BS: The Olympic Games

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 08:05 PM

A great two weeks.
The NY papers are saying these Olympics were one of the best.
Congratulations to everyone who contributed to its success.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 11:25 AM

"Western style riding does not saw on the mouth but the rein is pressed on the neck opposite to the direction required." Ebbie - yes we have steered onto this before, and perhaps Western style is less cruel, but you indirectly back me up with the words "saw on the mouth" re the way most horse riding is done.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 04:33 AM

Q, you're not getting away with that, mate!
The truth is in the medal tables!
It's a rich European clique!

Olympic Equestrian Medal table

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 10:11 PM

FEI, the equestrian association, has member organizations in almost every country in the world- every color, every shade etc. etc.
Included are Albania, Antigua, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Botswana, Cambodia, China, Congo DR, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Myanmar, etc. etc.

www.fei.org

Tuneless knows absolutely nothing about any sport, and the staggerer obviously has never shared companionship with a horse. Two trolls in the fountain.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Ebbie
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 07:32 PM

"09 Aug 12 - 06:13 PM
If you love horses, don't ride them - they are guided by tugging on either side of their mouth, and their efforts to relieve the pain;"WAV

As I recall, we've gone through this before. Your statement is NOT true, at least not for the western riding horse. Have you never heard of 'neck reining'? Western style riding does not saw on the mouth but the rein is pressed on the neck opposite to the direction required.

Causing pain in a performing horse is counter productive. It is essential that the horse be a willing partner.

I would greatly appreciate your educating yourself on such matters rather than spouting false charges.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 06:03 PM

I'd imagine that if you are a serious athlete, the last thing you'd want to do is doss around watching sport on the telly. Spectator sport is very much second best. Rather like spectator music as opposed to laying it.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Allan Conn
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 12:20 PM

"grammar school boys" Here in the Borders it is kind of like south Wales. Rugby is the traditional working class sport.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 08:59 AM

Proper grammar school boys would know all about rugby 7s.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Allan Conn
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 08:36 AM

"I'm not really a fan, but why was baseball dropped?"

Don't know exactly what criteria is used - but rugby 7s (invented here in the Scottish Borders) is being introduced to the Olympics in 2016.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 06:11 AM

Everybody has to enjoy reading something! I read Modern Railways last night - except for the boring bits.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: DMcG
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 06:04 AM

Philosophy Now

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: DMcG
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 06:01 AM

I bet your house is a bundle of fun!!
*smile* Only my opinion, and those of my family, but, yes, we'd say so. Of course, you have to bear in mind that yesterday my daughter sat in the hairdressers reading "Philosophy Now" rather than the mags supplied, so I doubt if everyone would agree with our idea of fun...

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 05:53 AM

It has been a magnificent 2 weeks, superb internet coverage in very high quality indeed - I gave up trying to grapple with freesat TV channels, which is my wife's domain anyway.

"I'd rather people were inspired to sit still and read something that improved their knowledge and understanding, not run about, however well they do it" - I bet your house is a bundle of fun!!

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: billybob
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 05:31 AM

All I will say is that I have enjoyed every minute,both on the BBC and a wonderful day in Greenwich Park. Well done Seb Coe and the whole team, wont know what to do on Monday :-(
Wendy

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 05:20 AM

Agree with me on this: Cycling BMX involves too much chance/too many crashes to be an Olympic sport.

I'm not really a fan, but why was baseball dropped? And, for the ladies, I'd definitely include netball...

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: DMcG
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 05:02 AM

Really, we could do with more sport on the tv not less!
The whole country should be praying that a whole generation of obese kids will be inspired, by all these amazing young sports persons, to get out, get fit, and get healthy!

Each to their own, and I realise people can do both, but if I had to pick one I'd rather people were inspired to sit still and read something that improved their knowledge and understanding, not run about, however well they do it. So no: for me, far less sport on television and far more things that meet the 'educate' rather than 'entertain' objective.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Allan Conn
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 04:37 AM

"how about the The Munitionettes' Cup first held in 1917, for a history of women's football?"

