Monday Moan 10

Special Souvenir Olympic Edition

Obviously, as there's nothing else happening anywhere in the world this week, the Monday Moan is following the rest of the UK media in concentrating upon the Olympics.

BBC – could do better

The BBC has not distinguished itself so far in so many little ways – some of which are covered in the Moan this week. 

First we have the constant switching from one channel to another, often without continuous coverage, so that you miss some of the action whilst, say, BBC1 takes over a session from BBC2.

Second, and probably most irritating of all, our sporting enjoyment has been interrupted by pointless advertisements for forthcoming BBC programmes, usually Dr Who or Eastenders.  This advertising of the BBC’s own programmes is hugely annoying at all times, but it’s just crazy to subject the watching public to this in the middle of the greatest sporting spectacle the world has ever seen.

These two failures are often used in combination by the BBC – we have come to recognise that the promise that “coverage is now continuing on BBC2” actually means there will be a two minute gap in coverage whilst the BBC plugs some upcoming drama programmes – so we all reach for the remote control and see what we can watch on another channel.

 

The BBC has also decided that before any significant action we all need to watch little film clips they have pulled together showing the ‘background’ to the featured competitor.  Pointless and deeply annoying for sports fans, and not really terribly helpful to non-sports fans who might have been lured into watching the action.  It simply destroys the build-up of tension before the event itself, and reached its nadir with the absolutely ridiculous decision to cut away from the build-up to the start of the final event in the Heptathlon, the 800 metres, where at that stage there could not have been anyone watching who did not know all they needed to about Jessica Ennis and what was about to happen.  That didn’t stop the BBC, of course, and so we had to endure their pre-planned film insert and came back to the live pictures to be told that “well you have just missed the biggest cheer of the day as Jessica Ennis was introduced to the crowd”. 

Precisely.  Shame on the BBC.

Not having access to Sky or Virgin, I don’t know if these same irritations occur in their coverage, but if they do then shame on them as well as on the BBC.

“So, you’re a failure – tell us how it feels”

The current practice of grabbing competitors for an interview as soon as their event has finished is leaving me cold. 

Apparently some viewers find the desire for physical contact with the competitors (as done most notably by Paul Jones after athletics events) rather unnerving and creepy.  For me though, it’s the desire to thrust a microphone under their nose for an instant reaction.  If somebody has won then perhaps that’s fair enough – although understandably, in the heat of the moment not all of them can string together a coherent sentence.  But why do we have to intrude on those who have just seen their dreams shattered, who have seen four years of hard graft go unrewarded?  “Well that was disappointing to finish last – do you think you’ll retire now?”  What sort of a question is that? 

The BBC no longer confines itself to interviewing British competitors either.  I so wanted Tyson Gay to give an honest answer to Phil Jones after the 100 metres final yesterday, moments after he had come fourth and just missed a medal.  Jones asked him “can you tell me how you’re feeling right now?”  BBC executives must have feared some choice language was about to hit the airwaves, but Gay kept his cool and simply said “I’m hurting right now”.  Honest …………………. but only to a point.

Vanity knows no bounds?

Talking of Tyson Gay, he appeared to have shunned the trend for sportsmen to shave all their bodily hair, in favour of a suspiciously well-groomed underarm look ….

It’ll never catch on, surely?

What it says on the tin?

I'm not convinced that we are being told the truth in everything to do with this Olympics.  For example, the Trading or Advertising Standards people might wish to consider whether it was a little harsh for this Turkish lady to be forced to wear this branding …….

But even if this one gets past their scrutiny, then surely allowing this lot to take part in the Coxless Fours was a clear breach of their rules?

Sadly, the evidence for or against Bryan Cocquard is inconclusive ….

True Brit .....no more tears

No tears this time for Andy Murray – a true Brit at last.  He may have struggled with whether or not to sing along to the national anthem, but he seemed to have no problems with the Union Jack he was handed after the medal ceremony yesterday.  He also managed to contain the tears this time – victory must be less emotional than defeat.

Congratulations to him on such a clear cut victory over Roger Federer, and shame on the commentator I heard suggest that Roger had demonstrated what a gentleman he was in gifting Britain’s favourite Scotsman the title by not turning up for yesterday’s match.