Leap Day (way off topic)

[Than_Bogan]

As a way to celebrate 2/29, my employer decided to do a world-wide standing broad jump competition among all employees (about 1400 of us).

 

No, I did not win.

 

But thanks in part to maintaining conditioning for waterskiing, I'm pretty sure I beat everybody over 30 and crushed everybody over 40.

 

I can't recall how far I could go when I was young, but I feel 8'2" is pretty solid for an Old White Guy :).

 

Plus, I took two attempts without incurring injury. WIN!

[eleeski]

Are you going to start jumping now? But that's three jumps.

 

Eric

[PatM]

Its true. I think our drive to succeed in this sport makes us stay in better shape than most, not all, but most of those of our respective age.

[Than_Bogan]

In a cool coincidence, the NFL combine tested standing broad jump today.

The winner: 11'3"

 

ELEVEN freakin three

 

Damn the tails of a Gaussian are long...

[Chef23]

@Than_Bogan nice jump. I don't think anyone will ever confuse you with an NFL athlete.

[Than_Bogan]

So true. But it's kind of amazing to fully process:

 

Obviously, I am not tough enough to play in the NFL. I'd be lucky to survive one play.

Obviously, I am not strong enough to play in the NFL. That 240 lb test bar they use at the combine would cut me in half.

Obviously, I don't have the athleticism necessary for the NFL. Can you say "stiff hips?"

Obviously, I am not fast enough to play in the NFL, even though I'd be considered "fast" vs. the average person. (At my peak, I was faster than some of the offensive lineman...)

 

But when you consider standing broad jump, I'm in the top 1%. I might even be in the top 0.1%. So that makes it all the more interesting that, of all of the defensive backs tested, the worst one jumped 9'10" -- utterly crushing me.

 

And 11 freakin' feet -- well goddamm that's far.