Maybe it’s because the NBA playoffs ran so late, but I can’t help thinking how much more exciting handball is as a sport compared to basketball.
So if I want to watch a good match via replay, can you point me to one or two?
Thanks!
Sweden vs. Bahrain and Sweden vs. Portugal in the men’s tournament.
Men’s France vs Germany, starts off slow and turns into an absolute thriller for most of the match
I’m very pissed off at the xfinity app on my ipad. I woke up, and clicked the recording of USA vs Netherlands to enjoy a lovely morning of football. But the app decided to show me just one flickering moment of live before rewinding to the beginning… which happened to be right in the middle of the penalty shootout. Spoilers!
I note that three of the remaining four teams came from the same group. That can’t be something that happens very often.
Taking the day off for various reasons, but just watched some BMX racing. Every race I’ve seen has at least one athlete crash, usually more than one, and usually early in the race.
Must suck to go to the Olympics and crash 10 seconds into your race.
Brian
Thanks, guys! I’ll check them out!
The final for women’s individual archery was thrilling. Came down to a single-arrow shoot-off.
I just managed to catch that. Great way to break the tie.
The mixed doubles badminton final also had an amazing finish. The second seeds Huang and Wang beat the top seeds Zheng and Huang in the deciding set after the top seeds saved 2 match points. Incredible skills from both pairs. Rallies almost too fast to follow with amazing shots parried in an eye blink. Just unreal.
I’m currently watching the triathlon mixed relay (two women plus two men, short distances for a triathlon, so much action) for the first time. Didn’t know that this competition existed, maybe it’s the first time in the Olympics, but it’s fascinating. Right now, after 3 exchanges, France and the US are leading, with the UK just a second behind, at the end of the final cycling section. Now, after a long race, running decides. Very exciting.
I was picturing a “bow and arrows at 50 paces” type of face off. The actual shoot-off was less exciting.
No.
It’s not her, or somebody in the crowd who determines “involved in the play”.
If, by their position, the goalkeeper or defender needs to look at them, or they are in the defenders peripheral vision. Or an attacker exploits a gap or defence positioning that is influenced because of the offside position, they are offside.
As Bill Shankly might say, if they are not trying to influence play, what are they doing out there?
That would be pretty neat.
Yes, it’s new these Olympics. They are adding mixed relays to swimming (4 x 100 medley) and athletics (4 x 400) as well. In both of these, the order of athletes is up to the teams. In the triathlon the gender order is fixed (FMFM).
If they’re in peripheral vision? “If they’re not trying to influence the play what’re they doing out there?” Are you implying every player is influencing every play? I see players ignored for passive offside on a weekly basis.
Here’s ussoccer explaining the rule. Offside: Not Involved in Active Play - YouTube
And the FA’s site: https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-11---offside
I’m stating my agreement with a legendary guy who really knew his onions about soccer. Patently those nearest the ball and/or goal have more influence. But every player moves and reacts to the position and movements of every other. Or maybe it just happened in every sport that I played.
Do you think every defender did not know precisely where she was?
Or that a defender thought, "I think she’s offside so I will just totally ignore her and do nothing to cover "
And every FIFA accredited referee would quote the rules cited: that being in an offside position is not an offence provided the player is not actively involved. You don’t need to have the ball at your feet to be actively involved. If you are in an offside position in the penalty box when the ball also is, well you might get away with it, but referees interpretations are that you are very probably going to get pinged.
The whole discussion about swimming disciplines got me thinking. What’s the fewest categories I could come up with that would include every summer Olympic sport?
So far I’ve got:
Move body over defined distance faster than other people
Hit thing over net
Put round thing in goal
Jump in air and turn body in unusual ways before landing
Beat somebody up
Throw thing as far as possible
Shoot at target
Propel vehicle over course in shortest time
Jump over high thing
Ride horse accurately
Two or more of the above
That’s probably not all of them, but it’s close.
The rules and officials spell out what counts as interfering with play and existing such that a defender is aware that you’re a player isn’t one of them. If you want to pretend it is in order to win an argument, have fun with that.
Half these shouldn’t count according to you: - YouTube
Hmm. Interesting. Off the top of my head: baseball and rhythmic gymnastics don’t really fit. The latter kinda fits in “jump in the air and twist” but also kinda not. Actually rings and horse for men’s gymnastics too. I get that when you’re trying to simplify as much as possible it’s not going to be a perfect mapping though.
I’m not sure what category you’d put baseball in that would encompass any sport other than softball. I’ve always thought that the concept of it was much more abstracted than the other big American sports.
Would have thought most of those were either blatant offsides missed by officials or goals scored which were never in an offside position. Leaving 2 or 3 which might have been called, but weren’t.