Unpopular Opinions You Hold

[Nalis]

2 minutes ago, Rain King said:

Horse Dancing.

It's ridiculous.

 

Also, it's unfair that the rider gets the named medal rather than the horse....

[Webbo]

Equestrian events are the only sports in the Olympics where men and women compete against each other as equals. It's important just for that.

[Guest Electric Yetis]

2 minutes ago, Nalis said:

It's ridiculous.

 

Also, it's unfair that the rider gets the named medal rather than the horse....

Absolute dross it is.

 

Mentioned it earlier but 3v3 Basketball is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen too not even half a court used. Didn't even realise it was a thing let alone an Olympic sport.

[tom27111]

6 minutes ago, Webbo said:

Equestrian events are the only sports in the Olympics where men and women compete against each other as equals. It's important just for that.

A good point. But where else could they?

 

 

[Webbo]

3 minutes ago, tom27111 said:

A good point. But where else could they?

 

 

Unless playing cards becomes an Olympic sport, I don't think there is anything else.

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, tom27111 said:

A good point. But where else could they?

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Webbo said:

Unless playing cards becomes an Olympic sport, I don't think there is anything else.

Archery and shooting events come to mind.

[tom27111]

8 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

 

Archery and shooting events come to mind.

 

Good point. 

 

Away from the Olympics, no reason why any form of Motorsport couldn't be the same either.

 

I know women have previously competed at various levels.

 

Horse racing too.

 

To be honest, in some circumstances, maybe golf?

 

Some of the guys drive it a mile, but it's not just about that. Some of the ladies will be able to hit it as far as some men. Then what can you do on the green?

 

I'd imagine some ladies can hit the ball off the tee as far as someone like Luke Donald or Paul Casey nowadays?

 

They've both challenged in the last few years.

 

Edit...snooker 

Edited 26 July 2021 by tom27111

[Smudge]

2 hours ago, Webbo said:

Unless playing cards becomes an Olympic sport, I don't think there is anything else.

Archery and Shooting?? Oops sorry @leicsmacjust saw your response

 

Edited 26 July 2021 by Smudge

[leicsmac]

11 minutes ago, tom27111 said:

 

Good point. 

 

Away from the Olympics, no reason why any form of Motorsport couldn't be the same either.

 

I know women have previously competed at various levels.

 

Horse racing too.

 

To be honest, in some circumstances, maybe golf?

 

Some of the guys drive it a mile, but it's not just about that. Some of the ladies will be able to hit it as far as some men. Then what can you do on the green?

 

I'd imagine some ladies can hit the ball off the tee as far as someone like Luke Donald or Paul Casey nowadays?

 

They've both challenged in the last few years.

 

Edit...snooker 

TBH I'm interested in why there hasn't been a female World Champion at chess, either - or someone really near the top other than Judit Polgar.

 

I'm not having that blokes are inherently better at that kind of thing, but there's got to be another reason why.

 

1 minute ago, Smudge said:

Archery and Shooting??

See above.

[tom27111]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

TBH I'm interested in why there hasn't been a female World Champion at chess, either - or someone really near the top other than Judit Polgar.

 

I'm not having that blokes are inherently better at that kind of thing, but there's got to be another reason why.

 

See above.

Genuinely puzzling. 

 

Chess never ever crossed my mind, but that's a fantastic point.

 

Edit...can I be a bit cheeky and say all the women I've had relationships with know my next move, they'd be great at Chess 

Edited 26 July 2021 by tom27111

[leicsmac]

5 minutes ago, tom27111 said:

Genuinely puzzling. 

 

Chess never ever crossed my mind, but that's a fantastic point.

 

Edit...can I be a bit cheeky and say all the women I've had relationships with know my next move, they'd be great at Chess 

Something I want to look more into, I think.

 

NB. On the last sentence, the women I've dated have been more skilled at poker - because they know exactly when to release a bad hand.

