The Sportsfreak Olympic Wrap – Part 4 of 6

HANDBALL – 8/10
The Coverage:
Really good, although the venue name (“The Copper Box”) sounded just a little naughty. Or maybe that’s just me. It was good to see another purpose built venue built that has already been scheduled for other post-Olympic events, and the camerawork was spot on. Reasonably good timing as far as NZ goes, and it ended up a really good watch.

The Pros:
It just looks like a really cool game to play. Just the right balance of skill, power and contact makes for a game played at a frenetic pace, and it’s simple to follow. And then there’s the Norwegian women’s team…….

The Cons:
The only disappointing factor is when you convert it to a NZ perspective. This is a sport that is perfectly suited to the wider community over here, and it is hard to understand why it has never taken off. Hell, even Murray Deaker likes it. But then again, we somewhat ludicrously adopted softball over baseball, so it can’t be that much of a surprise.

HOCKEY – 8/10
The Coverage:
Probably the first event of the Games to capture the imagination of a lot of New Zealanders, the coverage overall was pretty good, although some of the camerawork was bloody awful. The blue turf (after the sun came up) was a masterstroke, and made the game much easier to follow. However the early morning sun made it almost impossible to follow the ball in the first half – they looked like they were playing in a swimming pool. In saying that, it gave the NZ viewer plenty of opportunity to watch games involving the Black Sticks and the Black Sticks live.

The Pros:
The girls. They performed above expectation and, without trying to sound overtly chauvinistic, looked pretty hot doing it. They were gutsy, and desperately unlucky not to play off for a gold medal. It was also an even competition (on both sides) which made for good viewing.

The Cons:
The boys. They were crap.

JUDO – 2/10
The Coverage:
Solid, but nothing spectacular. Not great as far as time zones go.

The Pros:
It’s finished.

The Cons:
A number of people have commented that they quite enjoyed Judo, so maybe it’s just me. I simply can’t work out the difference between an earth shattering move that defies belief, or some guy tripping over his own feet. That may not be the sport’s fault, but too bad. It’s as boring as hell.

MODERN PENTATHLON – 1/10
The Coverage:
Was it even on?

The Pros:
Very, very few. Oh hang on – there’s apparently some hot chick from France.

The Cons:
It’s very silly. But since it was championed by Pierre de Coubertin, it’s not going anywhere in a hurry – and that’s a real shame.

ROWING – 8/10
The Coverage:
Great course (although some issues with cross winds), and hiring an English commentator made sense by SKY. But then telling him to be parochial in his coverage just did not sound convincing. Montgomery apart, this was the most cheerleading commentary of the games, with the “GO KIWIS” aspect particularly cringe-worthy. Having said that, when done well it was also a very interesting commentary, and provided a great deal of insight.

The Pros:
It’s hardly a new phenomenon, but those cyclists in the background. A cross between an Enid Blyton novel and E.T. seemed to fit in well with hosting it in Eton’s backyard. The remarkable – and certainly disappointing – thing was that there were no crashes. Then of course we had our three golds – a tactically perfect race by the boys from the south gave NZ the perfect start to the event, and Mahe Drysdale (aka the “Beijing Bounceback” – I made that up myself) put a grin on many a New Zealander’s face. And what can you say about Bond and Murray? Ridiculously perfect should cover it.

The Cons:
Some of the lane changes by the officials – particularly when British crews were racing – were a little dubious. And to have a competitor weeks behind the rest of the others in a B Final because he only took up rowing three months ago is farcical. I blame Eric the Eel.

SAILING – 3/10
The Coverage:
Late, which hampered the average viewer in this part of the world. And the commentary was just weird – “there’s Italy Martin”. “Actually, that’s Canada Mike” was bad enough. But to watch the NZ flag hoisted as a spinnaker and hearing “up goes the Stars and Stripes!” was downright bizarre.

The Pros:
Honestly? Not much apart from a couple of NZ medals. I know it has now developed a decent history at the Olympics, but it just doesn’t cheese my cracker.

The Cons:
Why on earth would people flock to a windy bank next to the shore and watch yachts bobbing about….on a giant screen? Honestly people, it’s warmer at home. “Wow – look at the jibe!” Actually, thanks but I would prefer not to – I have some paint about to dry that needs my full viewing attention.