BBC Blog Network

User Profile

Chaddyroar

Listed below are comments made by Chaddyroar between Wednesday, 1st April 2009 and Thursday, 20th August 2009.

«Newer
Older»

Semenya left stranded by storm 2:00pm on 20 Aug 2009 Kratochvilova wasn't East German, she was Czech I think. If she was a woman she was on some proper testosterone tablets and HGH. She had a jaw like them female bodybuilders. It is well known that all former Eastern Bloc female athletes were juiced up through the 70s and 80s, surely along with Flo Jo, that's why the world records from 100m to 800m are all years old.

This situation is different. This is someone who is definitely physically a woman, has been raised as and lives as a woman and has no idea she may be anything other than 100% female. She has no positive tests for any performance enhancing substance, let alone male hormone treatment. If she is ineligible it is by a undiagnosed and unknown medical condition which she and her coaches had no reasonable way of knowing about.

Therefore, the IAAF should have as it's first priority the physical and emotional welfare of the athlete. They have scored a massive own goal here. The integrity of the sport is important. The reputation of the governing body is important, BUT.....if we put these abstract values above the feelings and welfare of any human being then we have defeated the object of sport itself and demeaned the individual and the sport. We have allowed beaurocracy and petty-mindedness to reach in and pollute the joy and the glory of pure physical endeavour.

Whatever the result of the tests, the conduct of the IAAF has been appalling. I hope that this athlete is found to be 100% female, not so she can keep her medal, but so she is not crushed, humiliated and demonised in the full glare of a ravenous and patronising media pack.
How will the Premier League unfold? 12:26pm on 11 Aug 2009 Chelsea have a very strong and experienced side. But, ANOTHER new manager and their best stars getting old and on massive salaries. I think they are a year or so past their best, and haven't bought enough new talent to compensate. My opinion, without Lampard and Essien they would be mid-table. Top four but won't win it.

United won't miss Ronaldo for any other reason than goals. If Berbatov pulls his socks up and Rooney takes Ronaldo's mantle, plus the development of Macheda and Owen sniffing in the box, they might be ok. My one worry for them is that they aren't getting goals from midfield. Carrick needs to step up this season and either be more consistent defensivley, or leave that to fletcher and go and get more goals. Could well win it, but will have to do better against the other 'big three' this year or they will find themselves adrift.

Liverpool's best eleven is a match for anyone, however Aquilani for Alonso, that's bad business. I agree with an earlier poster that if a couple of their four best players pick up an injury they simply don't have anyone with either the class or the dedication to the club, to come in and cover. Gerrard was probably Messi and Iniesta's only challenge for world player of the year last year. But even he can't do that on his own all the time. Boardroom unrest too. I don't think they'll win it.

Arsenal have a terrifying attack when all fit, pace guile, youth, craft. Arshavin, van Persie, Nasri, Fabregas, Walcott. If arsene can replace Toure with a world class central defender and acquire someone Essien-esque in his midfield I believe Arsenal will be the Barcelona of England this year. They have the talent, the manager, the ethos, the stadium and they are due a trophy. United's closest challenge? Possibly

In conclusion Chelsea are a bit past their peak and you have to believe that at some stage big players will get injured or suspended and when that happens I am sure that Liverpool and Arsenal aren't well enough equipped to cope. But Arsenal are due some luck and I think they may be United's closest challengers this year. If Wenger can motivate them enough to play in hail at Stoke on a December Wednesday night (for example).

Prediction:

United
Arsenal
Liverpool and Chelsea tied on points.
Senna by way of Touching the Void 2:33pm on 01 May 2009 Scumacher was a great driver, no doubt. But he wouldn't have been so dominant if he had raced consistently in the same era as Senna, Mansell and Prost.

The car makes a difference and Schumacher clearly had success while these guys were still racing, but Mansell and Prost were approaching the end of their careers and Senna never had the chance to race Michael in an equivalent car.

Mansell and Senna were probably the bravest and most committed racers I have ever seen and Prost and Pique were so consistent in their performances. All four of these would not have allowed Schumi's on track bullying tactics the way other racers did.

In Michael's defence, nostalgia is a wonderful thing and I perhaps look back at this, my favourite, era (when I was 16 - 24) through rose-tinted spectacles and as the golden age of F1. All you can do is beat those opponents put in front of you, and Schumacher certainly did that.

However, I maintain that had he raced consistently against the four drivers mentioned above he would not have won as many races or championships, regardless of Brawn's peerless management.

