In answer to your last question, often the sport itself. For field events in the US, both USATF and NCAA measure in meters. However, they require reporting the foot-and-inch conversions to the audience and media, but also allow the metric results to be posted if desired. I think USATF also controls the marathons, but I'm not sure. Anyway, it is their attitude of lets USE metric but PRETEND we don't that drives the reporting. After all, we certainly wouldn't want to know how our athletes compare to the rest of the world.
--- On Thu, 8/9/12, Carleton MacDonald <[email protected]> wrote: From: Carleton MacDonald <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:51833] RE: Metric Olympics To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Cc: "'Valerie Antoine'" <[email protected]> Date: Thursday, August 9, 2012, 11:17 PM I was watching today. The event was the discus. The athlete threw the discus and the camera showed where it landed, on a field with arcs clearly marked in meters. Most were hitting ground somewhere between 45 and 50. The American commentator dumbed down the distance to feet and inches and that's how it displayed on the graphic on the TV. It is certain that the Olympic people are not giving NBC feet and inches; someone on staff with a calculator is probably doing it for the broadcaster. Most of the time the NBC commentators give metric figures (swimming, races on track, etc.). What it is about marathons, about throwing things, and about jumping over things, that makes them and the newspaper revert to colonial units? Carleton -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 12:47 To: U.S. Metric Association Cc: Valerie Antoine Subject: [USMA:51828] Metric Olympics One way that you can get more metric coverage is to tune in to the Spanish-language broadcast. Most of the time the prattling commentary is unnecessary anyway (if you don't know Spanish). Yesterday during the shot put, the Spanish coverage reported only metres thrown. In the water polo competition, I was interested to note that the commentators (on the English-language broadcast) were describing distances in metres only. In the swimming competition, I can understand that, because the pool lengths are measured in metres. But in water polo there are no obvious distance markings. I would have thought that the commentators might revert to feet or years, but they didn't. It may well be that metric will be introduced into the United States more by sports than by commerce. Also, through the military. I notice that the Army is using metric units for weapons (millimetres) and distances, using the slang term "click" for a kilometre. The Air Force is somewhat metricated because of international air usage. I surmise that the Navy is the least metricated of the services.
