Anyone going to be watching these games? I don't even know if the American stations are covering them. I am going to have to look up and see where, when and if these games are going to be televised.

Do Americans even know what the Commonwealth is? Do they care?

Commonwealth Games 2002 - Manchester, UK

[quote]Originally posted by canmark:
Do Americans even know what the Commonwealth is? Do they care?

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Nope -- sorry -- but we left the British Empire .... errrr Commonwealth .... in 1776, and have never looked back

Rugby, which is one of the biggest sports in the Commonwealth Games, has produced the biggest major sports star anywhere to openly declare he is gay.



The big guy tells it like it is

A little something to care about.

Thanks for the link, I just wanted to know if the games will be televised, and they are, but on the BBC. I have BBC World, and BBC Canada, I just hope that someone covers these games. They are a lot of fun to watch...

From the same site Aussie swimmer [url="http://www.commonwealthgames.com/Sports/Aquatics/News/default.asp?id=137&folder=Aquatics"]Ian
Thorpe[/url] won the International Amateur Athletics Association's World's Most
Outstanding Athlete Award (formerly known as the Jesse Owens award.)

He was selected over Venus Williams and Lance Armstrong among others.

Thorpe's reaction

Contrary to his expression in this photo he was very gracious.

He will probably be one of several great Aussie swimmers at the Commonwealth games, including 1500 Olymipic 2002 gold medalist Grant Hackett.

[ August 02, 2002: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

The Sydney Herald asked Ian Thorpe if he thinks he's 'prettier' than David Beckham.

Thorpe: "I hope not

Thorpe

Hmm, maybe Thorpe has a hairier chest.

YUP! ,sure does!

[ July 22, 2002: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

[ August 02, 2002: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

Originally posted by sportinlife:

Rugby, which is one of the biggest sports in the Commonwealth Games, has produced the biggest major sports star anywhere to openly declare he is gay. "The big guy tells it like it is"

Yowwwwwzah! I'd been sound asleep to this sports story, but I can certainly tell you, you've got my fully alert attention now. And I find myself asking the question, why does the United States so often seem culturally backward on issues of social progress? There's this totally out-of-the-closet RUGBY player, for gosh sakes, playing at the professional level on a Commonwealth Nation team, and here we are still timidly debating whether American team sports are too "macho" to permit an openly gay player. I've got an idea: let's say we order a few thousand reprints of this interview and send them to every franchise in professional Baseball, Basketball, Football and Hockey, with the simple message, "See how easy this can be?"

Note to OUTSPORTS editors: Have you already featured this player in an article I've managed to miss?

Note to OUTSPORTS contributors: Are any cable TV channels in the United States scheduling broadcasts of the Commonwealth Games?

[ July 22, 2002: Message edited by: fielderschoice ]

Sorry if I gave the impression that Ian roberts is playing in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. As far as I know he has not competed professionally since the 1990's. I believe he did however come out will playing and was the highest paid player in the Austrlian Rugby League at one point. By all means the guy should be better known. A good start is this brief intro.

Actually, sportinlife, I wanted to thank you simply for pointing us toward the inspiring biography of this remarkable and genuine man, Ian Roberts. I myself should have done a little more research before writing about Roberts' rugby career in the present-tense; now that I've read a few articles about him I realize he came out as a gay professional athlete in 1995, while he was playing at the highest levels of Australian rugby (he could, perhaps, be compared with someone like Michael Jordan) and he continued to play until 2000, when after many years in this crushingly demanding game, his body had reached its sports "use by" date, as he himself phrased it. Two excellent websites chronicle his career; the first is flush with well-written articles and the second is graphics-glorious (much handsomeness, but no porn, thanks kindly.)

Articles About IAN ROBERTS
The IAN ROBERTS Picture Gallery

Well, I've veered far off the subject of the Commonwealth Games, though I thought it wouldn't hurt to throw a spotlight on this impressive athlete from Australia, whom I discovered just today. Back to our original topic, now!

[ July 22, 2002: Message edited by: fielderschoice ]

Thanks for the conveinient links fielderschoice. Selfish of me not to post it earlier since the photo above came from there. Didn't think anyone was particularly interested.

If you learn anything about televised broadcasts of the games anywhere other than BBC, which we don't get with our standard cable subscription, let me know.

Eye-candy at the games:

60m hurdler Colin Campbell

Colin

I think he needs to work on those pecs a little.

Ian Thorpes size 17s

Nigerian-born Daniel Igali wrestling for Canada is an interesting story

Igali

Engish diver Tony Ally seems to be having some difficulty with this...movement.

Tony Ally

But Canada's Alexander Despatie shows him how and takes first in the 1m springboard.

Despatie

[ August 02, 2002: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

Beckham sports a new 'doo to hand off the ceremonial baton to the Queen to start the gam

She seemed duly impressed. So am I.

[ August 02, 2002: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

Ian Thorpe wins his heat in the 400m freestyle.

Love the adam's apple

Big feet, deep throat - what more could you ask for?


Don't know zilch about ground hockey but would love to learn from the likes of Troy Elder. Laugh Kookaburra, laugh Kookaburra, gay your life must be. Be still my beating heart. (You can keep the mouthpiece in too - make it interesting.)

[ August 02, 2002: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

Are the CG still running? Glenn Hauser's World of Radio says:

>>
*BBCWS [World Service] failed to secure full commentary rights for Commonwealth Games, disappointing many; as African, Asian stations got full rights.
*R. Australia has extensive CG coverage on special frequency 11650, starting with opening ceremony 2000 UT [Universal Time, which used to be called Greenwich Mean Time] Thursday July 25 [not 2200!]
<<

http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1141.html

Interesting note: someone who lives in Manchester is a Mancunian.

Canadian Jonathon Power won the gold medal in squash. I'm sure that a few years ago I read that he was gay, but now can't find any proof. Am I imagining this? Does anyone know if the surly Power has come out as gay or not?

And would Kelly Guest stop blubbering? The Canadian triathelete was banned from the Commonwealth games for a positive drug test from a previous event in Canada. He
appealed the ruling, but it was denied. I feel bad for him, as it seems that he may be innocent... but be a man for goodnes sakes--stop crying!

Well Jonathan Powers throws the occassional hissy fit and wears golden slippers according to the article, but of course that doesn't mean much..does it?

After skategate maybe Guest came blame the postitve drug test on the russian mafia.

Edit note: After reading this story I can only sympathize with the guy. Assuming he's honest, and I will until it's proven otherwise, he faces a problem that must be every athletes nightmare: naturally occurring analogs to banned substances in sport.


On another note, Aussie Matt Welsh was disqualified from the 200m backstroke for fidgeting before the start.

Those hairy armpits must tickle

And the reason Thorpe didn't need to shave before competing:

Thorpe covered

[ August 02, 2002: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

Teenager Ian Thorpe has had a phenomenal Commonwealth Games. Only his teammate, and backstroke specialist, Matt Welsh prevented him from winning all seven of the events in which he competed.

He's shown grace and maturity beyond his years by giving due credit to his fellow Aussies and his competitors.

Congratulations to a young man who may be the greatest swimmer and naturally gifted athlete of our time.

sportin - Thorpie's accomplishment is even more amazing when you consider that he hadn't ever contested the event in international competition, not to mention that it took the WR holder to beat him

Thorpedo with his Loot