In recent closed-door meeting, the ECAC has decided to choose from among two proposals to change starting commands for all sprint races. The change will be decided next week, and will apply to all championships events in 2005 at all levels, effective May 1.
"We've had starts in French, starts in English, starts on lights and beeps," said Gary Caldwell of the ECAC. "It's all incredibly confusing to me. Sometimes even I don't know that a race is underway until the 150 meter mark or so."
Caldwell said that the two proposals "are simple enough for a child to understand."
"Everyone knows the games of Musical Chairs and Red Light Green Light," he continued. "Well, the two proposals are based on these games. In the first, it would be like Reverse Musical Chairs - music would be playing, and when it stopped, you go! For music, I was thinking We Are the Champions, the Rocky Theme, or maybe that new jammy jam by M.I.A. - that's a bad cut. I dl'd it from Grokster using a spoofed IP address. Don't quote me on that."
On the second proposal, Caldwell said the conditions at the start already look like Red Light Green Light. "This would just make it official. Every time there's a start, all the crews sit there like it's Red Light - and it is! Then the green light goes on, and they all go, just like the game.
"Because not every regatta can afford the elaborate electronic lights system, we want to make it easier for starts worldwide to be the same, so we're hiring daycare workers near every regatta site to work the regattas. One for each lane, and god knows daycare workers will want the extra income on a Saturday."
Instead of being technically disqualified, crews that jump the start will have to "take a time-out," Caldwell said. "It's the same thing, really, but we want to be consistent."