It's opening line read like this. "Submerged under the World Cup, Wimbledon, Tour de France and now the British Open, these Commonwealth Games could well be dubbed the Obscure Games."

Amidst all the talk of the biggest controversy in the build-up to Glasgow being the home nation's choice of turquoise and fuschia tartan uniform was some chatter about how much world-class action will actually be on display and how relevant the event was.

As a sports lover, I don't particularly care what level it is at, the chance to represent your country is an honour.

Sure, the Commonwealth Games aren't the Olympics and the field of athletes competing is reduced but that matters for little.

Four years ago myself and photographer Belinda Soole was lucky enough to sit with Megan Dunn's family and coach Gus Dawson as she won golds at the velodrome.

Try telling Megan, or any of us who watched her that afternoon, that her medals were irrelevant.

There she was, wearing the national colours, and reaching a level that most of us could only dream of.

In some sports, like cycling and netball, and even the rugby sevens, the Commonwealth Games is essentially a world championships where those who are competing are the absolute cream of the crop.

The Commonwealth Games might lack the brashness of an American track team or swim team, or the grace of the Chinese divers and Russian gymnasts, but it is still a big event and something I know I'll be watching a lot of.

And after our recent efforts at the London 2012 Olympics and the Winter Games in Sochi earlier this year, I know I'm looking forward to watching an Aussie gold rush.

o o o

IAN Thorpe's interview with Sir Michael Parkinson in which he finally revealed himself to be gay caused somewhat of a stir during the week, with the overwhelming reaction being one of support for arguably our greatest Olympic athlete.

After years of discussion, which wrongly stretched back to when he was a teen, Thorpe finally admitted what a lot of people had suspected.

I don't pretend to know what he has gone through when his most personal of secrets was being discussed ad nauseum, and I congratulate him for finally feeling comfortable enough to come out and tell everyone.

Like anything people keep to themselves and bottle up inside, getting it out in the open can be a great relief and can help the person get on with their life. I hope that's the case for Thorpe.

I'm not 100 per cent sure I'm a fan of the fact he got paid a reported $400,000 for the interview, with some Commonwealth Games commentary thrown in to justify the amount.

It raises a few questions, one of which is "would he have done it if he didn't get paid?".

Now I don't deny anyone the chance to make an earn for themselves, and it's well-known that Thorpe has dealt with a lot of demons over the years, but I would like to see him donate some of his fee to a mental health group so that others battling situations similar to those he has been through can get the help they need.