Maximus Decimus
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Posts posted by Maximus Decimus
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Good to see the Furys being as classy as ever...
The build up had been pretty low-key so far, but it's definitely came with a bang today.
Frustratingly, my first ever half-marathon is at 9am on Sunday and I've trained too long to blow it by staying up late for this fight!
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47 minutes ago, gingerjon said:
In a normal year, Sam Ryder (based on his popularity across Europe at the time and since), wins by a country mile.
Yeh, I think most British people take that as a win even if it wasn't technically.
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I'm pretty sure there isn't a thread on this anywhere...
Recently, I've been thrown into the world of Basketball having known very little about it. Obviously, I played at school, and know Michael Jordan etc but I've only ever seen it in a negative context in relation to say RL and the talk of how we don't want 'Basketball scores' where it is too easy to get points.Â
However, I moved jobs and ended up at a Basketball hub of a town I didn't know existed and completely unrelated my 7 old daughter came home from school desperate to play. She's joined a team and become obsessed with it.
As part of this, we went to see the local BBL team Cheshire Phoenix. Somewhat surprisingly, I did enjoy it and didn't find the points-scoring a huge issue. It was helped by the fact that both games were tight with big comebacks. I doubt I'd ever become a diehard but it's certainly worth a watch.
The BBL is only small-time and is currently in the playoffs (8 out of 10 teams make it). I was at the Phoenix semi-final on Friday and they didn’t nearly fill a leisure centre hall. They've basically sacrificed domestic competitiveness to allow the London team to compete in mid-tier Europe. Time will tell how good a strategy this proves to be.
I'm liking the kids Basketball, it helps that it's not outside and never called off! It is a bit like junior rugby though where one much better player can lead to very skewed scores.
I've never seen the NBA and as it's on TNT I won't get to, although it is currently in the later stages of the playoffs.
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There's an interesting article about what the UK needs to do to win Eurovision. It goes through this year's entry and analyses where it fell short.
It hits the nail on the head with the last point - maybe it's just luck. Whilst some countries consistently do well, I think it's nearly impossible to predict what will win.
It mentions for instance whether we played it too safe and uses Ireland this year, and Finland last year as examples. However, we've tried the whole out-there thing and failed miserably too, as did a couple of countries last night - Estonia and Finland come to mind.
I just think it's right place at the right time.
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1 hour ago, EggFace said:
It's a shame as it was a good tune.
Prior to the semi, I'd heard it was one to watch but was a little disappointed by it. That said, I think it would have been a very popular song.
I'm sure the full details will emerge, and know for sure whether it was an overreaction or not.
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1 hour ago, EggFace said:
This should of got to the finals.
Â
We liked this in my house, but sadly it was just too old-fashioned for Eurovision I think.
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Lomachenko back to his best again last night, stopping Kambosos in the 11th. Things started quite well for the Aussie with him going to the body, but Loma soon figured him out.
Superb interview by Kambosos afterwards, no excuses and very complimentary about his opponent. I do think boxing needs to get away from losses being the be all and end all.
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5 hours ago, gingerjon said:
Perhaps they just didn't think it was the best song?
Cos, it really wasn't to my ear. It would have been outside my top ten as a fairly generic piece of well put together middle tier Eurovisioning. But, similar to Ukraine a few years ago, there were an awful lot of people who wanted to make a point, and fair play to them for doing so, by voting for it. Difference being, Ukraine's entry was at least distinct.
Okay with the winner. Not my favourite but also not one where you'll look back and wonder how that could have happened.
Of course Israel's public vote was affected by political events. I suspect there was a mixture of pro-Israeli support but also people who didn't like how she'd been treated. My wife is pretty apolitical and hasn't a clue about Gaza, and she certainly felt sorry for her.
IMO it's very likely the juries were affected in the opposite way. There was a great deal of hostility towards Israel's entry. There was a woman in the rehearsal who refused to read out Israel 12 points, Loreen said she wouldn't hand the trophy to Israel and numerous acts (Greece, Ireland, Netherlands) had been openly hostile. I can't remember a time when the 2nd favourite got so few of the juries votes.
