Legacy - Olympics

[Captain...]

Your London Marathon is a fantastic example - thanks.

The people arguing against what I'm saying also seem to be thinking ONLY of kids being brought into sport. It's just as important to get ADULTS into sport. Not only will that be good for the state of the nation but there is evidence that more children participate in sport because of family involvement than because of gold medals won at an Olympic games.

Well plus one me then, you bastard, I am closing in on the top 5 reputation points per post.

But yeah, competition is bad...

[Guest]

It was the taking part that counted.

Mental and Physical health of the nation - reducing health expenditure and thus the national debt - bringing communities and families closer together - helping people to see their worth as participants, coaches, volunteers - that's about taking part, not about winning.

Maybe all losers should be shot.

[Corky]

It was the taking part that counted.

For some it is though. People have their own personal goals, not everyone can win the overall event.

[Guest]

Well plus one me then, you bastard, I am closing in on the top 5 reputation points per post.

But yeah, competition is bad...

I +1ed you , vain bastard.

I have NEVER said competition is bad - I think it's good. It's shitting on the losers which is bad.

Someone somewhere on this board wrote about how other nations sportstars got together at the ends of games - win or lose - and enjoyed the moment, how they joined in songs with the crowd unlike British footballers who finish and piss off. The first is what sport should be - the second is what sport is to far too many people in Britain.

For some it is though. People have their own personal goals, not everyone can win the overall event.

go further than that Corky. Only 1 person can win the event.

[James.]

Your London Marathon is a fantastic example - thanks.

But slightly contradictory to your argument about marathons earlier in the year following the death of that woman?

Well plus one me then, you bastard, I am closing in on the top 5 reputation points per post.

That particular competition is heavily biased in favour of people who started posting in the rep era. That's what I tell myself anyway.

[Guest BlueBrett]

Is English your first language?

Obviously sport is about competing. It's also about competing at your level. I think a few of you are too simple to realise that playing to win and being happy to have competed and lost are not mutually exclusive. But I understand why you moan so much in the football forum when Leicester don't win every game.

Nobody is saying that they are mutually exclusive. You've just got a bee in your bonnet and seem more intent on repeating yourself than actually responding to peoples' posts.

It is obvious that people can derive personal rewards just from being involved in sports at any level (so obvious I wouldn't have thought it needed pointing out). That said, why should we heap praise on everyone who gets up off their arse once in a while?

The ground we seem to be arguing over has become so miniscule that it really isn't worth my while.

I am not one of the compulsive moaners and it will be a sad day in my life if I ever feel the need to defend my intelligence to the likes of you.

[Guest]

But slightly contradictory to your argument about marathons earlier in the year following the death of that woman?

I expected Moose to bring that up.

In that thread I was pointlessly arguing about the dangers of long distance running WITHOUT the proper coaching. Here I'm arguing that the Olympic legacy is becoming a load of bollocks and it should be the aim of getting facilities, organisation and proper coaching in place to get adults as well as children off their butts to do some form of SOCIAL sport thus improving the nation's physical and mental health.

This would result in more victories for Britain but that shouldn't be the aim of the Olympic legacy.

If it is jusy select the most potetially talented young kids - take them abroad to great facilities and coaches and coach them up to winning more trophies. Why not make TV programmes about it where the UK residents can vote loser kids off the programme on a Saturday night by dialling an overpriced telephone number with profits going to the National Health service, whilst they are at it.

[Big Dave]

I have NEVER said competition is bad - I think it's good. It's shitting on the losers which is bad.

From what I said in an earlier post, I do not believe that we are shitting on the people who did not win medals (not losers as you put it above), or denigrating those that did not win medals (as you said in your first post). Where has this happened? I can only really remember seeing people being applauded for doing their best. Admittedly there were some sports men and women who under-performed, but they were not criticised.

[Bellend Sebastian]

I know exactly what FIF's on about. I was shit at sport at school, and along with many others, never felt anything other than utterly excluded from it. You were either brilliant or a nothing - there was no concept of participating just for the fun of it

[Captain...]