[tom27111]

4 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Something I want to look more into, I think.

 

NB. On the last sentence, the women I've dated have been more skilled at poker - because they know exactly when to release a bad hand.

Very good point!

 

Kim Kardashian let's your theory down though, playing poker in mirrored sunglasses 

 

She is an anomaly though. 

[Sly]

19 hours ago, Corky said:

Agreed about football, especially when GB can choose from 4 nations whereas they compete individually in other tournaments.

It should be players that are semi pro and below.

[Sly]

Chess

Darts

Archery

Shooting

Sailing

Horsey stuff

Bowling

Pool / Snooker

 

[Webbo]

1 hour ago, Sly said:

Chess

Darts

Archery

Shooting

Sailing

Horsey stuff

Bowling

Pool / Snooker

 

You'd think that men and women could compete against each other equally in those sports but they don't. There's never been a woman who's dominated any of those sports, horsey stuff aside, so men must have an advantage. 

[Jimothy]

1 hour ago, Webbo said:

You'd think that men and women could compete against each other equally in those sports but they don't. There's never been a woman who's dominated any of those sports, horsey stuff aside, so men must have an advantage. 

They've given the top women in snooker and darts wildcard entry to the tours, not just tournaments, and they made very little impact. Winning the odd game here and there but never make a real run in a tournament.

 

I'm all for equal opportunities, but maybe we just need to admit we are different and on the whole are wired differently. Men are generally better at most sports. They are quicker, stronger, more athletic and more accurate. The stats prove it. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say in a sport like archery or shooting, that's split but uses identical equipment, the mens scores will be better than the women event.

[ealingfox]

10 hours ago, Webbo said:

Equestrian events are the only sports in the Olympics where men and women compete against each other as equals. It's important just for that.

 

Even if that were true, which it isn't, what's the point being made exactly? It's not as if the equestrian events are inclusive, they're quite the opposite.

[Jon the Hat]

11 hours ago, Nalis said:

For me its dressage that should be binned from the olympics.

 

An elitist 'sport' for posh twats.

I mean there are quite a lot of those in the Olympics, not sure why dressage should be pulled for that.

[Alf Bentley]

1 hour ago, Webbo said:

You'd think that men and women could compete against each other equally in those sports but they don't. There's never been a woman who's dominated any of those sports, horsey stuff aside, so men must have an advantage. 

 

I wonder if a big part of that advantage is cultural: i.e. a long history of lots of men doing those sports but not many women (apart from equestrian sports)?

Something similar happens with Brits of Asian heritage in football and cricket, doesn't it? Quite a few top-level British Asian cricketers, almost no footballers (sorry, Hamza)...because there's an established cultural history in cricket, but not football.

 

It would also be interesting to see stats for how many men/women are at a professional standard in sports where there is no obvious physical advantage for men.

I'm guessing that there are a lot fewer women at professional level in all those sports. If so, maybe you also need a critical mass of professional-level performers to produce the top champions?

 

Maybe, if a lot more women start playing those sports to a professional standard and it becomes culturally established as something normal for women to do, maybe then there'll be female champions in such events? 

 

A little aside....when I did strawberry-picking as a young man, on average the women picked more than the men - and the top pickers were mainly women (often Gypsy women).

Naturally, I was about the best male performer in the strawberry fields......which probably proves that I was a massive Nancy boy or something. 

[Jimothy]

3 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

I wonder if a big part of that advantage is cultural: i.e. a long history of lots of men doing those sports but not many women (apart from equestrian sports)?

Something similar happens with Brits of Asian heritage in football and cricket, doesn't it? Quite a few top-level British Asian cricketers, almost no footballers (sorry, Hamza)...because there's an established cultural history in cricket, but not football.

 

It would also be interesting to see stats for how many men/women are at a professional standard in sports where there is no obvious physical advantage for men.

I'm guessing that there are a lot fewer women at professional level in all those sports. If so, maybe you also need a critical mass of professional-level performers to produce the top champions?

