Key Quotes

"Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist."
(Kenneth Boulding)




"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. "

(Raymond Chandler)





"Live simply so that others can simply live." (unknown)





"I cannot live without books" (Thomas Jefferson)





"Sport is war without the shooting" (George Orwell)





"New York is a great city to live in if you can afford to get out of it" (William Rossa Cole)





The secret of a happy ending is knowing when to roll the credits (Patterson Hood)































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Friday 17 August 2012

London Olympics (part 3) Hottest ticket in town

If you were to ask most of the British public what their personal highlight of the London Olympics were, you'd get a multitude of answers. I sense the names Ennis, Wiggins, Farah, and Hoy would feature regularly. Of course the bulk of the British sports loving members of the public are not nuts about basketball.

In the second week of the Olympics the basketball tournaments moved from the Basketball Arena to what became the North Greenwich Arena. For three days I made journeys down to North Greenwich to watch some of the world's finest players.

Friday saw us witness the Spanish team produce a great second half comeback against Russia. On Saturday night, with a 9pm tip off, we saw the womens gold medal game between USA v France. Now when the tickets first went on sale this was my biggest catch. I must admit that the idea of seeing a gold medal presented, the flags rising, the anthem played, it all was part of the experience I had hoped for. France kept it close for 15 minutes but there was little doubt that the USA women would gradually wear them down, and they did.





Now just before the Games started I was told that more tickets were being released. I went online in desperation rather than hope. In a flash it appeared on screen, there was a ticket for the mens basketball funal. The only issue was the price, the ticket was near courtside, the most expensive ticket in the house. A quick conversation at home, ended with the statement "it's a once in a lifetime opportunity", and so I bought it. Needless to say it was the most expensive ticket that I've ever purchased.

On Sunday morning I'd arranged to meet some friends in the bar where the night before we had cheered Mo Farah to success in the 5000 metres. After a couple of beers chatting over the basketball tournament, it was a case of taking my seat. With my camera in hand I watched Knicks Carmelo Anthony & Tyson Chandler warm up, somewhat closer than when I watched them at Madison Square Garden in February.




Here was my chance to watch LeBron James and Kobe Bryant two genuine NBA all stars who I'd never watched live before. The game itself lived up to expectation, Spain kept it close and indeed went ahead in Pau Gasol they had one of the games outstanding performers. His brother Marc acquired fouls too quickly and his absence on court cost Spain dearly. Just as Spain got close in the 4th quarter Le Bron stepped up, my enduring memory will be of him driving to the basket and dunking the ball.



 At the end the USA won 107-100, the Spanish players knew that they had got "that close" but it was the star spangled banner that played.







A week later with the memory of the game still vivid, I'm just so pleased I bought that ticket.







Tuesday 14 August 2012

London Olympics Part 2

The London Olympics covering so many different sports allowed me to engulf myself in one of my fascinations - sports photography.  I'm fascinated at how sports photographers capture the moment. Writing a couple of days after the Olympics finished, I've started to wade my way through the last two weeks newspapers to cut out and keep a scrap book of sports photos that will hopefully act as an additional memory and souvenir of the London Olympics.

Of course there are many who see the written  paper media as a declining form, and since this is a blog, I've decided to devote an entry to photos from 2012 of one particularly discipline - track cycling.

I've chosen track cycling because the photography seemed to capture speed,skill, danger and colour. The uniforms and speed seemed to present an almost surreal image. Perhaps because this was a discipline where Team GB excelled it caught my attention more, but the photographers work on occasions seemed to move into the realm of art.



These two photos are of Jason Kenny who won gold in the mens sprint.



The above photos are of Chris Hoy who at London 2012 became Britain's greatest olympian overtaking the haul of gold medals won by rower Steve Redgrave.


The photo below is of Laura Trott who won two gold mdals at the London games, here she's seen in action in the womens' sprint.


