Tiger_runner wrote:
i've had similar ideas to you tiger. if i could, i would try to put together 10-15 teams with 20-25 person rosters competing in 5 events. expanding to other events would be the goal if the league could make it out of infancy. but here is what i would start with, based on what i think the general public likes to watch, and what they would connect with. the number in parentheses is the number of competitors. i also like this order of events, and think this could be done in about 75 minutes.
4x100
javelin (3)
mile(3)
long jump (3)
4x400
for javelin and long jump, you must enter 3 performers. each would get 3 attempts, and there would be time penalties. score is based on the top three performances from the group, rather than each athlete's best performance. points are 0 through 5.
in the mile, each team enters 4 athletes, the top 3 count toward scoring. this way, each team can enter a runner with the purpose of some strategy, like rabbiting. points are 0 through 5.
4x100 and 4x400 done as usual: each track team enters one relay team. each is worth 10 points to the winner.
scoring could be different, but what i'm going for is that a team has to do very well to take the drama out of the 4x400,
in case of a tie score, a DMR-like event is contested as an overtime for one point. also, each team chooses one thrower and one jumper to make one attempt for one point. the athletes chosen for the best tie-breaker playoff have to have competed that day, in any event. i think a meet coming down to a single attempt in the long jump would be pretty dramatic.
for a 10 team league, make two divisions, each team meets once. that's 10 meets in each league. my idea is to pack the whole regular season into 4-6 weeks to reinforce what people are seeing. this is why the mile is the longest race; it's so athletes can come back quickly. then a championship meet, and then an all-star meet based on qualifying performances or your record in your event. i think fall would be a good time for track season.
with the 20-25 person roster, teams could keep a few alternates in any event ready to go, like having a bullpen or a DL. but i think teams need to be kept small to ensure that people are seeing at least some of the same athletes again and again nevery meet.
i don't know if there are 10 local markets to find a spot for each team. i'd start with the 3 summer olympic sites. i guess there are probably 7 other decent markets. boston, new york, eugene, etc.