[Closed] London 2012 athletes that don't "matter"

I assume he means those who have a realistic chance of ending up on a podium and will therefore need to be seen spouting the dirge ... unless he's referring to the events that attract most attention, i.e. athletics/cycling ... poor choice of words though, 'those that matter'

Athletes are known for being financially piss poor

unless you are an olympic tennis player...

I think it's more about the accusation of plastic brits, athletes that are competing for Great Britain who may hold joint passports or have only recently become British citizens.

So when he says the ones that matter I think he means the ones that will be accused of competing for Britain out of self interest. Them not knowing the words to the national anthem or choosing not to sing it should they win would give the media something negative to report which i imagine he would rather avoid.

Really don't think it is anything to do with first and second class athletes.

Don't see the problem myself. Clearly they're not all equal if you're talking about their chances of being shown in close up singing the national anthem.

So when he says the ones that matter I think he means the ones that will be accused of competing for Britain out of self interest.

This ^

In the context of the full interview it was clear he was referring to those athletes that the Daily Mail reporters will be trying to trip up in interviews again i.e. the '[i]plastic Brits[/i]'.

I think it's more about the accusation of plastic brits, athletes that are competing for Great Britain who may hold joint passports or have only recently become British citizens.

And yet footballist supporters are happy for players to be bought in from all over the globe to make 'their' team successful ... ok, so they're not representing a country, but they've no history with or specific allegiance to the club other than it pays their wages ... so not much different in the end ...

TurnerGuy - Member
Athletes are known for being financially piss poor
unless you are an olympic tennis player...

or a road cyclist, or a footballer etc...

So when he says the ones that matter I think he means the ones that will be accused of competing for Britain out of self interest.

Clearly he thinks all us Brit's are dumb enough to believe that knowing the national anthem means they're really really genuinely serious about wanting to be British, and that it's just a coincidence that they have such great athletic abilities and can therefore maybe win medals and hopefully large sponsorship contracts ...

Clearly he thinks all us Brit's are dumb enough to believe that knowing the national anthem means they're really really genuinely serious about wanting to be British, and that it's just a coincidence that they have such great athletic abilities and can therefore maybe win medals and hopefully large sponsorship contracts ...

Where do you get that from? According to that article, he's just aware the media will be all over it if they don't know the anthem.

Where do you get that from?

The implication being that knowing the anthem means they're authentic.

Perhaps they should all learn the anthem, maybe even be able to play it on the piano.

But then not actually sing it, like a lot of our proper British athletes.

This would be more realistic and believable.

The cameras are going to be pointing at....Jess Ennis, that diver bloke, Paula Radcliffe... about 10 others. They'll get training

Dear Binners'll fix it

Please can you find me a "notta bleck" cartoon from you steve bell archive ?

(no, I won't sit on your knee - even on that big armchair with all the "electric gadgets")

In the context of the citizen tests being brought in for immigration purposes that have been shown to be extremely difficult for those who grew up here to pass, will a flash of the camera over athletes whose lips appear to be correctly moving to the anthem really have such an effect on the audience?

I don't know the words myself unfortunately. Maybe this influences how much weight I put in others who know it and their representation as British.

Blimey, time for some perspective perhaps? What a non-story. So the Olympic team includes people who don't know the words of the national anthem. Some may be people who have recently changed nationality - plastic or not, does it matter?. Some may have a chance of winning medals. So for the comfort of all (and according to the article to avoid more plastic Brit stories) he proposes the sensible idea of ensuring all medal prospects know the national anthem.

There is a separate question of whether GB athletes would know the NA (assuming they have live a life exposed to normal event) or indeed should know it. But this is not the point here.

It is pretty obvious that he is not saying that non-medal prospects do not matter.

Out of interest, can athletes chose the song to be played, I can see the point of the national anthem for 'teams', but what if a Budist republican won, God save the Queen wouldn't be his first choice surely?

Out of interest

really?
I'm not sure if a Buddhist should be interested in competitive sport

He'd be competing as a representative of his Country, not the Buddhists and/or Republican ... therefore, tough luck if he doesn't like the anthem ... maybe he could emigrate and become a plastic athlete for a country with a more agreeable anthem

How about we think about it this way, three competitors win gold but do not sing the anthem. Mark Cavendish, Mo Farah, and Tiffany Porter.

If Cavendish decides not to sing the press would think nothing of it. He was probably savouring the moment, or welling up or some such thing.

If Farah decides not to sing it would raise a few eyebrows but he sounds like a Londoner and is raising a family here so the press would get over it.

If Tiffany Porter decides not to sing. The press will kick up a sh!tstorm claiming that she didn't sing because she considers herself an American and takes no pride from competing in a GB vest.

This is what he means by targeting certain athletes. The performance director is not at fault for trying to stay one step ahead of the British press.

I know quite a few Olympic class athletes. They are not 'poor' all kit paid for, training, coaches, gyms, massage, physio etc all paid for. Transport to and from comps paid for, and a 'salary' of about £28k. Only it's 100% tax free. And then they can often get local deals, like a car, clothes etc.
Of course, these are the ones who are / have been to a games, there's obviously a lot of athletes just below that level who are nothing like as lucky!

The implication being that knowing the anthem means they're authentic.

It was implied by the Daily Mail not Charles van Commenee. I guess he's just trying to avoid further headlines.

Cav's from the IOM innee ?

So none of the GB Olympic team are republicans then?

[url= http://www.teamgb.com/news/wrestlers-shine-sheffield ]Greco Roman wrestler may need a bit of help with anthem.[/url]