They knew it was the longest of shots. The supporters in the Stragglers Café knew it; the members in the Colin Atkinson knew it; and the players gathered in the 1875 Club knew it most of all.But since when did knowing ever stop you hoping?All the same its the hoping that leads to the hurt. After the pain of 2010 Somerset supporters knew that, t. Yet, here they were at Taunton, just wondering if this could be the one.Nothing, like something, happens anywhere, wrote Philip Larkin, and for half a day the nothing that was happening at Lords had meant everything to the players in their track suits and the supporters in their polo shirts or sweaters as they gathered together and tk comfort from the fact that they were facing this thing together.And when it was all done with and Middlesex were being acclaimed as county champions, there was no bitterness from the runners-up, only congratulations to the victors and recognition of what a wonderful Championship season it had been for Chris Rogers and his side.Declarations were part and parcel of the game years ago, said Somersets director of cricket, Matt Maynard, as he reflected on the way Middlesex had won the title at Lords. Neither side were going to give us the title. They had to come to an agreement and from the outset it lked like a very fine declaration.It needed Tim Bresnan to carry on for another three or four overs to take it into that last over with 12 needed but unfortunately it didnt get to that stage. But fair credit to Middlesex, theyve gone through the season unbeaten and a number of their players have had outstanding seasons.Theyve been very consistent and I think they are deserved champions.Maynards was speaking at the end of a day which Somerset loyalists will remember for one heart-breaking reason and several heart-warming ones. It had been a day which began with a gd group of supporters in the ground flr of the new pavilion, although their number swelled very rapidly over lunchtime and into the early afternn.For a while it had seemed that nothing much was happening at Lords, nothing at any rate to indicate that discussions had taken place between the captains. But everyone could see there was not the time necessary for a normal game to take place.Then with the game in stalemate Alex Lees was brought on to bowl deliberate bad balls to set up a declaration and a few comments began, although not t many. Many of those watching were old enough to remember the days of regular three-day nonsense, and those who werent received a crash course, mdear.The loudest protests followed the declaration and the idea that six-an-over represented much of a challenge to Yorkshires batsmen. Then people remembered that this was a Yorkshire side without Jonny Bairstow and suddenly the declaration seemed less generous on a lifeless pitch.Not that they prevented them hoping, of course.By four oclock there was hardly standing rm in the Stragglers and the members in the Colin Atkinson were trying to lk vaguely dignified. They failed, God bless em. Some of the players couldnt watch and tk a stroll on the outfield. Busy doin nothin.Very quickly, though, it became clear how difficult Yorkshire were finding their run-chase People started talking about the tie and how glorious that might be. Wickets fell, although people were unsure whether this was a gd or bad thing. Stalemate was needed and that was clearly the one outcome not on the cards.Chris Rogers and some of his players watched the game on the first flr of the Somerset Pavilion. Every dot ball brought a roar of acclamation. In the press box seasoned journos acknowledged that they had seen nowt like this.Then there was that clatter of wickets, a Toby Roland-Jones hat-trick and Middlesex players rolling on the ground in glee. Supporters dribbled out of the Colin Atkinson and others joined them on the outfield. Everyone the roped-off area in front of the Andrew Caddick pavilion - the Caddyshack they call it down here - was ringed by Somerset supporters. There were a few tears and a lot of pride.Somersets chairman, Andy Nash, congratulated the new champions and confirmed that Matt Maynard would have done the same as Gale and Franklin. Maynard, himself, and Rogers spoke with dignity and pride about all that had been achieved. And, yes, all that was to come.There was great belief in the group, said Maynard, We played some gd cricket without getting results and we then built momentum though winning games and gaining confidence from that.The contribution of Chris Rogers has been huge. He has been tough on the players in the middle at times and that has taken them back a little bit. You have to challenge them at times. His expectations were terrific and hes made an incredible impact.The biggest thing we can do for Chris is continue his legacy. I was in the Glamorgan team included Viv Richards in the latter part of his career, he was very passionate and we continued his legacy. It is now hugely important that we do the same.We have five youngsters who are coming through and weve also signed Steve Davies. I have a clear idea as to who Id like as captain to take over from Chris Rogers but Im not at liberty to say who that is yet.Somerset supporters may take heart from Maynards comments but they are getting tired of finishing second in the West Country. Even that most equable of men, Marcus Trescothick, who was one of those ambling on the outfield, is getting particularly tired of it.Its a pain in the arse to come second again and it feels just the same as it did last time, he said. Its been such a difficult day and different to the last time we did it because we were playing all day so it has been very strange having to sit around and watch it all on television.It feels no different than last time to end up in second place, the only difference is that Middlesex have been top of the table for a long time and they have come out and won the competition outright, so they deserve to win.I think we were all disappointed to see the game set up in that fashion. It was going along and doing exactly what we wanted it to do and had it been any normal game it would have petered out with a 4.30 or five oclock finish but those are the regulations and its not in our control to worry about that.It was just sad to see because from our point of view we wanted to see the best team win and I guess that Middlesex have at the end of the day, but the fashion in which it was done was disappointing.And with that, it was done. The players drifted away, perhaps to celebrate a season in which a late charge for victory was not quite enough. The supporters, t, with whom the players have a great bond in this county, left the ground they call a home and some may not return until next April.We also suffer who only sit and watch and wait.Wholesale Jerseys . