What sports teams do you support?

[Arneb]

Allmääächd na! The Zweite Bundesliga started today, and I didn't know:

SpVgg Greuther Fürth 1 - 0 TSV 1860 München

It's always extra tasty against dirty 60!

Played 14, won 9, drawn 2, lost 3

[Arneb]

I didn't manage to ignore this one:
Fiji 43 - 7 United Kingdom

in the Olympic 7s Rugby competition. How's that for a nice surprise?

[Heid the Ba]

Less of a surprise than you think, they are arguably the best in the world and we are maybe fifth or sixth, but I laughed.

[Heid the Ba]

I know you aren't watching but our Tcherman is faster than any of your Tchermans.

[Lianachan]

It's very kind of Heid not to have mentioned this, as my own crap team are already out of the Stupid Cup, but the other night the competition saw his brave heroes do this:

Rangers 5 - 0 Peterhead

Played 15, won 10, drawn 2, lost 3.

[Heid the Ba]

Thank you, I had forgotten to add it.

[Lianachan]

Inverness Scumbag Tinks Thistle 2 - 3 The Glorious Ross County

One of their goals shouldn't have counted either, whistle had gone before it was scored. A good derby win.

Played 16, won 11, drawn 2, lost 3.

[Heid the Ba]

Dundee 1 - 2 Rangers. Top of the league! Although if Celtic win their game in hand they'll be ahead of us.

Played 17, won 12, drawn 2, lost 3.

[Arneb]

Hannover 96 3 - 1 SpVgg Greuther Fürth

Not prticularly surprising, as Hannover are expected to make a hard effort for direct re-promotion to the Bundesliga. Still, an air of mid-table mediocrity is hanging around the Ronhof.

[Heid the Ba]

So: Played 18, won 12, drawn 2, lost 4.

[Heid the Ba]

Apropos nothing much at all, I've been watching the track cycling at the Olympics. It occurred to me last night that Lord Hoy of Velodrome who is a good Edinburgh lad* with a degree from my alta mater married a lawyer. Humble man of the people Sir Wiggo of Wigginshire married a fellow cyclist he had known since they were teenagers, while pseudo-Scouse Jack the lad Mark Cavendish married a Page 3 glamour model. Make of that what you will. Oh, she's called Peta Todd since you ask, I won't link to photos but they're not hard to find.

*he is actually a decent guy, and I know the degree is in Sports Science but he was bright enough to get into St Andrews Uni before he transferred.

[Arneb]

On a somewht delicate note, the German men's field hockey team beat New Zealand's in the Olympic quarterfinals, with 3 goals from the last 4 min., the winner coinciding with the rundown of the clock.

We won't count that, right?

[Heid the Ba]

Right, I think we stick to football, otherwise it just gets messy. But it was a good result.

[Arneb]

OK I confess. I just watched the men's gymnastics horizontal bar infal. And I am blown away by the art and sheer power of these guys, by their perfect coordination, and the way they combine it.

And a German won, beating an American to second and a Brit to third place.

[Lance]

Woman's Beach Volleyball is worth a look too. There are only two per side so there is a lot more action than indoor volleyball, and there is a lot more finesse to the women's game compared to the men who rely more heavily on strength and power.

[Arneb]

I watched the Germany - Brasil semi of that event, too

[tubeswell]

staying away from the oilylimpcs this year

[Lance]

I watched the Germany - Brasil semi of that event, too

Their uniforms are appealing too.

[Arneb]

I watched the Germany - Brasil semi of that event, too

Their uniforms are appealing too.

hat is true, and the volleball federation wanted the uniforms to be small precisely for the event to serve as left-hand pictures. I admit I find that quite out of taste.

[Heid the Ba]

I have a number of reasons for not liking Beach Volleyball but mainly it isn't as good a game as volleyball (a game I used to play) and the bikinis (if you want me to take you seriously as an athlete put some clothes on). I love the expression "left handed pictures".

[Lance]

Since it's winter in Rio now, some of the evening games they wear full body suits. Much less distracting.

[Lianachan]

Right, I think we stick to football, otherwise it just gets messy. But it was a good result.

Seconded.

[aside]I am helping to train a young German archaeologist this week and next. I have two weeks off work, being spent on a dig in the highlands. She is in a tiny backpacking tent as she's finishing the dig then going on a long walk - by coincidence it's right next to me. Good tent for walking, crap,tent for living in for two weeks in the one place. She's been over at my huge tent, chatting, charging phones and refusing offers of whisky, beer and wine. She's not said what uni she's at or where she's from, other than that it is in "the west part of Germany" and is near the Netherlands border. I have a week and a half to find out more.[/aside]

[Heid the Ba]

Her back must be Aachen?

I'll get me coat . . .

[Lianachan]

Her back must be Aachen?

I'll get me coat . . .

I know mine is. I'll get my trench coat.

[Arneb]

Meanwhile, Germany's women's team won their first fitba Olympic gold against Sweden, who had eliminated the U.S. and Brasil for us. I dare say, Maracana is a stadium I am starting to like...