OlympicIRL

Malta takes the lead for the first time ever in TISC

I'm not sure, there has been some early starts in the past but yes it seems like the earliest for a while

Good luck to all and me all have points by the end of the day

Good morning everyone, 7:59 am here

A couple of years ago I bought Krówki from a local supermarket here. It was in the Polish food section

Do all the tables come with customary cement shoes underneath or is that just for me?

“Bitterballs” sounds like an insult that might be shouted on the streets of Glasgow or Dublin for that matter

dcro: "I Love a Song Which is Harmonious and Elegant, but Never too Flashy" When you think about TISC one of the first names that springs to mind is dcro. A dedicated follower and friend of the contest, he has worked tirelessly over the years to help promote and improve our TISC experience. He is always ready to offer sound advice, no doubt based on his love of statistics, casting an analytical view on proceedings. It's easy to forget that dcro was not always a presence in TISC. When he joined for the TISC Open in 2015, he not only ensured Croatia returned to the TISC family after the departure of Deuce, but he has since played an integral part in driving the contest forward, culminating in his hosting of the contest earlier this year (TISC Annual 2020), stepping in to rescue the contest in the most difficult of circumstances. It is to his credit then that this contest was a rip-roaring success and kept TISC as a beacon of hope in this, the saddest of years. His results are equally as steady, guiding his nation to a top 20 placing in 6 of his 10 editions to date, with a notable 11th place finish at the TISC Open 2017. A highlight however, was his success at the TISC Special this summer where he guided Gibraltar to a magnificent silver medal. He has listened carefully as he interviewed the runners and riders of TISC Open 2020 and now it's time for us to hear the thoughts of our resident statistician, dcro..... Q: How do you go about evaluating TISC entries? Do you use a specific system when picking out your Top 12? A: Most commonly, I start by working my way down the playlist. During this process, I immediately start creating provisional rankings in a simple notepad file. I guess it is not ideal to rank songs so early on, since it can be hard to remember them after a while. But then again, if I completely forget a song right after the first listening, chances are it will find itself somewhere near the bottom of the pile on any day. During this first listen, sometimes I add short comments next to each song. Some examples from the 2020 Annual read: "Original start. Solid vocals. Little unmemorable." and "Solid instruments. Entrance a little meh. Soft, but hollow?". Awful, I know. After the second listen, I usually cut the playlist down to 18-25 songs. Following the third listen, I usually have my Top 12 + reserves all lined up. After this, it's all about streamlining my selection: head-to-head listenings, listening in reverse order, and so on. Q: And what about the maximum 12 points? Can you recognize it immediately? Or do you take certain amount of time before deciding on it? A: Often I can recognize it immediately, but I guess also subconsciously? Usually my 12 ends up going to a song that I can't wait to hear again following the first listen - even though I usually can't remember everything about it! Generally, there is exactly one such song. And when it comes up again during the second listen, then all my hype turns out to be justified. There are exceptions however. Q: Do you have a favorite music genre? Is there any genre you would like to hear more of on the TISC stage? A: I am not exclusive to any genre, but I guess my favorites are pop-rock (often radio hits) and jazz. I enjoy instrumentals too, and also '50s rock. I think nobody entered pre-Beatless rock so far. Except that Meghan Trainor song, kind of, which was heavily inspired by '50s beat, and which earned my personal Top 3. Q: How important are lyrics to you? A: I prefer general sound over lyrics on any day. Sometimes I do get attached to them, but that is an exception. I have awarded big points to countless songs whose lyrics I never truly discovered. Examples include Arular, Tetap Dalam Jiwa, Tillfälligheter. Q: And finally... How can we get 12 points from dcro? A: Like I said, the general sound is what matters to me. I am always looking to reward songs with an engaging rhythm (in particular), nice harmony, catchy tune, quality vocals, decent use of instruments and so on. I will love a song which is harmonious and elegant, but never too flashy. I also greatly appreciate originality and inventivness. If dcro's musical preferences still feel like a jigsaw puzzle - maybe this will help. Our resident Croatian juror has outlined the following entries as favorites during the most recent editions... See you all soon for the Opening Ceremony of TISC Open 2020

And last but not least .......