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rkies. Fake Jerseys From China . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. https://www.fakejerseyswholesale.com/ . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Black Friday Jerseys . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. China Jerseys . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well.RIO DE JANEIRO -- Taking the Olympics to Rio de Janeiro was always considered a bit of a risk. Now that South Americas first games are drawing to a close, the question is: Did the gamble pay off?The answer, according to experienced Olympic officials and experts, is a mixed bag.Yes, Brazil managed to pull it off under difficult economic and political conditions, with the sports competitions, venues, athletes, friendly hosts, television images and Rios scenic backdrops all rising to the occasion.Yet, behind the scenes, these were also troubled Olympics that fell short in other areas -- empty seats, ticket fiascos, organizational mishaps, spread-out venues, green water, street crime, traffic chaos and lack of a clear Olympic feel in the parks.The Olympics on TV are never the same as the Olympics on site. Thats been the case more than ever this time, reminiscent of the 1996 Games in Atlanta, where great sporting moments contrasted with lost buses, failures in the technology system and other off-the-field problems.This has been probably a little below the expectations of the experts, but will have televised well for the 99.9 percent of the population of the world that experiences the Olympics, senior Canadian IOC member Dick Pound said.International Olympic Committee vice president John Coates of Australia acknowledged the games have not run as smthly as desired.Its been difficult, he said. To be fair, some of that was because of the economic and political background on which the games are being held.For Olympic historian David Wallechinsky, attending his 17th games, the shortage of volunteers, lack of Olympic signage and other logistical glitches have outweighed the well-run competitions and welcoming Brazilian people.I think these games will be seen in the continuum of Atlanta, Athens, Rio -- the ones that didnt work out, he said. One just hopes the lessons are learned.But the games must also be judged from a local perspective. Many Brazilians and Rio residents -- known as Cariocas -- will feel pride over how theyve put on the worlds biggest sports event and will cherish their moments on the global stage.And, for the host country, the games are ending on a delirious high- with a gold medal in mens soccer. Brazilian fans wanted more than anything to finally win the top Olympic prize that has eluded them in their national sport.Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes said the Olympics have been a catalyst for building new public transport lines and renovating the port area, insisting that no white elephants will be left behind. Comparing Rio to the richer cities that lost out for the 2016 Games would be misguided, he said.We come from a tropical experience, the Latin ways of Brazil, which sometimes made the IOC members a little bit crazy, Paes said. If you want to be fair to Rio, you cannot compare us to Tokyo, to Chicago, to Madrid. These are cities that have much better infrastructure. They come from developed countries. You have to compare Rio to Rio.When Rio was chosen as host city seven years ago, IOC members were convinced the time had come to take the games to South America. Brazil was a rising economic forcce at the time.dddddddddddd But local organizers quickly fell behind in preparations and were forced into an Athens-like mad dash to catch up.Then, over the last two years, the economy plummeted into its worst recession in 80 years, the country was engulfed by a massive corruption scandal centering on the state-run oil company Petrobras, and the president was suspended and sent for impeachment.Its also a games in the middle of reality, not organized in a bubble, IOC President Thomas Bach said Saturday. They were games in a city where there are social problems and social divisions. ... The IOC has shown that it is possible to organize games also in countries which are not at the top of the GDP rankings.The athletes produced the gds -- Bolt with three more gold medals to take his career tally to nine, Michael Phelps with five more golds for a total of 23, and gymnast Simone Biles with four golds. But the games also were marred by the bad behavior -- and concocted stories -- of Ryan Lochte and his U.S. swimming teammates.For all the drumbeat of bad news in the months ahead of the Olympics, two of the biggest issues caused barely a ripple. The Zika virus, which had led some scientists to call for the games to be postponed or moved, was hardly mentioned. Worries over Rios sewage-filled waters did not hamper the competitions, with only a handful of athletes falling ill.Elsewhere, there were embarrassing setbacks, mostly during the first week: the green water that marred the diving and water polo events; the windows of a media bus shattered in an attack; foreign team officials and government ministers mugged in the street; volunteers who never showed up or just quit.Its just not acceptable with seven years in advance not to signs ready, not to have volunteers who know anything, as friendly as they may be, Wallechinsky said.Arguably the most damaging drawback was the lingering issue of empty seats. Some venues, such as tennis, basketball, swimming and gymnastics, drew gd crowds and produced a lively atmosphere. But others suffered from lesser turnouts and lack of buzz. The track and field stadium was a quarter- or half-full for some sessions; the stands were not even completely packed for Usain Bolts gold medal races.The long distances and travel times between the three main venue clusters meant there was no single area where large, colorful crowds could congregate and produce a Carnival atmosphere.For the future, Olympic officials believe greater oversight and concrete benchmarks are needed to make sure organizers are on time and delivering as promised. Pound said the IOC and international federations should carry out a forensic analysis after Rio on what worked, what didnt and why.Going forward, the IOC has to learn from the experience in Rio if it wants to take the games to places other than settled, affluent cosmopolitan cities, IOC vice president Craig Reedie said. We should train the city well in advance. We have to work out how better to prepare them and help them. ' ' '