The attached is an exchange I had with the Canadian Football League. The 16 minute turn over time between sending my email and receiving a response makes me think that they didn't take my comment seriously... but it was worth making a comment nonetheless! greg
Jeff Dominic wrote: > Thank you for sharing your ideas with us. I have forwarded them on to the > appropriate department. It is too late to implement this change for the > coming season, however it will be reviewed by the Rules Committee at the > appropriate time. > > Have a great 2001 season. > > Jeffrey Dominic, > Communications Coordinator > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Phone: 416-322-9650 ext. 232 > Fax: 416-322-9651 > www.cfl.ca > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Gregory Peterson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 2:07 PM > Subject: 100 metre field? > > > Dear CFL: > > > > I would like to know if the CFL at any time in its history has ever > > considered adopting a 100 metre by 60 metre field rather than a 110 yard > > by 65 yard field. > > > > Twenty-five years ago Canada's public schools replaced the British > > imperial measurement system with the international metric system. Nearly > > 10 million Canadians, including myself, have only ever been taught the > > metric system in this country. > > > > I am well aware that the goal of the CFL is to maintain a football > > league that has a distinct Canadian flavour and retains the traditions > > of the game as it has been played in Canada. I am also aware that the > > CFL needs to attract new younger fans to the game. Given these two > > points I would like to suggest that the CFL adopt a field that is sized > > in hard metric units: 100 m long measured in 10 m intervals, 60 metres > > wide, with 18 metre end-zones. The centre line would be the 50 metre > > line rather than the 55 yard line (please see my web site > > http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/gregtami/metricCFL.html for more detailed > > explanations). > > > > The change to a metric field would not present a significant change to > > the overall dimension of the field: 100 metres is 109 yd, 1 ft, 1 in, > > compared to the current 110 yards and 60 metres is 65 yd, 1 ft, 10-3/16 > > in, compared to the current 65 yards. The field would be 2 ft, 11 in, > > shorter and less than 2 feet wider. It would merely involve the > > repainting of the lines on the field. > > > > A new metric field would accomplish three goals: 1) it would attract new > > younger viewers who have a better concept of a metre than they do a > > British yard 2) it would make the Canadian style of the game much more > > progressive and distinct from the American style and could possibly > > attract European and Asian viewers, and 3) at the same time it would > > make the Canadian game appear similar to the American game with their > > 100 yard field and possibly attract more viewers of American football to > > the game. One would not need to be concerned with historical records > > either. One would simple need to convert the previous statistics to > > metric using a conversion factor such as 1 yard = 0.9144 metre and place > > and asterisks beside the stat. As new records are made the would be > > recorded in metric. > > > > Finally, precedence has been set by the Australians. One of there most > > popular spectator sports is horse racing. When Australia converted to > > metric 30 years ago a decision was made to convert popular sports as > > well. The 220 yard (1 furlong) track was converted to 200 metres, horse > > heights were converted from British imperial hands (4 inches) to metric > > decimetres (100 mm, or 0.1 m) and nobody noticed the difference. > > > > I am only a casual viewer of the CFL, and I always have been. A few > > minor changes to the field would, in my opinion, attract many more > > younger new views to the Canadian game. > > > > Thanks for you time and I look forward to your reply. > > > > Sincerely, > > > > Gregory Peterson > > Saskatoon SK Canada S7J 3S2 > > > > > > -- ======================================================= Gregory Peterson & Tammy Booth Peterson location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. co-ordinates: 52°05'54" N, 106°36'00" W URL: http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/gregtami/metric.html "Looking? Found someone, you have, I would say, hmmm?" -- Yoda, Jedi Master