First women's match in England was seemingly as far back as 1895 when the North beat the South 7-1. The FA ostracised the women's game in the 1920s. We all know that women were widely discriminated against in society. Not allowed into many golf clubs unless they were serving the tea or mending the curtains etc. Some posters, well one poster anyway, seems to long for a return to those days. You are absolutely right about the Munitionettes. Hope I've done this blue clicky thingy correct!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAs6PaFDtf0

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 05:44 PM

Strangely true - I recall women's (mouth guards and all) hockey was very popular around the time I was playing junior sports in the 1970s, in Sydney, when, as I say (and others have said the same of England at the time), no females were playing junior football.

"Besides, he's Australian..." (Ed)
NOT true - I keep fit with lawn tennis; have committed many English songs, carols, and hymns to memory on keyboards and English flute; have read widely from the anthology of English verse; was born in Manchester the day Alf Ramsey's English team one the world cup; AND my staple diet is pottages - http://walkaboutsverse.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/poem-206-of-230-my-diet-chasing-breads.html

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: MikeL2
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 01:50 PM

Hi

I can vouch for Alan's comments of the ladies with their hockey sticks. Our rugby club had similar fixtures and suffered similar fate.

Jolly hockey sticks no way. We had more bruises than in any rugby game.

I say if women wish to be involved in sport and are good enough then they should be allowed to do so. If anyone doesn't agree with it; the answer is simple....don't watch.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 08:17 AM

WAV, how about the The Munitionettes' Cup first held in 1917, for a history of women's football?

Allan,

It's really not worth wasting your breath. WAV is, and has been for many years, completely deluded. I doubt that you can change that.

Besides, he's Australian... (joke, no offence intended)

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 07:58 AM

Is running from the police good 100 metres training?

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Allan Conn
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 07:45 AM

Girls have always played contact sport. In particular hockey! When I was at school in the 70s we (ie the rugby team) always used to play the girls at hockey during the last week of term and we'd get thumped, in more than once way. They could wield the sticks like demons. Likewise they commonly compete at the likes of judo, taekwondo etc. There is no valid argument for excluding them from boxing! The argument "I don't approve" just isn't a valid argument. As I said whether a sport should or shouldn't be an Olympic sport is of course debateable - but we shouldn't be prejudiced against anyone. Even the likes of saudi Arabia are wakening up to that!

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 06:45 AM

It's true the monarchy here was strong then, Allan, as now, sadly; but it's also true that, for what it's worth, I'd be far less radical, overall, in the 1950s.

And even in the 1970s, when I played junior football, the number of girls competing at football was exactly equal to the number of boys competing at non-contact netball - ZERO. Attitudes change but certainly NOT always for the better. On the positive side, although obviously many still ride horses, e.g., overall cruelty to animals has dropped.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Allan Conn
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 04:05 AM

"women (and men) can do most things NOT anything;.............In the 1950s a lot would have agreed with me "

The bouts last night though showed that women most certainly can box! The fact that you don't like them to is a different issue altogether. Women were still barred from many events in the Olympics of the 1950s but that doesn't make it right! Just shows your reactionary tendancies. Plus you can't pick and choose when saying people in the 1950s would have agreed with you! The other points in your post would be totally out of kilter with the decade. The monarchy was much more revered than it is today; people were still proud of the British empire; and the SNP were a long way off from having their breakthrough in Scotland. So many of the people you say would support your views on women in sport would perhaps oppose virtually everything else you said! This is the 2010s. What folk would or would not have thought in the 1950s is pretty irrelevant. It was 60 years ago! A different world......

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 03:20 AM

Well, maybe not every living standard. Certainly from the very poor, but not many from the rich!

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 03:18 AM

Bonzo3legs says

"Tunesmith forgets that the entire Olympics is elitist, as all but a few participators are sponsored by big money"

Well, there is money available, but an athlete has to do very well to get some of that money.
For example, in the UK, top athletes are funded by the National Lottery, but you have to get to a very high standard before you attract any money.

And, what about all those African runners!
There's hardly any money for them until they are good enough to run on the international circuit.

