Every Olympics I say I don’t give a rats and before you know it 2 TVs are on full time in the house.
However after day one the Aussies are on top with 2 gold medals.
So I hereby declared these Olympics closed and declare them to be the best Olympics ever !
Junior Wells says
I think the high point of the Sydney Games was the TV series “The Games” featuring John Clarke and Bryan Dawe.
mikethep says
Brilliant – I love Clarke and Dawe.
Junior Wells says
Pity the clip before the clip went on to describe Bryan the current world record holder as a result of running on these newly laid (less than) 100 metre track.
Douglas says
I know what you mean – I was the same with the Commonwealth Games, and I’m not a sport fan really. But the Russian doping scandal, compounded by the spineless IOC reaction, together with all the corruption that everyone knows about but seemingly no-one can do anything about … it’s all getting to be too much of a weight at the back of the mind to enjoy the viewing much. A Russian won the men’s u60 judo last night, and your immediate reaction is “hmmm…”
Douglas says
… and the IPC has done and said what the IOC should have done. Good on them.
deramdaze says
The cycling was amazing.
The final descent looked about as safe as juggling chain-saws.
They were dropping like flies.
Frankly, I wouldn’t even have walked it without a gargantuan amount of drugs inside me.
count jim moriarty says
It shows what a dangerous descent it is that Nibali was one who came off. He’s undoubtedly the best descender in the peloton at present. We’ll see how the women cope with it today, though they only have to ride it once.
Blue Boy says
The crash of the leading woman in today’s race was utterly hideous and made the actual outcome feel an irrelevance, I hope she’s ok, but it didn’t look good.
fentonsteve says
That was horrid, she went over like a rag doll. I went to bed worrying about her.
count jim moriarty says
And it turned out that she crashed at the same spot where Geraint Thomas came off in the mens race. NO warning, no extra safety installed overnight. Shameful.
johnw says
Well in our house the bike ride was on yesterday for about half an hour and I was bored with it before people started falling off. I’ll probably catch a few more bits but if I had control of the television, I wouldn’t be watching much bbc for the next fortnight. No problem, lots of other channels are available and I had my stint when the ( disappointing) euros were on…. and anyway, we’ve got about 20 hours of love comedy to fit in next week so there won’t even be time to watch football!
Gatz says
We saw the end of the road race, and although I have never even ridden a bicycle my sofa-sat thighs were pumping in empathy with the Pole in the final sprint. It helped that we tuned in just before a crash, which helped establish our interest when even the commentators seemed to have little idea what was going on, but pretty much any sport at this standard can be gripping viewing.
retropath2 says
“20 hours of love comedy”? Tantric, um, home movies?
johnw says
Oooops! Didn’t spot that. Believe what you like but we’ll be doing it in a variety of rooms, hopefully with lots of other like minded people. On a couple of occasions I expect it to last over an hour.
ernietothecentreoftheearth says
I was keen when my athletics coach Dad was still alive, but enthusiasm has wained. Partly for the reasons Douglas describes, but also because what seems like an obsession with winning gold medals has led to come perverse funding decisions. So we now have a situation where basketball and tablet tennis get nothing from UK Sport whilst shooting gets about £4my and equestrian events nearly £20m. Participation, national fitness or whatever appear to be of no consequence, just winning medals.
ernietothecentreoftheearth says
Tablet tennis ? Who wouldn’t pay to see that !
davebigpicture says
You need a modern, streamline tablet. iPad 1s are too heavy these days. Just another example of the Olympics being weighted in favour of 1st world countries.
ernietothecentreoftheearth says
Perhaps we could have a handicapping system. Wealthier nations would have to use 1990s style PC monitors with a handle attached.
Smudger says
I noticed that the first gold medal was won by an American in the shooting.
No surprise there then.
MyAmericanMate says
Got-dam that’s funny!
