commonwealth games.

[aprilanne]

hi i was just sitting here thinking that these commonwealth games are not much more than the home nation,s competing against each other and are giving the athletes the impression they are world class .i mean no america in athletics .no america /russia in gymnastics .sorry but i think its not been great .and i am scottish .and we should not be having a rebel song masking as a national anthem .great song at new year but not on when english competetor standing beside them .

HappyAgain they are playing Jerusalem for English gold-winners.

Someone said something about GB playing as E, S, W in football and rugby. I know next to nothing about rugby, and even less about football, but I know that the 6 Nations grew out of the 5 Nations when Italy was added, so assume that the tournament originated as a purely British Home Nations competition. Which would explain the regional teams. But surely S and W have never been part of the Commonwealth? The Commonwealth Nations are ex-British Empire. S and W were never part of the Empire, but part of the Kingdom. As I said, Scots and Welsh carry British passports. They don't refuse to compete under the Union Jack at the Olympics or the European Championships. Why should the CWG be any different?

I've enjoyed them, especially the swimming, gymnastics and boxing. I don't like track athletics anyway so I'm skipping those bits. Funny enough at the Olympics in general I think track and field dominates the TV coverage so to me it seems interminable whereas with these Commonwealth games, I feel like there's a better mix.

I've enjoyed them, especially the swimming, gymnastics and boxing. I don't like track athletics anyway so I'm skipping those bits. Funny enough at the Olympics in general I think track and field dominates the TV coverage so to me it seems interminable whereas with these Commonwealth games, I feel like there's a better mix.

You can see how much it all means to hand athletes taking part so it's sad that some people seem to delight in criticising the games. And shy all the comparisons to the Olympics "not a patch on the Olympics", "hard act to follow" etc..... It's the Commonwealth Games, the clue is in the name , it's not the Olympics..and it doesn't have an Olympic budget! I don't remember this level of criticism about Commonwealth Games before....makes you wonder if it's because it's in Glasgow? And as for saying what has Kylie got to go with Scotland, if you knew anything about the CG you should know the next games are in Australia, and there will be a handover at Hampden at the closing ceremony! You know just like the handover to Brazil at the Olympics!

I don't remember this level of criticism about Commonwealth Games before....makes you wonder if it's because it's in Glasgow?

To be fair, apart from the ones in Manchester in 2002 (which I don't remember anything about, just that my friend had tickets for an event), I don't think I could tell you where any previous commonwealth games have even been held, let alone criticise them!

YABVU the games have been fantastic , Glasgow is buzzing with crowds coming out to cheer on all the competitors, no its not the Olympics it doesn't have any where near the same budget but its wonderful in its own right and this is from someone who wasn't sure how it would go ! believe me its brilliant !

They've been great and here in Scotland the papers are full of them and we're enjoying watching them. I don't understand the argument that they are pointless as a competition just because they aren't the olympics. Sport is full of competitions that aren't the olympics, this is one of them.
When the rugby 6 (or 7 not a rugby fan) nations is on people don't get huffy and say "it's pointless because new Zealand aren't in it and it isn't the rugby world cup". They accept it for what it is, same with European championships.
No, it's not the Olympics, it's a different competition.

Happyagain - PS I haven't forgotten you, Northern Ireland (LA), but this thread is about the Commonwealth Games

What does LA stand for? And as far as I'm aware Northern Ireland are competing in the games?

I was confused by HappyAgains post as well. I thought maybe I'd read it wrong.

LA is Londonderry Air, it's usually sung as Danny Boy

I think part of the problem with comparisons is that it is only two years since London 2012, which loads of people watched. They might have been expecting a re-run, which this was never going to be. It doesn't make them less, just different IYSWIM.

SixImpossible I don't know much about the early days of the Commonwealth Games (or when they stopped being the British Empire Games) but I'm guessing a British team would have had vastly better resources than a lot of the former colonies, maybe splitting the teams out gave more opportunity to more countries? Actually, I should probably go and read this up. I read a book about the 1948 "austerity" Olympics a while back and it was fascinating, especially how truly "amateur" some sports were then. People taking a couple of weeks off from working at the Gas board type amateur, and their mums sewing their kit.

Ah thanks wiggles, I knew it was Danny Boy that was played(or will be played if we can win a gold :)), but had forgotten the proper name for it :)

I was also confused, since Northern Ireland are in the CG?

Personally I am enjoying them way more than than the Olympics!

And I loved the teacakes. Wish you could actually buy them that size...

ok i accept the bit about kylie fair enough .the best athlete i have seen is david weir .now that was a world class performance

StrugglingForNNickname - I think we will sneak at least one in the boxing

I'm sorry if you're only interested if it's the best of the best competing.
I like the fact that there's scope for up and coming athletes to get out there with 'some' of the best athletes in the world. If it was always team GB world class events then the new youngsters would never get a chance to show what they were made of.
And isn't it nice to see events where England and Scotland are actually good at what they do.
I'm still on a high from hearing the roar in Hampden Park as we cheered on not just England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but all the athletes that were busting their guts to do the best of their ability.

lets hope so wiggles :)

Exactly bumply

I'm loving it too - it's been fab.

Laughing at the suggestion of Scots wa hae as the national anthem because Flower of Scotland is too bloodthirsty and anti-English - have you ever read the words of Scots wa hae?!

Prefer Scotland the Brave or Island Cathedral.
It's called Highland Cathedral and it doesn't have any words.

Also don't get the suggestions of Land of Hope and Glory as the English anthem. It's about Britain, not England! Jerusalem is at least actually about England the tune's ok, though the words are dreadful. I can't understand why the English don't write a proper anthem.

Criticism?
You should look up the commonwealth games in Dehli

I think coming up with an anthem must be pretty tricky iismum. And the words/history of lots of them have "issues" -I cringed during one of the World Cup programmes that talked about Germany's anthem as "Deutschland Uber Alles" (yes, same tune, but officially I think that verse is not meant to be included).

Now I'm having a flashback to that Billy Connolly routine about national anthems

My only criticism would be that it includes boxing. Trying to knock your opponent unconscious should be banned as thuggery not encouraged as a "sport".

YABU - they have been great.
They are what they are - a massive sporting competition between all the countries in the Commonwealth.

That absolutely means that there aren't as many countries taking part, but it doesn't mean that the standards are any lower in many of the events.

No-one knows sings the word anyway. Scotland the Brave goes Lala lalalalala lala lalalalala....
Island Cathedral/Highland Cathedral = iPad knows better autocorrect issue.
Petty points scoring over songs, pretty infantile really IMO obviously.