Aussie sport fans, start saving to go to London 2012.

As bad as Channel 9 are, they're better than Channel 7.

7 are so useless they can't even turn up the crowd volume during AFL telecasts.

As for Channel 10. Anyone who's seen their Rugby World Cup commentary team knows they're still not a fair dinkum TV station.

Aye Hass. The Panel discussion prior to each game looks like a total @rse-clown fest with fat ex-Ruggerbuggers squeezed into too-small suits into a too-small set. And Bill (I'd rather be commentating on the V8s) Woods trying to hold the whole chirade together.

How can you not mention Rupert 'I've never called a game of anything in my life' McCaul?

Fancy being allowed to learn the craft of commentary at what is called the world's third biggest sporting event!

He's been crap from the get-go.

Crediting Berrick Barnes with a hat trick of tries on debut. When he'd scored two.

Repeatedly referring to 'being in the shadows of the sideline'. If the sideline has a shadow, then there's no way they're playing rugby.

The number of cliches in general has been more than A W Greig at the cricket could ever hope to muster.

And I think my favourite moment was when an up-and-under was put up, and the Aussie fullback had a little juggle before catching it, Rupert said 'oh, he's had some trouble with the sun in his eyes there...' Except that the sun was behind the player catching the ball.

While I'll agree that (Fat Ed excepted) Nein does a better job of the 'presentation' of sport, their attitude to their veiwers, and their arrigance leaves a lot to be desires. And Seven has got the Olympics mostly worked out. Wouldn't surprise me if Nein tries to do with London 2012 what NBC did with Sydney 2000 and run the whole thing on a delay so the major gold medal events fall into prime time on TV here.

It should also be noted that Rupert doesn't even call the game. It's as though he's commentating on the cricket while there's a hold up in play.

There can be a major backline movement taking place and he'll just waffle on about the crowd being mostly French, completely ignoring the winger making a 30-metre run down the sideline.

He could learn a lot from Ray Warren:

Steve Roach: It looks like player X is suffering from a corked...
Ray Warren: Hold the phone Blocker! Ricky Stuart's just stepped past two and made a break down the right-hand side. He throws a cut out pass to Mullins. Mullins fends off Sailor, Mullins, Mullins, he's streaking away etc.

JGK wrote:

Henry wrote:There's plenty of cheap hostels in Earls court to accomodate them. Especially if they've rebuilt the Earls Court YHA that burnt down (Probably because of a stray Antipodean cigarette) last year.

It burnt down? I used to live just near there.

Sorry for the late reply, but yeah, it was burnt down and out of action when I was there last year. I was camped up the road at the Holland park YHA off Kensington High St for a while.

Added to the woefullness of ten's coverage is that for a lot of the games, the commentators havent even been commentating from the stadium where the game is being played, but from their studio set up in Paris.

Got my tax cheque back today.

There's the first instalment on the trip tucked away.