Yet Another Cycling Forum
Off Topic => The Pub => The Sporting Life => Topic started by: Basil on 02 August, 2012, 07:10:47 pm
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The hockey always confuses me, as I forget that the clock counts down rather than up like in footy etc
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Were you wondering how you kept on getting more and more time in the pub?
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One of the German Beach Volleyball women seems to have been touched by His Noodly Appendage.
Edit: See what I mean?
(http://adserver.bworldonline.com/webpics/articles/image/2012080221b48.jpg)
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http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/sports/article/1148979--what-if-every-olympic-sport-was-photographed-like-beach-volleyball?ref=nf
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One of the German Beach Volleyball women seems to have been touched by His Noodly Appendage.
Edit: See what I mean?
(http://adserver.bworldonline.com/webpics/articles/image/2012080221b48.jpg)
You're gonna have to expand (no, not in that way) to those of us who have been cycling (forum'ing) six years or less what 'Noodly Appendage' actually is.
Thank you.
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You're gonna have to expand (no, not in that way) to those of us who have been cycling (forum'ing) six years or less what 'Noodly Appendage' actually is.
Thank you.
It's a reference to a satirical "religion" which purports to worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster
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Ah!
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Satirical? How dare you! Blasphemy!
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One of the German Beach Volleyball women seems to have been touched by His Noodly Appendage.
Edit: See what I mean?
(http://adserver.bworldonline.com/webpics/articles/image/2012080221b48.jpg)
One of the more artistic uses of 'K' tape (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastic_therapeutic_tape), I've seen - one of the Chinese divers in the 10m synchro competition just had what looked like a boring large rectangle of ElastoplastTM covering her lumbar region. Mind you, the divers could with using another type of tape altogether, there's a lot of adjustment going on prior to resurfacing...
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It's a very visible sugar pill. I noted that, in the list of things various athletes must have with them, itemised in The Guardian, one had one of those fakey-bolox Balance bracelets. :facepalm:
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On seeing how attractive Gemma Gibbons (the Silver medalist Judoka) is when she was interviewed by Lineker, I'm tempted to start an 2012 eye-candy-of-both-sexes thread, but realised it wouldn't be entirely appropriate on such a grown-up forum. And that she's still only 17. :">
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And another thing. The presenters keep referring to the 'accelerena' which I thought was another cool and zippy name for the velodrome alongside 'the pringle'. Then I wondered why they were holding the boxing in the velodrome. Ah! Excel Arena. All is clear now
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http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/sports/article/1148979--what-if-every-olympic-sport-was-photographed-like-beach-volleyball?ref=nf
;D and :sick: in equal measure. Have just tweeted that link, ta Kirst!
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On seeing how attractive Gemma Gibbons (the Silver medalist Judoka) is when she was interviewed by Lineker, I'm tempted to start an 2012 eye-candy-of-both-sexes thread, but realised it wouldn't be entirely appropriate on such a grown-up forum. And that she's still only 17. :">
She's older that 17, her mum passed away when she was 17
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Thank goodness for that! Though she still has a hint of vulnerability which makes me come over all protective.
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<wonders exactly how vulnerable an Olympic Judo silver medalist is>
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I really am enjoying watching people on telly who are famous for doing something difficult. Non - slebs with no make up and messy hair who are a bit sweaty. Excellent.
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I really am enjoying watching people on telly who are famous for doing something difficult. Non - slebs with no make up and messy hair who are a bit sweaty. Excellent.
If I had a telly and a vague interest in sport, I'd wholeheartedly agree with this. Instead, I'll have to settle for agreeing on a theoretical level. We need more people who are famous for things other than being famous.
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It's even better when they are not media savvy and sound like Real People. Inspiring.
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It's even better when they are not media savvy and sound like Real People. Inspiring.
Unless they're opining on cycle helmets...
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I really am enjoying watching people on telly who are famous for doing something difficult. Non - slebs with no make up and messy hair who are a bit sweaty. Excellent.
If I had a telly
You have a computer & an interweb connection . . . .
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Gave up my ticket to today's diving semi final to a friend, as I have tickets for the final tomorrow, and I have a lot of work to catch up on. Instead of catching up on work, I've just sat in front of the TV all morning. I can see this isn't going to work out...
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The olympics has been nothing like the Brittas Empire. I'm a little disappointed.
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........................... I've just sat in front of the TV all morning. I can see this isn't going to work out...
Think how fit you are getting watching all this sport!
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The current Radio Times has short interviews with/profiles of some of the less well-known competitors. Luol Deng plays basketball for the Chicago Bulls and they don't want him to compete for Britain in the Olympics; they would prefer him to spend the summer nursing a wrist injury. But he has chosen to ignore them because he feels he owes it to Britain to give something back after the UK gave him and his family asylum when they fled civil war in the Sudan in the mid-90s.
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Has any forummer managed to get his/her bicycle shown on an olympic-related broadcast?
This doesn't apply to any Olympic medallists who happen to join the forum.
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Blimey, why do they allow so many bikes to ride along with the rowers? In some shots you can see an entire peleton on the far bank.
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I was wondering why they allow all those rowers to row alongside the cyclists.
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Blimey, why do they allow so many bikes to ride along with the rowers? In some shots you can see an entire peleton on the far bank.
According to the Grauniad (http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/04/london-2012-motorbike-games-conundrums) it's the coaches who are cycling.
S
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Blimey, why do they allow so many bikes to ride along with the rowers? In some shots you can see an entire peleton on the far bank.
According to the Grauniad (http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/04/london-2012-motorbike-games-conundrums) it's the coaches who are cycling.
S
Yes, I assumed that, but how many ruddy coaches do they need? There are more people on bikes than oarsmen.
And are they allowed to coach from their bikes? And how would they do that?
"Try to win!"
;D
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"Row fast!" "Don't sink!"
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"Keep heading in that direction"
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Blimey, why do they allow so many bikes to ride along with the rowers? In some shots you can see an entire peleton on the far bank.
According to the Grauniad (http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/04/london-2012-motorbike-games-conundrums) it's the coaches who are cycling.
S
Yes, I assumed that, but how many ruddy coaches do they need? There are more people on bikes than oarsmen.
And are they allowed to coach from their bikes? And how would they do that?
"Try to win!"
;D
And none of them are wearing helmets! And why aren't the rowers wearing life jackets? Think of the children!
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According to my AP, who heard it from a man on the BBC, the cyclists are spectators.
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FNRTTC induced tiredness and a brain fart meant that I couldn't work out why David Millar was being interviewed for getting into the tennis mixed doubles final.
(They look a bit the same don't they)
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"Row fast!" "Don't sink!"
I saw a basketball coach giving a team talk during a time out, with a wipe clean board, marked up like a court, to draw tactics on. It had a big arrow drawn on it, pointing at the basket.
Well, duh!
And those bikes - I swear I've seen some with the forks on backwards. I posted a link to a pic in another thread...
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"Row fast!" "Don't sink!"
I saw a basketball coach giving a team talk during a time out, with a wipe clean board, marked up like a court, to draw tactics on. It had a big arrow drawn on it, pointing at the basket.
Well, duh!
Dr Steve Peters might be able to help you there as to the reason why. Also try looking at some NLP techniques.
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Today, the top of Box Hill looked, in places, like a ver' badly managed building site.
No Construction, Design & Management in place.
Messy.
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"Row fast!" "Don't sink!"
I saw a basketball coach giving a team talk during a time out, with a wipe clean board, marked up like a court, to draw tactics on. It had a big arrow drawn on it, pointing at the basket.
Well, duh!
Dr Steve Peters might be able to help you there as to the reason why. Also try looking at some NLP techniques.
I just couldn't help thinking that if you need advice like that by the time you're in the Olympics, maybe you aren't cut out for it...
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I just couldn't help thinking that if you need advice like that by the time you're in the Olympics, maybe you aren't cut out for it...
Surprising how people need support. Look at Victoria P and her open comments on the role of Dr Steve, after all she has achieved.
Sports psychology is an area where it can really make the difference and what GB have in Dr Steve is worth its weight in Gold.
You even argue why, by the time you have reached Olympic level you need a coach at all, but they play such a vital role in focusing the athletes and removing doubt. I wonder what would happen in tennis if the coach etc were allowed on court. Some matches are 4hrs long with no coach contact, no team talks. Impressive.
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I just couldn't help thinking that if you need advice like that by the time you're in the Olympics, maybe you aren't cut out for it...
Surprising how people need support. Look at Victoria P and her open comments on the role of Dr Steve, after all she has achieved.
Sports psychology is an area where it can really make the difference and what GB have in Dr Steve is worth its weight in Gold.
You even argue why, by the time you have reached Olympic level you need a coach at all, but they play such a vital role in focusing the athletes and removing doubt. I wonder what would happen in tennis if the coach etc were allowed on court. Some matches are 4hrs long with no coach contact, no team talks. Impressive.
Hold on. Are you saying that basketball players really need a cute visual of them putting the ball in the basket?
If so, then they should expect a wee bit of light mockery.
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Bloody sodding Branson infernet has been having problems with their servers and this has stopped me watching things. I'm reduced to watching television and connecting to the infernet with my mobile phone's hotspot.
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I just couldn't help thinking that if you need advice like that by the time you're in the Olympics, maybe you aren't cut out for it...
Surprising how people need support. Look at Victoria P and her open comments on the role of Dr Steve, after all she has achieved.
Does he whisper 'handlebar end forwards, Vicky!' before her races?
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Jessica Ennis!
That is all.
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Jessica Ennis!
That is all.
Except it wasn't all! Rutherford and Farah too, marvellous. GOOOOOOLD!
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Rutherfords interview is really something else..
Great moments.. this is Athletics Beijing moment..
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Aye. Rutherford seemed to be riding the wave of Ennis's victory when he took his winning jump.
And Mo Farah! He kicked twice on that last lap. I didn;t think he was going to hold them off.
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Poor Mrs. Farah! The commentator said she's 7 months pregnant. If so, she's going to have an awful lot of work to do in October!
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With twins, they say.
