C4 Paralympics coverage - Jon Snow ain't got it has he??

The thing I struggle with, with the Paralympics, is that its not an even playing field. The competitors to a man/woman have my utmost admiration, but degrees of handicap against each other just doesnt feel right to me. I`ve just watched a swimming race and found myself trying to see what handicaps each competitor had, the winner had cerebral palsy, (great swim - world record), so Im checking the others to see if guys with one leg could beat a guy with cerebral palsy. Of course this maybe just me!
Another thing, and this is yet another politically incorrect statement, with sport anybody can take part so theres a "field" of billions. The paralympians by definition have relatively few (compared to the general population) people who can take part, and the coverage seems way too much. I wonder if we`have been trying to make up to the handicapped for hundreds of years of locking them up and hiding them away. Its almost got to the point where I feel its become patronising (maybe Im just a hard hearted ****.

No doubt I will get pelters for this, but can I reiterate, that the difficulties some of these competitors have overcome is just awe inspiring, and they do have my greatest admiration.

Just felt compelled to put this bizarre statement out there

Dont feel embarressed i cringe at the pc people patronising these brave people.

just not right having ad breaks

Interesting post, pounf.

Agree with Storm that Jon Snow is the wrong person for this.

He's a boring old fart, and yes, he seems to be stuck in news reading mode.

They should have had Peter Snow

Pounf - I basically agree with you although it varies from sport to sport of course.  I also have enormous admiration for the skill and dedication of the athletes though.  Quite incredible what they are achieving.

Not sure I'm enjoying the Channel 4 coverage so far.  Not just the ads.  Too much chat in a studio which seems remote from the Olympic Park this morning.  No doubt it will improve over the next few days.

I was just going to post something similar about the coverage.

It's not doing it for me so far.

It's the studio chat. Something's not right about it. Not sure what.

The Opening Ceremony was great last night, apart from the ads spoiling it.

Huh! They were going to be moving to More4 now but have decided to stay on the main channel.

That's just great for people who have recorded this while at work.

Coverage is total pants. You're watching something, they go to an ad break then come back to something else.

Well, I'll be keeping an eye on things but won't be watching much of these games at all.

me neither, completely uninteresting

Agree with the general sentiment here.  Was really looking forward to the games but had to turn it off yesterday, won't be watching now.  The coverage is making me fell uneasy about it all, difficult to explain why, I'm in now way comparing it to anything else but am not finding the Paralympics an appealing spectacle at all - all I can think of is it is something to do with the C4 coverage.  And I have watched and enjoyed previous Paralympics games...

agree also -coverage poor-admiration ,but i dont enjoy watching

don't think Clare Balding is enjoying being stuck in an anonymous studio effectively the No2 presenter as she seems to be upstaged by the black guy.Like others i feel a bit uncomfortable watching the athletics....can't help thinking some of the 100m looks as though it could be a monty python sketch.

Saw a brief part of the blind football, tuned in because I was curious. Fair play, it was better than I thought it would be, and some of the tackles were absolutely x-rated, there`d be red cards all over the place if it were the Premiership. Respect. Looking forward to the boxing....

Look beyond the disability and appreciate the guts, slog, and dedication of these athletes. Just the mere act of being there is probably more than most of us can ever aspire to. Same with any athlete: win, lose, or draw.

As for the coverage. I'm ashamed that the BBC didn't put a bid in so, fair play to C4 for taking this on. I do believe that it is getting better as it goes on?

I think the BBC did bid, just not as much as C4.

Now, I could be wrong here, so if I am, what the heck but the BBC didn't have to bid for the Olympics as they are the national broadcaster? I am sure the coverage cost the BBC 'something' but I don't know what. Just seems cheap to not have put a realistic bid in for the Para's? After all - will never happen again in our lifetime.

This has to be the shíttiest coverage of a major athletics event i've ever seen..

Studio based, riddled with adverts, presenters who constantly fark up, live events being missed (including gold medals) to show recordings..

Absolute shíte.

as far i know up until now the bbc had paid just a token amount to cover the paralympics. i guessing less than a million. C4 bid 9 million and that obviously blew their complacent bid out of the water.

didn't take a genius to work out that they wouldn't be the sole bidder for a home games and it would need a substantially higher bid. i get the impression that the people who run bbc sport these days don't actually like or appreciate sport.

