What events to eliminate or add?

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  • bad hammy
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2005
    • 13235

    #16
    The event to get rid of could not be easier to answer: the walks. Don’t care about history, don’t care about the zeal of participants. Just care about what I want to watch, and if there is any event that has to go – it is the walks, period.

    New events? How about javelin throwers throwing at race walkers? :shock: :lol: :roll: :P

    Comment

    • Dutra
      Senior Member
      • Oct 2005
      • 2288

      #17
      I'd add a cross country race and eliminate the steeple, the marathon and one of the walks.

      The 'thon is an event best contested in better weather conditions than we get for most summer Olympics.

      I'd also eliminate the multi events.

      Comment

      • gh
        Administrator
        • Oct 2005
        • 69718
        • west of Westeros

        #18
        Anybody who answers with "walking" is being fatuous in that 99.9% of the meets you have ever gone to or ever will go to probably don't have a walk, so you have no particular reason to take umbrage with them.

        Comment

        • guru
          Senior Member
          • Oct 2005
          • 13168
          • Deadwood, SD

          #19
          Originally posted by gh
          Anybody who answers with "walking" is being fatuous in that 99.9% of the meets you have ever gone to or ever will go to probably don't have a walk, so you have no particular reason to take umbrage with them.

          Fine. If you're going to say that you have to offer what event YOU would discard.

          I used HISTORY and TRADITION as my criteria.

          Comment

          • bekeselassie
            Senior Member
            • Dec 2005
            • 2171

            #20
            I wouldn't eliminate the marathon. Granted, it's never going to be a WR race in the Olympics in the future, but it's still a race and the conditions are the same for everyone.

            Adding four hurdles to the steeple is an interesting idea, but I'd maybe only add two. Try to imagine these poor guys' legs trying to jump that many times over that kind of distance! :shock:

            Let's get over the racewalking already, okay? However, if you didn't laugh at Hamster's idea of throwing the javelin at them, then you're dead! :lol:

            Excuse me, but did EPelle answer the question?

            Comment

            • kuha
              Senior Member
              • Oct 2005
              • 9170
              • 3rd row, on the finish line

              #21
              Originally posted by gh
              Anybody who answers with "walking" is being fatuous in that 99.9% of the meets you have ever gone to or ever will go to probably don't have a walk, so you have no particular reason to take umbrage with them.
              What? I'm really not sure that it much matters that no HS or collegiate meets have the walks. EVERY Olympic meet, every World Championship, and every Olympic and WC Trials meets have the walks. In other words the MOST IMPORTANT meets have them, even though those meets are few in number. That sends a relatively important message, does it not? Your suggestion that they somehow don't "really" exist doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

              Comment

              • gh
                Administrator
                • Oct 2005
                • 69718
                • west of Westeros

                #22
                Originally posted by guru
                Fine. If you're going to say that you have to offer what event YOU would discard. I used HISTORY and TRADITION as my criteria.
                No question it would be the 200, for a couple of reasons: for one, all too often the guys who would be best at it simply ignore it (look at how incredibly weak the men's WC final was in Helsinki), and for two the lane draw screws several guys from the get-go, giving them almost no chance to win. And while it's not as spectator-unfriendly as the 400 (which should be run in lanes only for the first curve), there are too many races where for the first half of the race you have no idea who's ahead.

                (having said that, I love watching a true 200 master at work)

                Comment

                • bad hammy
                  Senior Member
                  • Oct 2005
                  • 13235

                  #23
                  Originally posted by gh
                  Anybody who answers with "walking" is being fatuous in that 99.9% of the meets you have ever gone to or ever will go to probably don't have a walk, so you have no particular reason to take umbrage with them.
                  Hey, who you calling fat??

                  Not only are the walks not in most meets, I try to miss them when they are. 2004 Oly Trials - I saw every single throw, heat, jump, multi, etc., but I did not make it out of bed for the 20k walk.

                  Now if they throw javelins at those suckers, I'm there . . .

                  Comment

                  • bambam
                    Senior Member
                    • Oct 2005
                    • 3917
                    • Durham, NC

                    #24
                    "Anybody who answers with "walking" is being fatuous in that 99.9% of the meets you have ever gone to or ever will go to probably don't have a walk, so you have no particular reason to take umbrage with them."

                    Is there anything you can do with "umbrage" besides take it?

                    As to a sport to add, lets go back to the early days of the 20th century and consider bringing back the pole vault for distance. US champion several times was Martin Sheridan, the redoubtable discus thrower and all-around champion.

                    Comment

                    • SQUACKEE
                      Senior Member
                      • Oct 2005
                      • 12909
                      • Heaven-In front of stereo listenin to re-mastered Beatles

                      #25
                      Originally posted by bad hammy
                      Originally posted by gh
                      Anybody who answers with "walking" is being fatuous in that 99.9% of the meets you have ever gone to or ever will go to probably don't have a walk, so you have no particular reason to take umbrage with them.
                      Hey, who you calling fat??

                      Not only are the walks not in most meets, I try to miss them when they are. 2004 Oly Trials - I saw every single throw, heat, jump, multi, etc., but I did not make it out of bed for the 20k walk.

                      Now if they throw javelins at those suckers, I'm there . . .
                      Hammy is just kidding everbody before you get your panties all in a bunch, right Hammy? :shock:
                      phsstt!

                      Comment

                      • gh
                        Administrator
                        • Oct 2005
                        • 69718
                        • west of Westeros

                        #26
                        As I recall, Jeff Chase of San José State has the WR in the PV for distance, but can't remember the mark; something in the 28s as I recall.

                        Comment

                        • bad hammy
                          Senior Member
                          • Oct 2005
                          • 13235

                          #27
                          Originally posted by SQUACKEE
                          Hammy is just kidding everbody before you get your panties all in a bunch, right Hammy? :shock:
                          About the javelins at walkers?? No way - I'd be the first one in the stadium and the last to leave. THAT'S entertainment . . . :wink:

                          Comment

                          • marknhj
                            Senior Member
                            • Oct 2005
                            • 5070

                            #28
                            I think PV-ing for distance is a great idea. Firstly it goes back to the roots of the event in Holland and England. Secondly, if we eliminate the steeplechase (which, walking aside, is the only event I'd consider kicking out), and have the new PV-ing event going across water, we'd still have the opportunity to see athletes getting soaked...

                            Comment

                            • bekeselassie
                              Senior Member
                              • Dec 2005
                              • 2171

                              #29
                              Originally posted by gh
                              . . . but can't remember the mark . . .
                              Who hired you? :x

                              Comment

                              • mojo
                                Senior Member
                                • Oct 2005
                                • 5519
                                • at the finish line freezing my butt off

                                #30
                                Just trying to think of an event I would eliminate reinforces what a perfect sport track and field is. Wouldn't change a thing event wise.

                                I don't understand all the animosity towards walking events. They don't interfere with other events (like the middle distance races do with the HJ and javelin :twisted: :twisted: ) and they are definately athletic.

                                Comment

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