It seems highly unlikely that the 121.92-meter home run would gain any more traction now than it did during baseball’s flirtation with metric distances on outfield fences in the 1970s. And a television audience might be more confused than delirious if it was announced that Stephen Curry had just hit a buzzer-beater from 10.67 meters instead of 35 feet.

The hoariest of clichés also appear safe, too. Football is in no danger of becoming a game of centimeters.

But track and field long ago loosened its ties to the feet and inches of the British imperial system, and among track events, only the seldom-run mile persists as a revered imperial distance.

Yet within American track and field there are conflicting views about how pervasive the metric system should become. One side calls the imperial system antiquated and says it should be abandoned in favor of international uniformity. The other side says familiarity is needed to preserve history and maintain relevance for a sport that is robust in participation but struggles for spectator interest outside of the Olympics.