Team GB – the new East Germany?

Who are these imported rugby players in New Zealand teamhurtmore ?

Did we not clear this up at World Cup time, when we established that the entire All Black squad were born in NZ with one exception, and he moved to Auckland when he was two ? (or something like that)

I think you need to refine your definition of New Zealander perhaps ? To the correct one that isn’t a sly racist poke about Kiwis with pacific island heritage. Richie McCaw probably has an Irish ancestor somewhere – want to have a moan about that ?

I imagine the net flow of Kiwi rugby players is outward. There are several playing for Peebles just now, in any case.

NZ came below us (ahem, I mean, sorry a bit jingoisitic there) Team GB in the rugby anyway 😀

Team GB is gettin huge numbers of medals at the Olympics, far more than would be expected for a country of our size.

Don’t forget Russia. Or lack of…

It’s an ugly and jingoistic BBC, showing utter disdain for anything non Team GB.

So just like Spanish TV and newspapers, how dare they ignore Team GB (and everyone else) and only focus on the Spaniards!!!

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but apart from in the athletics (where we don’t win that many medals, and don’t get beaten much by Russians) there isn’t a huge lack of Russians. A couple of notable Russians who shouldn’t be there who made the podium in cycling and swimming.

I’m sure the team GB’S success will inspire a fair number of people to take up certain sports but personally I’d rather the money was spent at local level improving facilities and improving the health of the people that pay for the lottery tickets. The lottery funding which comes disproportionately from the poorest has funded people like ennis and hoy to not only to be Olympic winners but to make 100k if not millions in endorsments. Bet they don’t pay back their funding (unlike students who have to pay back there tuition fees). It was equally unfair when the lottery money funded Covent Garden to the tune of 2 billion. I rather have no Olympics Golds if it meant a few less school playing fields were sold off for housing or to build a Tescos.

I’m sure the team GB’S success will inspire a fair number of people to take up certain sports but personally I’d rather the money was spent at local level improving facilities and improving the health of the people that pay for the lottery tickets. The lottery funding which comes disproportionately from the poorest has funded people like ennis and hoy to not only to be Olympic winners but to make 100k if not millions in endorsments. Bet they don’t pay back their funding (unlike students who have to pay back there tuition fees). …I rather have no Olympics Golds if it meant a few less school playing fields were sold off for housing or to build a Tescos.

It’d be nice if they could do both. Poor old Nick Dempsey is going to have to get a proper job for the first time at the age of 36. He’s been a full time civil servant windsurfer up to now and unlike the pros on the world tour he doesn’t have to live in a van and tell everybody which sunglasses he is paid to wear.

I’m sure the team GB’S success will inspire a fair number of people to take up certain sports

The available evidence suggests “not really” actually. Well, that’s perhaps a bit harsh, but certainly the promised legacy of mass participation after London 2012 hasn’t materialised to any significant extent. And we hosted that one.

Following Max Whitlock’s 3 medals there’s been a surge in applications to join his club.

Well “mass participation” was quite clearly marketing bollox – participation is definitely boosted though, and it doesn’t take much to save the money spent in other ways. It may be related to the clubs doing the right thing, (though they wouldn’t get anywhere if people didn’t turn up in the first place) but there’s a lot more kids doing sports locally at clubs I’m involved with than there was only 10 years ago.

S*** stirring with political whinging. Go away until you have something nice to say.

Go away until you have something nice to say.

I don’t think you’ve mastered this forum thing, where people can express opinions, whether you agree with them or not (within certain limitations of course).

Perhaps you should go away and find somewhere that only opinions you share are allowed to be expressed?

More or Less: Olympic Medals expectations

We are choosing to put lottery (state) money into specific sports, funding a few elite competitors rather than “sport for all”, while libraries are closing, food banks are sprouting, arts are losing funds.

Yes why don’t they give everyone 5k to buy a really nice bike and engage the people , and burn the pointless sums if money they give to the arts

Hels – a good spot and my mistake. It was a throw away line but you prompted me to check the facts and realise that my comments were unfounded. Consider them withdrawn and thanks – I learned something today!