MC Escher says
The problem I have is that the Olympics is inherently racist, due to being inherently about money, which means it is inherently biased towards the First World economies. I would guess, for instance, that you don’t find many velodromes in Rwanda.
I watch it for the running, jumping and throwing bits. You know, the athletics.
ernietothecentreoftheearth says
And even if you had a velodrome, it would be difficult to compete if you were riding round it on the equivalent of a Raleigh chopper and wearing a onesie bought off the market.
Fin59 says
Almost entirely negative build up to this Olympics – Russian drug cheats, Zika, crime issues – but soon as the thing gets going and the runners start running and the rowers start rowing and the underwater hamster dressage gets underway – I’m hooked.
Junior Wells says
For us Aussies, you can usually switch of after the swimming and rowing or in the case of London , before the Games began.
Johnny Concheroo says
It’s all downhill after the women’s beach volleyball.
*Non equitare in medium calor est missus*
count jim moriarty says
At the moment Junior, you Aussies just need something to take your minds off the cricket…
Junior Wells says
Morning Jim ???
Blue Boy says
Oh I love it, despite all the corruption and drugs abuse I still get caught up in watching sports I have no knowledge of whatsoever, nor do I understand even as I am watching it. Watching the sword fighting (I think that’s what it’s called) tonight was brilliant.
Fintinlimbim says
Ball games have no place in the Olympic Games. Apart, of course, from beach volleyball.
Johnny Concheroo says
Without a hint of hyperbole Sky News is now talking about some swimmer or other “Lifting the hopes of a nation”.
‘kin hell. Beam me up Scotty.
chiz says
Does this work in reverse too? “And the English competitor trails in a distant last, dumping the despair and self-respect of the nation behind him as he flounders pointlessly towards ignominy?”
Junior Wells says
A weightlifter perhaps
… And now to attempt a clean and jerk to lift the hopes of the nation of Australia ….
Vim Fuego says
I prefer the snatch myself. Vim 1 Moose 0.
Dodger Lane says
Only watch the running bits, the whole palaver has become far too large and full of its own self importance.
With Peaty’s glorious swimming gold medal, we at least won’t be hearing any more sarky Aussie nonsense about the U.K only excelling in sitting down sports.
Junior Wells says
yeah but it’s breast stroke
not like it’s real swimming 😉
Dodger Lane says
and I bet he doesn’t wash himself either !
Junior Wells says
Doesn’t need to – uses the pool.
I can never do the breast stroke -can’t get the kick.
Backstroke can do but worried about hitting your head
And butterfly is just plain silly.
So that leaves the mighty Australian Crawl
Never mind a song – one of the biggest bands i n the land were named after the stroke
Johnny Concheroo says
Doggy Style is much less tiring.
You know, that Snoop and his mates would look so much better if they got some shirts that weren’t several sizes too big.
duco01 says
When I’m at the local swimming pool, I see people doing the crawl, breast stroke and back stroke. But I never see anyone doing the butterfly. It just looks too difficult and generally exhausting.
Best songs about swimming:
1. The Swimming Song – Loudon Wainwright
2. Erm …. I can’t think of any others.
Gary says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmN9rZW0HGo
davebigpicture says
Calexico: Miles From The Sea
Gary says
H.P. Saucecraft says
Olympics Live Blogging: India scoop gold medals in controversial Gang Rape and Honour Killing events …
Johnny Concheroo says
Well I’m looking forward to Saudi Arabia Vs Iran in the Women’s Beach Volleyball
H.P. Saucecraft says
This just in – Donald Trump claims world record gold medals in mens’ 10000m, Synchronised Swimming, and Uphill Kayak.
Johnny Concheroo says
And now it’s back to topless darts at Roehampton.
chiz says
Now there’s a fuss over an Australian swimmer referring to his Chinese opponent, a drug cheat, as “a drug cheat”. The Chinese team manager says this is “proof of a lack of good manners and upbringing.” Unlike taking banned drugs, presumably.
