The London 2012 Olympics: Current affairs discussion

[mertle]

Originally Posted by danielf

I agree there wasn't enough info, but the commentators weren't at fault, as they didn't have the info. The Beeb would do well to hire a commentator who can actually tell the riders apart. The number of mix-ups was astonishing.

yep dont blame commentators one minute. Think mistakes was not there fault also daft to allow teams same colours.

Was there GPS like the tours. Surely brainded IOC would allow that as it helps to pinpoint where riders are.

Think the commentators was paul sherwin and chris boardman they know cycling inside out from itv4 did channel 4 tour de france coverage for years.

So clearly mistakes was lack info but surely organisors could give them the tools to cammentate.

Whoever to blame wants kick up the pants for this fiasco IOC, BEEB or Locog someone needs get finger out sort this mess for tomorrow. It was not 3rd division coverage it was amatuerish.

Spoilt good day watching racing shame cav did not win but alot cycling fans will be angry this poor effort of coverage.

[devilincarnate]

Originally Posted by danielf

I agree there wasn't enough info, but the commentators weren't at fault, as they didn't have the info. The Beeb would do well to hire a commentator who can actually tell the riders apart. The number of mix-ups was astonishing.

Are you contradicting yourself with this post or am I misreading the post

[mertle]

BEEB critising OBS the IOC official broadcasting for the appalling coverage got this from guardian live feed.

So it was hugh porter and chris boardman had thankless task trying to keep us interested watching farce broadcasting.

Just hope these OBS do better job tomorrow. Was half expecting to them miss the finish it was that bad.

sorry way the thing reeds hard to copy feeds.

16:46 BST
One last thing: The Beeb speak

"Roger Mosey, who is the Beeb's Director of London 2012 is blaming OBS, the IOC's host broadcaster, for the lack of graphics and timing during the road race.

"On road cycling, the BBC team shares the frustration about lack of graphics/info from the organisers," he tweeted during the race. "But exciting finish ahead. #BBC2012"



16:41 BST
That's all from me ...

Thanks for your time and your emails, I'll be back tomorrow for the women's road race, which is a 140 kilometre yomp around the same course that starts at noon. See you then.



16:38 BST
Regarding the appalling TV coverage of that race ...

I notice that the BBC have been quick to distance themselves from coverage of a road race that was uninformative, bordering on contemptuous.
Jake Humphries was on earlier pointing out that everyone at BBC HQ was just as fed up as their viewers at the lack of information being provided to them about which riders were in what groups, how far they had left to travel and what the time gaps were, but that they had to make do with the same feed as everyone else.
Hats off, then, to BBC commentators Hugh Porter and Chris Boardman who did a fairly excellent job under the circumstances, as they were clearly being given very little to work with.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by mertle

I dont know who was the idiots in charge of it BEEB or IOC but they need to do much better job.

It was neither; but the BBC agreed with you and said so on-air

All Olympic broadcasting is now done by the OBS.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by devilincarnate

Are you contradicting yourself with this post or am I misreading the post

The commentators weren't given enough info regarding how far groups were spaced apart, which wasn't their fault. One of them had difficulty telling riders apart which was his fault, as the other had no such problem. One would assume they do have a list of riders and numbers...

[devilincarnate]

Originally Posted by danielf

One would assume they do have a list of riders and numbers...

The numbers were on the back pockets of the jackets and also the bikes so when they were showing the riders from the front it would be hard?

[danielf]

Originally Posted by devilincarnate

The numbers were on the back pockets of the jackets and also the bikes so when they were showing the riders from the front it would be hard?

I still think he was poor. Saying things like a rider attempted to escape from the peloton when he was actually in the breakaway group that was minutes ahead. Also, as an experienced commentator he's supposed to know the faces?

[devilincarnate]

Originally Posted by danielf

I still think he was poor. Saying things like a rider attempted to escape from the peloton when he was actually in the breakaway group that was minutes ahead. Also, as an experienced commentator he's supposed to know the faces?

Yes will agree with you on that one mate. Also here are all the peeps from the day?

Cycling commentators:
Hugh Porter
Chris Boardman
Jill Douglas

[alferret]

I wonder why there are so many seats at supposedly sold out events?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oly...stigation.html

Despite tickets for the events being sold out, television images revealed scores of empty seats at the swimming, dressage, volleyball and tennis.

