Originally posted by kernelbogey
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Perhaps the Olympinonsense thread could be a quiet corner for us curmudgeons to continue to compose 'Bah-humbug' posts, while those really interested in the Games could post here...?
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I'm repeating myself but it was exciting to see that dice up the Mall from the two first placed finishers in the cycling, with the winner's brilliant tactics causing his rival to look over the wrong shoulder.... Classic feinting manoeuvre, most impressive. Felt sorry for the poor silver-medal chap, being out-foxed so obviously.
Better than all the arcane team stuff that characterised the TdF.
But more generally - the BBC commentary and coverage seems to be very accident prone and low-quality. (I understand the cycling coverage was provided by NOS the Dutch broadcaster)"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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FYI this is how the TV duties are shared, with OBS (the Olympic Broadcast Service, an agency of the IOC) being host broadcaster and coordinating:
OBS Teams –
Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo, Modern Pentathlon - Swimming, Basketball, Equestrian, Fencing, Handball, Sailing, Shooting, Beach Volleyball, Wrestling
BBC –
Boxing, Rowing, Canoe/Kayak - Sprint, Tennis, Football
YLE (Finland) –
Opening/Closing Ceremonies, Athletics-Integrated/Track/Throws
SVT (Sweden) –
Athletics-Jumps
SBS(Korea) –
Archery, Taekwondo
Fuji TV (Japan) –
Judo
TVE(Spain) –
Canoe/Kayak - Slalom, Triathlon, Aquatics-Swimming Marathon
CCTV (China) –
Modern Pentathlon, Badminton, Gymnastics, Table Tennis
NOS (the Netherlands) –
Cycling-Road Race, Time Trial, Athletics-Walks/Marathon
STV (Slovakia) –
Hockey
ICRT(Cuba) –
Volleyball
ERT(Greece) –
Weightlifting
VRT (Belgium) –
Cycling (BMX, Track, Mountain Bike)"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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I know this is supposed to be the positive thread, but can't anyone stop Sue Barker from saying 'er' between every other word?Originally posted by Caliban View Post
It's become a parody of itself and she presumably doesn't know she's doing it. Someone should have a quiet word - or she should get other employment.
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Didn't realise that - useful.Originally posted by Caliban View Post
The fencing is a most odd yet fascinating combination of high technology & medieval rules - I have never had the opportunity to watch a complete match before. NovelComment
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Bah, humbug!Originally posted by kernelbogey View PostPerhaps the Olympinonsense thread could be a quiet corner for us curmudgeons to continue to compose 'Bah-humbug' posts, while those really interested in the Games could post here...?
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Vinokourov was never going to let this golden opportunity slip through his fingers, the old campaigner was just too good. His name had slipped off my radar particularly when he was supposed to have retired for good after crashing out on stage 9 of the 2011 TdF breaking his femur, a good many of his Astana team mates helped to rescue him. ( http://youtu.be/OWv3qMMA12w) I had forgotten he had won a silver medal in the 2000 Olympic road race. So finally (?) he goes out in a blaze of glory and his doping ban in 2007 might be forgotten by some.Originally posted by Caliban View Post
Spare a thought for 2008 silver medalist Fabian Cancellara who crashed on a corner in the final 15km, probably no one to blame but himself, and may now be out of the TT.
The lacking of timing info in the OBS coverage really messed things up.
I'm not sure what to make of Cav's post race comments.
"It seems like most teams are happy not to win as long as we don't win," Cavendish told BBC One. "It's the story of our lives in cycling. It shows what a strong nation we are. We've got to take the positives from that and take it as a compliment."
"It's bitterly disappointing. There's 70 guys in our group at the finish, I don't understand why there's [only] three guys riding. It doesn't make sense."
But there's this as well:
Their race report seems a fair appraisal:
and more comment here: http://www.steephill.tv/olympics-road-race/#spoilerComment
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Thank you Pegleg for those links. Being a complete novice to watching cycling (apart from latter stages of Tour de France last week) I'm still not sure that I understand the tactics particularly when I read this morning that Chris Boardman said "The problem is nobody wanted to ride against Cavendish on the Mall because they knew they would come second. The team did everything they could, other riders did not contribute to the race and they missed out too. Andre Greipel is the second best sprinter in the world but he and his German team sat back" However, apart from the awful BBC coverage (and I hadn't realised it wasn't their camera team so thanks to Cali for info) I did enjoy it and today it's the womens road race - does GB have a chance in this? I'll also watch some of the fencing (a friend's 9 year old has just started competing inter-schools) On the plus side the BBC's red button choice is brilliant and in rowing the womens pair were wonderful.Comment
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I inadvertently caught the interview with the cyclist (while I was waiting for non-Olympic news). Try as she could, the stupid woman conducting the interview couldn't get him to blub on-camera. I suppose she should be awarded some sort of medal for Pointless Persistence. I also took the trouble to watch a few highlights from the Opening Ceremony, which left me impressed but unmoved (Wagner has a similarly numbing effect on me after a while).Comment
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During the laps round Box Hill, everything was going completely according to plan, the commentators insisted. Later on, with the benefit of hindsight, the chief sports correspondent claimed the uphill stretch was "clearly taking its toll" on the British team.Originally posted by Anna View Post
Then, on the news, Cavendish lost it with the same correspondent for asking if the Tour had taken its toll, "stupid questions... do you know anything about cycling?"
I think the resounding answer is, they don't!Comment
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This probably isn't the place for a lengthy discussion of the cat and mouse, trojan-horse, false break and various mind games of cycle road race tactics. Cynics would say team GB don't understand them either, at least on the day they seemed too rigid or over optimistic. As to the Boardman quote, depending on the riders that form a temporary alliance in any breakaway, which can include those that are in the break simply to disrupt the effort of others, you would typically expect more than one team to share the effort of chasing them down. As the German team also had a potential winner in Andre Greipel if the race had ended in a bunch sprint, the question is why didn't they help to chase down the break? Lovers of conspiracy theories would say Australia and Germany only want to end up higher in the medal table than GB.Originally posted by Anna View Post
As to the women's road race (Cooke, Armistead, Martin and Pooley), on paper at least I'd say we have medal chances. Not all teams have four members and I feel rather sorry for those riding as individuals. The weather looks as if it will play its part and inter-team rivalry between Cooke (2008 gold medal winner) and Armistead may yet be an influence, let alone the tough opposition. The media might concentrate on Cooke, but her form has been pretty variable in recent years. It won't be an easy ride.Comment
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Oh, good! I have no wish to be blinded by science!Originally posted by Pegleg View Post
Well, silver for GB from Lizzie Armistead in cycling. Now, am I showing my militant feminist side or was that far more exciting than the mens road race yesterday?
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No and yes!Originally posted by Anna View Postam I showing my militant feminist side or was that far more exciting than the mens road race yesterday?
I am finding the mania for instant interviews very irritating.
There are also some woefully inadequate "commentators" - currently there is women's gymnastics and one of those talking is that Matt someone who helped ruin the Jubilee river pageant coverage. What a plonker. He seems there only to inject an artificial element of faux-excitement. Intensely annoying voice, the verbal equivalent of gurning: all he could say just now was "WOAH WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT".
Answer: No.
<click> goes the off switch."...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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Sexist! ...Originally posted by Anna View PostOh, good! I have no wish to be blinded by science!
Well, silver for GB from Lizzie Armistead in cycling. Now, am I showing my militant feminist side or was that far more exciting than the mens road race yesterday?
But, yes it was ...
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