>In a message earlier today, Chris Kuykendall wrote: > << I'm 100% with Acuff (in objecting to the new format). How does the change make more TV-friendly what isn't on TV already (i.e., the high jump, except for maybe 3-4 jumps max per telecast)? >>
Later, Walt Murphy responded with: > The plan for this year's meet is to highlight the women's high jump while >the ends of the track are being dismantled for the sprints and hurdles, which >will close out the program. As much as possible, the house lights will be >dimmed, with a spotlight put on each athlete as she gets ready to jump. Somewhere between these positions lies the dismal truth that what usually most delays indoor high jump competitions is that the jumpers' runups frequently extend back onto the track and the event must be suspended every time a race is in progress. If the New York experiment helps solve this problem, it's a step in the right direction. If the time parameters for restructuring the track limit the competition to three jumpers, it's a very small step, or maybe a stumble.