Another thing that doesnt quite sit right with me, this event used to celebrate taking part, which is a massive achievement. Now it seems to be just about winning.
You get the cyclist not getting another chance when at the start something went amiss. Pistorius is complaining about the blades of another runner, and so on. I havent seen much coverage of the also rans, and competitors have been seen distraught at not winning, when just being there is a huge victory.

Pounf
Joined: 04 Feb 02 | Topic/replies: 3,612 | Blogger: Pounf's blog
Now it seems to be just about winning.

Spot on, I think this may be the underlying problem.  The Paralympic spirit has changed at these games, winning is all that matters now and the media must take its share of the blame for this.  I happened to see the end of a couple of the table tennis matches and the hysterical reaction of the losers was beyond belief.

The C4 coverage hasn't helped at all, looks to have been done on the cheap and dreadfully produced and Balding being condescending and talking over fellow presenters and guests doesn't help.

However I did catch David Weir's win in the 5000m which was thrilling, although the hyper almost manic commentators comparing his win favourably with that of Mo Farah was off the scale ramping, thank-god he wasn't beaten - no wonder it is now all about the winning at the Paralympics...

Another thing, I wonder how far from the general population of disabled people these athletes have become. Just like in the regular Olympics we think wow, how fantastic, these people are unbelievable but theres no way I could do that.
Do the disabled who dont take part think that they arent really representative of them any more, and I wonder if they think that every time we (non handicapped)come across them, that they see themselves as not living up to the incredible athletes that we are seeing in the Olympics.

Just thought I`d throw that out there as well.

..and dont get me started on the parking...went there last week, and disabled cars were taking all the spaces of the able bodied....

What has happened with these Paralympics is unprecedented in terms of participation, competitiveness, volume and, support. Whether this can be replicated in the future remains to be seen. The BBC shot itself in the foot - there's a first!

I am somewhat bemused by comments regarding competitiveness? Are disabled competitors not allowed the same level of emotion as those more able? The taking part is as applicable here as it was in The Olympics?

In the past, taking part was the big thing, now its winning. Im not saying thats right or wrong, but its worth pondering. I am a sports fanatic and have only watched 10 minutes a blind 5 a side football. Has it changed for the better ?

I am still of the mind that the taking part continues to be the allure of the majority although I do accept that there is a perniciousness invading these Games, as with all sport these days. That's not the events fault as a good bit of sport will always be that. It's what goes on around the event that takes the gloss off. Still. Am enjoying these Games and the sheer delight witnessed at not only winning but the opportunity of 'being there'. Besides I would have long expired before it is a 100% lost cause unlike football, tennis, golf, F1, etc, etc, etc that have already lost their way.

The attempt by the media to put these Games on a par with the Olympics baffles me.

The achievements are totally different and incomparable. I've heard the Paralympians described as 'elite athletes'. I'm sorry but that's garbage and if I were disabled I would be embarrssed.

The Paralympics are for people with disabilities to have the opportunity to compete in the same arenas as their able bodied friends. It's a goal that can inspire people who feel they cannot play sport due to a condition that hampers them.

The fact that so many go and watch these Games is astonishing and truly admirable. Says a lot about our country..

Check out Simmons 200m medlay relay race,the difference in handicaps was enormous
so how they could be graded equal is baffling.
The Ukrainian girl was way out in front until the final freestyle leg, unfortunately her
arms werent able to do freestyle and she finished out of the medals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6WP1U2b6J4

Ellie Simmonds is a freestyle specialist and depends on that stroke to pull her through. Which, of course, it did. I know nothing about the Ukrainian girl but, having been a bit of a swimmer myself, I knew my strengths and weaknesses as did the Ukrainian girl. She swam well (and thanks for the link as I missed the race), and will again as she is very powerful with her legs. Ellie has very short arms and legs and has to give way to taller people. What she lacks in stature she makes up with stamina and strength, particularly in her upper body. And that's where the balance is and that's how its graded. Well done Ellie

coverage on Channel 4 has been amateurish and I have completely given up, only watched maybe the first 3 days

now whenever I happen to flick over to see what is happening it seems there is always a discussion going on in the studio rather than coverage of live sport