Experimentia

UPDATED You know, I think the sports writers tried harder.

In seventh form, I bunked a history class so I could attend a crucial NPBHS First XV match (yip, I was a kinda different person then).

Come the time of the mock exams, it turned out the history class was actually pretty crucial too. I wound up writing an essay comparing Elizabethan parilamentary standoffs to the team-psych of performing a haka before a match. (Maybe that would have gone down better in post-grad than in bursary.)

Anyway, I was quite excited to see the Guardian's current experiment - sending art critics to report on sporting events (published today), and sports writers to report on art events (coming tomorrow - I'll update the link when it's available).

I guess there's little chance that the experiment could rise above novelty value. The arts writers showed little interest in or knowledge of sport, and seemed largely content to compare the sport they were watching to the art form they normally write about. Watching the crowd afforded more interest than watching the game. But that still makes me curious to see if a rugby correspondent will try to tackle an opera in a similar manner ...

Radio ART

I'm an unabashed fan of Radio Sport. Sometimes on roadtrips I create imaginary lineups for Radio Art:

• Breakfast with Jim and Mary
• Mornings with Rob Cherry
• Drivetime with Hamish McKay
• Evenings with Dick Frizzell
• Late night storytime with Peter McLeavey

I'm stuck for an afternoon presenter though. Can anyone think of an available shock jock?

Update: readers have suggested Julian Dashper for the spare slot - not a shock jock, but a great story-telling talent.