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I've just had to check after Rutherford spoke about Lynn the Leap in the past tense. He is still alive!!
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With twins, they say.
Ah, I thought she looked big already!
I loved his little girl running onto the tracks trying not to lose her shoes!
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That was something else. What a night !
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Giggs to miss a penalty.
Edit: wrong!
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Never mind, someone else (Dan Sturridge) keeps the GB reputation intact..
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Giggs to miss a penalty.
Edit: wrong!
wrong he's welsh we can score pens just can't qualify for anything :facepalm: see you in RIO team gb
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Of course! Giggs was in front of his home crowd.
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The russian heptathlete is a very tall lass, isn't she..
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Am I right in thinking that, a couple of months ago, some twit went on the record to say that Jessica Ennis looked fat?
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The russian heptathlete is a very tall lass, isn't she..
yes that side on shot showed her full length !!!
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I just couldn't help thinking that if you need advice like that by the time you're in the Olympics, maybe you aren't cut out for it...
Surprising how people need support. Look at Victoria P and her open comments on the role of Dr Steve, after all she has achieved.
Does he whisper 'handlebar end forwards, Vicky!' before her races?
Check Vicky P interviews and she always refers to Dr Steve giving her the emotional support she needs. If that support takes the form of "just ride to win, you can do it" or "handlebar end forwards" and it works then who cares. It's the work done before the event that counts and those little things that seem strange to outsiders, like arrow toward the basket, are just there to focus the athlete and stop their minds from wandering.
Might seem strange, but talk to the athletes and the psychologists.
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That was something else. What a night !
As I believe they say in Scotland, oh f*ck aye!
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http://twitpic.com/7l917b
Made me laugh ;D
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Am I right in thinking that, a couple of months ago, some twit went on the record to say that Jessica Ennis looked fat?
Yeah. What a porker.
:-\
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Am I right in thinking that, a couple of months ago, some twit went on the record to say that Jessica Ennis looked fat?
Yes, and I think the twit in question might have been her coach.
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Am I right in thinking that, a couple of months ago, some twit went on the record to say that Jessica Ennis looked fat?
Yeah. What a porker.
:-\
Found it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/athletics/fat-really-olympic-hope-laughs-off-officials-jibe--but-others-arent-amused-7786325.html
The remarks were made to her coach by some high-ranking suit in British athletics.
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She faced down the pressure incredibly well. She was even playin to the crowd a bit in the 800 metres, chasing out to the front in the first lap.
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Was Mo Farah actually kissing the ground after his victory? Like the pope!
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The runners and jumpers are all wearing hi-viz shoes.
Was Mo Farah actually kissing the ground after his victory? Like the pope!
I thought he was praying.
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Maybe he was. I didn't actually read anything religious into it at the time, it just put me in mind of Pope JP2. Bear in mind I only saw it through a pub window (I was in the pub garden)! In fact, isn't Mo Farah a Muslim - or did I just invent that? - in which case pope-isms probably really aren't his thing.
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He is Muslim, and he looked to be doing the kneeling/bowing thing Muslims do. There will be a correct term for it but I can't think of it just now.
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I've just had to check after Rutherford spoke about Lynn the Leap in the past tense. He is still alive!!
He's on the Beeb now so reports of his etc etc
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Maybe someone's already mentioned this but I love the commentator (Paul Dickinson?) saying of Mo, our favourite Somali, "He's taking on the Africans and showing them how to do it!"
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With it being Ramadan I'm intrigued to know if Mo was fasting or not.
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Fast enough already, as it turned out!
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With it being Ramadan I'm intrigued to know if Mo was fasting or not.
I think he got some kind of dispensation to fast after his participation in the Games is over. Fasting during daytime would be totally incompatible with being able to perform at the level he did yesterday evening. IIRC another athloete is paying for a shedload of meals for homeless people in lieu of fasting.
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I'm looking at pictures of milkwhite ginger Rutherford, very dark skinned Farah, and mixed race Ennis and wondering if Aidan Burley's enjoying this multi-cultural crap.
The Olympics are turning out to be some circus. Can I get some bread with mine?
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I'm looking at pictures of milkwhite ginger Rutherford, very dark skinned Farah, and mixed race Ennis and wondering if Aidan Burley's enjoying this multi-cultural crap.
I'm sure he is. It was the leftie opening ceremony that he was commenting on.
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With it being Ramadan I'm intrigued to know if Mo was fasting or not.
I think he got some kind of dispensation to fast after his participation in the Games is over. Fasting during daytime would be totally incompatible with being able to perform at the level he did yesterday evening. IIRC another athloete is paying for a shedload of meals for homeless people in lieu of fasting.
I seem to remember hearing a commentator at the opening ceremony mentioning that Muslim athletes were permitted not to fast, but that they made up the time afterwards.
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Have been glued to the screen enjoying the various games and the coverage - even with all the channels on bbc website can only catch a fraction of what's happening - but would enjoy a wider international perspective as there must be many more inspiring stories than those of British athletes. In this regard i quite enjoy the middle and long distance athletics as Steve Cram in particular tends to have the time and circumstances to give this wider perspective on the athletes.
I wonder whether we couldn't reduce the slot for, say, the rowing and its commentator, a certain Mr Grayed Bridduuurn iinvmm, in order to free up the required time?
Having heard him on 5Live i think Colin Murray might have the combination of intelligence and humour to make a good job of it.
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With it being Ramadan I'm intrigued to know if Mo was fasting or not.
I read something in the paper or on a news site about it the other week. He spent a lot of time studying about it and seeking advice and it was agreed that fasting would be detrimental to his health at this time so he didn't have to observe until after his events. It looks like he put a lot of thought into it and didn't take the decision lightly.
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My brother is a volunteer at the velodrome (lucky b**gger!) ;D
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I'm looking at pictures of milkwhite ginger Rutherford, very dark skinned Farah, and mixed race Ennis and wondering if Aidan Burley's enjoying this multi-cultural crap.
I'm sure he is. It was the leftie opening ceremony that he was commenting on.
Blimey: thought I'd need to trawl more widely to find an Aidan Burley sympathiser.
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I'm looking at pictures of milkwhite ginger Rutherford, very dark skinned Farah, and mixed race Ennis and wondering if Aidan Burley's enjoying this multi-cultural crap.
I'm sure he is. It was the leftie opening ceremony that he was commenting on.
Blimey: thought I'd need to trawl more widely to find an Aidan Burley sympathiser.
This is a broad church ;)
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Proof that Michael Johnson really is an honorary Brit.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/19134741
I wonder if the US will ever let him back in after this ?
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Prob'ly. Galen Rupp got silver
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Some more help for the DM: http://yfrog.com/z/nzr4irlj
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USA are second in the medals table with 55 medals. But of these 30 have come from a single sport - swimming. How come swimming gets so many events but in cycling the events are being cut back ?
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How come swimming gets so many events but in cycling the events are being cut back ?
USA are second in the medals table with 55 medals. But of these 30 have come from a single sport - swimming.
?
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And GB have the most medals per head of population. The commonwealth games should be interesting.. Especially in the velodrome.
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How come swimming gets so many events but in cycling the events are being cut back ?
USA are second in the medals table with 55 medals. But of these 30 have come from a single sport - swimming.
?
My point is that the medals table is badly distorted by the disparity in the number of medals available in each sport. They should base it on % of available medals won in each sport.
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And GB have the most medals per head of population. The commonwealth games should be interesting.. Especially in the velodrome.
Yes - looking forward to it :thumbsup:
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How come swimming gets so many events but in cycling the events are being cut back ?
USA are second in the medals table with 55 medals. But of these 30 have come from a single sport - swimming.
?
My point is that the medals table is badly distorted by the disparity in the number of medals available in each sport. They should base it on % of available medals won in each sport.
Hmmm. That would give massive weight to Triathlon ...
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They've painted a post box gold in Toytown to celebrate Katie Copeland's gold medal. Her dad euthanased my dog and her mum euthanased my hamster.
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You should have taken a photo and put it in the Guess the Place thread...
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Saw some kids in the velodrome crowd wearing Official Olympic Merchandise bearing the slogan "Better never stops".
Wtf does that mean in English?
d.
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Moving target? As good as it gets?
WTF, quite so!
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We will carry on getting better. We could stop when we win ALL the gold medals, though.
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I've randomly noticed that all the country names on the athletes kit seem to be in English. Is that because its being held in ingerland?
Or is it always thus? And if so, why are they not in French?
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We will carry on getting better. We could stop when we win ALL the gold medals, though.
Don't worry if the IOC ever thought that was going to happen they'd step in and change the rules. Again.
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One of the tennis commentators just said that the Belarussian who's partnering Max Mirny "ballgirled for him, back in the day in Minsk." The mind boggles.
Mind you, I'm sure she's the same one who said that Laura Robson was brought up in Wimbledon, and commented that it was very close to where they're playing. At, er, Wimbledon.
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I hope Laura Robson doesn't feel too bad. She's on Twitter if you want to send congrats for the Silver: @laurarobson5.
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It's very odd. The men's 100m is supposed to be the Blue Ribboned Event, yet to me, it is the least interesting. :-\
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Not to take anything away from Bolt as a dedicated athlete (and superb self-publicist) but most athletic races seem to be a contest of genes, since we can assume they all have really good coaching and they put in equivalent hours of training, attention to diet etc. Bolt, like Eddy Merckx before him, is a bit of a one-off freak of nature.
Unlike cycling,sprinting isn't about VO2 max; it's about fast-twitch muscle, but that's something else you can only modestly improve by training unless you're born with an abnormally lucky allocation.
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And GB have the most medals per head of population.
Apart from New Zealand, Slovenia, Denmark, Australia (unless you weight them by colour), Slovakia, Jamaica, Belarus, Hungary . . .
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With it being Ramadan I'm intrigued to know if Mo was fasting or not.
I think he got some kind of dispensation to fast after his participation in the Games is over.
Most Muslim clerics have said it's OK to delay the fast for Olympic athletes. There's a general rule allowing postponement when thought necessary, e.g. for travellers, & it's vague enough for it not to strain the beliefs of mainstream Muslims to apply it to the Olympics.