I wonder what parts of the UK will be used to bus in bodies to fill those empty seats. One thing I do know it wont be G4S staff used to make up the numbers.

Despite most events having long since sold out, there were rows of empty seats visible at the swimming heats, the gymnastics, the volleyball and the dressage in Greenwich Park.
The London 2012 organising committee said it appeared that most of the empty seats were not sold to members of the public but were in "accredited" areas meant for members of the "Olympic family".
They include international federations, national governing bodies, athletes, International Olympic Committee officials and non-tabled media positions.
At the morning swimming heats featuring Michael Phelps and his US rival Ryan Lochte, there were an estimated 500 empty seats in one block alone.
And at the morning session of the gymnastics, at which Louis Smith and the rest of the British team appeared, there were more than 1,000 empty seats despite prospective ticket buyers being told it was sold out.
At the volleyball at Earl's Court, around a quarter of the seats at the 15,000 capacity venue were empty.
Andy Reed, a former MP and now director of Sports Thinktank, said there were "so many [empty] seats at the volleyball - really disappointed for so many who wanted to be there".
At the dressage in Greenwich Park, the arena was usually no more than two thirds full - but that could also put down to the fact that many people were dipping in and out of the action.
At the football, which is a different case in that there are far more unsold seats, there were vast swathes of unsold tickets for the women's matches at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and Glasgow's Hampden Park.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012...ew-empty-seats

Just got back from Wimbledon. Pretty good event. We're lucky to have such a good location for Tennis already.

I was in Victoria Park for the Opening Ceremony, it's just next to the stadium so I got to see the Fireworks and the people jumping out of the chopper. It was all ready good. Danny Boyle really pulled off something amazing.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Now let me see.
A nice new world class stadium..
A nice new Olympic standard swimming stadium.
A new cycling stadium..along with a bmx track

A whole set of buildings in the Athletes village that will be used as flats by Londoners after the Olympics have long closed..2,818 new homes.all with parks with improved transport system.
Plus a whole lot more..

Why don't you actually do some damned research?

http://www.london2012.com/mm%5CDocum...t2_Neutral.pdf

Or is it just that you can't put your preconceived prejudices to one side.

Oh and remember these games were sought and gained under a Labour Government and completed by a Coalition government so scoring political points is pretty meaningless.

Just what London is short of, another football stadium and in terms of value for.money your list only emphasises chrysalis' point imo.

[mertle]

Originally Posted by alferret

I wonder why there are so many seats at supposedly sold out events?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oly...stigation.html

knowing us tickets still in the post. Either that or London transport system caused the issue.

Either way theres very angry mob at locog.

On the cycling they also getting blamed.

blame game according to OBs its locog fault that it was there responsibilty for GPS timing.

That they was not providing the information to comentators.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012...rvices-cycling

A BBC spokesman said: "We have raised our concerns with OBS who have explained that there were GPS problems with the Locog-supplied timing graphics, which resulted in a lack of information for the commentary teams.
"A number of tests were run by OBS this morning on parts of the course. We've been assured that everything is being done to try and resolve this ahead of the women's road race."

Just hope whoever it was OBS or locog they get there act together get these GPS sorted.

Now as side note GPS was also faulty in tour de france timings often jumped and spiked. Althogh in past years there acuracy was bit iffy they become more more reliable as technology advanced.

Wonder if there GPS jamming going off as sabatage.

Really?

Let's not get too carried away, hey?

How exactly would they jam the satellite signals - it's the Olympics, not a James Bond movie.....

Should Danny Boyle get a knighthood? It's not often we host such an event as last night, millions upon millions saw as stage the Opening Ceremony and on 1/4th of the budget of China's opening ceremony he did us proud.

[mertle]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Really?

Let's not get too carried away, hey?

How exactly would they jam the satellite signals - it's the Olympics, not a James Bond movie.....

you will be suprised there devices for sale now all over the web there chinese GPS jammer hugh,

On how to jam them public GPS miltary safe as long they code protected they wont falsify position or shut down.

Not james bond hugh its scary what tech out there. Such software which can activate your mobile speaker. camera without you knowing.

They smalll can be disguised mobiles can either temp or permantly destroy the GPS chip.