Grandpa was a milkman

Humans may be permanently settled there by then given the rate of global warming

We can bring in your grandchildren to carry the flame for the Lithuanian jury by then I wonder will Italy still be running The Committee by then

It's crazy to think TISC has been ongoing now since 2013! It doesn't seem that long. Amazing If we were Eurovision we would be as far as 1970, which is when they celebrated their 15th edition. Lots of history still to make . Just for some perspective, here is a timeline of when we will celebrate some milestone editions: TAISC 2018 - 10th edition TOISC 2020 - 15th edition TAISC 2023 - 20th edition TOISC 2025 - 25th edition TAISC 2028 - 30th edition TOISC 2030 - 35th edition TAISC 2033 - 40th edition TOISC 2035 - 45th edition TAISC 2038 - 50th edition TOISC 2040 - 55th edition TAISC 2043 - 60th edition TOISC 2045 - 65th edition TAISC 2048 - 70th edition TOISC 2050 - 75th edition TAISC 2053 - 80th edition TOISC 2055 - 85th edition TAISC 2058 - 90th edition TOISC 2060 -95th edition TAISC 2063 - 100th edition TOISC 2065 - 105th edition TAISC 2068 - 110th edition TOISC 2070 - 115th edition So at TISC Annual 2070, we will be celebrating our 114th edition around the same time as Eurovision are celebrating their 114th edition (barring cancellations of course) . @rybak I wonder will you still be following both contests by then I wonder who will be hosting the 100th TISC edition in TAISC 2063. What an honour that will be

Yep! People often associated with Ireland with corned beef and cabbage, and as someone who had a traditional rural upbringing on a farm and had basic family dinners, this is just plain wrong. No Irish family is having corned beef and cabbage! Certainly not now and not even in the past when food was less varied. Boiled cabbage perhaps but corned beef? Instead it’s the Irish Americans who were perhaps eating that and they got it from the Jewish community.

Sounds good to me as well and it’s very simple to follow which is perfect

Yeah a simple team format is always best because there is so much going on during the final that it makes for a better experience to have easy to follow formats. We may have a previous format tried and tested for a 35 nation contest. @dcro do you know if we’ve had a team event before with 35 nations?

Shawn Mendes - If I Can't Have You - Canada TISC Annual 2020 (20/37 juries) 54.05%

Yep, that is so true. A panic only matched by those juries who had the honour of delivering a one-by-one vote finale who are destroyed by nerves in case they accidentally post the whole thing

Saturday arrives, you are ready for another TISC extravaganza, the banter is plenty, the drinks are flowing, but there is a spectre of that most terrifying demon haunting us. No, no, no, silly @heywoodu, I am not talking about olives. I am not even referring to those Antarctic fiends that we love to hate. No this is a nightmare that is much more terrifying... the dreaded "nul points". Not until we receive those first comforting points can we truly breathe a sigh of relief and settle into the contest. So what happens if you find yourself in that lonely position on Saturday where you are alone at the foot of the table with a duck egg for company? Juries come and juries go but no points have fallen in your basket. Well, fear no more, I have the very post for you to banish those demons so bookmark this post and share with your friends at their time of need. Indeed, if things go badly on Saturday then yes, please please send me this link Reasons to be cheerful 1, 2, 3: No nation has ever officially finished with nul points at TISC. Every single one of the 508 songs which officially participated in the contest has scored points from a national jury. We have yet to leave anyone behind. Lebanon looks away The song which was the last to score points in the contest has NEVER finished in last place in the final rankings! Songs which were the last to score points can and have gone on to achieve great feats such as receiving 12 pointers and even finishing in the top 10 in the overall ranking. Romania's 8th place finish at TISC Open 2019 is testament to that. If that isn't enough to keep your head up then let's look specifically at this edition, TISC Open 2020 for more reasons to be hopeful. TISC is littered with superheroes, ready to save those nations who look doomed to a fate of nul points. Let's take a look at the list of "Lois and Clark"s of years gone by..... Jury # Superhero Damsel(s) in Distress TISC Open 2013 19 Poland Slovakia TISC Annual 2014 10 Montenegro BUL GUY IND MAR TISC Open 2014 21 Azerbaijan Bulgaria TISC Annual 2015 16 Netherlands Czech Republic TISC Open 2015 24 Romania Azerbaijan TISC Annual 2016 14 Spain Kazakhstan TISC Open 2016 6 Czech Republic Italy Poland TISC Annual 2017 12 Moldova India Russia TISC Open 2017 17 Slovakia Algeria TISC Annual 2018 15 Algeria Azerbaijan TISC Open 2018 13 Egypt Tunisia TISC Annual 2019 17 Argentina India TISC Open 2019 7 Malta Moldova Romania Tunisia TISC Annual 2020 11 Tunisia Kazakhstan TISC Open 2020 ? ? ? So the first 2 sessions have concluded, 14 juries have cast their votes but your song is still out in the cold on zero points? Well as we learned earlier, in as many as half of the contests to date, at least 1 song has been waiting longer than 14 juries to receive their very first points. So no reason to panic just yet. But naturally, your demons are growing by now, you are convinced you will be the exception to the rule? Well the middle order is packed full of proven superheroes to help pick you up and get you on your feet: Slovakia (Jury #14) Tunisia (Jury #16) Romania (Jury #17) Argentina (Jury #18) Netherlands (Jury #22) Not to mention the votes of (Jury #21) which is usually a bonanza for the lower-ranked songs. If after this batch of heroes have been dispatched and you are still in peril, then remember, Azerbaijan did not receive their first score until the 24th jury at TISC Open 2015 and better still they did not even finish last. And guess who we have voting in jury position #24? Yes it's New Zealand . If you are on zero points then you are surely in with a chance of arousing the attention of @Wanderer's radar. Ok, so is it time to panic after the 24th jury has passed and you are still on the brink of zero points? The next pair of superheroes will be dispatched: Egypt (Jury #26) Czech Republic (Jury #30) Ok so things are beginning to look bleak but there is still 5 juries to go! 5 more chances to catch the eye of a potential new hero. And to cap it all we have a proven superhero in Malta to round out the voting in a final attempt to save your blushes. So, we have run out of superheroes, run out of juries and if you have come this far then we have failed you and that would be a TISC first. And if that happens we will be there to give you a hug (socially distanced of course), and remind you that we are there to pick you up and carry you on to the next TISC adventure.

