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Posted at 11:58PM on 13 Aug 08. Permalink.

I've been really enjoying the Reuters reporters blogs, which cover a lot of this territory too.
Photographer Lucy Nicholson was up in the rafters of the Bird's Nest during the opening ceremony

Posted at 12:09AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

Why is it that sports reporters are almost universally[1] complete f-ing idiots?

[1] Or maybe it's just NZ?

Posted at 12:13AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

Then you haven't heard of colemanballs ?

Posted at 12:46AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

Well, Hayden, lucky you for missing the Herald's front page publix service annnouncement yesterday:

Four days in and no medals. Don't panic - like Christmas, they will arrive.

Thanks, David Leggat! Nice to be saved from existential despair before I even know I'm suffering from it.

Posted at 2:50AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

Why is it that sports reporters are almost universally complete f-ing idiots? Or maybe it's just NZ?

I'm starting to think TVNZ is doing a pretty poor job of this. Hardly anything on ONE is live, so many ad breaks (especially at night), many poor programming decisions, idiotic opening ceremony commentary, and Lavina "feel" Good is becoming a national embarassment.

They didn't even show the Women's team Gymnastics - surely, one of the most popular events - live, just a tightly edited (barring that ridiculous 2 minute loop) highlight reel.

I didn't see it, but apparently a TVNZ reporter got right in the face of that poor American girl who fell while mounting the beam, immediately afterwards. I guess humanity goes out the window when you're obsessed with your "coverage".

Not to mention blank-screening God-knows-how-many viewers during the most important race so far.

Nice having a choice of streams, but that's only par for the course in '08.

The TVNZ message board is riddled with complaints.

Posted at 8:05AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

The TVNZ message board is riddled with complaints.

But, looking on the bright side, at least they're not complaining about newsreaders' hair/clothes/diction or whinging about Coronation Street not being on 24/7.

Posted at 8:24AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

I am with the TVNZ message board, pretty poor coverage so far.

I must admit I have Michael Phelps fatigue. Sheesh I understand that he is great, do I need to be told that every few minutes. Please NZ win a medal so we can stop the MP obsession please!

Watching the rowing last night was agonising.

I mute Lavina. I FEEL good about that!

Posted at 8:37AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

I must admit I have Michael Phelps fatigue. Sheesh I understand that he is great, do I need to be told that every few minutes.

Well, yes you do Milly. None of us can actually feel an emotion -- or at the least the emotion the Teevee Gods deem appropriate and patriotic -- without the audio-visual equivalent of getting our arse goosed every other second.

I mute Lavina. I FEEL good about that!

And found the men's team archery final (South Korea beat Italy for the gold) much easier to take without the entirely superfluous (and frankly hysterically OTT) commentary. Bloody hell, it's hardly complicated (teams of three, eight arrows each, the closer they get to the center of the target the more points scored). South Korea won 227-225 (new Olympic records); and kudos to the stereotype-busting spectators. The South Koreas were more exuberant than the rather subdued Italian supporters. :)

Posted at 8:44AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

Remember "Tyson Homosexual", a few weeks back? TVNZ's message board renders our 1976 5000m Silver medallist thus:

*&@!# Quax

Posted at 9:01AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

I noticed that about the women's team gymnastics highlight package as well. Deja vu!

Amusing story in today's Herald about the Russian women's beach volleyball coach being upset over being beaten by Georgians who are Brazillian by birth.

Posted at 9:11AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

*&@!# Quax

I've said that on occasion myself

Posted at 9:13AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

It occurs to me that people would be a lot better off if, like me, they restricted their viewing of sports to Sports Cafe highlights of said Olympics. Mark whatshisface might be a bit of a dick, but I still enjoy Graeme Hill.

Posted at 9:24AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

Remember "Tyson Homosexual", a few weeks back? TVNZ's message board renders our 1976 5000m Silver medallist thus:

*&@!# Quax

Well, the whole "Tyson Homosexual" thing was the result of the American Family Association's website setting up some automatic global search and replace for 'gay'. (You know, that perfectly decent world the filthy homosexualists have stolen and ruined. Funny how that comes from people who don't think twice about removing from polite discourse perfectly useful terms for a bundle of sticks used to light fires, and a a long wall or bank built to keep out the sea.)

But anyone who listens to Radio Sport for more than two minutes could hardly blame TVNZ's geeks for setting up a hair-trigger naughty word filter. :)

Posted at 9:37AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

Well, the whole "Tyson Homosexual" thing was the result of the American Family Association's website setting up some automatic global search and replace for 'gay'.

I know it's not really the same thing, but the similar sports/auto-replace nexus meant it warranted a mention; for the sake of humour, if nothing else.

Posted at 9:39AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

"He dislocated his shoulder AND the bar hit him on the way down ---"

It was his elbow wasn't it? Despite being shielded by officials from the crowd, we at home were subjected to a slow motion replay. Even the commentator was complaining that we didn't need to see it again. I still feel a little ill thinking about it.

Posted at 9:46AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

if they restricted their viewing of sports to Sports Cafe highlights of said Olympics

See the problem with that is that you would then have to watch SportsCafe which is - and I say this with the utmost respect for Jackie and the utmost disdain for Marc "*&@!# Quax" Ellis - misogynistic muntery crap.

And I've got a Waikato University study to back me up.

Posted at 9:47AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

It was his elbow wasn't it?

Possibly, yes. I didn't want to watch to closely to figure it out.

I still feel a little ill thinking about it.

Then i don't recommend clicking that link in the post.

Posted at 9:54AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

I know it's not really the same thing, but the similar sports/auto-replace nexus meant it warranted a mention; for the sake of humour, if nothing else.

Yeah, you're right. And there's much fun to be had with the blunt instrument of the naughty word filter/random asterisk generator (it can also be perversely filthy if you're got a sufficiently dirty mind), but sometimes the alternatives are even worse.

Posted at 9:59AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

It was his elbow wasn't it?

I thought so initially, because his forearm went backwards but no, that was a result of the shoulder dislocation.

Poor bastard. I dislocated my shoulder once and even though it went back in in the same movement, it was rather painful.

I saw it live, but I'd also recommend not watching it.

Posted at 10:03AM on 14 Aug 08. Permalink.

And there's much fun to be had with the blunt instrument of the naughty word filter/random asterisk generator

I'll say. I managed to use his name seven times in my "complaint" about it.