Senna, the best ever? Yes he probably was, but only because drivers like Prost, Mansell and Pique were there to push him to his mercurial limits.
Man Utd give Wenger hope 10:27am on 30 Apr 2009 I must make comment about the moderation on these blogs.

Users now expect blogs to be a 'real time discussion'. There is no point entering a comment on this blog if it takes 40 minutes to be moderated.

The majority of blog users read the first few and the last few comments (based on forum and blog user studies). By the time the moderation has taken place, my comment is so far up the discussion board that it is not read by anyone.

In all honesty the BBCs reputation would be better served by having no blog at all, rather than a poorly operated one.

By hosting blogs you create a demand and an expectation in your customer base for a certain level of immediacy and an unbiased style. Your moderation system does not meet these most basic expectations of new media.

If you do not have resources in place to meet the demands and expectations you are consciously fostering, that is a fundamental failing of your business plan. A mistake which if uncorrected will serve to undermine the integrity and reputation of your online operations and the organisation as a whole.
Man Utd give Wenger hope 10:16am on 30 Apr 2009 I agree that United are possibly the best counter-attacking team in the game.

I can't see them not scoring against an Arsenal team who will have to come onto them at some stage.

United score 1 - Arsenal need 3. I simply can't see that happening without Arshavin and Van Persie. United in the final I think.

If United are to win the CL though, then their performance in finals will have to improve. I think it will take more than one goal to beat either Chelsea or Barca and they will certainly need Ferdinand fit if they are to do it.
Scholes steers Man Utd towards title 3:14pm on 23 Apr 2009 Edit it if you want, but don't remove it.
Scholes steers Man Utd towards title 3:10pm on 23 Apr 2009 Oh come on don't moderate it, it was Ok. You kmow it's ok, don't be nazis
Scholes steers Man Utd towards title 1:32pm on 23 Apr 2009 Comments suggesting Scholes is merely 'tidy' or 'lazy' are insulting in my view. People have short memories.

I've said before that younger fans should watch old footage of Giggs and Scholes to see how good they actually were.

Giggs in his youth makes Cristiano look pedestrian and unimaginative, and Scholes was as good as Dalglish and Baggio.

I remember a United Champions league tie against Bayern Munich in maybe '96 where Scholes scored a skilful and brave goal, going in where it hurts against the onrushing keeper after some clever skill to beat the last man. Commentator Clive Tyldesley reminded viewers that it was Scholes third game in a row where he had scored a vital goal and that the weekend before he had scored in a United victory over Liverpool. Big Ron just said "Yeah, but how will the kid do in the big games Clive".

Class, played by Erikson on the left, what a joke. Should have had a longer England career.

I am an Oldham fan and I really hope that he does play a season or two for us when he leaves United. Really unassuming guy who was undoubtedly for a couple of years the best player in Europe. If he had been United's penalty taker and got more goals, or if he had played the media game he would have been voted World Footballer of the Year on a couple of occasions.

Frankie Bunn - dodgy knees, six goals, get in.
Royle return for no ordinary Joe 9:37pm on 01 Apr 2009 I still hope Scholes may have a role to play in the long term future of our club.

A year or two left at Utd doing his coaching badges, then maybe a player/coach role at Latics. His love for the club is legend, he would still be a wonderful player at championship/league 1 level, even in his late 30s.

His standards would be high, he would be respected by the players for his achievements and respected by Oldham fans as one of their own. There could be a transition period with Joe at his side. Great profile for the club and his reputation and contacts would help attract some superb players if we could get ourselves into the Championship. Pie in the sky, dreamworld stuff, I know.

I used to see him at Boundary Park and at Oldham Snooker Centre when he was young. Even saw him having breakfast with his Mrs at Debenhams cafe in the Spindles in '99 a few days after Utd won the Champs League. Quality, you wouldn't get Ronaldo doing that.
Royle return for no ordinary Joe 1:21pm on 01 Apr 2009 Goodwill - That game against Sheff Wed was awesome, last minute penalty to win the league. I can't remember any other time where I was so excited my head nearly burst, it seemed to take forever to take that pen and the crowd exploded onto the pitch when Neil banged it in (good job it was a plastic pitch).

I played there several times when we had the plastic pitch. You could rent it out for something like 80 quid in the off-season. I scored a cracking volley from the edge of the box at the (old) Rochdale Road end. In the same game I lost 1/2 pound in weight after ripping the skin off my right thigh in a sliding tackle, they had just sanded the surface - ouch.

«Newer
Older»

^ Back to top

BBC MMVI

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

BBC.co.uk

BBC Blog Network

Find and talk to the BBC's bloggers.

User Profile

Chaddyroar