[Closed] Commonwealth Games. A bit crap?

Of course it’s a bit crap - look at the nations involved. That famous sporting hotspot of St Helena has sent 9 athletes. Turks and Caicos the same.

My brother lives on Gold Coast and couldn’t get to the surf club because the tri was happening. 😂 He told me that local cycling clubs had put an appeal out for any decent equipment because some team had arrived almost in rags.

You get the same phenomenon at the Olympics though with lesser nations (in terms of sporting prowess) making up the numbers. It gets some coverage but I've not been aware of the poorer performances at the Olympics being televised in this way although maybe that's a sampling error.

I guess its a coverage thing, the beeb has committed X many hours to coverage and the quality of the field means some of that time will be filled with relatively poor performances.

So I suppose my question is actually 'why do the commie games get so much air time?'

Because it's the BBC and they have precious little other sport to show.

Havent seen any of the coverage so I cant comment on the standard of performance. I am glad to see disabled/para sports now as part of the commonwealth games It's not before time.

Commonwealth Games. A bit crap?

Most are lousy to watch as they are so common ...

However, I find the followings interesting: netball, squash, hockey, triathlon, lawn bowling ...

Men’s mountain bike race will be interesting to see if New Zealand can manage a clean sweep. Could be on the cards!

So I suppose my question is actually ‘why do the commie games get so much air time?’

I know, the mid morning repeats of bargain hunt are much more interesting...

If your covering live sport you either let it run and do it all or be selective. The opposite happened with Olympic coverage in Australia where it appeared to be controlled by a patriotic toddler who would skip to any Aussie for the final 45s of an event, missing the good bits of a great contest.

My main problem with the replays is zero editing, the cycling could have had a heap cut from just the empty velodrome bits etc. they could also do with splitting and indexing by sport and session on iplayer/red button Skipping the "inferior" athletes is not as easy and there is a serious argument for showing all it's not like in the modern world they are constrained by bandwidth

just take a look at sky sports

http://www.skysports.com/watch/tv-guide

It's mostly repeats and reshowings on a loop

It really is past it's sell by date. When it was in Manchester I went to see some cycling at the velodrome and rugby 7's, but I can't imagine travelling more than 40 miles to see what is on offer, and I have no interest in watching it on television.

I think it would be much better to have beefed up continental games at the half way point between Olympics. I would be much more interested in watching a serious European games.

Nah, love it.

New faces, less cynicism.

Always fun spotting future talent and love the friendly vibe.

Much prefer the inclusiveness of the format with the games and para games running concurrentltly.

I remember how good the games in Manchester were and the positivity around the city.

Coverage has been superb too.

I suspect it's as noted by Spin - the fields are smaller so to show the 'top' 6 or 8 performances means you're going substantially lower down the field in terms of pure ability than you would if you had all the US and European athletes etc.

I don't think the top end performance is that much lower - sure there's a few clearly missing that would raise the strength, and of course there are some sports / athletes where the CG is only a stepping stone event (mid way to another Olympics, etc.) so eg: 4km pursuit teams are being developed in preparation and so on.

And in any case - so what? I watch sport to see competition and close events and (much like I argue with folks over women's football) who cares if it's not the highest of elite levels, it can still be pretty damn exciting.

My son dives in Edinburgh and so we know to varying degrees the four Scottish divers and are looking forward to seeing how they get on.  Lucas who is only 17 has been entered in the 1m event but platform is his preference.  But his coach wants him to experience the event before the platform competition.  His training has been focussed on platform so he's not expecting to do well on 1m but with no expectations he may surprise us or he could look way out of his league or crap at it for those that don't know better.

It's not all about us really. It might not be the best sporting spectacle ever but I think it is a great thing, especially for those smaller nations - why should big events be reserved for just the more established nations and continents seeing the same old boring people in the same old boring locations. Its probably the most honest sport we'll see of TV. We all know sport is a fantastic mechanism to give young people some inspiration and purpose in life, and giving inspiration and purpose to the youth of a small nation can only be a good thing. It also gives smaller nations an opportunity to host the games and showcase their nation. As a sporting spectacle it's never going to be in the same league as the bigger events, but for those who have been involved in sport and spent a lot of their lives doing it in the full knowledge that they're never going to make it into the big time then it's a pretty big event to aim for.

I do usually enjoy the road race, especially Geraint's triumphant performance in Glasgow, but I guess the fields will be depleted this year with it being down under and in the middle of the classics season (which the best one-day racers must be prioritising).

Malvern’s finest is riding MTB on Thursday

...and Wobbliscot has hit the nail on the head.  It’s not just about the big hitters.

Its probably the most honest sport we’ll see of TV.

If we ignore the syringes found...

Never watched the bottom end of the downhill world champs?

I love it tbh, it gives a better contrast to the best performers. Sometimes when it's just wall to wall superhumans it's easy to lose track of what's actually good/bad/difficult. Like, I was watching some gymnastics of some sort with the horse and, what they were doing was plainly completely impossible, while the judges were like "points off because while you were levitating there and spinning at 30000rpm while reciting prime to 1000 digits, your toes weren't quite pointing in the same direction".

