Posts by Jake Pollock

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  • Field Theory: Playing Catch Up,

    Fletcher: The 3 2 1 method would put China 21 points clear of the USA. Britain would be a bit upset about it, because I think they'd slide down to fourth, to be replaced by Russia.

    The reason I said it's egregious is because the coverage in the US is centred around this battle for supremacy, and is very clearly being played out as a struggle between the superpowers. I'm sure that subtext is obvious in New Zealand as well, but on basic NBC, where they show precious few events that don't feature US athletes (we wouldn't have seen the rowing medals on TV here if they didn't also feature American crews as well), it's quite visceral.

    The Americans complain about the ages of Chinese gymnasts, and then go and declare victory in their mini-Cold War by juking the stats.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Playing Catch Up,

    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.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Playing Catch Up,

    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.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Playing Catch Up,

    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.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Olympic Eye Candy,

    My best guess is that you're using momentum from the dive to carry you along and, on the turns, you can push yourself under your own wake, thus avoiding turbulent water/an oncoming wave.

    However, Jake Does Science is a hilarious sport in its own right around these parts, based on the kind of reasoning from first principles so beloved by the classical scientists and thoroughly overturned in the late-17th Century. It all makes sense, until it turns out to be completely wrong. So take it with a grain of salt.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Handle the Scandal,

    Lightweight in rowing is a weight division. A crew average of 70kg for men, and 57 kg for women. So all the smaller people can have a chance in a sport dominated by giants.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Did you see that?,

    Oh, my mistake then. The split times are broken down a bit here. I'm not sure what it all means, though.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Did you see that?,

    His last 25m in the relay where he just turned it on and caught up to first was stunning.

    Yes, turning into another person is truly amazing, even for someone as talented as Phelps.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Hard News: A few days away,

    Yeah that was awesome. But that was Jason Lezak that swam that last lap. Anyway, I'm not denying that Phelps is an incredible athlete, but when the commentators consider his coming third in a semifinal (after coming second in the heat) a great victory, and don't notice Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry setting a world record because they're too busy comparing Natalie Coughlin to Jesus-in-togs, you've really gotta wonder.

    And Graeme, it's true that you can get lots of other coverage on the NBC website if you say you've got cable, but that's lying to the internet.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Hard News: A few days away,

    For those Michael Phelps complaining about the TVNZ commentary Michael Phelps, just be thankful you're not exposed to the Michael Phelps NBC version Michael Phelps. There's this American swimmer Michael Phelps who is quite good, I would forget his name but they Michael Phelps see fit to mention it Michael Phelps every three seconds. I swear to Michael Phelps that one of them pondered how Michael Phelps would have fared in the torrential Michael Phelps rain of the women's road cycle Phelps.

    And they show so much beach volleyball it's creepy.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

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