2-1! A fantastic result, only matched by the great coverage and superb commentary.And whoever hired old Russell Coutts to commentate for TVNZ on the America's Cup has earned their salary. It's a masterstroke. There's no one who knows more about everything there is to know, no one who's won the cup as many times as Russell and who knows these teams as he does. It's as good as it was having John Hart and Grant Fox commenting on the last Rugby World Cup -- you just know that whatever they say you can take to the bank.
I suspect that those bitching about Coutts and the decision to give Coutts the commentary chair are the same blackhearted harridans bitching a few days backs about Fay and Richwhite. Envy -- hatred of success for being success -- really is an ugly emotion, isn't it.
UPDATE: Radio Sport have just suggested that Coutts has other commitments, and last night was his last commentary for TVNZ in this cup. James Spithill is said to be his replacement.
Speculation too, including from Coutts himself, that Coutts will be some place in the next America's Cup. Where would you like that place to be?
6 comments:
Gutted that I missed this race. Sounded fantastically exciting compared to some of the preceding races I've watched, which even given a sailing-instructor girlfriend explaining the intricacies of match-racing, have been somewhat lacklustre for a sailing ingénue such as myself.
As far the Russell Coutts thing, I'm fairly certain that the dipshit 'Blackheart' types have no idea how their petty whining plays overseas. The world sees the upper echelons of match-racing now dominated by Kiwis - how churlish is it to complain that they are not all racing for a national syndicate?
DenMT
Good on you, Den.
Straw Poll. Was I the only person wo found themselves yelling
"Shut the Fuck Up Peter* and Let Russell Speak!!!"
* That's Peter Yachtcommentary not Peter Cresswell.
What a race! Marvellous! Why the f! didn't we apply a closer cover going up the second beat?! Why didn't Baird apply a closer cover on the run to the finish. I am so glad I didn't go home to bed when we rounded the top mark - instead I got home at 3am and have just had breakfast (10:45am here).
You guys are so lucky to have Coutts commentate (or Spithill if he's next) - here is Aus (down at the CYC of A, of course darlings) we have Peter Lester and some Pom from last time. The former's calls are cliche and some of the latter's calls are shockingly wrong (though not as bad as Peter Montgomery's!).
I hear Larry Ellison is chasing Coutts to skipper Oracle - ironic given that's Ellison's support for antitrust action against Microsoft was born of the same motive that saw Coutts et al attacked in 2003.
I may have missed it but I wish a commentator, any commentator, would educate us (me) on the elements of boat design. What is the benfit of a thicker/thinner mast, sharper/squarer bow, sail variations, bulges in the keel and conformation of the bulb and winglets, etc etc, and how it all co-ordinates together.
Floating that idea I have in mind a radio interview with Pete Montgomery with Deaker on Sunday. At least two caller asked about boat design and both were fobbed off because it seems personalites are easier to talk about.
Id rather know what a 'mode change' actually entails instead of having 'tack' and 'jibe' explained yet again. Afterall, aerodynamics and flight don't take long to explain now do they?
Greg
They won't explain the answers to your questions to you because...
they don't know.
They are ignorant.
Coutts does know but he would not be allowed to tell you because whenever he tries the TV "personality" will interrupt with some banality and change the subject. That's because the TV "personality" is programmed to assert "authority" on the proceedings. The TV "personality" has an interest in preserving the illusion that he knows about all he deigns to comment upon. He is in control. Can't have an engineer and skipper such as Coutts injecting some actual substance onto the tube.
Well, hell no!
People might decide they like learning something real more than they do listening to emotive blather and empty sounds uttered by... TV "personalities."
Meanwhile back to Paris for some news about the Hilton. Ah, no, forget it. They even got that story all wrong. She's innocent!
Hitman
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