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PotHunter19

Listed below are comments made by PotHunter19 between Thursday, 20th November 2008 and Wednesday, 19th August 2009.

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Bloodgate brings Deano down 2:14pm on 19 Aug 2009 In the 'good old days' there were no tactical subs allowed, only injured players could be replaced. That just encouraged fake injuries to allow a fresh pair of legs on. Allowing tactical subs was a move in the right direction because it was becoming farcical.

The blood bin rule is an interesting one because again in the old days a bit of claret meant nothing and everyone just carried on. Forcing a player off to get cleaned up was more of a health and safety issue, if I remember right it came in round about the time Magic Johnson announced he was HIV positive and many sports started considering the implications of players contracting HIV through on-field contact with blood. Allowing the cut player back on is probably right in principle because so long as the cut is no longer bleeding he should be able to play on as if it hadn't happened. However it seems we are back in the situation of people abusing the rules.

The specialist prop rule (while not related to this case) is another interesting one which prevents anyone who is not a specialist prop from packing down in the front row. In the old days (at the risk of sounding like a broken record!) you'd just get one of the flankers moving to prop and everything carried on. Having only ever played in the back-line myself I can't say how 'specialist' the position is but surely, as professionals, it isn't rocket science to teach the rest of the pack how to play prop - at least to the point of being able to scrum safely. Then if you run out of props the farce of uncontested scums can be avoided.

So, what do the IRB do with the substitution rules? Open it up completely and have a rolling substition system in place so that people can come on and off as needed (like ice-hockey or water polo)? Limit the number of subs, and once you've hit that limit tough (like soccer)?

Personally I think the number of subs should be reduced and if you've been subbed tactically you can't come back even as a blood or prop replacement. That way subs will revert to being genuine injury cover because if you use them tactically you run the risk of ending up with less than 15 on the park.
Feel the Urn! 3:21pm on 09 Jul 2009 #8 - albeit rather unlikely, a tie is also possible
Not just salmon and champagne 2:40pm on 30 Jun 2009 The Henley Royal Regatta is one of a select few sporting events where it is possible to watch the world's best for simply the cost of a train ticket. Not only that though, with a bit of hard work and dedication it is possible to compete along side them (if not against them). Events like this should be positively encouraged, and coverage by the BBC can only help with this. While I'd love more live cricket on the BBC, I also believe that variety is the spice of life and the BBC should continue to invest in minority sports.
England World Twenty20 player ratings 10:14am on 16 Jun 2009 #30 chipleader - spot on regarding the average score for a mediocre performance.

My thoughts:
Wright: Shouldn't have opened. Pietersen instead? Perhaps, afterall look at the success Kallis has had for SA and he isn't regarded as an opener.
Broad: Amazing potential but needs more support. Should be batting one or two places higher. Bowling good, you feel something can happen when he has the ball, just needs to mature a bit.
Foster: great behind the stumps, needs to bat lower.
The rest: a bit forgettable really. One good catch, or a great ball or a big hit aren't enough to take you further in a tournament. You've got to do it consistently.

A good team will be greater than the sum of its parts, and I don't think that England is. As for the English (seam) attack being second behind SA (#20) that is debatable but as an attack it is still missing someone like Gul or Steyn or Parnell or Malinga who can decimate a batting line up, even if occasionally they get spanked all over the park.

If you were putting together a dream team out of the Super 8 nations Pietersen is the only England player who would be in with a shout. At each other position there is someone better in one of the other teams.
My Monaco Grand Prix preview 4:18pm on 26 May 2009 Hi Murray

Prior to this season Jenson Button was a bit like the Tim Henman of F1 - nice guy, loads of potential, but never quite stepped it up when it counted. How much of his success this year is down to his car and how much is down to him, or is it the combination of the two? Is the Brawn far enough ahead of the rest that any of the other drivers would have had as good a start to the season if they were in it?

Enjoying your blogs and the BBC coverage in general!

Thanks

Colin
Face-to-face with Australia's new sensation 09:48am on 23 Apr 2009 Surely Hughes playing in England is a double-edged sword? Yes, he will acclimatise to English conditions but will it not also allow the English players an opportunity to work out his strengths and weaknesses? The English bowlers should be relishing the opportunity to get one over him before the Ashes start!

By complaining that it is unfair that he is here they have already given him the psychological advantage. Alec Stewart should know better...
Seven sports seek Olympic love 5:44pm on 27 Mar 2009 #53 - Rugby seems quite happy to play a combined GB team (the Lions) and sees it as prestigious, personally I can't see why football can't do the same! But you're right (almost) in that it will reduce 4 competitive teams down to 1.
Seven sports seek Olympic love 1:58pm on 27 Mar 2009 If golf were to be added would it be match play, or medal? Still I can't see it eclipsing the majors or the World Match Play in desirability to players.

Rugby 7s would be fantastic in the Games. Fast paced, short games, no need to spread the tournament out too long to allow for recovery between rounds. Agree with #9 that 7s is a different form of the game to 15s and should be treated as such.

Squash's biggest problem (IMHO) is the lack of spectator appeal. I myself love playing, but watching is not very exciting - or perhaps I've just never watched decent enough players :-) Also you aren't going to get 20000 spectators watching the final like you would with the rugby. But it does tick the boxes in terms of being widely played, played by men and women, and the Games would be the pinnacle of the sport.

Football has got to go - it's not the pinnacle and you don't even get the full national teams playing. I like the idea of 20/20 cricket replacing it, but probably not a wide enough appeal outside the greater Commonwealth. Tennis should also go, the top players rarely take it seriously and see it as yet another tournament in an already crowded calendar.

Softball and Karate? Meh, no appeal to me personally, but I suspect there are loads of other people out there who will vehemently disagree with my choices :-)

While I'm on my soapbox, why not cut some of the swimming events? What's the deal with somebody being able to win 8 events when there is little difference between the events. Can you imagine if that variety existed in althletics? The 100m running backwards, or hopping down the track! They should stick to one style, fastest over the distance wins. If you want to do it backwards, or using both arms at the same time instead of alternatively, so long as you get to the end first it doesn't matter.

But to answer the orignal question, my votes go to Rugby 7s and Squash.
Ask Bearders #181 5:15pm on 20 Nov 2008 I was wondering what the average score for Extras is in Test and ODIs. In calculating 'his' average would it be fair to assume an incomplete innings(i.e. not all out) as a 'not-out' or would it just be a total divided by innings?

Taking this further, how high would 'his' ranking be among batsmen? I imagine 'his' tendancy to get off to a start but seldom follow though with a 50 might count against 'him'.

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