You can enjoy your enjoy your Equestrian Events but don't try to compare the achievements in that elitist sport with achievements in sports that draw its competitors from every country in the world, every colour, every living standard and every shade of colour.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 02:32 AM

Tunesmith forgets that the entire Olympics is elitist, as all but a few participators are sponsored by big money. His sort are better left by the burger bars in Brighton I'm bound to say.

I look forward to polo joining the list of Olympic sports, it may give Argentina a better chance of doing better than joint 70th (bottom)!!!

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 02:17 AM

As Tunesmith is clearly one of those whose working motto is "My mind is made up; please do not confuse me with facts", I see no point in addressing any further remark to him.

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Allan Conn
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 06:21 PM

Well that is another three gold medals for Great Britain - or as the BBC now has it on its page showing the medal table - Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Two golds for women in combat sports (ie boxing and tae-kwon-do) which will not please a certain poster. Britain is now surely going to end up third overall. Russia unlikely to pick up 13 golds in the last few days.

After coming way behind China four years ago the US must be happy that they are creeping into the lead now. Though it did point out on the BBC tonight that even though virtually everyone else uses gold medals as the defining factor in the overall medal table the US media etc just counts total medals. So according to them they were top four years ago anyway :-)

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 06:13 PM

If you love horses, don't ride them - they are guided by tugging on either side of their mouth, and their efforts to relieve the pain; women (and men) can do most things NOT anything; monarchism and imperialism, of which the union flag is a symbol, should be dissolved; the BBC have been biased in their coverage - allowing hardly any criticism of events in their broadcasts.

In the 1950s a lot would have agreed with me - http://davidfranks.blogspot.co.uk/

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Allan Conn
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 05:54 PM

"Do you really think anyone from the tiny elitist group would have what it took to be a champion swimmer or athlete.
Give over!"

But you're argument is based on the idea that every one of the equestrian medalists is from the landed gentry or super rich. They aren't. As I understand it the woman who won the dressage gold medal today was a stable girl who was given the chance to ride in competition because of her talent. Likewise another gold medalist, Scott Brash from Peebles, is just an ordinary local Borders lad who went to the comprehensive in Peebles and not some private school. I don't know him but I heard him being interviewed and he's not posh at all. So yes many of the competitors may be from the privilaged few - but not all of them are. If you are saying that Scott couldn't have won a swimming gold then yes, you are probably right, but how many of the swimming medalists could do what he does to that level?

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 05:21 PM

MtheGM says,

"Where you are going wrong is in failing to appreciate that it is intrinsic skill which is being rewarded in the award of the medals. The total worldwide number of potential contestants from whom the highest achievers emerge is an irrelevance. You might as well say that the government elected by a country with a large population must be more just than that chosen by a smaller total electorate.

~M~ "

Absolute NONSENSE!!!

Do you really think anyone from the tiny elitist group would have what it took to be a champion swimmer or athlete.
Give over!

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 04:45 PM

"Many of the horses have ethnic backgrounds that do not seem appropriate for the Olympic team representing GB"

What nonsense, hopefully polo will be added as an Olympic sport in Rio, especially as Brazil is a great polo playing country, as are many other South American states, and the whole of north America.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 04:29 PM

Where you are going wrong is in failing to appreciate that it is intrinsic skill which is being rewarded in the award of the medals. The total worldwide number of potential contestants from whom the highest achievers emerge is an irrelevance. You might as well say that the government elected by a country with a large population must be more just than that chosen by a smaller total electorate.

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 04:11 PM

You can talk and talk and talk, but you can't ignore the truth of matter.
Please explain to me where I am going wrong with my assertions?

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 04:11 PM

Yes but they all pick their noses on the lavatory, so it makes them all equal.

Quite a chip you have tunesmith!

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 02:52 PM

Wherever horses are a part of the culture, equestrian events are important to the people there.
Here in the Alberta ranching country, equestrian competitions are common and well-attended; tickets will be at a premium when the 2012 Masters is held at Spruce Meadows Sept. 5-9. Many of the riders who competed in the Olympics will be there; some already competed in the July 4-8 North American here.
Events for the novice rider begin in the spring, the large facility is busy throughout most of the year.

