I heard the first sport Fosbury pursued seriously was boxing; the track & field team was just for cross-training. But as his career in the ring seemed more uncertain, he suddenly realized: he could make more money with a flop than with a hit!

[I know this is one of many jokes here about the flop. It is justifiable to keep talking about it as it did revolutionize the sport -- most sports don't get revolutionized. I don't think it's bad taste that people here make jokes (but c'mon, give it some effort) about Fosbury and the flop on his death as it's his clear historical legacy (apart from friends and family, comments from/about whom have been rightfully upvoted to the top). I didn't know the guy personally, obviously, but I've discussed the flop in conversation, in coaching, and especially in teaching science. So my contribution to this remembrance thread will be a joke I made up about the flop -- at least it's (hopefully) more entertaining than my physics lecture about it.]