2025, Grand Slam Track, Steve Miller, R.I.P.

Grand Slam Track, how to manage expectations.

1. Kingston was prime example of issues that GST team had: lack of appreciation of Kingston, its culture and the calendar.

2. Miramar, smaller site, easier to manage, many good stories came out. Bednarek, Jefferson-Wooden, Kerr and as always,

Sydney McLaughlin.

3. Philly, cut to two days, cut distance section to one race and $50k, managed crowd, and TV seemed to be working.

4. LA cancelled, 10,000 tickets already sold, cancelation surprised some, question is whether Grand Slam Track can come back.

5. Managed cancellation with positive press releases, but until new sponsors come on, until TV deal is done, GST is up in air.

Steve Miller, coach, sports marketing guru, creator, thoughts on a man who inspired many

6. Coach at Bloom Township High School, 1965-1976, Cal Poly SLO, 1976-81, six years at K-State, where his

tenure was described as “transformational”, in resurrecting football and sports programs.

7. Miller’s athletes considered him inspirational.

8. I met Steve Miller in 1980 at Martin Luther King Games at Stanford, where he kept Mike Tomesello from pulling me off track

with lap to go in 10,000m, by telling Tomesello off color joke. I learned what happened twenty years later, always greatful to

Coach Miller for being able to finish first 10,000m on track ( I believe I did 24 races of 10,000m on track over years).

9. Steve Miller, with help of Keith Peters and Marc Bloom, presented NIKE athletes at Goteborgy 1995 in best PR by NIKE

ever. Daily briefings, daily interviews, content and food for media. Steve Miller was at his very best: telling great stories.

10. We will keep Steve Miller in our hearts and minds, and are thinking of his friends, family and athletes.