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Am I right in thinking that, a couple of months ago, some twit went on the record to say that Jessica Ennis looked fat?
Definitely a twit. She looks gorgeous. Perfect shape.
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Am I right in thinking that, a couple of months ago, some twit went on the record to say that Jessica Ennis looked fat?
Definitely a twit. She looks gorgeous. Perfect shape.
To me she looks like the epitome of the human form, the sort of body as imaged by Michaelangelo. Fascinating to look at, like a piece of art.
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Pocket-sized perfection.
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The objectification of my desire.
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Fatty
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Narrow hips and wide shoulders = too masculine.
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Narrow hips and wide shoulders = too masculine.
... for what?
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Australia conducts initial post-mortem into poor medals tally (http://youtu.be/wmIORJbwqiY)
"A lot of non-swimming countries has sent swimmers this time. This is outrageous!" ;D
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The Ozzies have plenty of medals - but very few of 'em are gold. ;D
Like Japan & Russia.
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And GB have the most medals per head of population.
Apart from New Zealand, Slovenia, Denmark, Australia (unless you weight them by colour), Slovakia, Jamaica, Belarus, Hungary . . .
And who has the least ... India?
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Bangladesh I believe.
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Blimey, why do they allow so many bikes to ride along with the rowers? In some shots you can see an entire peleton on the far bank.
According to the Grauniad (http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/04/london-2012-motorbike-games-conundrums) it's the coaches who are cycling.
S
Yes, I assumed that, but how many ruddy coaches do they need? There are more people on bikes than oarsmen.
And are they allowed to coach from their bikes? And how would they do that?
"Try to win!"
;D
IIRC, the coaches have a radio link to the oarsmen/women.
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Mathew Pinsent was doing a 'Rowing for Dummies' piece about that the other day - the bikes are supplied to the coaches from a pool. The coaches aren't allowed radio contact - voice only, but that doesn't matter.
When there are 8 coaches and all the other hangers-on shouting to 1 of 8 boats, the chances of being able to hear your own coach is slim and the chance of paying any heed to him is slimmer.
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It's very odd. The men's 100m is supposed to be the Blue Ribboned Event, yet to me, it is the least interesting. :-\
I find Bolt a very frustrating athlete to watch. It's not just that it's all over in less than 10 seconds, but he always seems to slow up as soon as he knows he's won.
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I'm somewaht irritataed that Ennis has withdrawn from the individual hurdles. Why enter in the first place then Pah. Chapeau to Murray for not only playing the mixed finals, but actually trying.
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I'm somewaht irritataed that Ennis has withdrawn from the individual hurdles. Why enter in the first place then Pah.
This has always been a tricky one, there are so many different factors.
On this occasion I'm going to guess that Ennis just feels so mentally drained that she knows she won't give the hurdles 100%.
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And it's not as if there are British athletes with the qualifying time queuing up behind her (I don't think).
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Mathew Pinsent was doing a 'Rowing for Dummies' piece about that the other day - the bikes are supplied to the coaches from a pool. The coaches aren't allowed radio contact - voice only, but that doesn't matter.
When there are 8 coaches and all the other hangers-on shouting to 1 of 8 boats, the chances of being able to hear your own coach is slim and the chance of paying any heed to him is slimmer.
Ah - I know they have them for training. I didn't know they were banned during races.
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Bangladesh I believe.
As in the largest population with no medals at all?
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I find Bolt a very frustrating athlete to watch. It's not just that it's all over in less than 10 seconds, but he always seems to slow up as soon as he knows he's won.
Did he do that in the final? He slows in the heats to conserve energy for the final.
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Just heard in commentary on the sailing:
"a man who changed his whole dementia... uh... dimensions..." (with reference to changing weight to go to a different boat class).
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I find Bolt a very frustrating athlete to watch. It's not just that it's all over in less than 10 seconds, but he always seems to slow up as soon as he knows he's won.
Did he do that in the final? He slows in the heats to conserve energy for the final.
4 years ago - definitely.
This year? I didn't think so - certainly nowhere near as much. It was a MUCH closer race this time.
(I actually see no reason why he shouldn't showboat - the win is more important than the time.)
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(I actually see no reason why he shouldn't showboat - the win is more important than the time.)
[/quote]
Appreciated, i did wonder if he was going to be doing a Sergey Bubka (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_pole_vault_world_record_progression) and just planning on nudging it each time to extend his career and maximise the prize money?
Only thing is, having once looked utterly unstoppable he has now experienced injury and misfortune - i wonder whether he will ever run as fast as he did in Beijing - will he ever clock a time which reflects his tremendous ability?
Perhaps its ultimately irrelevant either way and no more than a talking point?
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Michael Johnson said Bolt had been spotted at 3.30 this morning in a nightclub with the Swedish Handball squad. Perhaps that's why he was saving his energy.
I'm not criticising, just jealous!
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The commentator at the show jumping, filling time until the medal ceremony, remarked on a wide shot of the arena, with Greenwich building and London skyline behind, saying "That's a view that will never be recreated at any Olympics!"
Well, no. Coz, it's London, innit, and there isn't a London in Rio...
I did like Clare Balding filling though, rambling a bit, talking about how vital the horses were "because no one can do this on their own. Well, they could, if they were a high jumper, but it would take ages and look a bit silly...." Bless her, she was clearly very swept up in the result!
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I find Bolt a very frustrating athlete to watch. It's not just that it's all over in less than 10 seconds, but he always seems to slow up as soon as he knows he's won.
Did he do that in the final? He slows in the heats to conserve energy for the final.
4 years ago - definitely.
This year? I didn't think so - certainly nowhere near as much. It was a MUCH closer race this time.
(I actually see no reason why he shouldn't showboat - the win is more important than the time.)
Thing is, opportunities to achieve peak performance are so rare and may pass by unrecognised. The unanswered question is how fast can he go? We - and he - may never know. Which is a shame.
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Michael Johnson said Bolt had been spotted at 3.30 this morning in a nightclub with the Swedish Handball squad. Perhaps that's why he was saving his energy.
I'm not criticising, just jealous!
But talking of peak performance...
but talking of peak performance... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRjOB4qy4zo)
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Blimey, lady shot putters make almost as much noise as lady tennis players.
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Martina Strutz is great, isn't she? I wouldn't want to fight her, thobuts.
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Michael Johnson said Bolt had been spotted at 3.30 this morning in a nightclub with the Swedish Handball squad. Perhaps that's why he was saving his energy.
I'm not criticising, just jealous!
"Me? In a nightclub at 3.30am? With the Swedish women's handball team? With my reputation? New Olympic record ahoy!"
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I've randomly noticed that all the country names on the athletes kit seem to be in English. Is that because its being held in ingerland?
Or is it always thus? And if so, why are they not in French?
Just seen a bloke with "República Dominicana" written on his kit, so it would appear they're not all in English....
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The athletics track - why are there 9 lanes when there are usually only 8 runners? Either lane 1 or 9 is unused. There must be a good reason why they'd design a track with 9 lanes.
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Is it not so they don't have to use the very inside lane? Nobody likes that lane in the 400 and I'm pretty sure I've seen tracks with 10 lanes...
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... so why not just build it with 8 lanes with a larger inside radius? And the 100m is straight (and they still didn't use lane 1!!)
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The athletics track - why are there 9 lanes when there are usually only 8 runners? Either lane 1 or 9 is unused. There must be a good reason why they'd design a track with 9 lanes.
They answered this on the Chris Evans breakfast show this morning. Same for the swimming pool, it has 9 lanes too. The answer is "just in case."
It's dead educational, Radio 2.
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... so why not just build it with 8 lanes with a larger inside radius? And the 100m is straight (and they still didn't use lane 1!!)
Because that would be a non-standard track. ie the circumference of the track (in the inside lane) would not be 400 metres.
Radio 2 talks shite.
Edit: Or the radius would not be uniform if you changed the curve to a larger radius and maintained a 400m length
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Don Valley in Sheffield has a 10 lane home straight.
The 9-lanes give little more flexibility than 8, and also allows for an extra person in the final after an appeal theoretically. Surely though, if you have 3 semis and 9 lanes, first 3 in each semi qualifying would be better than first 2 and 2 fastest losers?
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... so why not just build it with 8 lanes with a larger inside radius? And the 100m is straight (and they still didn't use lane 1!!)
Because that would be a non-standard track. ie the circumference of the track (in the inside lane) would not be 400 metres.
Radio 2 talks shite.
Edit: Or the radius would not be uniform if you changed the curve to a larger radius and maintained a 400m length
Shorter straights - simples! (And a slightly sticky-out 110m start line ...) ;)
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The R2 breakfast show is broadcasting to the nation from the 'lmpic Village this week and every day they chat to a couple of 'lympic people. They've been getting the audience to email and text in with their questions and then finding the appropriate person to answer them. This morning's questions include someone asking why the pool and track have 9 lanes, and the answer from the man from the Olympics was "just in case."
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Bloody hell, we get 2 golds, including the winningest sailor of all time - and the Grauniad (and no doubt other papers) have some Jamaican on the cover of the main AND sports section. Celebrate the home talent why don'tcha >:(
(I know it's day old news, but I didn't see yesterdays paper until this morning!)
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It was the 50th anniversary of Jamaica's Independence yesterday, is probably why.
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Olympic pool has 10 lanes - the 2 outside ones aren't used.
I assume this is something to do with the waves coming back from the sides not interfering with the swimmers
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Best TV pundit: Colin Jackson.
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Best TV pundit: Michael Johnson ties with Colin Jackson
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I've got such a crush on Claire Balding.
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How do you get a job as the person riding the pacing bike in the keirin? That would be an ace job. I'd go round waving a flag that said "hello to all my yacf buddies rrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaawwwwwwwrrrrrrrrrrr ain't no hooves on this bike."
