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Winter Olympics 2014

Plissken

By Plissken,
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Plissken

Plissken

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Figured I'd set up a thread as the on in Off Topic is about the politics of the thing and there is more to it than skiiing and snowboarding.

BBC has six live streams up today. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/2014

Womens ice hockey highlights earlier - USA beat Finland 3-1. Some lovely skills from both sides, though the US will be hard to beat. Canada vs Switzerland starts at 12.55pm.

Also the biathlon, luge and figure skating at 2.25pm.

Slopestyle looked fun this morning, but it is coloured by me wanting to punch most of the competitors stupid faces in. Can't wait for the Snowboard Cross though. That is great fun.

Finally - great moments in Winter Olympics history. Recreated in Lego. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/26090575

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TehStu

TehStu

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Thanks, Plissken, was hoping someone started a thread here.

Was just watching the figure skating. The Russian and Canadian pair were miles ahead of the other and thrilled about it, then that American couple came on, blew everyone away and adjusted their sleeves like it was business as usual. I preferred the Canadians with their jazz club routine.

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Gringo

Gringo

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Slopestyle was spectacular. Commentary was a fucking disgrace.

This times a million. It was nice to see the British girl win a medal, having gone first and then waiting and hoping she could stay in the top three.

The commentary was probably the worst I have ever experienced watching any sport ever.

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fragglerock

fragglerock

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The commentary was pretty cringing, expect it from the snowboard girl but the other dudes should be able to hold it together better.

I thought that the girls commentary during the run was good though... the guys are a bit guilty of just shouting "WHOOOO" at a big move without explaining what it is (which I need because it all happens too fast for my ageing eyes)

Clearly being pleased for the UK competitor is nice, but saying things like "we dominated"... erm I think the USA and Finland may have something to say about that!

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Plissken

Plissken

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The difference between the old school BBC commentary of Davies, Coleman et al and the new breed of, well, thoughtless cheerleaders is absolutely huge.

Anyway, I could rant for a long time on what was bad about that commentary. Onto better things, and the RUS-GER womens hockey game was good entertainment. Stadium is pretty loud for the home team I imagine the atmosphere when the men play will be astonishing.

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bradigor

bradigor

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The difference between the old school BBC commentary of Davies, Coleman et al and the new breed of, well, thoughtless cheerleaders is absolutely huge.

Anyway, I could rant for a long time on what was bad about that commentary. Onto better things, and the RUS-GER womens hockey game was good entertainment. Stadium is pretty loud for the home team I imagine the atmosphere when the men play will be astonishing.

The commentary for the Ice Hockey is awful too, just comes across as condescending most of the time.

Not sure who I want to win the men's hockey, it is one from Sweden or Russia though, due to the players involved. Just really don't want it to be Canada.

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part

part

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Snowstyle commentary was a bit cringing. I think it needs to strike a balance between knowledge, description and enthusiasm - and it veered way too far into enthusiasm at the expense of the other factors. You see it with a lot of commentary for 'minor' sports on the BBC - but the guys who do the BBC swimming coverage always seem to get it bang on.

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sixbuttons

sixbuttons

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The commentary was pretty cringing, expect it from the snowboard girl but the other dudes should be able to hold it together better.

I thought that the girls commentary during the run was good though... the guys are a bit guilty of just shouting "WHOOOO" at a big move without explaining what it is (which I need because it all happens too fast for my ageing eyes)

Clearly being pleased for the UK competitor is nice, but saying things like "we dominated"... erm I think the USA and Finland may have something to say about that!

A lot of it comes from the freestyle culture. The competitors barely treat it as a serious sport (obviously they put a lot of energy into it but you'll rarely find someone like Shaun White in snowboarding, who is simply out to win at all costs), let alone the journalists AND it is a relatively small sport in terms of the competitors you see week in week out at this level - everyone knows everyone. Ed's probably the most knowledgable snowboarding broadcaster in the UK - which means, as was mentioned on TV and is completely true, he's seen Jenny come up through the past 10 years up close and personal. Someone mentioned they expected it from Aimee when she hit the commentary booth because she's Jenny's teammate. Entirely true, but then Ed would be a good friend with every Team GB boarder (and indeed freestyle skiier).

I do think they were equally impressed with certain other runs and reflected in their praise, but passion just takes over sometimes, for sport and country. I think even Barry Davies would have a lot of trouble holding himself if England had won the world cup under his watch.

Sometimes passion is mistaken for a lot of things.

As far as the play-by-play, it's tough for any minority sport, especially for one this quick, I think - explaining what a "cab 540 underflip" is everytime someone does one is going to put you on the edge of the next jump without being able to comment on how clean it was, or how solid the landing was, or what kicker she's aiming for next.

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Marmite

Marmite

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God, you guys moaning about the slope style commentary are dull! :P

Admittedly the female in the commentary box this morning was a little embarrassing (she is a rider though, not a commentator) but I thought Ed Leigh and Tim Warwood were great - massively enthusiastic throughout and some cracking one-liners. It was all done in good spirits, a feature of the slope style itself (and the people taking part - most of them are good friends outside of these events, as witnessed in the mutual appreciation on the podiums etc). Even Aimee Fuller (the aforementioned girl in the commentary box for the final), while obviously keen for Jenny Jones to do well, showed her support and respect for the other competitors before each of their runs.

I think the whole thing reflected the nature of slope style snowboarding as a sport making its debut in the Olympics. It's new and a fresh approach to go with it was welcome. Our first medal on snow as well. Incredible considering most of our riders learn on dry slopes :hat:

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Gringo

Gringo

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I agree that the commentators were knowledgeable and passionate about the sport. I wouldn't agree that 'whooping and a hollering' is somehow a new 'fresh' or 'cool' element to sporting commentary. Surely the purpose of the commentator is to enhance the visual with choice words or even aptly timed silence as the truly greats can do. Not just to start screaming his/her head off when something interesting happens.

There is no doubt that the snowboarding community is a relatively small and close knit group, especially the British scene as GB isn't a winter sports country per se. I still think when you are broadcasting you need to reign in the bias just a tad.

Maybe I'm wrong though, I might just be a total square man :blah:

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Plissken

Plissken

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Cheering when a competitor falls is not commentating. The bloke might have been knowledgable, but he didn't have much of a grasp of English. ("Nerves are rising at the top of the course" - no, Tension rises, nerves tighten.) At no point was the competition format explained - I was expecting the runs to be in reverse order of points in the first run, and they kept reinforcing this with "three great boarders to come" - except two of them had scored buttons in their first run so their chances of beating Jones were pretty poor. The eventual gold medallist was described as "the Queen of the Snowboard" with no further info, you know, like the fact that she is the World Tour #1. We are continually told that it is a friendly, tight knit community, and then they start screaming with joy when one of them falls.

I'm all for passion in commentary but it has to come second to describing the action for the viewer. This wasn't commentating, it was impartial cheerleading with no thought for those watching. You'd have got exactly the same result if you had taken three people out of the stands and given them microphones.

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