Going For Gold Coast - Commonwealth Games 2018

[ursus arctos]

I find globe-trotting pundits to be somewhat intriguing.

Mike Haysman, who is the "voice of South African cricket" lives in LA, for example.

Marin is a beautiful place to live, especially if you only episodically commute to work and do so by airplane.

Johnson is very, very good. It's a shame that we don't get to see him, but then our networks have decided that analysis of Olympic sports is not what their audience wants.

[Ray de Galles]

He's a relative oasis amongst the brainless boosterism and cheerleading of the BBC studio pundits, to be honest (though I do think their trackside teams are usually very good).

[Gangster Octopus]

brainless boosterism

First thing that jumped into my head:

[ursus arctos]

Yes, that was quite apparent at the last Worlds (which we watched on the Beeb feed).

I'm afraid that type of commentary is yet another field in which "you" seem to be committed on replicating all of "our" mistakes.

[Jorge Porbillas]

Has Gabby Logan forgotten she's Welsh again, then?

[tee rex]

One evening watching Television New Zealand would make you lock Michael Johnson in the studio and never let him leave. I can't begin to communicate how terrible their coverage has been. They did not broadcast one single track event tonight, in 4-5 hours.

Commercials are a constant irritant, but the real incompetence is in their timing. We had live coverage of officials conferring, athletes warming up and other thrills. Then if there was any danger of something happening ... ad break. People are fuming, and pitchforks are selling well.

[Duncan Gardner]

Ultonia medal update

Fighting 8 (2 bronze plus 6 finalists tomorrow)
Shooting 2 (silver bronze)
Gymnastics 1 (gold)
Athletics 1 (bronze)

[San Bernardhinault]

In fairness (and having not watched any Commonwealth Games coverage), I'd be inclined to lock Michael Johnson in a studio and never let him leave and have him replace all the sports commentators in every sport I watch, except maybe John McEnroe for tennis.

[pebblethefish]

Even i like Michael Johnson, and I normally won't accept any pundit who isn't a former cricketer. I'm also impressed by whoever commentates on the netball, because they seem to be biased against both teams in every single match.

[Ray de Galles]

Nineteen year old Sammy Lee (not that one) wins Gold for Wales in a proper slugfest in the Light Heavyweight division. Our second Boxing Gold after Lauren Price in the Middleweight division. Another Gold for Michael Wixey in the in the Trap Shooting equals our best overseas total in Golds at Auckland and we’d already surpassed the overall best medal total so this is officially Wales’ best ever Commonwealths.

[Ray de Galles]

Wales come incredibly close to knocking out overwhelming favourites Fiji in a fantastic deciding pool game in the Rugby Sevens but lose 21-17 and go out of the medals section of the tournament.

[Billy Casper]

I looked away from the screen for a second to locate my drink just after reading 'pool game', and wondered when did they introduce pub games?, and then, how come Fiji are so good?

[tee rex]

The netball provided one of the most exciting finals I've seen in any team sport. Catch the last quarter if you can.

[steveeeeeeeee]

I can't recall a final of any sport as good as the netball final, I really can't. I was watching it with my mother-in-law and sra. stev9e, neither of whom have a clue about netball (you can add me to that, really) and we were all shouting and jumping up and down in the last 5 minutes. The drama of that final point was just phenomenal.

Fitting end to a very enjoyable games.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Just watching the winning point in the netball again, why was the shot retaken? What was the infraction on the player? I didn't notice anything but all the players accepted it without protest.

[Ray de Galles]

She got a push to the shoulder as she shot, I think. Great bit of sport, even I got choked up watching the highlights and I can’t recall that happening for any England side very often.

Definitely off to Birmingham for the duration of the 2022 edition, their ‘Mr Blue Sky’ segment of the closing ceremony would have clinched it for me even if I hadn’t already decided.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Yeah, I'll be tempted to to go for a few days in Birmingham. Easy to get cheap train tickets from London and Birmingham pubs are fantastic.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Why don't the defenders in netball just jump up and bat the ball away when the attacker shoots? They just stand there and watch them as they pop it into the net. Is blocking a shot not allowed?

[ChrisJ]

Why don't the defenders in netball just jump up and bat the ball away when the attacker shoots? They just stand there and watch them as they pop it into the net. Is blocking a shot not allowed?

No. It's the only bit of netball I don't like.

[Janik]

They do try and block. However if they touch the shooter at all, even a minor brush, an offence is called on them. Then they have to stand next to the player they fouled and make no attempt to interfere with the shot/next pass. It's the netball equivalent of a free-kick, basically, and seems to happen a lot.

Take the winning goal. The Aussie Goalkeeper (GK) committed the foul on the first attempt by the English player to shoot. So for the redo she has to stand like a lemon (dressed aporopriately) with her arms down whilst the player she fouled takes the shot from her side. The Aussie Goal Defence (GD) is trying her best to reach across and block, however she can't get that close as the other English player, the Goal Attack (GA), has taken a shielding position for her teammate. If the GD touches the GA, that would be another foul by Australia and an even closer an more unopposed shot for England as both GK and GD would be barred from interfering.

Basketball is supposed to be a non-contact game, but lets a lot of incidental minor bumps and brushes go. Netball seems to take a much more rigid approach.

[Etienne]

It's one of the reasons that korfball is better than netball.

[Janik]

They never jump though, to either block or shoot. I'll give you that. As everyone seems athletic to do so, one has to assume the rules of the sport don't allow it.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Yeah, I get the rule about not contacting the other player, but why not jump and whack the ball away mid-air?

[ChrisJ]

Well, technically, you can jump, but there's a 1m obstruction rule and IIRC, if you jump and land within 1m - as you'd be certain to do in the congested area around the net - you give away a foul for obstruction.

[Gerontophile]

Congratulations to Wales on getting more gold than Scotland.