The difference is quite simple. The running and swimming events, even though in metres, are treated as trade names by the US media. The participant is judged for running the event in the least amount of time and the winner is determined as the first to cross the finish line. The media's attention is on every aspect but the actual length. I've heard interviews in which both the athlete and the interviewer were able to talk about the race and omit the word metres.
Americans may see the signs but don't have a clue as to what it means. They may not even know it is the distance measured. Even some of the participants may (at least one is known) not know that the events are metric. They train in feet-inch equivalents and ignore the metric when spoken or seen. In one of the articles I posted, spectators at a meet in Texas were stoic when told a jumper would be clearing so many metres, and became excited only when the announcer, who was told by the coach, converted it to feet-inches. Some of foolishly believe that because Americans are exposed to metric via the Olympics, they know it. Wrong! They ignore it to the point they don't recognise it when it is right in front of them. It is ironic that we see ignorance of metric even when we claim it is taught in schools. Either it isn't taught or it is taught incorrectly. Because many people when asked will say they never learned it or they forgot it as quick as they learned it. Even though the media is partly to blame by converting for the audience, they are in fact speaking to the audience in the language they buying public understands. If you were working for NBC, would you do any different? Euric ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carleton MacDonald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, 2004-08-28 22:33 Subject: [USMA:30917] RE: thank you, Mr. Crumpacker > It is particularly annoying to hear the NBC announcers give the result of a > long jump, high jump, shotput or javelin toss in FFU when, right behind, is > an electronic sign with the result in meters. Why are these sports > different from the others? NBC has no trouble with swimming or running. > > Carleton > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of Paul Trusten, R.Ph. > Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 19:06 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:30913] thank you, Mr. Crumpacker > > > "Slim margin: Osleidys Menendez of Cuba won the gold medal and came within > 1 centimeter of tying her world record in the javelin when she reached 71.53 > meters, which converts to 234 feet, 8 inches. Her world record is 71.54, > which converts to 234 feet, 8 inches. That proves the mathematical > superiority of the metric system because with imperial measurements of > throwing events greater than 100 feet, fractions of an inch are not used." > > --John Crumpacker, San Francisco > Chronicle, 2004-08-28 > > >
