quantumofsport.com

Sport: an era without eras

We are living in a time in which the sun is setting on some mighty eras of sporting dominance. Several great champions whose achievements have dominated the record books year after year have now had their day, or at least their best days appear to be behind them. All the while, mythical epochs of the past in which earlier legends reigned supreme are becoming an ever more distant memory, leaving us to grapple with the uncertainties of the present. This, at least, is the conclusion I am coming to as dusk descends on this grand summer of sport. And, with big stars on the wane, I am wondering whether we might become disoriented...

The EU and sport: You have been warned

Always on the look-out for new ways of promoting itself, the European Union is extending its greedy tentacles into sport. An ‘informal’ meeting of EU Sports Ministers took place on April 20-21 in Madrid at which, according to a press release from the Spanish hosts, there was an agreement to create “a ‘structured dialogue’ group between all levels of sport”. The group is to include representatives from public authorities, from the EU institutions and Member States and from the world of sport. A proposal to create a new “working group on sport and social inclusion” has also been approved.

The EU now has greater scope to act where sport is concerned, as explained by a European Commission official quoted in the same press release: “We now have a new legal situation. For the first time in the history of the EU, sport has a legal framework under the Treaty of Lisbon and we have to apply these provisions that are now part of the Treaty”. He added that: “We already have our opinions on how we could achieve this. We want to propose a political framework at EU level; we also want to propose a dedicated instrument, a programme, to apply these types of policies”.

If I have correctly identified the relevant part of the Lisbon Treaty, this weighty tome notably names sport as an area where: “The [European] Union shall have competence to carry out actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States”.

All this may seem innocuous. Indeed, the avenues for further work look worthy enough, including as they do the physical and moral integrity of sport, drug use, protection of minors, accessibility and fair play in sport. But this is always the way it goes with the EU: slowly but surely, unnoticed by the public at large, Brussels accretes new (unnecessary) powers to itself. After a time you are left with something much bigger than you might have imagined at the start. And by the way, let’s face it, how many journalists are going to be reporting on incremental developments in the EU’s role in sport at a time when Europe is ravaged by economic crisis and crippled by a cloud of volcanic ash?

Evidently the informal meeting in Madrid will not be the end of the process. Another press release tells us that on 10 May Sports Ministers will gather for a first formal Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels, “which in itself is important”. The so-called ‘structured dialogue’ is also to be developed. But I ask the following: Is sport really an area which the Eurocrats should be getting involved in? Do we really want taxpayers’ money put towards this sort of EU activity? – I think not.

Maths in sport #1

An interesting lunchtime lecture at the Museum of London yesterday by Prof. John D. Barrow gave a whistle-stop tour of some miscellaneous uses of physics and mathematics in sport, including, inter alia:

* Why Bradley Wiggins uses solid disc wheels at the velodrome (a lower moment of inertia means it’s easier to accelerate).
* Why the classic alternating configuration of oarsmen in a rowing crew may be sub-optimal and results in an unwanted lateral wiggle (albeit usually imperceptible to the onlooker).
* Why, somewhat unexpectedly, the optimal launch angle for the shot-put is a little less than the 45° learnt for classical projectile motion in A-Level mechanics (even if the effect of air resistance is discounted).
* Why the old ice skating ranking scoring system led to perverse results.

QoS will be looking to provide some maths-in-sports related gubbins of its own in due course.

Winter Olympics: That’s (not) Entertainment

It is not the Canadians’ fault but I am struggling to get into these Winter Olympics. Why? Firstly, the modern Games have become too costly, commercial and generally bloated. Secondly, there is the jingoism: switch over to any country’s channel and you will have a flag-waving national medal-hunt. Thirdly, TV broadcasters and commentators over-egg the pudding: so much Is Thrilling – so little is left to speak for itself. Fourthly (last but by no means least), the death of the Georgian luge competitor cast a long, long shadow. What these things have in common is that Sport is being confused with Entertainment. We must be enthralled by a lavish opening ceremony. And we’ll feel better about ourselves if our boys and girls bring back some medals but it’s all going to be a must-watch in any event. As for the luge, you have to feel that if a sport or track is designed for speed, this is done at least partly for the ‘excitement’ of those who merely sit and watch. Sport has become a fast-moving consumer good but it is not there solely for our viewing pleasure. Sometimes it should be allowed to be just a little bit dull.

Sports calendar: The Big 10 for 2010

Having taken advantage of one or two quieter moments over the festive season to scour the schedules for the year ahead, quantumofsport.com is proud to present its brand new “Sports calendar 2010”. As ever, it will be a busy 12 months in the world of sport, with a range of top events competing for our attention. The calendar represents our (non-exhaustive) selection of what to look out for. We’ve also picked out – here below – ten of the biggest sporting occasions of the year, restricting ourselves to one entry for each sport we cover on a regular basis: it’s The Big 10 for 2010. Let’s hope there’s plenty of drama in store…

Feb 6-Mar 20, Six Nations rugby (for N. hemisphere fans at least!)
Feb 12-28, Winter Olympics, Vancouver, Canada
Apr 17-May 3, snooker World Championship, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
May 16, Formula 1 Monaco GP (or any other between Mar 14 and Nov 14!)
Jun 11-Jul 11, soccer World Cup, South Africa
Jun 21-Jul 4, Wimbledon tennis
Jul 3-25, Tour de France (starting in Rotterdam and Brussels)
Oct 1-3, Ryder Cup golf, Celtic Manor, Wales
Oct 3-14, Commonwealth Games, New Delhi, India
Nov 25->, Ashes Test cricket series Australia v England

For the full calendar, click here.