Meddling with medaling at the Olympics

Having heard the commentators on NBC’s olympic coverage use phrases like “He’ll medal in theis event for sure!” I’d put the use of “medal” as a verb down to sports commentator enthusiasm which is a curious affliction rendering a persons speech potentially Yoda-like and almost certain to encourage Stephen Fry to spill his tea.  I brought the topic up with co-workers, and they agreed that it was certainly possible “to medal” in the modern world.

All this “medaling” was making me uneasy, and my unease became definite concern after The Now Show contained a skit based on this very topic!  A quick Google search revealed that although “medaling at the olympics” returned many hits most were media headlines using the phrase as a pun, so some more research was required.

Oxford English Dictionary (Concise, 2nd Edition) and the online Merriam-Webster dictionary both agree that “medal” is a noun, from the French ‘medaille’ and came in to use in the 16th century.

The online Merriam-Webster dictionary does state that “medal” could also be an intransitive verb meaning “to win a medal” but sites that the word only came into use in this context in 1979.  Some further research turned up this Boston Globe article, with the following quote:

When I wrote about to medal a decade ago, the online Oxford English Dictionary didn’t list the intransitive verb — though it did have the transitive verb, which meant “bestow a medal upon,” with a quote from Lord Byron in 1822.

The June 2008 revision of the entry, though, dates our intransitive to medal to a 1966 edition of the Valley News in Van Nuys, Calif: “Divers from the Rita Curtis … Club gold-medaled in all of the events but three.” The Washington Post adopted it in 1979: “Our women are coming along beautifully — they’ve medalled well recently.”

Boston Globe – “Medaling: Just do it!” – August 12, 2008

So it looks like the votes are in, and although we shouldn’t really be meddling in language purely to make it easier for sports commentators and journalists to save a few words, it does appear that it is okay to medal at the Olympics.  I’m not keen on it, and will still instinctively cringe at each commentator’s usage, but can safely report that we won’t hear anyone say “Did Tweddle medal in gymnastics?” because the women’s gymnastics event was won last night by China, ahead of the USA, and Japan.

Yobs and Football

I’m not much of a football fan, as you’ve probably guessed from the countless rugby posts on here, but I still can appreciate the beautiful game.

One thing I don’t understand is the continued acceptance of yob culture at and after these events. I’ve just read the article titled “CCTV shows fans chasing police” on the BBC website, and I am absolutely shocked. Time and again we here supporters groups stating that “a small number of hooligans create a bad impression of the game” but just watch the CCTV footage. This isn’t a small number of violent hooligans, this is a violent mob hunting as a pack and dragging down an beating police officers. Look at the faces of these yobs, they’re just normal people working normal jobs usually, but here they show how they have no regard whatsoever for public decency, or respect for law and order and those who bravely try to uphold it.

Watch the mob again, see how they move as a pack, all to fearful as individuals to take responsibility for their actions. A mass of posturing egos throwing bottles as long as they’ve got a pack around them.

Now watch the police officers, when they are heavily outnumbered you can still see them turn from their retreat and go back to rescue a lone officer who has been dragged down and is being assaulted.

Which of these two groups deserves respect? Not a tough question, the small group of men in uniform who charge back into a violent mob regardless of their personal safety to rescue an injured colleague.

Lets please see the footage shown widely, and as many of those in the mob charged with assault and affray, and actually given sentences that have to be served, rather than more watered down ASBO and suspended sentences. It isn’t about a small group looking for trouble, it is about the risk that a large proportion of a generation have lost all respect for law and order and need to be reminded that every one of their actions, even their first offence, is a crime.

Such a shame that once again the global image of Great Britain is of an unruly mob of hooligans and violent thugs. Being a football fan used to be about supporting your team, but respecting the other teams, and thanking the clubs, and police, who made the events safe to attend. We should work to get back to that.

Update

More footage here The UEFA Cup Final Day in Video (again from BBC News).

Before anybody says I’m being one sided, I’ve seen the fans footage of the police charging the crowd, and agree that during the one charge captured on the “viewer’s video” the front line of officers did knock a man to the ground as they passed through.  Ignore the selective editing, and watch how the rest of the mob moves aside, including the man on crutches.  They’ve been warned by the police to clear the street and move on.  The man knocked down has ignored this warning and remained in a confrontational stance directly in front of a group of officers who have made clear their intentions to clear the street of rioters.  Since the two men make no attempt to move aside their actions are threatening and the officers have to meet that threat.

Come on England!

World Cup Final 2007

Rugby, beautiful game, we’re almost writing history, no time for worries, just get out there, 80 minutes and you’ll be heroes. COME ON ENGLAND!

Watching rugby with my brother.

Rog and Lottie had been in America for less than twenty-four hours so we decided to start the trip with a memorable day of rugby. Back to O’Connells we went to watch the following three;

1. Scotland v. Italy
2. England v. Ireland
3. Wales v. France

To cut a long story short it was a good day for the bar owner, and a bad day for the rugby results. Italy beat Scotland, Ireland thrashed England, and Wales lost to France. Ah well, we managed to have fun. A picture tells a thousand words and you can see just how much fun we had in the following pictures:

Rog’s Rugby Visit on Flickr

Rugby! by Payal on Flickr

Six Nations, one sport!

England vs Italy

Second round of the Six Nations tournament, and I’d not even realised I’d missed the first round. Ah well, when the Super Bowl takes over the television for an entire week or more, and the commercials get so much media coverage the following week what do you expect. Due to the timezones the afternoon matches take place in the early morning, and where available are a strictly pay-per-view affair. So when Laura found this article: Six Nations, Buts How Many Pubs? well we just had to go and check it out.

Daniel O’Connells is not the kind of metro bar/restaurant that you’d expect to find this close to D.C. The setting is not a sports bar, nor is it a frothy wine bar, just an honest and surprisingly large bar with enough nooks, fireplaces and stout wooden furniture to convince you of some ‘olde worlde’ pub heritage. The food again is not stunning haute-pub-cuisine in the wine-bar style of modern “classy pubs”, nor is it “chain pub” microwave fare either. However, having eaten there on a few occaisions now I will say the food is honest pub grub. If you’ve followed the link above and read the Washington Posts’ blog review I’d say they were a bit harsh, and would go as far as to say I wonder when they last ate in anywhere like Witherspoon’s Golden Bee or any of the chain owned “family pubs” that litter the English market towns. O’Connells may not have the garlic fries of Gordon Biersch but they are not a greasy, chav filled carvery either!
So we watched the game with a good Irish Breakfast, and a couple of pints of Guinness, with about thirty friendly and like minded souls mostly wearing England rugby shirts. England won, even if it wasn’t the best game they’ve played in a while. If time had allowed we’d have stayed on for the Scotland-Wales game afterwards but unfortunately reality struck and we had to get on with the day. Had a stunning time though, and it was lovely to be able to see some rugby again, I’ll definitely be heading back in the future. Only problem was the $20 cover charge which they need to cover the pay-per-view license but what price for cheap beer and a good game of rugby!!!