It was honestly my favourite, but that doesn't mean much when it comes to Eurovision and I don't think it would ever have won.Â
Switzerland was a very popular winner in my house, my 7 year old daughter was absolutely made up.
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4 minutes ago, Futtocks said:
The UK sneaked onto the left hand column of the jury votes, then got sweet FA in the public vote (the only contestant to do so).
The UK gave Israel the maximum 12 points in the public vote because, as the majority of the gutter press will tell you, we're living in a viciously brown anti-Semitic caliphate.
Maybe it was just the best song? Personally, I think it demonstrated how the juries were very reluctant to give Israel any points for political reasons.
Very pleased with the song that won though. Thought Croatia's was a bit too obvious and very pleased Ireland's didn't really challenge.
As I said earlier, the UK's chance of winning bombed after the first showing on the semi-final. For all the talk of an amazing set-up by the commentators, it really turned people off. And when Israel got over 300 votes in the public jury, we can hardly use the 'Europe hates us' line as an excuse.
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10 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:
For me there just hasn't been one that has particularly stood out yet. A lot of them seem to just be blending together. It seems more about the staging and show around the song than the song itself these days.Â
The staging is amazing nowadays.
I'd recommend watching the semis, makes it more enjoyable IMO being familiar with the songs.
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2 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:
Well ours was utter ######.Â
I'm an old fuddy but it was too much IMO. And I'd say the same if it was heterosexual people simulating it.
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1 hour ago, Futtocks said:
Bambie Thug said in a post to Instagram that they have raised "multiple complaints" to Eurovision organisers over "instances" they have experienced this week.
Bambie claimed that the Eurovision Broadcasting Union (EBU) earlier confirmed to their delegation that Israeli broadcaster Kan had "broken the rules of conduct during the Eurovision semi-final 1".This might match with rumours from Friday of a group claiming to be from the Israeli media trying to provoke people backstage during the rehearsals.
I wouldn't trust a word they say.
If you've real what the Israeli media actually said, it was barely anything.
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4 hours ago, gingerjon said:
I have read that 'assault' in this context could been anything from full on sexual violence to shouting.
Yes 'allegation of intimidation' is what is being used.
However, if police are investigating it then you'd have to think it is more than shouting.
After all, it's not Scotland...
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46 minutes ago, gingerjon said:
I’ve only seen the BBC news flash which didn’t say anything.
Apparently, it's related to an assault on a female production crew member after the semi-final.
Can't believe owt on social media
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19 minutes ago, gingerjon said:
He has now been disqualified.
Well my post aged well.
Have they given reasons? If it seen as being Israel's fault, there is going to be carnage.
The irony is that they probably have the best actual song.
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4 minutes ago, gingerjon said:
Yes, I jumped the gun based on a normally reliable account who has since amended their posts.
He is not allowed to perform pending an ongoing investigation. There is no guarantee, or, indeed, indication, that this investigation will be concluded by this evening.
I have seen about three different versions of what the investigation relates to and am therefore not drawing any conclusions on whether it relates in any way to Israel or not.
I may have to watch though - I wasn't going to - just to see the torrent of abuse that the organisers appear to be setting up to be hit with. Far worse than the crowd banter during their ROBBING BLIND OF FINLAND last year.
It's a sad situation and I feel for the EBU they are in an almost impossible situation.
I wouldn't worry about the robbing of Finland, this year's favourites have basically just copied their formula.
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14 hours ago, gingerjon said:
Netherlands disqualified.
Pretty sure he hasn't been disqualified yet? He wasn't allowed to perform in last night's Jury vote.
From what I can piece together, he made an off comment at a press conference and was planning on doing some form of a protest. Whether related to this or not, a member of the Israeli delegation has insulted his dead parents and he has hit them.
Very ugly scenes all round.
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7 hours ago, Futtocks said:
I watched the RL instead, so I'll have a few surprises come Saturday night.
I used to religiously leave it till the Saturday. However, I found it more enjoyable last year knowing the songs quite well.
Sadly, last night had the Eurovision semi and the Piers Morgan interview at the same time, that the rugby was well relegated in my house...
