Things Noticeable this week

[Devius]

Well that will teach us to spend approx £10 billion on the next Olympics in London...

Sadly though, I also guess this will mean loads of books and TV shows about whether the Mayans were right.
Let's cut through the BS right now, thanks to ye olde Wiki:

Misinterpretation of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar is the basis for a New Age belief that a cataclysm will take place on December 21, 2012. December 20, 2012 is simply the last day of the 13th b'ak'tun, which began September 18, 1618 (1,728,000 days from the beginning of the calendar).

Sandra Noble, executive director of the Mesoamerican research organization FAMSI, notes that "for the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle". However, she considers the portrayal of December 2012 as a doomsday or cosmic-shift event to be "a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in.

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by windymiller

The downside of this decision, and it's a big downside, is that the ECB wont get anything like the money for the rights from terrestrial channels than they would get from the pay TV companies. (we assume SKY would be the highest bidder) Therefore there would be a dramatic cut in the funding for grassroots cricket in England and Wales. This will be hugely detrimental in terms of facilities and the quality of coaching for young players and we could see the England side return to the doldrums of world cricket. I hate Murdoch and everything he stands for, I think most of us do. But I have to admit that SKYs cricket coverage is excellent, much better than the snorefest that used to be served up by the BBC.

The ECB just cant afford to go along with this decision and I wont be surprised if we see this end up going through the courts.

I agree that the Sky coverage is really high quality. However, Channel 4 did a very good job, far better than the BBC, plus they didn't keep changing the time slot as the BBC were always doing. The one thing I really miss about the BBC is Richie Benaud's sane and very knowledgeable commentary, and he had retired anyway. After some initial crass gimmicks, Channel 5 settled down to providing very good no-nonsense coverage as well. I thought Michael Vaughan said it all yesterday when he pointed out that the 2005 Ashes series drew audiences typically around 7.7 million, enormous in today's multi-channel world; the 2009 Ashes series regularly drew 1.5-1.8 million. That's an awful lot of kids, the potential future of the game, who were watching something else or playing with their XBox instead. Millions of kids watching England in a fierce, closely matched contest against Australia, who will always be the team to beat, that is going to be of more lasting benefit to grassroots cricket than Murdoch's cash, spent on Lord knows what.

On this specific matter, the government are right and the EBC were wrong. But IMHO it is not the province of HM Government to manage the affairs of cricket. If they do, ultimately they will make a worse job even than the ECB. Who knows what else they will meddle with, screw up, then walk away from, leaving ordinary joes to salvage whatever they can from the mess? The British motor industry perhaps, or the steel industry...

[Greenman]

Right bunch of doom merchants you lot today, I know its Friday the 13th but come on cheer up the world isn't about to end you know-mind you an asteroid passed perilously close a few days ago to Earth 2012 is a load of bunkum but its nice to know that we do get to hold the Olympics before the world is destroyed-and I hear we did really well

Its simple, ban ITV from showing ANY sport at all and give football and cricket back to the BBC-they have the money now their top stars have taken a pay cut

[scoundrel]

Just saw David Collier, senior executive of the English Cricket Board being interviewed at Lords today, saying (his words): ''We believe that the money from Sky TV represents between 40 and 50% of our income.'' If I am interpreting him correctly, he means that he doesn't actually know. Either the ECB, a huge commercial operation, doesn't prepare management accounts and cannot retrieve the breakdown of its recent income streams, or Mr Collier hasn't asked for the information, or he is being deliberately obtuse. At a time when he is meant to be arguing the ECB's financial case, being vague about the figures doesn't make good political sense. See what I mean about the ECB not being fit to manage the business affairs of a hot dog stand?

[Oswald]

Originally Posted by windymiller

The downside of this decision, and it's a big downside, is that the ECB wont get anything like the money for the rights from terrestrial channels than they would get from the pay TV companies. (we assume SKY would be the highest bidder) Therefore there would be a dramatic cut in the funding for grassroots cricket in England and Wales. This will be hugely detrimental in terms of facilities and the quality of coaching for young players and we could see the England side return to the doldrums of world cricket. I hate Murdoch and everything he stands for, I think most of us do. But I have to admit that SKYs cricket coverage is excellent, much better than the snorefest that used to be served up by the BBC.

The ECB just cant afford to go along with this decision and I wont be surprised if we see this end up going through the courts.

Are the grassroots of the game actually receiving adequate financial benefits of the TV deal between the ECB and Sky?

If we truly believe that the next generation of English players are to come through this system, why have the ECB permitted so many overseas players to qualify for England? The current England side has many players who originally had aliegencies to other countries. By permitting this are the ECB temporarily filling in a gap in the upcoming talent pool, or are they just simply being cynical?

I read that the Chairman of Derbyshire was saying that if Sky were not allowed to continue with their TV deal after the current one expires, then he claims that many counties would fold. Perhaps not a bad thing?

[windymiller]

Originally Posted by jch48

Just discovered that Brian May and Roger Taylor are appearing on X-Factor this Sunday,at the invitation of Simon Cowell,and the remaining contestants will be performing Bohemian Rhapsody with them.Two things come to mind,first do these two have no shame,I am sure if Freddie Mercury had been about,this would'nt have occurred,noticeable that Roger Deacon hasn't been involved in their various post Freddie projects.Secondly,this will be car crash tv of the highest order.I don't watch this crap,however on this occasion I think I might be tempted,just to watch the full horror unfolding,as a bunch of no-talents attempt the impossible,especially looking forward to hearing the two Irish diddies murdering the tune.

Three hearty cheers for John Deacon for fefusing to piss on the reputation of one of Britains greatest bands. Shame on the other two.

[Mal Hombre]

I remember when all three of them solemnly swore they would never perform as Queen without Freddie Mercury,that lasted about a fortnight for two of them.

[Mal Hombre]

Just found out I have a theme tune It's on youtube if you want to hear it :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq0Ni_GEtJw

[Estreeter]

Driving around my hometown earlier this evening, I noticed the Christmas decorations up about a week earlier than usual, guess the store owners want too have a better Christmas after the world financial crisis hit this time last year.

[Oswald]

Originally Posted by Estreeter

Driving around my hometown earlier this evening, I noticed the Christmas decorations up about a week earlier than usual, guess the store owners want too have a better Christmas after the world financial crisis hit this time last year.

Strangely though in my town the Christmas decorations have yet to be put up - this time last year they were already up. I read in our local paper that the council (who are responsible for the decorations) have, in an attempt to save some money, decided to delay the date when the decorations are to go up. They have also decided to reduce the amount of decorations in a vain hope at cost cutting.