Well how about this, Romania voted directly before Argentina at TISC Open 2015.... and they do so again this time. Could it be a sign? Well perhaps not because amazingly, this is the 4th time that Romania will vote directly before Argentina! This also happened at the TISC Annual 2014, TISC Open 2015 and the TISC Annual 2020 earlier this year. As if that wasn't enough, Argentina voted directly before Romania at TISC Annual 2016. These 2 nations seem like magnets in terms of voting position!

Unfortunately I don't have time to write an article on this but thought I'd share a few interesting stats on voting position. Obviously it's all random and based on pure luck but it's interesting to find some random trends nonetheless: No nation has ever won a medal from voting positions 1, 5, 6, 12, 16, 17, 22, 25, 29, 31 or 32 Voting in those positions this edition: No nation has ever placed in the top 5 from positions 6 or 32 Voting in those positions this edition: No nation voting in positions 24 or 26 has finished outside of the Top 30 Voting in those positions this edition: The nation voting in position 2 has finished in the Top 5 at 5 previous contests Voting in that position this edition: Nations voting in positions 2 and 3 have returned 2 TISC winners each. Voting in those positions this edition: The nation voting in position 31 has twice finished in last place Voting in that position this edition: Other historical stats: The last time Poland voted in position #5 (TISC Annual 2016) they finished in 27th place. India has twice before voted in position #6 and in fact is the second time this year since they voted from this position at the TISC Annual 2020. At the TISC Annual 2016 they finished 34th (last place) while they fared better at this year's TISC Annual, placing 18th. Moldova voted from position #8 at last year's TISC Open 2019, placing 30th. Ireland voted from position #13 at TISC Open 2016 and went on to win the title that year. Slovakia voted in position #14 at the very first contest (TISC Open 2013) where they finished in 33rd place. Great Britain voted in position #15 at TISC Annual 2015 when they claimed silver. Argentina voted in position #18 at TISC Open 2018 where they finished in 18th place. Netherlands voted in position #22 at TISC Open 2016, placing 5th. Malta voted from position #35 already this year at TISC Annual 2020, placing 16th. If we were to make a ranking based on the most favourable voting positions using previous results, we see Egypt have been drawn in the most favourable position while France have been drawn in the least favourable position: Egypt 13.86 Denmark 15.43 China 15.50 Malta 15.70 Bulgaria 15.79 Tunisia 15.79 Greece 15.92 Kazakhstan 16.23 Mexico 16.25 Great Britain 16.93 Italy 17.29 Netherlands 17.29 New Zealand 17.29 Moldova 17.57 Spain 17.57 Germany 17.86 Romania 18.00 Portugal 18.50 Czech Republic 18.71 Argentina 18.86 Slovenia 18.86 Ireland 19.14 Indonesia 19.21 Canada 19.36 Serbia 19.79 Slovakia 20.21 Poland 20.43 Lithuania 20.50 Brazil 20.86 United States 20.93 Croatia 21.29 Hungary 22.00 India 22.21 Israel 22.86 France 24.64

They actually mentioned this on the main news on Irish TV during the sports segment which was a nice surprise. If Liam goes clear he is always in with a chance as he has good speed.

Glen Durrant definitely should have moved over to PDC sooner.

Most of those players will probably not be heard of again as they aren’t good enough to make it to the higher levels of the PDC structure. There wasn’t much money to be made in the BDO anyway in recent years. However a few players could make the transition and as is often the case when BDO players switch over to the PDC they become even better players as they must raise their level. Darts has been becoming more and more international in recent years and I expect that trend to continue in the coming years. Barry Hearn is also the chief of world snooker which has also gradually, if very slowly, been getting more international. Still a long way to go though.

One of the longest matches of the night . I'm being serious actually since we had 4 matches end 5-0