POLL: RE-INTRODUCE FEET AND INCHES TO FIELD EVENTS!

Dumb idea. The popularity or unpopularity of field events has nothing to do with using the metric system.

What should happen is that the commentators on NBC's T&F coverage need to stick to metric and stop converting everything into feet and inches as though the audience is too stupid to understand meters. It's just not that hard. Anyone watching T&F on TV knows how long a meter is. Even if you don't know how long a meter is, it doesn't matter because field events are like all sports: the bigger number is better and the person with the bigger number is winning.

Metrication now! wrote:

Dumb idea. The popularity or unpopularity of field events has nothing to do with using the metric system.

What should happen is that the commentators on NBC's T&F coverage need to stick to metric and stop converting everything into feet and inches as though the audience is too stupid to understand meters. It's just not that hard. Anyone watching T&F on TV knows how long a meter is. Even if you don't know how long a meter is, it doesn't matter because field events are like all sports: the bigger number is better and the person with the bigger number is winning.

I took a knee during the Diamond League field events because of this .

Was never into them that much but metric without conversion made me not give a shit .

The bigger the number wins in track too ?

Cross country team running ?

Golf ?

Uuuuhh wrote:

The bigger the number wins in track too ?

Cross country team running ?

Golf ?

Ok, maybe not all sports, but the point is that whoever jumps or throws higher or farther gets a bigger number. Even if you can't understand how long a meter is---which I don't get---just think of it like football where 6 points is better than 3 points. It's just not that hard.

Follow the lead of Bring Back The Mile and call your program Bring Back Feet and Inches

Let's do Bring Back The Hourglass too!

Everyone gets one vote so the poll shows the following up to my post...unless someone gets a post in before this one.

Imperial 3

Metric 1

So that is what it is

Imperials 3

Metrics 1

Keep those votes coming, if I can keep this on the front page for a

few days we might get some good arguments!

Yes. Bring back feet and inches!

Imperials 4

Metrics 1

Imperials 4

Metrics 1

If you do vote, please give a new and unused reason for why you vote as you do.

Hopefully the Metrics have not given up all ready. I've often wondered why they want to change a 7'0 high jump or 70 foot shot put to some other number!!!

We have to use rupps feed length to honor him tho

Imperials 4

Metrics 1

Who cares? If you run or like track & field you should care a lot!!!

Screwball Jackson wrote:

Imperials 4

Metrics 1

Who cares? If you run or like track & field you should care a lot!!!

That is not a vote. If you do vote give the reason for feeling the way you do.

READ BACK, USE AN ORIGINAL UNUSED ANSWER!!!

I will not be here all night of course but I'm on LRC a lot and will check this post as long as it is active. I plan to keep it going until November but we will see.

Metric.

Going back to imperial would be a terrible idea. High schools need to make the change to metric so that everything is being done the same way. People don't actually understand imperial measurements either even though they try to claim that they do. The only reason that anyone knows what a good mark is in a field event is if they follow the event. If the marks are reported in metric only, they will learn pretty quickly what a good mark is in that event. Every person that I have talked to that competed in field events in college said that they learned very quickly what good marks were in metric since that is the only way they were measured.

Also the recording and reporting of measurements is much easier in metric than it is in imperial. In metric all measurements are 3 or 4 digits. Imperial requires fractions of an inch which people read and record incorrectly all the time.

Stanley:I will credit you with a vote. You made some good points but I'm going to hope that others respond either for or against you and try to stay out of the way. (I may have to give my other strong opinions later.)IMPERIALS 4METRICS 2Rules so far:1. State which you are for.2. Give a reason that has not already been given for why you vote as you do!

It's true there are not many field event people on LRC. But those knowledgeable people who care about track & field, and the people who love the sport you would think would be interested in this poll.

IMPERIALS 4

METRICS 2

Rules so far:

1. State which you are for.

2. Give a reason that has not already been given for why you vote as you do!

feet and inches is the measurements of ignorant, mud-toting English peasants, almost all of who are long dead.

Metric is the base 10 system of science and enlightenment, introduced by Napoleon Bonaparte along with other landmark inventions like pasteurization and deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Those wizened old peasants still attending Hayward meets can guess how far the javelin goes by comparing it to the 100 meters conveniently marked off on the track nearby.

So, a sport that attracts little attention and is hardly even a niche sport is going to force high schools and colleges to only use metrics.....

Right. Track leadership shows their inability to figure out what could make track more attractive. Pro baseball used metrics for a short period and only the Montreal francise fans liked metrics. It didn't take long for baseball to return to feet, as people were confused by how far the ball travelled when commentators mentioned the distance in metrics.

Do you know of any other sport where you have to bring along a conversion app or book to figure out how far someone throws or jumps??

You should not be converting the distances. You should learn what a good mark is in the metric and never convert it to feet. It is not that hard.

If you actually were a true fan of field events you would know and learn what real marks are and not try to always convert them to feet.

Im canadian but i still prefer metric for distances. I don't even know how long it takes to run a km