According to my local newspaper (not a Detroit paper), tonight's triple jump will be televised by NBC (not NBCSN).

Be a star tonight, Donald. :)

(07-09-2016 11:11 AM)KPJ Wrote:  

(07-09-2016 08:38 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Great athlete, good guy, just a terrible football receiver. Hands of S-T-O-N-E. He drove me nuts more than any other player in the history of EMU football.

I just keep thinking to myself, how different things would be if he held onto that pass in the end zone in the second half of that game with Michigan State?

You're absolutely right though, he's a great guy and a tremendous athlete.

That play will forever be the first thing I think of when Donald Scott's name is mentioned, unfortunately.

Dear Bob,
What if Scott makes the Olympic Team and then wins his event? Wouldn't that be what you would think of first? It would me.

(07-09-2016 05:01 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Bob,
What if Scott makes the Olympic Team and then wins his event? Wouldn't that be what you would think of first? It would me.

Definitely, hell yes!!!! I am rooting for him all the way.

One thing guys, if you caught the early part of the Olympic qualifying show, there are contestants who have jumped much further than Scott.

There are jumpers who have done over 57 feet tonight. I don't believe Scott has ever done 56 feet.

I saw there is one jump left...

EDIT: Best I see is 57' 11".

Wow. Big gap between the Elite and the Super Elite.

Is it over? Where can I find the results?

(07-09-2016 08:59 PM)realistEagle Wrote:  Is it over? Where can I find the results?

http://www.emueagles.com/news/2016/7/9/m...-jump.aspx

As is sometimes the case in T&F, the big dogs don't go for their best in the qualifying round (they make the automatic qualifying standard) and save their best for the finals.

Scott's best jump was during the qualifying round.

The big dogs were out Saturday night and put up some pretty big numbers.

One thing I don't like about T&F is that the participants by and large are pretty much "slotted" according to their personal bests. You don't really see anyone blow away their personal best times or distances and conversely, you don't see guys do much worse than what they've established as their personal bests.

What would it have taken for Scott to finish in the top 3? The top dogs to all flop and Donald to come up with a once in a lifetime performance? It was probably impossible. Steve, would you agree?

(07-10-2016 10:06 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  One thing I don't like about T&F is that the participants by and large are pretty much "slotted" according to their personal bests. You don't really see anyone blow away their personal best times or distances and conversely, you don't see guys do much worse than what they've established as their personal bests.

What would it have taken for Scott to finish in the top 3? The top dogs to all flop and Donald to come up with a once in a lifetime performance? It was probably impossible. Steve, would you agree?

Bob, if I had done my homework on the triple jump field I would have known that the big dogs could jump 57 feet plus. Scott's best was 55 feet plus.

Based on that, I would have said that Scott's chances were minimal. It would be an absolute shock if he jumped say 57 feet 6 inches. One doesn't exceed their best by a foot and a half or two...

What is amazing about T&F is that performance tends to be highly consistent (in statistical terms not much variability). This is equally true in running, e.g., the marathon. When I was a marathoner I'd try to estimate my finishing time before the race. I'd know the course, the weather, my training and times in shorter races, my weight, etc. One marathon I missed my finishing time by one minute.

We see this in other sports involving speed. At the NFL combine a prospect's performance tend to be remarkably consistent over a few attempts.

Yes exactly Steve. And unlike stick and ball sports, there is not an opposing force to try to keep you from doing your personal best...I guess that is why I have always loved the unpredictable nature of football, baseball, and basketball. While upsets are rare, there is that possibility (App State v Michigan, March Madness buzzer beaters, etc). The only upsets I see in T&F are due to unforced errors (Lolo Jones hitting a hurdle, Mary Decker-Slaney getting tripped by Zola Budd, etc.). You are what your record says you are (times, distances).

(07-10-2016 10:58 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Yes exactly Steve. And unlike stick and ball sports, there is not an opposing force to try to keep you from doing your personal best...I guess that is why I have always loved the unpredictable nature of football, baseball, and basketball. While upsets are rare, there is that possibility (App State v Michigan, March Madness buzzer beaters, etc). The only upsets I see in T&F are due to unforced errors (Lolo Jones hitting a hurdle, Mary Decker-Slaney getting tripped by Zola Budd, etc.). You are what your record says you are (times, distances).

Agree!!!

Baseball has as much variability as any sport. Miggy might go 3 for 4 one day and 0 for 4 the next. A pitcher may throw a one hitter one day and get shelled the next time out.