Yes, the UK is choosing to spend money on a halo/vanity project to buy an international profile and a “feel-good factor”

If it was spent on the NHS, for example, instead it would be rapidly absorbed, with little extra to show for it.

Trident replacement is on another thread.

“S*** stirring with political whinging. Go away until you have something nice to say”
mattsccm this is in itself a political statement. I hope that you will not take your own advice

Dp

If it was spent on the NHS, for example, instead it would be rapidly absorbed, with little extra to show for it.

And in the complex and interdependent world we live e in how much does the increased participation in sport save the NHS each year, the inspiration to get people to try sports, the mass try outs etc. Having things like velodromes in Manchester and London etc. The answer really is we don’t know but it can help.

“Oh no I live in a country that is being a success at sport, must try and find a way to feel better about my own inadequacy by smear, innuendo and a general whine”.

Dear BBC,

Can you please stop show casing the success of the sports people from the countries that pay your licence. Could you please play down any success by reminding us that our Athletes were selfishly leaving others behind, what sort of example is that. Can you not put on a depressed, dour Olympics for the terminally boring and miserable.

Yours in depressing greyness

I Hate Winners

Even winners at the taxpayer’s expense (and arguably, the national lottery is also a tax)?

It’s nothing more than giving handouts to watch people run around in circles, window dressing for the upper classes to distract the unwashed masses with their own money.

We are choosing to put lottery (state) money into specific sports, funding a few elite competitors rather than “sport for all”, while libraries are closing, food banks are sprouting, arts are losing funds.

Yes why don’t they give everyone 5k to buy a really nice bike and engage the people , and burn the pointless sums if money they give to the arts

The arts encourage creative thinking – sports, especially track and field, encourages the kind of thinking approved of by countries such as China and East Germany.

Oh and..

They become responsive to grandiose schemes, and will display unequaled steadfastness, formidable energies and a special fitness in the performance of tasks which would stump superior people. It seems paradoxical that defeat in dealing with the possible should embolden people to attempt the impossible, but a familiarity with the mentality of the weak reveals that what seems a path of daring is actually an easy way out: It is to escape the responsibility for failure that the weak so eagerly throw themselves into grandiose undertakings. For when we fail in attaining the possible the blame is solely ours, but when we fail in attaining the impossible we are justified in attributing it to the magnitude of the task.

😈

Jimmy Saville

sports, especially track and field, encourages the kind of thinking approved of by countries such as China and East Germany.

What kind of thinking is that then? The communist sharing principles? Devotion to the great leader? Wall building?

For those bemoaning the money for rich sports stars remember most will earn less than you, many will be relying on their parents to live and compete? Why? Is that really the question? In a world where we have climbed all the mountains and explored every inch of it sport gives people an out and a way to lift themselves. Yes it’s entertainment but it’s also the good kind where people show their dedication and efforts as opposed to big brother and failed stars in the jungle.

Some of the haterz could reuse their posts across several “I’m angry but I don’t know why” threads

For those bemoaning the money for rich sports stars remember most will earn less than you, many will be relying on their parents to live and compete? Why? Is that really the question? In a world where we have climbed all the mountains and explored every inch of it sport gives people an out and a way to lift themselves. Yes it’s entertainment but it’s also the good kind where people show their dedication and efforts as opposed to big brother and failed stars in the jungle.

There’s **** loads of land undocumented by scientists, above and below the oceans.

What kind of thinking is that then? The communist sharing principles? Devotion to the great leader? Wall building?

The one that makes people feel good about doing mindlessly repetitive tasks for a state sponsored carrot.

If it’s not about self-interest (professional, highly paid sports) – it’s about self-renunciation.

Stopped watching when some arsehole in the female rowing team started banging on about how that if she’d come second it would have been all for nothing and there’s no point in coming second and the olympics is like…the thing – during an interview. Bragging about putting your eggs all in one basket and elevating yourself above professional sportsmen – yeah awesome.