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Today's google doodle allows you the opportunity to compete in the 110m hurdles, as if you were playing Daley Thompson's Decathlon without a joystick. ;D
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How do you get a job as the person riding the pacing bike in the keirin? That would be an ace job. I'd go round waving a flag that said "hello to all my yacf buddies rrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaawwwwwwwrrrrrrrrrrr ain't no hooves on this bike."
You first need to be a British Cycling comissaire, then you need to get a Derny qualification. Then you need to be available and dependable. There is time now if you want to try to get qualified in time for Glasgow 2014 as you have access to Meadowbank :)
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I can tolerate Gary Richardson, who quite often presents Radio 4's sports roundup in the morning, but sometimes he can be a complete arse. Like this morning. You'd think he'd check the the pronunciation of a foreign-sounding sportsman… to be precise Baugé, who Jason Kenny just pipped to take the Gold in the individual pursuit. Now, I'd have a guess it would be pronounced phonetically as Bow-shay, given the acute over the é. Richardson's stab was Bore-ger.
As I said… arse.
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How do you get a job as the person riding the pacing bike in the keirin? That would be an ace job. I'd go round waving a flag that said "hello to all my yacf buddies rrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaawwwwwwwrrrrrrrrrrr ain't no hooves on this bike."
You first need to be a British Cycling comissaire, then you need to get a Derny qualification. Then you need to be available and dependable. There is time now if you want to try to get qualified in time for Glasgow 2014 as you have access to Meadowbank :)
These slimmed down Olympic Derny riders aren't a patch on their six-day counterparts where a Teutonic 'tache and a gutful of Trappist ale seem to be a prerequisite.
Thanks for that info David. I might look into it myself as I've always fancied doing the Dernies at Herne Hill. I'm too blinkin' old, slow, fat and lazy to be competitive on a leg-powered bike these days.
Watching the triathletes at the moment - and THEY'RE DRAFTING EACH OTHER and riding 'through and off' like proper racing bicyclists!!!!!! When did that rule come in?! (Hopefully it might rub off on some of the twonks who try to sit on my wheel for miles on end without coming through, when I'm out doing my loop.)
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The lead pack are actually riding like a reasonable club pack. Drafting is allowed in world cup triathlons and the olympics.
They could still do with some work on their positions though :) (except A.Brownlee who looks pretty good).
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This can't be right andrei greipel on the left and robert fosterman on the right fosterman must be on some magic juice to have thighs like this :o
(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/292309_398278893568484_1358430342_n.jpg)
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That photo's been doing the rounds in all the papers for the last week, WW!
What gets me though, is that Foerstermann's left thigh is more massive than his right*. It's a wonder he doesn't keep propelling himself up the banking every time he turns the pedals!
*yes I know - it's lens aberration.
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So, Phillips Idowu fails to qualify in the triple jump. Did we have an alternate I wonder? Because I think that person will feel pretty pissed off at not being able to compete - even though they would almost certainly not have qualified either.
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I don't know much about tri, but wasn't that a sub 30 10k split? Ruddy Nora - these guys are quick.
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It would have been sub 29 if he hadn't coasted the last 200m. Amazing performance.
Had a great position by the 1km to go sign and could just about see them going through transition across the lake. Screamed myself hoarse cheering them on. Brilliant FREE entertainment. I'll post some pics later.
Seeing them running along the opposite side of the lake, you got a really good impression of just how fast they were going, and the difference between the fastest and slowest. The swim also looked incredibly quick from where I was watching.
d.
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So, Phillips Idowu fails to qualify in the triple jump. Did we have an alternate I wonder? Because I think that person will feel pretty pissed off at not being able to compete - even though they would almost certainly not have qualified either.
A quick google suggests that the nearest Brit was 40cm off Oly qualification.
(are we even limited to 1-athlete-per-event in track-n-field ?)
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Just watched some horses doing peculiar unnatural things in the dressage. I look forward to animals in sport becoming as politically incorrect as animals in circuses.
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So, Phillips Idowu fails to qualify in the triple jump. Did we have an alternate I wonder? Because I think that person will feel pretty pissed off at not being able to compete - even though they would almost certainly not have qualified either.
A quick google suggests that the nearest Brit was 40cm off Oly qualification.
(are we even limited to 1-athlete-per-event in track-n-field ?)
As many as you like who have the A standard in the last two years, but only one if they have the B standard.
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It would have been sub 29 if he hadn't coasted the last 200m. Amazing performance.
Had a great position by the 1km to go sign and could just about see them going through transition across the lake. Screamed myself hoarse cheering them on. Brilliant FREE entertainment. I'll post some pics later.
Seeing them running along the opposite side of the lake, you got a really good impression of just how fast they were going, and the difference between the fastest and slowest. The swim also looked incredibly quick from where I was watching.
d.
What an awesome ending to the triathlon!!!!
The crowd where I was watching (Giant screen, 'lympic park) went absolutely loopy when Alistair Brownlee grabbed the spectator's Union Flag. :thumbsup:
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Chris Hoy's dad looks as though he could do with a bike ride.
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The Old Man of Hoy?
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The Old Man of Hoy?
Yes, but just a bit wider.
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Chris Hoy's dad looks as though he could do with a bike ride.
Yes, him and our First Minister !
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Best TV pundit: Colin Jackson.
As seen in the 'behind the scenes' sneak view of the pundits watching the men's 100m, shouting "there's whatsisname coming up!"
Good pundit, but perhaps not commentator material.... ;D
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The best thing about all these gold medals is that they're costing Piers Moron money. He promised to donate £1000 to GOSH for every gold medal Team GB wins, and another £1000 for every GB winner who sings the national anthem on the podium.
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I bet he's glad Chris Hoy is Scottish then! Or crying.
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The first few bars of Grenada's national anthem sounded just like that sinister bit from Star Wars where Darth Vader strides in.
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The first few bars of Grenada's national anthem sounded just like that sinister bit from Star Wars where Darth Vader strides in.
Yes, but did you notice he knew all the words; he was singing throughout.
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The first few bars of Grenada's national anthem sounded just like that sinister bit from Star Wars where Darth Vader strides in.
Yes, but did you notice he knew all the words; he was singing throughout.
Words to the Imperial March? "Dum dum dum, da da daaa, dum de dum."
;)
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Words to the Imperial March? "Dum dum dum, da da daaa, dum de dum."
Thanks to discovering Star Wars and Mary Poppins at about the same age, for me it will always continue:
"...Dum dum dum, da da daaa, dum de dum.
Da da dum, de-dum medicine go down, de-dum medicine go down,
Dah de dum, da de dum."
The stuff of opening ceremonies, without a doubt.
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Words to the Imperial March? "Dum dum dum, da da daaa, dum de dum."
Thanks to discovering Star Wars and Mary Poppins at about the same age, for me it will always continue:
"...Dum dum dum, da da daaa, dum de dum.
Da da dum, de-dum medicine go down, de-dum medicine go down,
Dah de dum, da de dum."
The stuff of opening ceremonies, without a doubt.
;D
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Steve Cram's pronunciation of Makhloufi was pure poetry.
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I noticed in the team sprint presentation that Philip Hindes was the only one singing (or prentending to sing) God Save the Queen. And he's fucking German! Oh wait...
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I reckon the other two told him "you have to sing the National Anthem", and then made him stand in front so he couldn't tell they weren't singing.
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I noticed in the team sprint presentation that Philip Hindes was the only one singing (or prentending to sing) God Save the Queen. And he's fucking German! Oh wait...
Can't you post without expletives?
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I noticed in the team sprint presentation that Philip Hindes was the only one singing (or prentending to sing) God Save the Queen. And he's fucking German! Oh wait...
Can't you post without expletives?
Can't you post without tedious criticism?
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Can't you post without expletives?
I'll stop fucking swearing when you stop being an intolerable bore...
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I noticed in the team sprint presentation that Philip Hindes was the only one singing (or prentending to sing) God Save the Queen. And he's fucking German! Oh wait...
Can't you post without expletives?
Can't you post without tedious criticism?
Actually, it was a question. Criticism would be to comment in a negative way about a post.
In answer to your question, I do post without criticism, in fact I normally question criticism when I don't think it is deserved and on a regularity that could be interpreted as tedious.
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You're right about one bit.
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Can't you post without expletives?
I'll stop fucking swearing when you stop being an intolerable bore...
Your actions have answered my question.
Such a pity on an open forum that is in the public domain.
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This is the internet. I think you should perhaps not take it so seriously.
Anyway, I don't want to argue. *Hugs*
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If bobb's posts didn't contain expletives how would we know his account hadn't been taken over by someone else?
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What Wowbagger said.
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But what if it was taken over by boab? They're hard enough to tell apart at the best of times.
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:o
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bobb doesn't have a tandem so as soon as rboab did a ride report she'd totally blow her cover.
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I'm pretty sure it's always been the genuine bobb here.
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bobb doesn't have a tandem so as soon as rboab did a ride report she'd totally blow her cover.
*must resist the temptation to resort to puerile innuendo*
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bobb doesn't have a tandem so as soon as rboab did a ride report she'd totally blow her cover.
*must resist the temptation to resort to puerile innuendo*
Smut and erudition Wow ...
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bobb doesn't have a tandem so as soon as rboab did a ride report she'd totally blow her cover.
*must resist the temptation to resort to puerile innuendo*
POTD :D
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I mean, pick of the bobb-wording day!
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Anyway, Yorkshire has won more golds than S Korea among others. I envisage a certain tea company somehow using this disproportionate success over more populous nation-states to its advantage.
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A virtual gong for the Aussie cycling coach, hugging Meares after her win:
"I'm so fucking proud of you."
First sewaring I've heard at this championships, and the first in a long time that the BBC didn't apologise for afterwards.
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A virtual gong for the Aussie cycling coach, hugging Meares after her win:
"I'm so fucking proud of you."
First sewaring I've heard at this championships, and the first in a long time that the BBC didn't apologise for afterwards.
Yeah, but he's Australian.
But what do Australian's know of pride? Pride comes from the way Pendleton took Meares hand after the second round to congratulate her rival's win. What a champion she is.