Junior Wells says
Was discussing this just now.
According to Sun’s defenders he had a heart condition and the illegal element was in that medicine. Yeah right is the obvious response. But even allowing for scepticism, the ban on the drug was lifted with Sun being the only athlete ever banned for the drug.
And beside all that and whatever happened in the training pool I thought it was very ungracious after the race and at a press conference to repeat the tag. OK he was asked by a Chinese reporter why he was calling Sun a drug cheat but he could have deflected “hey I don’t want to go into that again, today is about the race and I’m delighted to have beaten Sun even by such a small margin etc etc. Not as if the bloke would have got through to these Games “dirty”.
Given Chinese abhorrence of loss of face ,all of us too of course but imagine the offense.
It was unnecessary.
Douglas says
Sorry Junior, I disagree.
It’s just like the MPs expenses scandal: the protestations that “everything we did was technically within the rules (and you don’t know how hard it is to do this)” simply didn’t wash. As far as I’m aware Sun Yang was banned for a positive test a couple of years ago, which makes him a drug cheat in the same way that if I’d been convicted of drunk driving a couple of years ago it would be fair (if unpleasant for me) to call me a “drunk driver” now.
You can argue about statute of limitations, or whether all bans should be lifetime. But you can’t argue the facts.
I’m not a sport fan, but I can appreciate the sheer hell of training and sacrifice involved for those at the very peak. So Mark Horton’s comments are entirely understandable, I’d say.
OOAA of course
Junior Wells says
I’m revising my other opinion. His stance seems to have triggered a people’s revolution amongst athletes of ostracising those they know are cheats. It may be this is more effective than the officiating bodies.
fentonsteve says
According to my closet-racist pensioner mother’s copy of the Sunday Heil, the biggest shock of the games so far was the short skirt Helen Skelton wore during the swimming coverage. “You could tell she wasn’t wearing any underwear” said clueless twerp who’s never seen a pub on a Saturday night.
In other words, attractive young TV presenter has easy-on-the-eye legs shocker.
drakeygirl says
Don’t forget, Mark Foster was sitting next to her wearing shorts. People just wouldn’t stop going on about him flaunting his shapely set of pins!
Oh, no, wait, no they didn’t.
fentonsteve says
Yes, you could add “sexist” to MC Esher’s list of -ists above.
Ex-world-class-athelete-still-in-good-shape shocker. Read all about it.
count jim moriarty says
In an appalling grammar shock, the BBC gymnastics commentators have decided that the word ‘final’ is now a verb, as in ‘he needs to score 15 [or whatever] to final’.
‘Medal’ as a verb is bad enough, but ‘final?!
Rant over.
fentonsteve says
It’s possibly better than “he needs to score 15 to semi”.
Insert your own tight-shorts-based punchline here. Where’s Moosey when you need him?
Junior Wells says
Australia has just won the Women’s Rugby Sevens beating the yanks and the kiwis – all good.
Buit I’m mystified. None of the Aussie team ever played the game before- The ARU scanned Australia for athletes in other sports to build a team. What of the other teams ?
So why is it an Olympic sport?
Junior Wells says
hmm done some more research – didn’t know there was a world tournament too
So scratch that- as they say nothing is obvious to the uninformed
Black Celebration says
Someone witty observed that there was a kiwi player on the team called “Sonny Bill Williams’s Sister”.
Junior Wells says
some nice running and passing. Tactical error by kiwi coach Sean Horan saying the Aussies didn’t like physical stuff – used it as motivation.
Sitheref2409 says
Luke McAlister’s sister as well.
I thought the Aussies were really good value for the money, and had two standout players.
Best game of the tournament.
The only downside – and I say this as a referee and referee coach/assessor – the standard of officiating, for what is meant to be the premier event, was abysmal.
duco01 says
Too right. The first Aussie try looked a well dodgy decision.