And they are happy, you on the other hand appear not to be. Go figure 😉

Nahh, they just bore me.

Now, Valentino Rossi? Or the TT guys? Not so much. 😛

I guess I just prefer the cynical thrill seeking nihilism of racing motorbikes for lots of cash. 😀

Tom makes a valid point about the lottery being a tax. Sadly (or luckily if you are a beneficiary) too many are unable or unwilling to understand that.

But on the legacy issue – plenty of evidence including in the last few days of current winners being inspired by their heros. And there is legacy there for sure. Sadly 99.9% of us do not have the inner drive and commitment to compete at this level. So the wider legacy issue starts with totally unrealistic parameters from the outset.

So the wider legacy issue starts with totally unrealistic parameters from the outset.

Do they? For me legacy is an increase in participation in sport/activities. Long term the benefits of healthier and more active lives for even 1% of the population will be massive.

Last time I read some review on heart disease, dieting was way more efficient for cutting the risk of heart attacks in fatties than exercise was. But I’m out of the loop on that now, so I could be completely wrong. Feel free to correct me.

We don’t need heroes and more people wanting to be olympians, we just need to stop gorging on calories and walk more. Society has become full of ridiculous black and white thinking.

Very binary thinking Tom. What about stuff that isn’t heart attacks in fatties? What if you can reach those people as kids and keep them fitter and healthier? Into sport and educated about diet and fitness through something they enjoy?

Off the back of the Manchester games team GB got a swanky new cycling hq. The profile of that and the work put in had generated a massive interest in road cycling. It’s got more people out buying and riding bikes. Wiggins winning the tour was a huge step forward in things like generating the interest and momentum that got 3 stages of le tour in the UK. Team Wiggins is brining a development side to it and people appear to be doing more and riding bike etc. It’s led to more big participation bike events and much more.
So it’s not all down to one ride in Athens but is that worth it?

And now the roads are full of fat people in full Sky sports gear riding 5k bikes.

Wooooo, progression let’s use taxpayers money to market products back to them – come and buy your five grand road bikes so you can be as awesome as Wiggins! Gotta boost the consumer spending metrics so they forget 2009..

Even if it is good for public health, I think that the way it’s been done is rather telling of humanity.

Reposting my own quote….
“Some of the haterz could reuse their posts across several “I’m angry but I don’t know why” threads”

Ever feel the glass might be half full rather than half empty.

I think you’ve found the crux of the issue mike…I guess I’m just a pessimist

It sounds like it, if you want to try that hard to find reasons to get annoyed by something it’s time to stop looking. It’s not compulsory to watch….
As for the power of sport
https://www.storehouse.co/stories/t8hlv-riding-for-lesotho

To some extent it’s all down to one ride in Barcelona.

and expanding on the good news part I linked to earlier looks like STW got the press release 😉
http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/the-story-of-phetetsos-bike/

Now the Grauniad is agreeing 🙂

See – told you.

Bless ’em, the Daily Mash has rather amusingly taken up my point with considerably more wit than I managed a couple of days ago:

Money for childhood anti-obesity campaign ‘has been spent on cycling medals’
18-08-16
Rio Olympic Games 2016 – Day Seven

PLANS to tackle childhood obesity have been scaled back because the money has been spent on winning Olympic cycling medals.

Officials had considered introducing new children’s sports facilities across the UK but admitted that priority was given to Sir Bradley Wiggins and some of his friends.

A government spokesman said: “Bradley Wiggins is cool. Overweight children are not cool.

“Also, this will mean a new era of breakfast cereal advertising contracts. Laura Trott and Jason Kenny will finally have the opportunity to put their name on some bikes that have been made in China.”

Meanwhile, experts said jealous foreigners casting aspersions over Britain’s glory simply fail to understand the nation’s idiotic obsession with Olympic success.

Professor Henry Brubaker said: “British people feel that medals for strangers provide better value for money than libraries, hospital beds and public roads where you can ride a bike without falling off.”

He added: “We laugh at Denmark, with its pathetic medal tally and outstanding quality of life.”