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So, Phillips Idowu fails to qualify in the triple jump. Did we have an alternate I wonder? Because I think that person will feel pretty pissed off at not being able to compete - even though they would almost certainly not have qualified either.
A quick google suggests that the nearest Brit was 40cm off Oly qualification.
(are we even limited to 1-athlete-per-event in track-n-field ?)
Not exactly, but AIUI if you have at least one A-standard qualifier, you're not allowed to enter any B-standard qualifiers.
I think it's the same as the Jess Ennis situation in the hurdles.
d.
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A virtual gong for the Aussie cycling coach, hugging Meares after her win:
"I'm so fucking proud of you."
First sewaring I've heard at this championships, and the first in a long time that the BBC didn't apologise for afterwards.
ISTR the Australian gov ruled recently that "fuck" is not an offensive word, due to its long tradition of everyday use in Australia. But they still said it should not be used on children's tv programmes, which suggests they're not 100% sure.
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Anyway, Yorkshire has won more golds than S Korea among others. I envisage a certain tea company somehow using this disproportionate success over more populous nation-states to its advantage.
Yorkshire has won more than 12 golds? :o
No, actually. Not even 12 medals altogether. Five gold, two silver & three bronze, for a total of ten. South Korea has 12 golds & 23 total, making it 5th in golds, 9th in all medals. Yorkshire is joint 11th (with Netherlands) in number of golds, 14th in total number of medals.
Impressive, & would put it second* in medals in proportion to population, even better than Slovenia, Jamaica & New Zealand, but let's not get into wild exaggerations.
*Grenada is first, with one gold, and likely to stay there unless some even smaller state wins a medal.
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The front of the Grauniad sports section today - the word GOLD emblazoned across images of Chris Hoy, Laura Trott, Alistair Brownlee, and the horse. (Anyone else notice that one of the dressage team was called Hester, norwegian for horse. So a Horse was given the gold medal)
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[pedantry hat on]
Hester is plural. Singular is hest. So horses were given the gold medal.
[pedantry hat off]
And on a completely different track, the talk elsewhere of different distances reminds me. I reckon there was summat wrong with the scheduling of the running. The Algerian winner of the 1500 metres was involved in some shenanigans regarding his entry for the 800 metres, which he dropped out of for obviously fake medical reasons. This was necessary because otherwise he'd have had a clash with the 1500 metres.
But who scheduled that? Didn't it use to be pretty common for 800 metres runners to also run 1500 metres? When did they start scheduling clashes, so you had to choose one? I reckon that's a major balls-up.
Checking - Ovett & Coe both got medals in both events in 1980, & Coe in both in 1984. And it had happened a few times before that.
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It started when we decided to value specialists over all-rounders.
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One of my colleagues is asking if we have an unfair advantage in the horse events because foreign horses might have jetlag.
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that's a fair question, they bring them over quite a long way before the games to get over it.
I think when racehorses travel on a short visit to a big race abroad, they use artificial light / dark stables to trick the horses' tiny brains into thinking they're still at home. They just have to race at weird times, I guess.
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I think the multi-event thing has always been a problem and it's pot luck how the organisers schedule events. ISTR Michael Johnson once having a similar problem with the 200 and 400 clashing.
Mo Farah said after his 5,000m heat this morning that he was still feeling tired after the 10k. The only realistic solution would be to stretch the games out over a much longer period, and that would bring all sorts of other problems.
Alternatively, you could restrict people to only competing in one event.
Talking of the Algerian, I found Steve Cram's snide innuendo in his commentary quite unedifying. If you want to make accusations, come out with them. Or just shut up.
d.
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A virtual gong for the Aussie cycling coach, hugging Meares after her win:
"I'm so fucking proud of you."
First sewaring I've heard at this championships, and the first in a long time that the BBC didn't apologise for afterwards.
Yeah, but he's Australian.
But what do Australian's know of pride? Pride comes from the way Pendleton took Meares hand after the second round to congratulate her rival's win. What a champion she is.
I may have shed an empathic tear with her at the end of that race.
Victoria Pendleton has had a fantastic ride through her career, without a doubt inspiring many, many people. I will certainly remember her not only for her performance, but also for her exemplary professional conduct, the way that she dedicated herself to racing; and the dignified way that her frailty was unhidden, rather it was a part of her persona as an athlete.
I am sad to see her retire as VP has long been somewhat of a hero to me. I have been inspired many times over by her; she is somehow more real, more accessible than many other top athletes, performing thrilling, brilliant, extraordinary feats throughout her career.
Thank you, VP, and good luck.
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Anyway, Yorkshire has won more golds than S Korea among others. I envisage a certain tea company somehow using this disproportionate success over more populous nation-states to its advantage.
It did, in an ad in today's Independent. You win a virtual gold medal for precognition.
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Made me laugh (and then cross my legs for a bit)
http://deadspin.com/5932963/nic-batum-delivered-a-mighty-nutshot-to-juan-carlos-navarro-in-the-closing-moments-of-todays-france+spain-game
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Anyway, Yorkshire has won more golds than S Korea among others. I envisage a certain tea company somehow using this disproportionate success over more populous nation-states to its advantage.
It did, in an ad in today's Independent. You win a virtual gold medal for precognition.
(https://p.twimg.com/AzwquhvCAAAqJ24.jpg:large)
8) 8) 8) !
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A little twitter exchange today:
(https://p.twimg.com/AzznVs4CIAAbJbM.jpg:large)
That's got my SPOTY vote!
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Sadly not Sir Wiggo's own response, but masterful nonetheless:
http://order-order.com/2012/08/08/piers-morgan-twitter-troll-takedown/
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A little twitter exchange today:
(https://p.twimg.com/AzznVs4CIAAbJbM.jpg:large)
That's got my SPOTY vote!
But Wiggins want compulsory helmets.
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Anyway, Yorkshire has won more golds than S Korea among others. I envisage a certain tea company somehow using this disproportionate success over more populous nation-states to its advantage.
It did, in an ad in today's Independent. You win a virtual gold medal for precognition.
(https://p.twimg.com/AzwquhvCAAAqJ24.jpg:large)
8) 8) 8) !
I bet IOC/LOCOG won't be happy with that.
Random companies should take out adverts with eg "congratulation to Britain's athletes/competitors!".
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A little twitter exchange today:
(https://p.twimg.com/AzznVs4CIAAbJbM.jpg:large)
That's got my SPOTY vote!
But Wiggins want compulsory helmets.
So now we define someone by their view on one thing?
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While we're on the subject of @bradwiggins, check out the tribute from his local baker.
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On Wiggins & Helmets, he has tweeted on 2nd August
Just to confirm I haven't called for helmets to be made the law as reports suggest
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A little twitter exchange today:
(https://p.twimg.com/AzznVs4CIAAbJbM.jpg:large)
That's got my SPOTY vote!
But Wiggins want compulsory helmets.
So now we define someone by their view on one thing?
His comments on helmets and the media reports of them has more relevance to me than his comments to Piers Morgan.
On Wiggins & Helmets, he has tweeted on 2nd August
Just to confirm I haven't called for helmets to be made the law as reports suggest
But the damage has already been done. Assuming he was quoted accurately, he did call for compulsory helmets, on more than one occasion. The news of that cycling death went worldwide, and I can assume all the news report of it included his quotes on helmets. It was certainly included in the UK coverage I read.
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Meanwhile, in other news....
Last Sunday morning, on the way to the Olympic Park the advice was to alight from the Jubilee Line train at West Ham and complete the journey on foot as Stratford Station was reported to be uncommonly busy.
I complied, whilst struggling to convince myself that this might actually be so before 10:00 o'clock on a Sunday morning.
The walk was somewhere in the order of 30 minutes, with which I had no problem as I wasn't in a hurry. The games making volunteers I encountered along the way surprised me and uplifted my spirits with their cheery greetings - enthusiasm which appeared not to wane in the least as the day(s) wore on.
Interestingly enough this route takes you along the deceptively named Greenway (which appears to have been appended with a noticeable amount of floral embellishment - for the better).
But not sufficiently to mask the tell-tale odour of London's finest effluent flowing eastward towards Beckton Sewage Works, inches below your feet - venting at regular intervals through grilles in the footway.
To the uninitiated/non-Londonistas the Greenway is a foot/cycle path which runs along the top of the Northern Outfall Sewer.
I believe the options may've been limited, but I'm not convinced that inviting the masses to access a world-class event via a route which smells distinctly of poo was the smartest of ideas.
I've subsequently only used Stratford Station.
On the topic of which...
For each of the last four days I have travelled to the Olympic Park using public transport.
It's not the way I'd normally choose to travel, but finding somewhere to safely park a bike for half a day or so in Stratford seemed to be a bit of an issue, so I avoided it.
What struck me was how smoothly my journeys went.
There was just the one which I would equate to (but no worse than) traveling on the underground at it's grimmest during peak hours - but certainly the rest of my journeys were unencumbered with the sort of nightmare delays I was expecting to encounter - surprisingly stress free, in fact.
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That's not just any poo smell, though, that's Joseph Bazalgette's awesomely over-engineered[1] victorian poo smell. One of the greatest achievements in public health ever, and the sort of poo smell that makes you proud to be British.
The Greenway's quite a good cycling route, other than the fact that it goes to Beckton.
[1] That the NOS still copes with today's volume of effluent (he couldn't have predicted the invention of tower blocks) is one of the finest examples of the "add a bit and double it" rule paying off.
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That's not just any poo smell, though, that's Joseph Bazalgette's awesomely over-engineered[1] victorian poo smell. One of the greatest achievements in public health ever, and the sort of poo smell that makes you proud to be British.
The Greenway's quite a good cycling route, other than the fact that it goes to Beckton.
[1] That the NOS still copes with today's volume of effluent (he couldn't have predicted the invention of tower blocks) is one of the finest examples of the "add a bit and double it" rule paying off.
You know too much.
Teh details of the railways and the contents of the RS catalogue I can live with.
Just.
But this?
(Hats off to Bazalgette - and others - for over engineering)
I take it that you're aware one of his grandchildren is responsible, in part, for the production of Big Brother - a totally different kind of poo.