There are a number of horse and rider training stables here, boarding, horse leasing and training facilities are reasonable. It takes much work to develop the level of skill and perfect trust between rider and animal needed to be a successful equestrian.

Others take the "western" approach; perhaps soon barrel-racing will be added to the Olympic events; it too is a popular sport here.

Costs are much the same here for the recreational skier; his lift ticket and fitted equipment are expensive.

Guest Tunelost continues his poor boy boobird laments from the bottom of the barrel. I doubt that he has the ability to hold a job mucking out stables, and horses are too intelligent to ever accept his company.
I should ignore this trolling "guest," his ignorance is unbelievable and incurable.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 01:25 PM

Bonzo3legs, pray explain what is incorrect about my assertion that the value of a medal in an elitist sport,that probably only embraces 1% of the population of the world, is worth a lot less than a medal in a sport that embraces 99% of the world's population!

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 01:14 PM

Typical lefty envy from tunesmith - usual rubbish.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 08:21 AM

""no-one presenting the other side of the boxing coin, e.g., as the other Don - DonW - did just above.""

If you want to claim to be a realist, you should try to learn to read posts properly.

Then you would know that the Don W, whose comments re banning all boxing you appear to like, was in fact ME!

The only other Don who has contributed to this thread is Don Firth back on 30th July.

You, on the other hand, are responsible for 35 of the 158 posts, approximately 22% of the total, and uniformly miserable and negative.

Do yourself a big favour. Get a Life!

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: s&r
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 07:05 AM

Many of the horses have ethnic backgrounds that do not seem appropriate for the Olympic team representing GB. Perhaps Suffolk Punch for England, Shetland ponies for Scotland and Welsh Cob for Wales would be more appropriate.

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Allan Conn
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 05:55 AM

"Yes I have BUT I certainly can't afford to buy and keep the sort of horse that Olympic riders have!"

Though to be fair neither can all the Olympic riders!

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Stu
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 04:00 AM

At least the competitors of the dressage can eat their rides; horses taste so good on the barbie. You can't say the same for a 5-metre diving board.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 02:45 AM

Q said:

"I wonder if tunedeaf ever rode a horse"

Yes I have BUT I certainly can't afford to buy and keep the sort of horse that Olympic riders have! And, I would guess, neither could over 90% of the rest of the world!

And, when Jessica Ennis won gold, she didn't have a bloody big expensive ( some of those horese are worth over £1,000,000) animal to get her over the hurdles!

AND, as in horse-racing, the best rider doesn't necessarily win.
The quality of the horse is a huge factor in who wins what!

It's elitist nonsense, and it's a disgrace that it's in the Olympics.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Allan Conn
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 02:37 AM

"I at least try to be a realist"

I was talking specifically about your anti-female athlete attitude. I am not a monarchist and I am a nationalist. That has nothing to do with whether females compete in competition or not. If a sport deserves to be an olympic sport or not is always up for debate. Saying that one half of the population should be banned from participating in a particular sport because it doesn't fit with your sensibilities though is a different thing.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: s&r
Date: 08 Aug 12 - 07:37 PM

I tried not to post having read much of this thread, but I had forgotten how xenophobic, chauvinistic and downright bigoted your posts are David. Do give it a rest.

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 08 Aug 12 - 06:14 PM

"Bloody negative and miserable" ...I at least try to be a realist, DonT, unlike the BBC's Olympic coverage: i.e., often they will have someone presenting a more critical view on a current affair, but NOT the last two weeks - no-one presenting the other side of the boxing coin, e.g., as the other Don - DonW - did just above.

Wall-to-wall gold-tinted unionist/monarchist propaganda: the sooner we have an EBC, SBC, and WBC, the better.

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 08 Aug 12 - 05:39 PM

There are NO 'soft' medals. Just try getting one and see...

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Aug 12 - 05:01 PM

I wonder if tunedeaf ever rode a horse.
A Canadian equestrian suffered a concussion and spinal injury in a fall; "soft" medals?

Subject: RE: BS: The Olympic Games
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 08 Aug 12 - 04:16 PM

Equestrian medals are undoubtedly the "softest" of all medals and the easiest to get... if you have lots of money!!!