GLASGOW 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

I'm not really qualified to start a sports thread but there really should be one.

I have to say Glasgow looks gallus at the moment and the buzz is incredible. I keep getting Ambushed By Unexpected Emotion ™ and pride in this place even in spite of the embarrassing first 20 minutes of the opening ceremony.

Thoughts on the ceremony and day one?

What's coming up?

What are you looking forward to?

Which non-Glaswegians (or ex-Glaswegians) are visiting us?

Was through for netball today on corporate hospitality. Malawi vs NI and Australia v Wales. Wins for Australia and Malawi, the latter of whom I particularly enjoyed.

I've not got tickets for anything else though.

Re the ceremony - it came together. The people here are known for being friendly and funny but the those in charge have no idea of the particular ways in which that humour works and can translate. People ARE funny here but we needn't always be funny. A touch of class and a deep communication of the beauty of Glasgow (and Scotland) and its people and its immense creativity and innovation would have been a better way to open proceedings. Bring in humour if you must to counter that but don't use it as your opening gambit ffs. I mean aside from that - it's JUST NOT FUNNY anyway because Glaswegians are funny in a casual way, mostly but not in a dancing Tunnocks Teacakes way. Gretna Green has no damn relevance to Glasgow or Scotland or anywhere else other than Gretna Green. Fine, they made it a way to briefly shoehorn an aside about sexual equality but why not do that and not make a joke about it. Make a serious and beautiful statement - have that confidence.

I could go on....

I thought I was the only one who got Ambushed By Unexpected Emotion. I had an Australian customer come into my work yesterday and as we were chatting away we got on to the Commonwealth and I found myself getting tears in my eyes talking about how exciting it all was.

I thought the ceremony was dreaful at the start. It was our chance to show Scotland and Glasgow as heavyweights that punch above their standing, a city of fashion and culture and art and ideas. Instead we got a heritage-themed performance that even my granny would have found old-fashioned. The volunteers did an amazing job of giving it some life but I thought it was so obvious that it was designed by committee as there was just far too much going on and no coherence. Also SuBo forgetting the words was just ridiculous - I know you're not really meant to slag her but it makes me uncomfortable that she's so uneasy at these things yet she keeps getting bookings, but I guess all the money she's made makes it easier. Rod Stewart bewilders me too, but that's because I'm in my 20s and I've never known him to be relevant. But Mylo's mix was amazing during the athlete's parade and Scotland coming out to "Move Any Mountain" was genius, and to be fair to Chris Hoy I would struggle to pull the head off in front of the Queen too.

I was travelling from Paisley to Parkhead and back via bus yesterday and the day before and it was really straightforward, it hasn't been the chaos I was expecting, but I've heard murmurings that Scotrail aren't doing such a great job? Everywhere seems busy and so gloriously alive but it doesn't feel like it's wild.

The volunteers out and about in the streets of Glasgow are the real heroes. You could not pay me enough money to stand in the street trying to communicate nonsensical bus timetables to people who will have difficulties with English and our accent - it would just be too difficult and testing for me - yet these people are willing to do it for free, which I think is really inspiring.

I'm not very interested in the actual sports themselves but what tips do we have for this fortnight that's going to be fun?

Hey, Chris Hoy saved the day! It was Prince Wotsit of Malaysia who couldn't pop his top off.

I know it's Buzzfeed, but enjoyed this:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/scottybryan/choo-choo

it all looks pretty jolly from here, good job glasgow.

Enjoying it so far but I pretty much agree with jed on the ceremony. Such an awful cringeworthy start. The only up-side was people making me laugh about it on twitter.

My wife and children spent yesterday wandering around soaking up the atmosphere (and the sunshine, ACTUAL SUNSHINE!) around George Square and Glasgow Green and had a great day. There's loads of free stuff on all day every day for people who didn't get tickets or are between events.

Scotland had a flying start on the medals front too.

I like the dancing teacakes. Tunnocks exports all over the Commonwealth so it seemed kind of right.

I didn't really like all the Unicef stuff. I mean, it's terrific how much money they raised, but basically going "hi! Welcome to Glasgow! We're going to tell the world how shite your country is at feeding and clothing your children!" isn't really the right note to strike in the opening ceremony, is it?

I liked the Tunnocks teacakes too. And the Scottie dugs. I was at the technical rehearsal on Saturday night (and was biting my tongue about Barrowman/Dunbar for near a week!), and one of the dogs shat on the track to loud cheers.

The centre of Glasgow is just brilliant. I'm volunteering for the games, based in the Merchant City (hiding in an office!), and the sheer volumes of chirpy people in the streets is amazing. People just wander over and speak to me when they see me in my uniform. Everyone's smiling. It's genuinely terrific. This weather is helping massively.

I can't stand Karen Dunbar but athletes' entrance onwards i thought it was really good. I wish i was going up, just to wander the streets quite as much as seeing events - my mum was away through today and had a brilliant time.

Also: welled up a bit watching Ross Murdoch on the podium.

quite

The marathon came right near my house but I didn't go and see it because I only got up like half an hour ago

I was going to go and watch it, but it's raining.

Rain was able to dampen spirits in Glasgow.

The marathon went right past my window. I probably wouldn't have bothered to watch it otherwise, but it was great and surreal to have this two-hour tour of familiar streets on the TV and then have them whizz by outside every now and again.

I work in hospitality in the West End so this weekend has been mental. Feel right in the middle of it but with paradoxically zero idea of how any of the actual sport is going. Glad it's only 11 days.