I know exactly what FIF's on about. I was shit at sport at school, and along with many others, never felt anything other than utterly excluded from it. You were either brilliant or a nothing - there was no concept of participating just for the fun of it

For me it is not just about fun, but about progressing and improving and having ways of measuring it and rewarding it, such as belt progression in martial arts, or beating your best time in a marathon.

Or even just maintaining your level as old age sets in.

[Bellend Sebastian]

For me it is not just about fun, but about progressing and improving and having ways of measuring it and rewarding it, such as belt progression in martial arts, or beating your best time in a marathon.

Or even just maintaining your level as old age sets in.

I started running at the age of 27, but ten years later I don't participate in any competitive sports as such as I'm as crap at them all as I ever was and I think it would be every bit as a tedious as when I was a kid

[davieG]

For PE we used to have to run around Victoria Park, the last one to finish got a nice thick sole from a discarded plimsol whacked across their arse.

They were ahead of their time in some respect as the big fat lad was excused the slipper so it was usually the 2nd last, not being a great long distance runner I got whacked a few times.

It was very inclusive, you had to do it, no exceptions allowed.

[acooling08]

I disagree with the OP although that's no surprise as I have always been very competitive.

Winning is important otherwise why bother with medals or titles at all? People have said to me it's about having fun, but for me the fun comes from winning or at least finishing near the top. It's about time the 'medals for all' and 'everyone's a winner' stuff stopped in schools, because that's what's hurting Sport.

[Corky]

Winning is important, no doubt about that, but it is the "winner or loser" scenario with no middle ground that is the issue.

Someone finishing first will no doubt get all the attention, someone finishing bottom will get some (negative), but what about a person who finished, for example, 10th out of 12 one year then finished 4th the next time? That's an achievement, but it won't be recognised, because no medal or prize would be given to them.

They're not a "loser" in reality, but it would appear that way, because they didn't finish in the top three to get a medal.

[MooseBreath]

This entire thread should be cut and pasted into the first world problems thread. I would say it's a brilliant example of a first world problem, but I assume that would be unfair on all the other first world problems which aren't quite brilliant but still took a lot of effort.

[Guest]

This entire thread should be cut and pasted into the first world problems thread. I would say it's a brilliant example of a first world problem, but I assume that would be unfair on all the other first world problems which aren't quite brilliant but still took a lot of effort.

Thanks Radovan.

[Webbo]

Can't we just enjoy something for what it is, instead of over analysing everything?

[davieG]

Can't we just enjoy something for what it is, instead of over analysing everything?

Do you really mean 'everything' or just lots of things, 'enjoy' is subjective someone's enjoyment might be someone else's pain.

'What it is again' this is dependent on your viewpoint for some it may be winning things for others it may be just be being involved, maybe just being a spectator or looking for inspiration.

I think this is where we came in

[Guest MattP]

Can't we just enjoy something for what it is, instead of over analysing everything?

Best quote of the thread I think, what a magnificent two weeks it was, people genuinely seemed happy.

[MooseBreath]

Best quote of the thread I think, what a magnificent two weeks it was, people genuinely seemed happy.

Two weeks? Careful now.

[Guest MattP]

Two weeks? Careful now.

I honestly didn't watch a bit of the paralympics, fair play to them but I watched the games to see the best in the World full stop, I have no interest in knowing who the best in the World is with Cerebal Palsy etc etc.

[acooling08]

I honestly didn't watch a bit of the paralympics, fair play to them but I watched the games to see the best in the World full stop, I have no interest in knowing who the best in the World is with Cerebal Palsy etc etc.

Good to know I'm not the only one who thinks this.

[Guest MattP]

Good to know I'm not the only one who thinks this.

I think quite a few feel the same way, you just won't get many saying it in a guilt obsessed society that would seek to use it as slander.

[Dr The Singh]

I think quite a few feel the same way, you just won't get many saying it in a guilt obsessed society that would seek to use it as slander.

I'm another one, no interest in the para's but respect what they are doing!

[Captain...]

I think quite a few feel the same way, you just won't get many saying it in a guilt obsessed society that would seek to use it as slander.

There is a difference between not watching it and effectively saying their achievements don't mean anything.

I didn't watch anything like as much Paralympics as Olympics, partly because I wasn't able to work from home during it, but largely because the coverage was awful. I did enjoy the last leg show though.