Justin says:
>The truth is that it's no more or less helpful to tell a non-track fan that
>a high jump is 7ft or 2.30 or whatever. Telling them that it's higher than
>the doorframe in their front room is what works. It's CONTEXT, as Randall
>says, which counts, not the absolute number. Without context or
>understanding of the sport, how do I know if a 300ft hammer throw is good
>or
>not?
You are certainly correct about context being the key, but it is incorrect
to say that to Mr. Joe Average a HJ mark of 7 ft or 2.3m are equally
(un)helpful. In the US, Joe Average already knows how high 7 ft is. He
already knows that the doorframe is about a foot over his head and therefore
is about 7 feet, and he can see that such a height would be difficult to
jump over. The 7 ft mark, BY ITSELF, provides the context we are looking
for. 2.3 meters means absolutely nothing.
I don't defend Imperial marks out of some misguided sense of patriotism. I
agree that metrics is a far more sensible system and far easier to work
with. And some far-off day, when metrics have become commonplace in the US,
our friend Joe will also know what 2.3 meters means. He'll have a feel for
it. But until that day comes, track is shooting itself in the foot by
giving him marks he can't understand.
Kurt Bray
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