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That's not just any poo smell, though, that's Joseph Bazalgette's awesomely over-engineered[1] victorian poo smell. One of the greatest achievements in public health ever, and the sort of poo smell that makes you proud to be British.
The Greenway's quite a good cycling route, other than the fact that it goes to Beckton.
[1] That the NOS still copes with today's volume of effluent (he couldn't have predicted the invention of tower blocks) is one of the finest examples of the "add a bit and double it" rule paying off.
That walk is clearly designed along the same theme as the Opening Ceremony, then.
Gold Medal sewerage systems. And they are British!
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That's not just any poo smell, though, that's Joseph Bazalgette's awesomely over-engineered[1] victorian poo smell. One of the greatest achievements in public health ever, and the sort of poo smell that makes you proud to be British.
The Greenway's quite a good cycling route, other than the fact that it goes to Beckton.
[1] That the NOS still copes with today's volume of effluent (he couldn't have predicted the invention of tower blocks) is one of the finest examples of the "add a bit and double it" rule paying off.
The problem is it doesn't cope!! The flow into the NOS is pumped and the capacity of the pumps is restricted to avoid overloading the NOS. Add any decent quantity of rain in north / central london and the Abbey Mills pumping station on the NOS at the River Lea becomes the biggest consented storm overflow and the Lea becomes an open sewer.
This is why the tideway tunnel is needed to collect the overflows and take them seperately to Beckton.
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A little twitter exchange today:
(https://p.twimg.com/AzznVs4CIAAbJbM.jpg:large)
That's got my SPOTY vote!
But Wiggins want compulsory helmets.
So now we define someone by their view on one thing?
That tweet is so good, it could be sufficient penance for almost anything.
Given that Wiggo has recanted on helmets - see WB's quote - I think I'm back to worshipping him as an eccentric British hero :thumbsup:
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If you follow the link on NSTN's post (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=61925.msg1288806#msg1288806) upthread, you'll find that the tweet take-down was from a Mr. Colm Quinn, not Wiggo ;):
http://twitter.com/mrcolmquinn/status/231021025511489544
If Wiggo deigned to dignify Piers Moron's tweet with a response, it would probably have been a tad more succinct, and somewhat more caustic! ;D
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That's not just any poo smell, though, that's Joseph Bazalgette's awesomely over-engineered[1] victorian poo smell. One of the greatest achievements in public health ever, and the sort of poo smell that makes you proud to be British.
The Greenway's quite a good cycling route, other than the fact that it goes to Beckton.
[1] That the NOS still copes with today's volume of effluent (he couldn't have predicted the invention of tower blocks) is one of the finest examples of the "add a bit and double it" rule paying off.
The problem is it doesn't cope!! The flow into the NOS is pumped and the capacity of the pumps is restricted to avoid overloading the NOS. Add any decent quantity of rain in north / central london and the Abbey Mills pumping station on the NOS at the River Lea becomes the biggest consented storm overflow and the Lea becomes an open sewer.
This is why the tideway tunnel is needed to collect the overflows and take them seperately to Beckton.
Speaking of the Abbey Mills pumping station, I'd like to point out that it's a magnificent example of Victoriana. They didn't try to hide the shit-pumping station, they made it conspicuous & ornate. I remember being impressed by my first sight of it (from the NOS: when I was a student the easiest route from my flat to an annex of my alma mater which I had to visit regularly was along the NOS, which then had just a footpath along the top), & wondering what it was.
I recommend anyone who has an opportunity to go & have a look at it, & anyone else to browse the images online.
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If you follow the link on NSTN's post (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=61925.msg1288806#msg1288806) upthread, you'll find that the tweet take-down was from a Mr. Colm Quinn, not Wiggo ;):
http://twitter.com/mrcolmquinn/status/231021025511489544
If Wiggo deigned to dignify Piers Moron's tweet with a response, it would probably have been a tad more succinct, and somewhat more caustic! ;D
Except you too are misquoting. It was Little Miss Mac, not NSTN!
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I am flattered to have been mistaken for NSTN ;D
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The problem is it doesn't cope!! The flow into the NOS is pumped and the capacity of the pumps is restricted to avoid overloading the NOS. Add any decent quantity of rain in north / central london and the Abbey Mills pumping station on the NOS at the River Lea becomes the biggest consented storm overflow and the Lea becomes an open sewer.
This is why the tideway tunnel is needed to collect the overflows and take them seperately to Beckton.
Thought we'd hear from you as soon as the talk turned to Bazalgette, NOS and pumpin' poo! ;D
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The problem is it doesn't cope!! The flow into the NOS is pumped and the capacity of the pumps is restricted to avoid overloading the NOS. Add any decent quantity of rain in north / central london and the Abbey Mills pumping station on the NOS at the River Lea becomes the biggest consented storm overflow and the Lea becomes an open sewer.
This is why the tideway tunnel is needed to collect the overflows and take them seperately to Beckton.
Thought we'd hear from you as soon as the talk turned to Bazalgette, NOS and pumpin' poo! ;D
I take a professional interest in such things ;D
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The problem is it doesn't cope!! The flow into the NOS is pumped and the capacity of the pumps is restricted to avoid overloading the NOS. Add any decent quantity of rain in north / central london and the Abbey Mills pumping station on the NOS at the River Lea becomes the biggest consented storm overflow and the Lea becomes an open sewer.
This is why the tideway tunnel is needed to collect the overflows and take them seperately to Beckton.
Thought we'd hear from you as soon as the talk turned to Bazalgette, NOS and pumpin' poo! ;D
I take a professional interest in such things ;D
... whereas the rest of us, in the true Olympian spirit, are dedicated amateurs.
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Surely this gymnast is breaking a variety of PHYSICS with this routine. :o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm_mQXr6JL0
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That was an amazing routine and quite deservedly won the gold medal. Breathtaking!
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That was an amazing routine and quite deservedly won the gold medal. Breathtaking!
Absolutely. You can tell when it is something really special when the opposition cheers for you!
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That's not just any poo smell, though, that's Joseph Bazalgette's awesomely over-engineered[1] victorian poo smell. One of the greatest achievements in public health ever, and the sort of poo smell that makes you proud to be British.
The Greenway's quite a good cycling route, other than the fact that it goes to Beckton.
[1] That the NOS still copes with today's volume of effluent (he couldn't have predicted the invention of tower blocks) is one of the finest examples of the "add a bit and double it" rule paying off.
The problem is it doesn't cope!! The flow into the NOS is pumped and the capacity of the pumps is restricted to avoid overloading the NOS. Add any decent quantity of rain in north / central london and the Abbey Mills pumping station on the NOS at the River Lea becomes the biggest consented storm overflow and the Lea becomes an open sewer.
This is why the tideway tunnel is needed to collect the overflows and take them seperately to Beckton.
Speaking of the Abbey Mills pumping station, I'd like to point out that it's a magnificent example of Victoriana. They didn't try to hide the shit-pumping station, they made it conspicuous & ornate. I remember being impressed by my first sight of it (from the NOS: when I was a student the easiest route from my flat to an annex of my alma mater which I had to visit regularly was along the NOS, which then had just a footpath along the top), & wondering what it was.
I recommend anyone who has an opportunity to go & have a look at it, & anyone else to browse the images online.
Abbey Mills is ornate, but the installation of modern pumping equipment rather detracts from the overall effect. The preserved Crossness pumping station on the other side of the Thames is a much better one to visit IMHO
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Jade Jones, a superb effort putting her into the final for <60kg Taekwondo :D
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I'm shocked that the Belgian got sent home for getting hammered.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/09/london-2012-drunk-belgian-cyclist
I think Wiggins did something similar in Beijing that ended with an irate taxi driver, but Beijing doesn't have loads of paparazzi, and gold gets you more slack cut than 15th.
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Wiggo was tweeting about being hammered at St. Pauls a few days ago.
Mind you, he's finished his events and there's not a lot of point in sending him home as he only lives round the corner.
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I've just watched some unfortunate Scots 800m runner not doing very well and then being interviewed by the BBC about her disappointment. I'd rather not see the "failures", as they undoubtedly see themselves, being interviewed at the precise moment that they would prefer a hole in the ground to swallow them up. It's unnecessarily cruel.
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I've just watched some unfortunate Scots 800m runner not doing very well and then being interviewed by the BBC about her disappointment. I'd rather not see the "failures", as they undoubtedly see themselves, being interviewed at the precise moment that they would prefer a hole in the ground to swallow them up. It's unnecessarily cruel.
Turn over then. ;)
I have no problem with interviewing losers, I just wish the BBC would interview more than just Brits. To be fair they do seem to do this at the athletics quite a bit.
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Olympics spectator arrested for not smiling:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/08/olympics-spectator-parkinsons-arrest-smiling?
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The ex-USSR has more medals than China or the USA, but is only third in number of golds, two ahead of the United Kingdom plus some small islands.
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Olympics spectator arrested for not smiling:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/08/olympics-spectator-parkinsons-arrest-smiling?
The oddest thing about that incident was this, to my mind:They added that Worsfold had had "a number of knives" in his possession, but that these turned out to be made of rubber and for use only as display items.
Display of what? Was this something like battle re-enaction as I think Wascally Weasel otp does for schools? Or for use in stage productions? Or what? I really think they ought to tell us!
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This is what gets me about that story. He was giving a martial arts demo round the corner in which he used the rubber knives. Call me insensitive, but I would have thought that being a martial arts instructor involved a degree of litheness and agility and not something that somebody with Parkinson's would be up to. I know nothing about Parkinson's of course.
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I'm shocked that the Belgian got sent home for getting hammered.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/09/london-2012-drunk-belgian-cyclist
I think Wiggins did something similar in Beijing that ended with an irate taxi driver, but Beijing doesn't have loads of paparazzi, and gold gets you more slack cut than 15th.
