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Field Theory: Playing Catch Up

Posted at 2:39PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

I've gone two nights with very minimal Olympics watching. And due to a prior engagement tonight will be the same. (Actually last night Outrageous Fortune took precedent despite my protestations of "the Olympics only happen every four years!" Maybe I need to think about getting MySky)

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So I was scouring the internet and trying to think of clever ideas. "I know", I thought, "I'll write about the history of the Madison" … thank you very much Mr Slack.

So here I present The Unofficial History of the Madison Cycling Race.

The race has it's roots in pre-colonial Rhodesia, where the locals would gather together for a month and the men, to show their virility to potential wives, would run in circles for days with a tag partner who would take over when the runner needed to eat or sleep.

Fast forward to prohibition-era Chicago: The Rhodesian foot-race had been adapted by Phineaus O'Connell, an Irish entrepreneur, and turned into a cycling race that was used in London as a way for poorer gentlemen to show their virility to potential wives, while entertaining richer gentlemen keen to see people die of exhaustion on bicycles.

Chicago's notorious bootleggers liked O'Connell's idea so much that they decided to use the event to mask their own illegal activities. Half the riders were replaced with prostitutes and drink stations filled with home-distilled gin. The mobsters also created a point system to enable betting, although the term "earning a lap" meant something different when the prostitutes were involved, and gentlemen were less likely to let their partner take over.

The modern event keeps to some of these traditions though the scoring system is now much more complex. Every team of two cyclists who manage to gain a lap on the pack are given "a lap". Points can also be gained by sprinting over the line every ten laps. While only one cyclist is allowed to ride the race at any given time you can tag your partner in to take over. If you accidentally launch the wrong partner into the race that person is then obliged to race for your country. Should any rider be knocked off their bike, they are allowed to fight the person who knocked them off, with every landed punch equalling one point. Lap 23 is the "running alp" where riders must leave their bikes on the track and run a lap to get back to them (this is a nod to the original Rhodesian version and is sometimes called the "Rhodesian Lap").

Unsurprisingly they removed my version from Wikipedia.

Back in reality I did manage to catch the kiwis in the synchronised swimming. I am always impressed by this sport and the (American?) commentator seemed to be impressed with Lisa and Nina Daniels (video here) considering the fact the New Zealand isn't really known for synchronisation, swimming or otherwise.

The strength of the synch-swimmers is amazing, and I am totally against anyone who thinks it's should be removed from the games.

Michael Burgess from TVNZ was at the sychro-swimming and had an interesting run-in with the old Soviet Bloc:

Our conversation went like this:
NZ: Excuse me, who are you waiting to talk to?
UKR: Why, why do you ask (accompanied by stern glare)?
NZ: Well, I just wanted to speak to the Czech or Ukrainian team...?
UKR: Yes, I am from that country, but I am not offering translation services!
She had a smile that Medusa would be proud to own and a voice that snarled.
I fumed silently and walked away.

It's also good to see that Britain is coming back down to earth even though they now sit third on the medal table.

Well done to Nick Willis for his bronze and also to Bevan Docherty. I am really pleased with all of the talk about our bronze medalists. Other than the occasional stupid question from TVNZ most people are really proud of medalists no matter what the colour. As the Dropkicks discuss this week, it's actually pretty hard to be the third best person in the world at something.

Just a quick note to Bevan Docherty though: Can you please wait until after the race before going and grabbing the flag? You are not Usain Bolt.

And speaking of Bolt, I did like this cartoon of Michael Phelps but I think Dom nailed it with his revision. Bolt's 200m final is scheduled for roughly 2.00am here.

I was listening to ESPN's Pardon The Interruption the other day and they were discussing China's dominance of the medal table. The first time it was mentioned (before the Olympics started) the line was: American's don't care about the medal table, and the Chinese are "padding" the table in sports "nobody cares about". Y'know, like gymnastics.

This time the commentary was: American only cares about gold medals but China's got such a large population that they can, naturally, win all those medals. there was no discussion about why they haven't in the past or why other large populace countries like Japan or India haven't done better in the past.

Finally for today, here's a wonderful image of the Olympic flame from the BBC.

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Graeme Edgeler
From: Wellington, New Zealand
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 828

Posted at 2:39PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

I was listening to ESPN's Pardon The Interruption the other day and they were discussing China's dominance of the medal table.

And I caught a brief glimpse of World News with Charles Gibson last night on TVNZ7. "The United States is still at the top of the medal table with XY medals, although China has more golds..."

andrew llewellyn
From: Wellington
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 1686

Posted at 2:52PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

a way for poorer gentlemen to show their virility to potential wives

Oo er - rather puts the Boobs on bikes in perspective.

Jake Pollock
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 179

Posted at 2:52PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

Yeah, the American news outlets don't weight their medal tables. They're all happily declaring that America is on top, when a cursory glance at just about any other nation's media suggests that it might be seen otherwise. I know Americans love to measure things differently, but this is just egregious. Even wikipedia places precedence to gold medals won.