 

Maybe, if a lot more women start playing those sports to a professional standard and it becomes culturally established as something normal for women to do, maybe then there'll be female champions in such events? 

 

A little aside....when I did strawberry-picking as a young man, on average the women picked more than the men - and the top pickers were mainly women (often Gypsy women).

Naturally, I was about the best male performer in the strawberry fields......which probably proves that I was a massive Nancy boy or something. 

Why do I now think "Strawberry picking" sounds like a euphemism?

[Crinklyfox]

1 hour ago, Alf Bentley said:

A little aside....when I did strawberry-picking as a young man, on average the women picked more than the men - and the top pickers were mainly women (often Gypsy women).

Naturally, I was about the best male performer in the strawberry fields......which probably proves that I was a massive Nancy boy or something. 

It's my understanding that in general women have superior dextrous skills to men.  I spent a couple of years working in a factory that provided small(ish) assembled parts for aerospace applications and almost all the operators in the assembly area were women, selected for precisely those skills.

[CosbehFox]

5 hours ago, Sly said:

Chess

Darts

Archery

Shooting

Sailing

Horsey stuff

Bowling

Pool / Snooker

 

Ironing 

 

Steam, Basic, Deluxe Press. 
 

 

 

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

I wonder if a big part of that advantage is cultural: i.e. a long history of lots of men doing those sports but not many women (apart from equestrian sports)?

Something similar happens with Brits of Asian heritage in football and cricket, doesn't it? Quite a few top-level British Asian cricketers, almost no footballers (sorry, Hamza)...because there's an established cultural history in cricket, but not football.

 

It would also be interesting to see stats for how many men/women are at a professional standard in sports where there is no obvious physical advantage for men.

I'm guessing that there are a lot fewer women at professional level in all those sports. If so, maybe you also need a critical mass of professional-level performers to produce the top champions?

 

Maybe, if a lot more women start playing those sports to a professional standard and it becomes culturally established as something normal for women to do, maybe then there'll be female champions in such events? 

 

A little aside....when I did strawberry-picking as a young man, on average the women picked more than the men - and the top pickers were mainly women (often Gypsy women).

Naturally, I was about the best male performer in the strawberry fields......which probably proves that I was a massive Nancy boy or something. 

This is the conclusion I come to what it comes to sports of skill rather than pure physical condition, too.

 

I'd posit that if there was an equivalent number of women interested in something like chess with exactly equal amount of opportunity to pursue it, then they would have a roughly equivalent amount of top level players.

 

And sorry, @Facecloth
I'm with you with the stronger and quicker element, but there's nothing IMO to suggest that blokes are *inherently* more accurate at aiming a competitive weapon than a lady is.

[Alf Bentley]

Just to throw another argument into the mix on the M/F sporting competitiveness issue....

Maybe male/female hormones also have an impact in sports not based on physical strength?

 

A few years ago, I remember reading that male university students are disproportionately likely to get a 1st and disproportionately likely to fail. Female students were overwhelmingly likely to be at neither extreme - a solid 2(i) or 2(ii).

 

It also seems to be true that, on average, men tend to be more competitive and more likely to take risks. Socially, this can lead to bad outcomes - more likely than women to become violent or to die young by taking ill-judged risks.

But maybe it can also offer an advantage in a competitive environment like sport, if combined with good judgment? In theory, as women tend to be more capable at social networking, they should have an advantage at team sports....but then physical strength and speed of movement are almost always a key element in team sports.....

 

If genetic and cultural factors stem from millions of years of evolution (during which competitiveness and risk-taking were presumably evolutionary advantages alongside physical strength and intelligence), then how will males and females change and develop over the next few million years, if humanity survives that long? 

 

Strayed from the core issue a bit there, didn't I? 

[Carl the Llama]

Bin the toff sports.  We've got mixed pairings in the tennis and badminton anyway so we don't need horse dancing for equality.