So watching NASCAR I see they have overtime in their races. Is this something we could think about implementing in track to make the sport more popular?
I was thinking maybe in the last lap you are allowed to tackle or punch someone and if that happens everyone in the race is called back and you have to run a 400 after getting a 5 min rest and a new pair of spikes.
Overtime is what a race is all about and the quicker track and field adopts this the better off we will be.
Dyestat Rumor wrote:
So watching NASCAR I see they have overtime in their races. Is this something we could think about implementing in track to make the sport more popular?
I was thinking maybe in the last lap you are allowed to tackle or punch someone and if that happens everyone in the race is called back and you have to run a 400 after getting a 5 min rest and a new pair of spikes.
Overtime is what a race is all about and the quicker track and field adopts this the better off we will be.
So track/UFC/roller derby?
That doesn't sound like overtime (which is an extra period). Also, why would you call people back for punching if you're supposed to punch them.
I like the idea of being allowed to tackle someone, but you would also be put out of the race if you tackled your opponent, so how is that advantageous. You would also risk injury to yourself (a deterrent) and your opponent (a deterrent for his or her coach)
Distance runners fighting on the track usually ends up looking like a joke. I give you exhibit A:
Early entry for Stupidest Thread of the Year.
The only thing Track and Field needs is big purse money. Or maybe money for lap leaders and record attempts instead of this BS of jogging around and then sprinting.
The sprints are fine but distance races are boring.
What would make races at least semi-interesting is to string Mario Kart style powerups and weapons along the route.
This could be easily adapted to real-life stuff, like you can find a sumo wrestler doll and when you deploy it, a real sumo wrestler steps in and grabs whoever is behind you and holds them for 10 seconds.
If a race is won by less than 1 second/mile, they runners within that time from the winner (inclduing the winner) should race 1/10th of the race distance after a 2:00 break.
For example, in the men's 3000m at NCAA Indoors, this would have lead to 1st-9th running another 300m race after a short break. In the men's mile, only four runners would have had to run the extra 160m. In the women's mile, Micaela Digenero would have won it outright.
Overtime is exciting because it is high stakes competition, o or die, there is no margin for error, you have to be at your best to win.
That is a description of every single track event ever run. Every race already is overtime, either you beat the competition or you don’t. You don’t get any do-overs or second chances, it is do or die in every single race.
Track is already extremely exciting, people just need to bring that out to show the world.
I'm up for a laugh wrote:
Distance runners fighting on the track usually ends up looking like a joke. I give you exhibit A:
Wow, that is embarrassing
Every race already is overtime
And we don't have to sit through 2 or 3 hours of boring action, back and forth, same plays, same strategies, and in the end it accomplishes nothing - they go to overtime anyway.
Get to the thrilling stuff right away, watch a track race.
how about extra time, like in soccer?
when you get to 50m to go, the ref tells you how much you extra you have to run.
I know you are being willfully stupid with this idea, but here's the problems:
A. Cross country and track fights are embarrassing, exactly what you would expect from a couple of 115-pounders grabbing at each other and running away.
B. Overtime is to decide the winner, not the winner by X number of points or seconds or more. Overtime for non-ties takes away from the thrill. A team doesn't go for a three-pointer to win by one, or a two-point conversion to win to win by one, when they'd still have to go to overtime anyway.
C. One of the very unique thrills of running is whoever gets to the line first wins. Period. No style or showmanship scores.