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ancientscrunty

Listed below are comments made by ancientscrunty between Tuesday, 8th July 2008 and Sunday, 7th June 2009.

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A stick in the spokes for Scotland's cyclists 3:53pm on 07 Jun 2009 A good article - if you want to follow up on the Olympic success then get kids involved. Young kids who know no fear love the velodrome at Manchester. Surely it isn't too much to aim for a covered velodrome in every town with 200,000+ inhabitants. Get the kids on there, they'll absolutely love it. You're right about the poor facilities in Scotland, dead right, but take away Manchester and there isn't much at all in the rest of the UK either. There should be at least 15 covered tracks in the country so we can naturally build on last year's success.
Jeers and Booze 7:50pm on 14 May 2009 Great article, particularly the last bit about doping, WADA and whereabouts. I think it's a total travesty that these overpaid prima donnas can get away with not being tested because it infringes something or other. Did anyone see cyclist Mark Cavendish's interview with Gabby Logan on that Monday night programme? Tested 60 times since November wasn't it? Cycling is the only sport that's really trying to do something about this and that's why now they are all considered dopeheads by the man-in-the whatsit. What about tennis players and rugby players and just about every other sport? If footballers are happy to get the obscene amounts of money they do get then they should take this as a given. When will we hear of a Ferguson or a Wenger insisting on full in-house random dope tests? That's when we might start to get a little bit of respect back for these overpaid clowns.
Ask Bearders #184 7:43pm on 11 Jan 2009 With the big news of the moment being the demise of Kevin Petersen as England captain, I wonder if statistics bear up the theory that (with England at least) a top player does not make a good captain. I'm thinking of Flintoff, Botham and now Petersen, all of who were/are the outstanding players of their particular teams, but none made it as captain. Add to them such as Boycott and maybe Gower and compare that with the likes of Brearley, Illingworth, Hussein and Close, all of whom were very good captains but possibly wouldn't have made the team if thet hadn't been captain. Maybe some statistical comparison of personal averages with team performance could help prove this theory. I think outstanding players need an outstanding captain behind them to bring out the best in them.
Remembering Beijing 2:25pm on 14 Oct 2008 Many amazing moments but I think the ultimate was the team pursuit gold, truly jaw-dropping, with a new world record that will probably stand for a decade at least. The performance epitomised everything about the British cycling team's 'no stone left unturned' method and must have given every other country so much to think about. If only the men's 4x100m squad could take on board just a bit of that attitude to the running track in what is a much simpler event technically.
BBC reporters pick out their Olympics highlights 8:22pm on 25 Aug 2008 As a cyclist I have to concentrate on what I know a bit about. I don't think it's really possible to comment on the merits of performances in other sports that I have little real knowledge of. Bolt was sensational, by any measure, similar to remembering Bob Beamon's long jump in 1968.

It's hard to pick a highlight but I've gone for the men's team pursuit win, with a new world record that takes the event onto a new plane. It's the one event that we've had so many nearlyds over past Olympics so I really felt for the team when they delivered the goods in super-trumps.
As for a low light, I was so disappointed for Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish when the madison proved to be an event too far for Wiggo. Chris Hoy is rightly getting all the plaudits but I feel that Wiggins should not be overlooked. Wasn't very impressed with the 4x100m relay team in the Bird's Nest either.
One for 2012 - Steven Burke.
The Hoy Wonder leads British bonanza 11:51am on 20 Aug 2008 I have one fear after such a commanding all round performance by the cycling teams. What will happen now the tabloid press will surely get hold of it? Cycling has sneaked up, beneath the tabloid radar; if you wanted to read about it you would have to have looked in the Guardian or the Telegraph. Once the Sun and the Mirror get going will we find the likes of Hoy, Wiggins and particularly Vicky Pendleton being endlessly pestered by paparazzi and inundated with attention from 'Hello' magazine and the like? Our involvement in football, cricket, rugby and even athletics hasn't been helped one bit by such attention and I'm wondering whether British Cycling can keep the lid on things after this unique achievement. Compare Chris Hoy with Rio Ferdinand or even Andrew Flintoff, in the way they conduct themselves outside their own sporting involvement. Will we find Jamie Staff on 'I'm A Celebrity......'? Oh I really do hope none of that happens, but the pressure will now be on, no doubt of that.
What a weekend! But why stop there? 12:11pm on 18 Aug 2008 Keep blinking and pinching, it is really happening. As for where are more medals coming from, after the big three of cycling, sailing and rowing are finished - I think any more will be a real bonus. I'm not at all sure that the madison gold is anything like a certainty; it's a very tactical event, needing luck and a shrewd racing brain, as well as outstanding pace and endurance. After the British dominance of the whole track programme you can be sure that Wiggo and Cav will be marked so tightly. At the World's this year at Manchester this is exactly what happened and it made their victory all the more incredible. If they manage it this time it will be, probably, the GB cycling team's best win of the Games, so please don't expect what would almost be a miracle. It's one event where the whole world can combine legitimately against you in one race, and that's exactly what they'll do. I have to say that the team pursuit win was really something special, particularly after our long history of nearly in that event. Remember 1972?
Help us pick our 10 to watch 10:23am on 08 Jul 2008 Surely Bradley Wiggins must be top of any list. He won a full set of medals in Athens and has been untouchable in the individual pursuit for quite some time. Vicky Pendleton has a good chance, certainly, but the sprint is always a bit of a lottery and she hasn't got another string to her bow. Wiggins has three real chances of gold, probably being favourite in the two pursuits which are far less of a chancy affair as the sprint. He's never received the acclaim his medals at Athens deserved - surely it's not just because of the ginger hair?

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