A 20 year old who's been denied a night on the piss for a year goes a bit overboard in a foreign city after letting his hair down when the pressure's finally off. Seems utterly normal to me. And then he has to apologise for bringing shame to his nation. What utter bollocks. Shame about him going to Mahiki though. Almost as naff as Boujis
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Wiggo was tweeting about being hammered at St. Pauls a few days ago.
Mind you, he's finished his events and there's not a lot of point in sending him home as he only lives round the corner.
He lives in Eccleston, Lancashire. Moved there to be near the velodrome, so maybe he'll move back down to the Great Wen, now they've got one there. Or is it being sold off to a football team?
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Some breaking news :)
'We'll need a tandem' - gold stars Laura and Jason admit they are dating
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/olympics/4479265/Double-gold-cyclist-Laura-Trott-snogs-2-gold-winner-Jason-Kenny.html
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Aw.. How sweet :)
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For some reason I suspected they were even before I read it in the Daily Mail.
They met on YACF.
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Must be a bit awkward with Sam Harrison, her ex, also being on the track team.
And talk about opposites attract... Jason hardly says a word and Laura never shuts up.
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Call me insensitive, but I would have thought that being a martial arts instructor involved a degree of litheness and agility and not something that somebody with Parkinson's would be up to. I know nothing about Parkinson's of course.
So why comment about it if you know nothing about what you are commenting on?
Someone I know has Parkinson's and still manages to rock climb, which requires a degree of litheness and agility.
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Possibly because Goldilocks wanted to be better informed through the medium of on-line conversation
I would never have thought that someone with rheumatoid arthritis would be able to cycle over 6000 miles a year until I did.
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Must be a bit awkward with Sam Harrison, her ex, also being on the track team.
And talk about opposites attract... Jason hardly says a word and Laura never shuts up.
Hehe, sounds good to me! She provides the spontaneous and bubbly side, he provides the routine and boring side. Sounds like Miss Emily and me :P
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Is this Dave Brailsford's way of winning medals in 24 years time?
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I always get intrigued to the point of obsession with curious minutiae... luckily the BBC are here to answer my questions: 20 more Olympic oddities (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19180559)
(sorry, link fixed)
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....
They met on YACF.
Did you just make that up?
Did you?
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So why comment about it if you know nothing about what you are commenting on?
Oh look. More tedious criticism. ::-)
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sarah oldnall @ofaytb123
@TeamGB just overheard two little girls playing on their bikes outside one says to other "you be Laura Trott and I'll be Vicky Pendleton"
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sarah oldnall @ofaytb123
@TeamGB just overheard two little girls playing on their bikes outside one says to other "you be Laura Trott and I'll be Vicky Pendleton"
:D :D :D
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Then a big girl called Anna Meares turned up and knocked them off their bikes. :demon:
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No doubt after the two little girls foolishly deviated from their line right into her...
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right into her what?
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I've just watched some unfortunate Scots 800m runner not doing very well and then being interviewed by the BBC about her disappointment. I'd rather not see the "failures", as they undoubtedly see themselves, being interviewed at the precise moment that they would prefer a hole in the ground to swallow them up. It's unnecessarily cruel.
Two things:
- they don't have to do the interviews. They can shut themselves away, and talk to Auntie later if they want. (which may not get them on the telly ... )
- you get the best, the most honest, the most visceral reactions in the heat of the moment. The interview with the silver medal rowings chaps (that made even Inverdale cry) was the best telly of 2012.
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Nicola Adams - almost hard enough
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/adams-now-eighth-hardest-woman-in-leeds-2012081037811 ;D
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I went to the cinema yesterday to take a break from watching sport. 2 adverts from the cinema were worthy of note
Nike: Find your greatness
It was meant to be inspirational, but what was highly amusing was the fact that for a scene there were kids doing stunts on bikes, so while the voice over was all about greatness and extolling you to 'Find your greatness', due to the health and safety stuff, there was a little caption on the bottom of the screen saying 'do not attempt'.
You can see it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hEzW1WRFTg
Freedom
For those who live in London, there are lots of posters of bikes saying freedom, trying to get people to cycle. There was a nice cinema ad to go with it, but I can't find it online. I've never seen an ad trying to get people to cycle before...
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Boris Johnson: "Laura Trott and her boyfriend together rank 16th in the overall medals table."
:)
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Grrr. As they've done it in track cycling to nobble GB's medal tally, why doesn't the IOC introduce one nation/one competitor across all events to break up the dominance of
1 Ethiopia and Kenya in women's long distance running and
2 Jamaica and USA in men's sprinting?
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Nicola Adams - almost hard enough
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/adams-now-eighth-hardest-woman-in-leeds-2012081037811 ;D
I actually feel quite bad about finding that funny.
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The BBC is about to show the Budd v Decker race. It was so funny when it happened.
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Although I didn't recognise* him in his London 2012 shirt when Dez showed me his photo just now, my nephew has been working at Greenwich Park as part of the team that designed the equestrian centre. He was with one of his colleagues and between them was a woman dressed for horse riding and she had a ribbon with a gold medal on it hanging round her neck.
*I initially thought, not having noticed the shirts, that is was a very old photo of Paul Merton :-[ . This amused Dez enormously and it's one of those mistakes that I'm never going to be allowed to forget.
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Grrr. As they've done it in track cycling to nobble GB's medal tally, why doesn't the IOC introduce one nation/one competitor across all events to break up the dominance of
1 Ethiopia and Kenya in women's long distance running and
2 Jamaica and USA in men's sprinting?
That would certainly curtail their relay medal haul!
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There are loads of cyclists riding around one of my dog walks.
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MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Small things that don't really matter ? Deserves better ! ;)
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MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Who let that cow in here?
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Tom Daley's asking for a re-dive because the flashes of spectators' cameras put him off. Why do they allow flash photography in there?
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Tom Daley's asking for a re-dive because the flashes of spectators' cameras put him off. Why do they allow flash photography in there?
They probably don't but some idiots ignore TEH ROOLZ
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He got his re-dive, the crowd got a telling-off, and he nailed it.
If I was diving in that competition, and if I was in last place in the last round and knew I couldn't win, I might finish with a running bomb.
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MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Looks like he's going to be around for a while: -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/9469795/London-2012-Olympics-Mo-Farah-storms-to-second-gold-in-a-week.html
Mo Farah has won the 5,000 metres final of the London 2101 Olympics, exactly seven days after taking gold in the 10,000 metres.
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That was a bit fast, wasn't it?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19222190
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Grrr. As they've done it in track cycling to nobble GB's medal tally, why doesn't the IOC introduce one nation/one competitor across all events to break up the dominance of
1 Ethiopia and Kenya in women's long distance running and
2 Jamaica and USA in men's sprinting?
That would certainly curtail their relay medal haul!
Actually, scrub that as far as the Jamaicans go. They come across as entertaining in the post race interview, nice blokes. Funny and cool, especially Bolt who I admit I did find a bit irritating at first. They constantly big up Birmingham Uni and Brunel too. One love.
Did you see the bantamweigt boxing? Campbell was magnificent following through with his left arm. Not something I'd want to be on the end of. And a Gold too for GB!!
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Why is the marathon a boring circuit race? Why couldn't they have used the usual London Marathon course? Security?
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I believe it was a deliberate choice to make things more visible to the crowd, because they'd all get three chances to see the athletes going past.
I think it worked, it certainly gave the cameras a chance to show off the city!
That was a hell of an impressive finish by Stephen Kiprotich. He was behind Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich and Abel Kirui for so long, and even the commentators were making mutterings about whether he could hang on to Bronze, or whether Marilson Dos Santos would take that off him, but then, bang, and the Ugandan just went off like a rocket.
He was looking behind a lot in those last few kilometres, checking that he had the lead, but for the last few hundred metres, he obviously knew he had it, and was grinning like a mad thing. ;D
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Something that's puzzling me from the few glimpses of the Wenlock mascot in the stadium is this...
What - if any - role had been given to the poor sod(s) who had to wear the suit? Cheerleader? Presenter of wierd cuddly toy to record breakers? Or what? ???
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And why wasn't he at other venues? Might his fur get wet?
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Something that's puzzling me from the few glimpses of the Wenlock mascot in the stadium is this...
What - if any - role had been given to the poor sod(s) who had to wear the suit? Cheerleader? Presenter of wierd cuddly toy to record breakers? Or what? ???
It was attempting to start a Mexican wave at the footie final yesterday, although the crowd had already been starting them by themselves anyway. And it periodically charges up to athletes to gets it photo taken with them while they mostly ignore it (Usain Bolt aside who played along).
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Team GB sing Queen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYtpL5YhWOQ
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That's ace! I'm guessing it was done for giggles and not charidee.
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About those rankings:
I made a little spreadsheet into which I pasted the medals table, then added a formula for a weighted ranking: 4 points for gold, 2 for silver, 1 for bronze.
Russia moves from 4th to 3rd, displacing GB.
S. Korea drops below France & Germany.
Japan moves up 3 places, Australia 2.
Various minor shuffles lower down, with the biggest differences I've spotted being North Korea (down 7), Spain (up 7) & Canada (up 6).
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For Beijing, I upgraded to HDTV, and watched most of the footage in high def. I assumed at the time, that for London I'd be watching high def and in 3D. In reality, I watched a lot on a computer monitor and on my phone.
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We watched the closing ceremony streamed on the computer as we are in a house with no TV. We upgraded to HD for this Olympics, and watched a reasonable amount in HD. Some in 3D. Very different experience to normal definition.
As for the 3D? Well, a lot of sports worked well, but fast ones did not. Sprinters legs moved too fast and stuttered. I suppose that is because the fame rate for 3D is half the normal rate. 3D via a projector, covering the most part of a wall worked well; I'm not sure if it would work so well on a more normally sized TV. Since we don't have one, there's no way I can check.
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Something that's puzzling me from the few glimpses of the Wenlock mascot in the stadium is this...
What - if any - role had been given to the poor sod(s) who had to wear the suit? Cheerleader? Presenter of wierd cuddly toy to record breakers? Or what? ???
He/she is smaller than I first thought:
(http://media.bonnint.net/apimage/f44dc5e3-274a-48d8-a68e-4b12cea3d0db.jpg)
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And why wasn't he at other venues? Might his fur get wet?
