- 06:44 PM
- 11/07/09
| Name: | Andrew |
|---|---|
| Homepage URL: | http://www.cageofmonkeys.co.uk |
| Location: | South Wales, UK |
| Gender: | Male |
| Member since: | November 19, 2004 |
| Last visit: | November 07, 2009 |
afx237vi has posted 16 links and 396 comments to SportsFilter and 4 links and 40 comments to the Locker Room and 1 column.
Harlequins rugby coach given three year ban: after "bloodgate" inquiry. The episode centres around last year's Heinekin Cup quarter-final where Harlequins winger Tom Williams faked a blood-injury (video) in order to leave the field and be replaced by a specialist kicker. [more inside]
posted by afx237vi to other at 09:35 AM on August 18 - 8 comments
From Exeter City to the 2010 World Cup... via Singapore?: After struggling to forge a professional career in the lower leagues of English football, John Wilkinson was about to pack it all in and quit the sport. Then the Singaporean FA came calling, and he now has a realistic chance of competing at the next World Cup in two years time.
posted by afx237vi to soccer at 10:10 AM on February 06 - 9 comments
Broken Faces: During 2006, photographer Denis Rouvre travelled throughout France to document Top 14 French rugby matches. Granted open access to the locker rooms, he captured portraits of 220 players immediately after they left the pitch. "Bruise, grimy, bandaged, these smiling or grimacing faces reveal the impacts, the high stakes, the solidarity." (Note: Lots of Flash. Click Work ? Broken Faces.)
posted by afx237vi to culture at 08:22 AM on September 12 - 4 comments
The 6th Rugby World Cup: kicks off tomorrow with the hosts France taking on the Argentineans. The BBC and the Independent have each compiled a handy team-by-team guide of the 20 nations taking part. [more inside]
posted by afx237vi to other at 05:06 PM on September 06 - 10 comments
Fantasy Tour 2007: In amongst all the scandal, there was actually a race in there somewhere. So congratulations to qbert72, the winner of the inaugural fantasy Tour de France!
posted by afx237vi to fantasy at 08:33 AM on August 01 - 5 comments
The most interesting point in my view is the inclusion of 13 kilometres of cobble sections towards the end of stage 3. A lot could happen on that day, as it did the last time the Tour used cobbles in 2004. That day, Iban Mayo lost a lot of time in a crash, so the main contenders will need to be on their guard. Guys like Contador and Andy Schleck have no experience of the pav whatsoever.
Glad the TTT has gone, too. It's a nice thing to watch, but has too much influence on the overall result. Strong riders shouldn't be penalised for having weak teams.
posted by afx237vi at 05:03 PM on October 14
Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke has been found dead in a hotel room in Senegal. He was 34 years old.
Vandenbroucke was a prodigious talent in the mid-to-late ninenties, but suffered from a whole host of problems, including drug addiction (both recreational and performance-enhancing) and severe depression (including at least two suicide attempts).
His death is a tragic loss, but one that didn't come as a huge surprise to his legions of fans. RIP VDB.
posted by afx237vi at 05:09 PM on October 13
It would probably be more interested if they stopped televising F1 races and just televised the court cases instead.
posted by afx237vi at 04:13 PM on October 04
Cycling is already fairly TV-friendly, isn't it? Even if the race is boring you usually have some pretty scenery to look at.
And TBH, I don't think even die-hard cycling fans would ever watch the entirety of a 7 hour race. Most races - with the exception of the World Championships - only televise the final 1 or 2 hours for good reason.
posted by afx237vi at 04:14 PM on September 27
Cadel Evans becomes the first Australian to win cycling's road race World Championship. Helluva race it was, too.
posted by afx237vi at 12:21 PM on September 27
With the ball in mid air on it's way into the goal? Try disallowing that one when the buzzer or whatever sounds.
Why not? A match is 90 minutes, not "90 minutes and a little bit extra just to see what happens".
posted by afx237vi at 11:21 AM on September 22
The whole concept of stoppage time is outdated and unnecessary. There's a simple solution: do what they do in rugby. The referee already wears a earpiece and microphone, so just hook him up to the guy in charge of the stadium clock (and / or the TV producer) - when there's an ijury or a goal, the referee says "time off" and the stadium clock stops.
That way, everyone knows what is happening and how much time in left. When the clock reaches 90 minutes, the game ends. Simple.
posted by afx237vi at 09:38 AM on September 22
A guy called Patrick Day disapproves of excessive drinking and rowdy behaviour? For real? Did the journos at ESPN and the Onion swap jobs for a day?
posted by afx237vi at 05:11 PM on September 20
Big crash involving dozens of riders in the Tour of Spain bike race yesterday.
posted by afx237vi at 06:21 PM on September 02
Aren't human characteristics always on a spectrum anyway? We set rules that you are either female or male, but the reality is not always so clear.
+1
I feel sorry for her. She just won the biggest race of her career and instead of enjoying her night with a lap of honour, she was whisked away by the IAAF, away from the journalists who are all clambering to ask her if she's a man.
The IAAF have handled this terribly. There was an official being interviewed on the BBC about it, and he was using words likes "discretely" and "sensitively" and "privately", completely oblivious to the fact he was talking about it live on TV.
Michael Johnson made a great point: If an athlete fails a dope test, their name is not released to the press until the b-sample confirms the positive and all doubt is removed. Why wasn't this done here? If there are gender tests that need to be done (apparently there are a whole battery of tests to be done, and an outcome is only decided after a debate by a panel of doctors), then so be it. But do it privately and sensitively and allow her to compete in peace until all doubt it removed.
The girl is 18 years old and according to the BBC commentators there is absolutely no question of a deliberate attempt to cheat. She identifies as female. This is going to mess with her head, however the tests turn out.
posted by afx237vi at 04:31 PM on August 19
The inquiry found that Dean Richards, the coach and former England international, had orchestrated fake injuries on at least four previous occasions.
Tom Williams has been banned for four months, the physiotherapist for two years, while Harlequins RFC were fined 300,000 euro and could still be banned from future Heinekin Cups.
posted by afx237vi at 09:35 AM on August 18
Those in favour of bullfighting argue that it's a sport, don't they? Well, the bull won.
posted by afx237vi at 04:14 PM on August 17
The announcers on NBC mentioned that they were running against the wind today.
...and the BBC was saying yesterday that Berlin has a "slow track". I guess that depends on who's running on it.
posted by afx237vi at 06:22 PM on August 16
Surely squash is no harder to televise than any of the shooting events?
Extremely happy to see rugby sevens get approval for 2016. It's a great game. Fast, fun, high scoring, extremely easy to understand, and works well in a big tournament arena (it's been a big hit at the Commonwealth Games). Plus it's a lot more competitive at international level than the 15-a-side game - it should give countries like Fiji a good opportunity for a medal.
posted by afx237vi at 10:04 AM on August 14
Jean Todt wins FIA presidency
Same as the old boss.
What, even down to the concentration camp spanking fetish?