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Much better semi-final tonight. Restored my faith in the Eurovision
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Standouts were Switzerland, Israel and Austria.
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8 hours ago, John Drake said:
Very enjoyable first semi-final last night, I thought. I don't actively dislike any of the songs, but the ones that stood out for me...
Ireland: Blimey! The song is very shouty and disjointed, but the performance was everything. Like a musical nightmare. Disturbing, but brilliant. Fair play to them doing something different. It's in another universe to Johnny Logan or Jedward. I'm glad it qualified. I wouldn't choose to listen to this kind of music, but I want to see this again.Â
Croatia: I loved this one. Easy to see why it is one of the big favourites to win. Lively, colourful performance and a chant-along chorus that gets the audience involved. Cha Cha Cha, er, sorry, I mean Rim Tim Tagi Dim!
Finland: If the UK had done something like this at Eurovision, I'm sure I would have hated it, but this was pure fun. The Austin Powers style camerawork was genius. The chap doing the bulk of the singing while Windows95Man prats about in the background has a decent voice too.
Lithuania and Ukraine were the other stand-outs for me.
Nice to see the 'big five' and the host country getting to perform during the semi-finals, even though they don't have to qualify.
The United Kingdom performance by Olly Alexander won't be everyone's cup of tea, but after years (and years, geddit?) of moaning that we don't send established stars or make much of an effort with staging, both those criticisms can be binned off this year. I don't think it can win, there are better songs in the contest and the performance will no doubt alienate as many as it enthuses, but if this doesn't do better than James 'Double-0' Newman or Jemini on Saturday, there ain't no justice.
I'd heard good things about the UK staging etc, but sadly the odds seem to have collapsed since last night and it's now out to 100-1. Apparently Olly said his microphone pack fell off, so hopefully that explains the pitchy vocals.
Compared to last year, I was disappointed by the songs in general. As I'm married to an Irishwoman, I'd already heard it and didn't love their song, but I hated it after the performance. I have a sneaky feeling however that it will win. The eruption after it ended was telling. I'll be disappointed if it does, unlike many other acts over the years that were controversial for their time (Dana, Lorde, Conchita) their songs were genuinely good along with it.
To sound like a prude as well, I felt like it went a bit too far last night. My children watched the first hour last night, and there were moments I nearly switched off. It's always been a bit suggestive without being too overtly sexual but it didn't seem that way at times last night. One minute I was defending the use of scantily-clad men, the next they were basically gyrating. Then a woman comes out wearing basically nothing.
And then there was Windows-95 man...
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1 minute ago, Gerrumonside ref said:
Some comeback this.
Inoue knocks him clean out.
Fair play to Nery, he didn't shy amd kept throwing bombs.
Sometimes getting knocked down can help a boxer's image. I'm more impressed seeing how he was in trouble and then totally dismantled the guy.
Some of his shots are sickening. Nery will have whiplash from a few of those straight rights.
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Now Nery's down!
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Monster Inoue live on a Monday afternoon against Nery.
Down in round one, manages to get through but struggling.
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18 minutes ago, DavidM said:
None of those Forest pens were clearcut , and i say that as an impartial observer . Â
As an Evertonian, I thought at least one of them was going to be given. However, do I think any of them were so bad they deserved a free shot at goal with an 80% chance of scoring? No, but that's a gripe for another day.
The Forest tweet was very unprofessional though, to the point I presumed it was fake at first. Don't get me wrong, many moons ago I remember arguing on here about non-neutral referees and how I think they're a nonsense, but to actively suggest they made decisions to benefit Luton is completely out of order.
It is funny seeing the mental gymnastics required to justify why the PL wanted to rig a game in favour of a team they've taken 8 points off this year.
Â
Boxing
in Any Other Business / Any Other Sports
Posted
It was after 12:30 when AJ knocked out Ngannou and that was a 2 round fight. Easy after 1am before I got to bed. I only got that fight because the main even was due at 11pm.
Of course it's not one of the Vegas fights but I'm at up at 6 and not doing a half-marathon off a few hours sleep