Agree Northwind.  When we were watching the Olympic white water rafting (I know, random ticket draw!), I said we should have a ‘golden ticket’ for spectators. Look under your seat. Find ticket. Get kitted up and give it a go.

...Just as a barometer for the super-humans that we were about to watch compete.

am glad to see disabled/para sports now as part of the commonwealth games It’s not before time.

They were doing that in the Glasgow games. I'm not sure when it started.

2014 was a buzz about glasgow. I reckon that's what the commonwealth games are all about, creating a buzz at a more localised level. They aren't the olympics, never will be.

tbh I never even knew they were on.

Glasgow games were fantastic, got a few random tickets and had a week up there.

Caught a gold medal bowls match on tv today between Wales and Scotland - wasn't aware it was an event there, but was an amazing game, really close, great commentary, really drew me in.

Malvern’s finest is riding MTB on Thursday

I thought T-Mo had just popped a sprog?

The real problem with the Commonwealth Games will be trying to find somewhere to agree to host them in 2026!

points off because while you were levitating there and spinning at 30000rpm while reciting prime to 1000 digits, your toes weren’t quite pointing in the same direction

I watched some squash earlier today. No idea of the standard but man do they work hard! The NZ women's winner, so fit athletic and skilful... I also saw they had ah, erm, bowls on. Blokes with massive bellies. Funny old world 'sport' eh?

Doh.  That should have had a bit added about applying to diving too.

Enjoying the Scottish team in their kilts, and Jerusalem for the English anthem.  And seeing so many Welsh flags flying 🙂

Aye, seems pretty pointless.

 Much prefer the inclusiveness of the format with the games and para games running concurrentltly.

Yeah, me too. We went to Glasgow and enjoyed the mixture in the athletics stadium - one minute able bodied pole vaulting, then a wheelchair race. I suppose it's the scale at the Olympics more than lack of willing that leads to the separation?

Just be grateful they haven't got women's football in it! 😉

Netball has been good though....the Scottish lass had three goes at scoring to draw the match, from under the net in the last seconds and missed every shot! 😮

English girls going to well in the Netball! 👍

My boys team mates are both through to 1m final, James in with a shout of a medal, getting to the final is a bonus for Lucas.

Watched a bit of the women's synchronised springboard.....or unsynchronised, as it turned out! 😮

My boys team mates are both through to 1m final, James in with a shout of a medal, getting to the final is a bonus for Lucas.

Jeez....that's a short swimming race! 😉

edit: what is the 1m final?

1m springboard diving.

Strictly speaking it's not a race, particularly as competitors are encouraged to start off heading in the 'wrong' direction 😉

I loved the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, in a city that's often divided by sport the games brought people together.

There were some amazing moments too.  Gee Thomas winning the road race in atrocious conditions was a highlight.

I also enjoyed cheering on the 51 year old bloke from Swaziland who was riding round my local trails on a borrowed mountain bike.

So no, the sport isn't always at the highest level, but as an advertisement for "sport" and how it brings people together I think they are great.  Long may the "Friendly Games" continue

No mention of the English girls getting Gold and Silver in the XC mountain biking?  Thought that was good and surprised there were no Aussies pushing them?

Mes beach volleyball was good this morning......worth watching if you don't know the result.

I do usually enjoy the road race, especially Geraint’s triumphant performance in Glasgow, but I guess the fields will be depleted this year with it being down under and in the middle of the classics season (which the best one-day racers must be prioritising).

Thats one of the points already made - most of the best one-day racers can’t compete in these games. (I’m struggling to think of any Ozzie, SA, or NZ riders who are genuine favourites in the classics - even the British ones are not really up there despite our finger crossing for G.)

wobbliscott’s point is interesting.

I wonder if the people complaining that it's not the best in the world also think nationals or european champs are rubbish?

"Rockape wrote,
No mention of the English girls getting Gold and Silver in the XC mountain biking?  Thought that was good and surprised there were no Aussies pushing them?"

There's a separate thread for that, this one's for moaning.

 (I’m struggling to think of any Ozzie, SA, or NZ riders who are genuine favourites in the classics – even the British ones are not really up there despite our finger crossing for G.)

Most will be part of GT Teams that are using these as preparation for the tours, flying 10hrs out of time for a race and back again even first class will bugger this up, though I reckon Chris Froome could have the time on his hands...

The worst thing, is the standard of the pundits. I watched some of the track cycling, and it had to be explained to Rebecca Addlington, the difference between a games record, and a world record. THREE TIMES..... Three bloody times they had to tell her.

Then watching some of the women's time trial, it was repeatedly referred to as "the cycling road race" just because they're cycling on the road, doesn't make it the "road race"

Well done England’s women’s netball team, beating the world no.1 Aussies in their backyard....fantastic!

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such happiness at winning as the English girls reaction to their last gasp win.  Sport doesn’t get any better that that!

Last second win in the semis for the England girls (are we allowed to say 'girls'!), last second win in the final. Edge of the seat stuff. Like Rockape63 said, sport doesn't get any better than that.

Yep, it was up there with the women's hockey gold in Rio. Big smiles in my house.

And against the world no 1 ranked team. I'd say that was a decent sporting spectacle 👍