Thought the final was a pretty good game, though. A fine advert for women’s rugby sevens.
Junior Wells says
Agree ,appeared to lose control but reckon Aussies had their number.
Pilleus Jr says
Five days in, and what I want to know is – why have I not heard any Michael Nesmith yet?
All together:
And I think I will travel to Rio
Using banned pills helps me fight
They’re testing for drugs down in Rio
But I’ll be as high as a kite
It’s only a whimsical notion
The odds I’ll get caught are quite slight
And they won’t pick it up in my urine
But they might pick it up in my…
….Goodness, there’s rowing on!
Junior Wells says
20th medal for Michael Phelps well that’s just…..errr ….greedy
attackdog says
Greedy? Why I would have thought out very own Clare Balding is exceeding in the £500K plus event. £500K – not far off some entire team budgets. UK team budgets.
Junior Wells says
An Aussie swimmer’s name has attracted my attention
Maddy Groves
Johnny Concheroo says
She beat Lord Donald who, when he came to the broad millstream, he took off his shoes and he swam. Subsequently disqualified.
chiz says
“Well it’s true I have two pairs of Speedos, and they cost me deep in the purse.
But you will have the better of them and I will have the worse.”
Johnny Concheroo says
If she wins a medal I expect there’ll be a holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the year downunder
duco01 says
“Well, get up, get up,” Lord Donald cried, “get up as quick as you can
It’ll never be said in fair England that I slew a man wearing only a pair of Speedos”
Johnny Concheroo says
If she gets to the finals I expect she’ll be Unhalfbricking it?
Then when she returns home to Australia, she’ll be able to tell everyone exactly what she did on her holidays.
And… (that’s enough tenuous Fairport references. Folk Rock Ed.)
Johnny Concheroo says
Hockey.
We only watch it once every four years.
Incomprehensible rules.
Synthetic blue pitch covered in an inch of water to avoid turf burns
Hard white ball travelling at lethal speed requires the goalie to dress like a bomb disposal operative
If the ball doesn’t get you, the plastic pitch will.
Three men and a dog in the crowd.
Junior Wells says
quick though and takes a bit of guts getting in the road of those sticks
Johnny Concheroo says
Yes, gum shields are required for all players.
Yet another game invented in England and exported to the world that we are now rubbish at.
Gatz says
I once went on a date with a woman who told me that she broke three hockey sticks in a single school match. It was an only date, and looking back I can’t help but wonder if the information about the hockey sticks was a veiled threat in case I got any ideas.
Johnny Concheroo says
It all comes back to music and/or guitars. The headstock of the 60s Fender XII guitar was dubbed the hockey stick, for obvious reasons.
http://i.imgur.com/87BgFYK.jpg
Junior Wells says
At risk of being accused of stereotyping I’m surprised you got to go on a date with a hockey player.
duco01 says
Our American and Canadian friends always call ice hochey just “hockey.”
I don’t like that. I always want to say “it’s ICE hockey”.
Just ‘hockey’ is that game that Sean Kerly played, with a hard white ball travelling at lethal speed.
Mike_H says
Not just Canadians. Some USA-ians too:
“She was a lonely sort, just a little too short
Her jokes were dumb and her favourite sport
Was hockey (in the winter)
He was duly impressed and was quick to suggest
Any sport with a PUCK had to be ’bout the best
As he jabbed his elbow in her (get it honey?)”
Gatz says
Warren Zevon goes with ‘hockey’ –
count jim moriarty says
Finally the action starts in the velodrome.
And the rest of the world sighs and says, ‘bloody hell – the British are back…’
Johnny Concheroo says
Watching the women’s football, the most noticeable thing is how, when the defending team line up and form a wall for a free kick, no one covers up their groin area.
This is a total culture shock.
attackdog says
Now, the defending Olympic diver, the Russian, Zacharov.
He’s definitely on drugs.
attackdog says
Moroccan black, I reckon.