Rob's Blog

Cricket has joined some other sports to now have at Test level an umpire referral system. It was first trialed in 2008 (in a Test series between Sri Lanka and India). Unlike in tennis where the challenge and referral decision is clear cut using hawke-eye technology, the cricket referral is adjudicated by another umpire, and is open to further errors. The actual way it works may change and develop, but when it was first brought in this is how it worked.

Players are allowed to challenge decisions made by the on-field umpires, and have them referred to the TV official. For each innings of the Test, each team can challenge any decisions, though they will be limited to three unsuccessful challenges per innings. Only the batsman on the receiving end of the umpire’s original decision or the captain of the fielding side can appeal by making a “T” sign with both forearms at shoulder height. The third umpire uses the technology of the hot spot and slow motion replays at different angles to gain information and make decisions.

It all sounds great for the players and viewers at home, but the pressure is on the umpires. In reality, the process takes too long and can distract from the game. When there are challenges left near the end of an innings, players tend to make frivolous challenges on the off chance of getting a decision overturned. So there are still problems that need to be ironed out, but a great step forward for cricket.

Related Pages: About Cricket, Technology in Sports

One sport that has so far resisted the use of high-tech assistance is soccer (football). Replays could be used to adjudicate on off-side decisions, whether a ball passes over the goal line, and clarify penalty decisions, with an off-field referee communicating with the umpires on the field using wireless technology. What do you think?

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A new book by Robert Tuchman, who works in Sports promotion and management, is called, The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live: An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime. He has used live appeal as the main criteria for his selection. There is a US bias, which is not surprising considering that many Americans think that they are the centre of the sporting universe (which in true in some sports). I don’t doubt his top four, but am not sure that the UNC vs. Duke Basketball Game at Cameron Indoor Stadium deserves top 10 status. I have not seen such as game, so maybe I am not qualified to comment. I have ticked off two of the ten, quite a way to go. Check out the complete list of 100.

Here are the top 10 events you must see, according to Robert Tuchman. What you think?

1. The Golf Masters
2. FIFA World Cup
3. Super Bowl
4. Summer Olympics
5. Army vs. Navy Football Game
6. New York City Marathon
7. World Series Baseball
8. Winter Olympics
9. Red Sox vs. Yankees at Yankee Stadium
10. UNC vs. Duke Basketball Game at Cameron Indoor Stadium

In the past you had the option of just playing the beep test on your cd player or mp3 player. There is now a computer software program which enables you to run the test right on your PC or Laptop, with a visual display, and record results directly onto your computer in real time. The Beep Test application provides real-time on-screen display of stage numbers, distance covered and VO2max. There are many additional useful features for a team — player buttons provide one click recording of results and team/season fitness results charts — making the fitness test easy to organize and carry out.

But that is not all – as well as running the standard Beep Test, the software allows the user to design their own test using a few simple commands in a script file. This can be useful for creating intermittent recovery type fitness tests (such as the yo-yo test) or combining an activity with fitness testing or conditioning. With the simple commands of Start, Run, Rest and Repeat, all types of beep type tests can be replicated. For added flexibility the lap distance and running speeds can also be adjusted for different sports and has even been adapted for swimming.

For more info see this page abou the Team Beep Test Software.

The controversial high tech swimming suits have been in the sporting news since the Beijing Olympic Games, and have undoubtedly aided swimmers to achived 108 world records since the Speedo LZR Racer was introduced in February 2008. Athletes have always looked for any advantage they can get over their competition, usually within the rules. The current rules enable athletes to wear these suits, which basically make them more streamlined, reducing resistance in the water. Although it is within the rules to wear these suits, is it really any different to doping, which also artifically assisting the performance of athletes?

If not all athletes can afford to have a suit, those that can’t are disadvantaged. But so are those athletes that cannot afford to have their own coach or access to quality pool facilities or gym training equipmemt. By making maoney one of the prerequesties for success in swimming, it beomces an elite sport that is only available for the elite, and I am sure that world swimming body would not be happy with that. The suits are currently banned, at least in Australia, for all junior competition. FINA is currently meeting to decide that to do about it, and le’t’s hope that they ban it completely. When athletes compete against each other, we want to know who is the best swimmer, not who can afford to be.

UPDATE:

FINA decided on these regulations to be in place from the World Championships in 2009: (1) Suit no more than 1 mm thick (2) suits not to extend past the shoulders or ankles (3) no tailored suits (4) no more than one suit at a time

Related Pages: Science of Swimming

Nathan Deeks, an Australian Champion race walker, appeared in a full page color advertisement for the fast food restaurant McDonalds, saying that he eats ‘Maccas’ after his events, including at the Olympic Games. I know that he was probably only trying to earn a few sponsorship bucks in return from all the effort he puts into his training, but as a sporting role model it was such a disgusting thing to promote eating undoubtedly unhealthy food. I don’t mind that he had the occasional fast food snack, but it is not right for an athlete representing Australia to say it so publicly. It does not say much about the dietitians at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) if one of their athletes comes out of there with this attitude that this is OK to do. A few days later, a very similar looking ad was published (obviously on purpose), with an ex- Australian Olympian and NBA star Luc Longley, promoting healthy eating, saying that he never considered eating junk food before or after competing. The ad was a welcome response to the McDonalds one, which needed to be done, but I don’t think enough ho-ha was made of it. The government spends millions of dollars trying to address the problem of childhood obesity, including trying to get more people active and into sports, and also millions are spent on the AIS getting athletes including Nathan Deeks properly prepared for the Olympic Games. I don’t think he has done his long time supporter (AIS) any good and hopefully he got into trouble, all for a small financial reward.

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