He was. Here he is at the Rowing 'Get involved' tent.
(http://www.alfiecat.co.uk/yetacf/wenlock.jpg)
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Last Monday British discus thrower Brett Morse got in hot water (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/19186221) due to a Tweet he had posted about the Belarusian winner of the women's shot putt final, which effectively accused her of doping on the grounds that she looked like a throwback to the Cold War-era SovBloc piano throwers.
"I've had a bad day but it could be worse, I could look like Ostaptchuk [sic]."
Well, lo and behold, Ostapchuk has been stripped of her title after failing a doping test (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19242736), the International Olympic Committee has announced.
Who's sorry now, I wonder?
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My Kenyan colleague is saying that Kenyans are saying really they got all three medals in the men's marathon because Kiprotich is a Kenyan name, and the winner is from a place just on the Kenyan/Ugandan border so he probably has Kenyan genetics. ;D
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OK, we get seven for the team pursuits then, and so on..
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I was thinking about how the Olympics has allowed a more positive repossession of some images, not least the union flag. I think we might have missed an opportunity here though. We should from now on not refer to "gold medals" but instead "ginger medals".
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I was thinking about how the Olympics has allowed a more positive repossession of some images, not least the union flag. I think we might have missed an opportunity here though. We should from now on not refer to "gold medals" but instead "ginger medals".
'blond' surely?
Ginger would be the bronze medal.
Silver - well that's obvious!
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My aunt worked as a volunteer in the Olympic Park, not sure which venues or events she saw but towards the end her team posed for a group photo inside the velodrome (long after the cycling events had finished). She decided to look around to see if she could nab any interesting souvenirs for me...
In the post today I received three official UCI/IOC communiques - Men's Keirin final result & placings, another showing all rounds of the Women's Sprint and the notorious one informing the world's press that Victoria Pendleton had been disqualified! Also in the envelope was a spent cartridge from the starting gun.
8)
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Gold Medal in "World's Best Aunt" event, surely!
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My aunt worked as a volunteer in the Olympic Park, not sure which venues or events she saw but towards the end her team posed for a group photo inside the velodrome (long after the cycling events had finished). She decided to look around to see if she could nab any interesting souvenirs for me......... Also in the envelope was a spent cartridge from the starting gun.
8)
That's pretty frikkin' 8)
*Envy alert!!!* :)
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Yes, thinking about it, that was the actual document that brought Victoria Pendleton's career to a disappointing and premature end. It's one of a pile of photocopies, presumably handed out to journalists (not handwritten by the notorious Wayne Pomario or anything) but still, one for the box of cycling memorabilia.
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Premature end? by one round of the sprint. And without the relegation, who knows what would have happened.
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Yes, exactly. I think she had the mental strength to beat Meares the second time, but having the win taken from her in that way knocked her confidence, and bolstered Meares.
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When I went to the Olympic Park I was really struck by how very nice everyone was. Basically it was a huge gathering of very nice middle class people. Rubbish being put in bins. Wild flowers and family pics. Even the volounteers were nice. Lots of nice flags, and lots of nice athletes.
It was like Wimbledon on steroids. There was picknicking. Cheering and atmosphere.
There were bars but there was no drunkeness. It offered a vision of betterness.
In contrast I live near QPR stadium and on match days I notice how extremely nasty footy is. A huge gathering of tribal mostly males. The whole area filled with an air of palpable menace, Police on horses looking grim. Pubs overflowing with raucous, drunken men youths with angry faces. Swearing everywhere and the odd fight. Athletes from the same feral underbelly. I guess there might be some crossover but its parallel worlds really. Is this the class system at work?
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"In contrast I live near
QPR stadium York Racecourse and on match race days I notice how extremely nasty footy racing is. A huge gathering of tribal mostly males male and female louts. The whole area filled with an air of palpable menace, Police on horses looking grim. Pubs overflowing with raucous, drunken men youths with angry faces. Swearing everywhere and the odd fighting in the streets. "
It's alcohol. The tribalistic nature of football gives men the excuse to act like cavemen. I have no idea why it is so extreme with the horse races in York.
Last year's Ebor festival was so bad that some pubs, nightclubs and restaurants are closing before the races finish and the racegoers head into town.
How bad? Machete fights in the streets.
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Is the York races a working class or middle class type of yob? You can tell I think from the voices although it does get harder as you go North - where everyone sounds working class dont they? .
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Boat Race Night used to be known for rather high-spirited behaviour (posh boys don't do crime, do they? ;)).
Climbers used to be pretty grim. A club that I used to belong to was, at one time, banned from every pub in Snowdonia.
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Is the York races a working class or middle class type of yob? You can tell I think from the voices although it does get harder as you go North - where everyone sounds working class dont they? .
Ross Noble once did a gig in York that coincided with a race day, and commented on the people he'd seen in town. He described them as "Mutton dressed as pig". ;D
I think probably more middle class yob, or perhaps upper-working...
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I don't think that it is to do with social class, in a kind of correlation =/= causation way, it has everything to do with a lack of manners and responsibility.
The Olympic venues felt so easy, in my opinion, because of the huge number of familial relationships present. Parents with children and couples abounded, partnerships which naturally create a more responsible environment. This filtered out to the groups of friends who were perhaps more free to drink and be merry, but couldn't escape the general attitude of care, or thoughtfulness, and were sucked into it thus propagating it further.
I have seen the exact opposite propagation of behaviour happen at races and football matches, loud and rowdy spawns louder and rowdier.
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Is the York races a working class or middle class type of yob? You can tell I think from the voices although it does get harder as you go North - where everyone sounds working class dont they? .
It's both.
In the past I'd have said that the upper class louts were the worst; incredible, offensive (verbally and physically) foul behaviour.
However, last year we had a new element, the 'Essex boys'. They came tooled up (you can't buy machetes from the Sainsburys on the corner) and in large groups. It took armed police with Alsatians to bring order back to the streets.
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I agree with the comments re. the atmosphere in the Olympic Park.
But regarding drunkenness, it was too damn expensive to get drunk!
I have not attended a stadium based sporing event for many, many years and recently went to the Rugby 7s in Glasgow - I Was very surprised
at how enjoyable it was. Also went to the 20-20 cricket at the Oval one evening/
Same as the Olympics - a modern venue, a big screen showing instant replays, a commentator giving you the rules of play, and explaning what has just happened,
and lots of music to set the mood. I really, really enjoyed these aspects.
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Yes! Clarion has just reminded me of something!
Goodyear airship low over Southwark this lunchtime. It came south roughly over Waterloo Bridge, turned overhead at the Imperial War Museum, and headed towards London Bridge, seeming to struggle in the wind, and drifting sideways. But it turned West again and seemed to adopt a rather nose-up attitude, drifting rather, before looping around at a slightly higher altitude, then towards the North, when I lost sight of it.
The Goodyear blimp was performing guerilla advertising at the Olympics! It had it's logos removed, but anyone from London knows that there is only one blimp like it that flies around. People were pointing and locals were telling tourists what it was ;D ;D ;D
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I have seen the exact opposite propagation of behaviour happen at races and football matches, loud and rowdy spawns louder and rowdier.
Quite.
And the only really poor behaviour I saw (apart from the hooray henrys at the Rowing who had to be prevented from leaning right over the back of the stand in their drunkenness) was the utter morons at the football in Cardiff.
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Got 'Isles of wonder' soundtrack for opening ceremony for my birthday from my bro; not bad - have to say I do like Caliban's dream and Mike Oldfield's efforts...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Isles-Wonder-Opening-Ceremony-Olympic/dp/B008MIHQQI/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1345677899&sr=1-1-spell
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John Finnemore was on great form last night on the radio (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01m171v/John_Finnemores_Souvenir_Programme_Edinburgh_2012/?t=8m39s) with a sketch about Olympic role models, self-sacrifice and competition.
And medalling.
And sprint tricycling.
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Saw Usain Bolt winning the 200 at the Lausanne meet on BBC 3. He looks as though he's been at the pies.
I do have the slightly wistful thought that he could have been an amazing fast bowler if he'd stuck with cricket.
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Do you remember Michael Holding?
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I think every batsman who ever faced him remembers him very clearly.
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I'm trying to work out whether Deano is old enough to remember seeing Holding play. I'd guess not. IIRC Holding was a 400m runner when he turned his mind to athletics.
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Yohan Blake is keen to play twenty overs cricket, apparently.
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Do you remember Michael Holding?
Only in clips. I saw Curtley and Courtney bowl against England at Headingley, though, and I remember them far more than the poor sods England sent out to face them.
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I've just been reading Wikipedia. According to the entry, the celebrated Johnners quote "The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey." is Urban Myth. I bloody well remember it, and my dad's reaction to it: he nearly fell of his chair he was rolling around so much. Henry Blofeld also says he remembers it, at the Oval in 1976. That's certainly good enough for me.
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They've played it on the radio a few times, too. I didn't hear it at the time, but I am absolutely sure it did happen.
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Johnners used to rehearse these lovely snippets. There was another, which the commentators speculated about, and fortunately it happened under Johnners' watch: Lillee caught Dilley bowled Willey.
It was, however, John Arlott who was responsible for "It's Holder to Knight. It sounds more like a Tom Jones pop record, but I assure you that this is the 3rd test from Edgbaston."
Edit: the Wikipedia entry on Johnners descibes these bons mots as "gaffes", including the clearly deliberate "There's Neil Harvey, standing at short leg, legs wide apart, waiting for a tickle". I suppose it was entirely accidental that Johnners also called his corgi Larwood, on account of it having four short legs and swinging its balls both ways.
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Talking about the Paralympic Torch Relay, I've heard a couple of media reports say that the flame would be kindled in the traditional way, "by rubbing flints together".
Good luck with that....
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;D
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Talking about the Paralympic Torch Relay, I've heard a couple of media reports say that the flame would be kindled in the traditional way, "by rubbing flints together".
Good luck with that....
About as effective as rubbing two boy scouts together innit?