I've been trying to see if this is how they've done it in the past, or if it's just this time around, but the university suddenly won't let me into the databases. It's a conspiracy I say. And it doesn't just conveniently put the US on top, it completely rearranges the rankings from number 3 down.

As for not caring about gymnastics, the American commentary team have been going mental over the women's gymnastics judging. It would make an All Black fan in the weeks following the 2007 World Cup blush.

3410
From: Auckland
Since: Jan 2007
Posts: 539

Posted at 2:54PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

So, which is it? golds, or total?

Danielle
From: PAS Women's XV Strategic Headquarters
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 887

Posted at 2:56PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

Maybe I need to think about getting MySky

Do not think. Do. </Yoda> It will change your life for the better. Exponentially.

3410
From: Auckland
Since: Jan 2007
Posts: 539

Posted at 2:57PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

I read an American piece saying that the Chinese specifically targetted golds because they knew that they were unlikely to beat the US in total medals won.

andrew llewellyn
From: Wellington
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 1686

Posted at 2:58PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

It will change your life for the better. Exponentially.

They need to up the storage though (especially if a whole day's olympic coverage is going to count as one single ginormous programme) - I'm resorting to saving MySkyed shows to DVD HD.

Hadyn Green
From: Wellington
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 1083
Moderator

Posted at 3:00PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

As for not caring about gymnastics, the American commentary team have been going mental over the women's gymnastics judging

Oh i was trying for sarcasm there.

Oo er - rather puts the Boobs on bikes in perspective.

Dammit! That would've been great! Argh the lament of a joke lost...

Emma Hart
From: Christchurch
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 1113

Posted at 3:04PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

a way for poorer gentlemen to show their virility to potential wives
Oo er - rather puts the Boobs on bikes in perspective.

Ah! Now I understand cycle shorts.

Jake Pollock
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 179

Posted at 3:07PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

Oh i was trying for sarcasm there.

Yes. Sorry, as I was typing that I listened to an American commentator yet again declare that the Chinese gymnast's score was 'high. Too high'. Ugh.

andrew llewellyn
From: Wellington
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 1686

Posted at 3:10PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

Argh the lament of a joke lost...

Oh I dunno.... :)

Jake Pollock
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 179

Posted at 3:53PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

So, which is it? golds, or total?

The official website ranks in order of golds, if there's a tie they look at silvers, and if both golds and silvers are tied they look at bronze. It also includes the ranks by totals, but clearly, that's not the preferred system.

Really, I don't care, and just like to tease my American friends about it.

Russell Brown
From: Auckland
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 5279
Moderator

Posted at 5:50PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

<i>The strength of the synch-swimmers is amazing, and I am totally against anyone who thinks it's should be removed from the games.</i>

You may have to fight my girlfriend.

simon g
From: Auckland
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 368

Posted at 6:59PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

"So, Peter, exciting, isn't it?"

(background shot: Kiwi closes on gold medal, presenters ignore)

"Yes Wendy, and we will bring you news soon"

(background shot: Kiwi actually wins gold medal)

"Thanks, Peter, let's hope for good news!"

(Kiwi starts celebrating gold medal)

"And now to an ad break ..."

Hadyn Green
From: Wellington
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 1083
Moderator

Posted at 9:16PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

You may have to fight my girlfriend.

So be it. Prepare the arena.

Hadyn Green
From: Wellington
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 1083
Moderator

Posted at 9:18PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

(Kiwi starts celebrating gold medal)
"And now to an ad break ..."

Ah crap. Really? Did anyone PVR it?

Robyn Gallagher
From: Wellington
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 992

Posted at 9:24PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

I like the debate that comes around every Olympics, where someone declares that certain Olympic events aren't real sports and should be removed from the Games.

But what's a weird pseudo sport in one country is the national game of another. Slalom kayaking, handball, and rhythmic gymnastics might not be sports that have a huge following in New Zealand, but our medal tally/hopes are reliant on niche sports like sailboarding, BMX and triathlon.

Eleanor
From: wellington
Since: May 2007
Posts: 64

Posted at 9:44PM on 20 Aug 08. Permalink.

A few years ago I read about a study of claiming that synchronised swimmers are the fittest athletics at the Olympics.

Never mind the prancing choreography and waterproof glitter make up,
that is not to be sniffed at!

I love the origins of table tennis, a Victorian after-dinner parlour game called whiff whaff!

Megan Wegan
From: Welly
Since: Jul 2008
Posts: 47

Posted at 4:23AM on 21 Aug 08. Permalink.

I am really pleased with all of the talk about our bronze medalists. Other than the occasional stupid question from TVNZ most people are really proud of medalists no matter what the colour.

Not everyone

Craig Ranapia
From: North Shore, Auckland
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 4307

Posted at 8:28AM on 21 Aug 08. Permalink.

(Actually last night Outrageous Fortune took precedent despite my protestations of "the Olympics only happen every four years!" Maybe I need to think about getting MySky)

Perhaps, but watching Antonia Prebble reaching new depths of transcendental evil is a damn sight more interesting...

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