 This photo is of the team pursuit and probably ranks as my favourite photo of the Olympics

 I include some photos of Victoria Pendleton whose performances captured the elation and heartbreak of the Olympics

Finally a photo of the womens team pursuit which seems to sum up effort, concentration and commitment.



Monday 6 August 2012

London Olympics - Week 1

During the build up to the London Olympics it was easy to be cynical, there was plenty to be cynical and indeed angry about. The failure of a private sector firm to employ and training enough staff, leaving a public sector organisation ( the British Army) to pick up the pieces. The corporatisation of the games,not only the role of sponsors but the choice of them. Fast Food Chains, Chemical and Oil companies etc. Finally the establishment of VIP lanes on London roads, fast tracking officials wnen ordinary commuters were threatened with impossible journeys.

However once the games began the focus turned to sport as it should. In week one we were fortunate to have several tickets for the basketball arena. On the first Sunday morning following instructions we aimed to be at Stratford at 7am that's two hours ahead of the first game. The threatened long delays to get through security were non existant, as the army ensured that the process was smooth and efficient.

It was our first sight of the Olympic Park and the various sites. We made our way to the basketball arena to see Tunisia v Nigeria, not necessarily the most enticing fixtures to drag neutrals out of bed on a Sunday morning and indeed there were many gaps in the stands. Of those present many had little or no knowledge of the sport, and I acted as an informal advisor. By the second game Brazil v Australia, more spectators were arriving, the game was of a higher standard.


After the session end we made our way through the park knowing we'd be back later in the week. The opening days saw few medals for Britain ( I'm not happy with the marketing term Term GB), however rowing and cycling are two sports where we began to achieve. Now being a poor swimmer, rowing offers little attraction to me, but cycling has without doubt been absolutely compelling. As I found myself shouting at the TV screen as British cyclists won gold medals, none more so than Victoria Pendleton.



On Wednesday evening I returned to the basketball arena to see womens basketball. My seat which I'd bought late  turned out to be courtside and I was able to see two fine games Croatia v Czech republic and then USA v Turkey. However with the final game tipping off at 10.15pm, it was no surprise that the arena emptied well before the end. Nevertheless it did give me the opportunity to see the stadium lit.




Thursday afternoon and we saw two more games , this time the highlight was seeing Manu Ginobili ply his trade for Argentina. The opportunity to see a three time NBA champion was a highlight, then a close fought game between Russia and Brazil.

Friday saw the first athletics session at the Olympic Stadium. This would see the Park at its fullest as 80,000 spectators made their way to the stadium for a chance to see Jessica Ennis start her campaign to win a gold medal in the hepthalon. No one should underestimate the pressure that Ennis has been under. London 2012 demanded a poster girl to sell the games, and she has fulfilled the role. The crowd in the stadium could not have been more supportive of all the athletes. Cheering British performers while encouraging others. It has something about our culture that often the warmest applause was reserved for those athletes clearly out of their depth, yet determined to compete and give their best.


Athletics as a spectator sport is not like team sports, the passion is in the performance. The crowd is a better gender balance and definately family orientated. For all that I 'm delighted to say I was in the olmpic stadium, and I saw Jessica Ennis complete two disciplines on the way to her gold medal.


Saturday night was one of the most successful nights in British sporting history. Three gold medals in little over a hour. Jessica Ennis was followed by Greg Ritherford in the Long Jump and Mo Farah in the 10,000 metres.  Collectively the success of these athletes together with others over the first week lifted the spirit across the country, at a time when celebrity culture is everywhere, these men and women proved that Britain does indeed have talent.



Their success also said much about modern Britain. The country shared the success not only of Jessica Ennis, a mixed race woman from Sheffield but also Mo Farah, a young man who came to London as a boy, a refugee from Somalia,a muslim, who went to school  here, and supported the Arsenal. When Farah told a reporter, this is my country , I grew up here, and I'm proud to wear the vest of Great Britain. He spoke words that sum up modern British society. Nationality is about identification, not necessarily where you were born.