Sporting Conundrum

[Blazing Sporrans]

Well here goes...

As a rugby fan and former player, I have to say good luck to our English cousins in the RWC final tomorrow (and all the best to Lewis Hamilton in Brazil too). However I'm secretly having a crisis here as I just can't stand the thought of listening to the English media harping on if England defend their title....

And before anyone gets on their high horse, it is the completely over the top jingoistic media I have the problem with and not the English teams.

What do I do???:eek:

[jambo]

i also wish our friends from the south the best of luck


























south africa.

[Welcomefamily]

Yes it should be a good game, hopefully played in the true spirit of Rugby

[Yoda the flump]

Yes it should be a good game, hopefully played in the true spirit of Rugby

It certainly will be if the score is the same as the last game!;)

[canuck]

Well here goes...

As a rugby fan and former player, I have to say good luck to our English cousins in the RWC final tomorrow (and all the best to Lewis Hamilton in Brazil too). However I'm secretly having a crisis here as I just can't stand the thought of listening to the English media harping on if England defend their title....

And before anyone gets on their high horse, it is the completely over the top jingoistic media I have the problem with and not the English teams.

What do I do???:eek:

In these magical days of remote control, just turn the sound off when the sports reports come on the news.

[Metalattakk]

And before anyone gets on their high horse, it is the completely over the top jingoistic media I have the problem with and not the English teams.

What do I do???:eek:

Aye, it's their media and commentators that I object to. Anyone who watched the 'other' semi-final between SA and Argentina would surely understand. There was hardly a mention of the game at hand, just endless references to England.

Sir Bill McLaren would be spinning in his grave if he were alive today. Now there was a commentator who could be objective and unbiased.

[scorrie]

T'was the Soccer World Cup final of 1998, France were playing Brazil. Less than one minute into the game and the commentators managed to mention England.

I have nothing against the England Rugby team. I do find them tedious to watch though. Spitting Image once did a song called "You know I've never met a nice South African and that's not bloody surprising man"

So, who do I root for? The coin is in the air and comes down in favour of South Africa, mainly because I told people that England were a fair bet at 66/1 and then proceeded to put nothing on them!!

[Welcomefamily]

It certainly will be if the score is the same as the last game!;)

I will be very surprised, I think there's more chance of Rheghead agreeing to the concept of a young earth than England losing by that figure again.
I think the last game gave them a good lesson, I think they learnt from it. They certainly got the players and the pack weight to win, but it how they play on the day. :lol:

Even I get feed up with the constant waffle.

[golach]

I will be supporting the Springboks

[Rheghead]

In these magical days of remote control, just turn the sound off when the sports reports come on the news.

Or turn off the English commentary, go to one of the South african radio stations on your pc then listen to it over the speakers.

http://www.southafrica.info/public_services/sa_abroad/sa_communities/streamingradio.htm

[northener]

You're talking about a London - based media that can't go more than a week without mentioning the 1966 World Cup.
I'm English, yet the constant droning about previous glories is tedious to say the least.

I hope rugby doesn't become infected with the same mindless parochial rhetoric that we have to tolerate in football. But I think it's already happening.

Should be a good game, I don't think SA are going to have it as easy as some people reckon.

[Camel Spider]

I just hope it is a good game of Rugby .. England are relying too much on Wilkinson and need to start playing. The final should be a cracking example of what the game should be and not some prima donna kicking his team ahead.

I will be cheering on South Africa because I think they play the game as it should be .. And because I want to see the EBC presenters eating their words.

And all the best to Lewis Hamilton .. if he wins it will be the first time a Rookie has won the Championship and he will also be the youngest champion ever .. Go for it mate !!

[northener]

I just hope it is a good game of Rugby .. England are relying too much on Wilkinson and need to start playing. The final should be a cracking example of what the game should be and not some prima donna kicking his team ahead.


Ouch!

Mr Spider, you ought to be ashamed of yourself!

I wouldn't put Mr Wilkinson down as a Prima Donna. The guy is dedicated and good at what he does. Doesn't strike me as someone interested in 'celebrity'.
Is he the subject of over-intense media coverage? Absolutely.

A bit like a certain Mr Rooney and his meta-wotsit shenanigans.
I don't know why the media has to single out a certain player for intense speculation/coverage and blatantly ignore the rest of the team. Well, actually I think I do. It's to give the great unwashed a simple no-brainer focus without confusing their poor little minds.
Works well, look at the coverage it's getting the final! Not that many years ago, Rugby played a very poor second fiddle to footie - not any more....


Regarding kicking ahead - isn't that the general idea?;)

C'mon chaps, lets thrash those bleddy Seth Efrikaaans and wind the Scots up even more:lol:

[northener]

Nearly forgot.

Good luck to Mr Hamilton. Even if he doesn't clinch it, it's been an astounding year for him.

[Anne x]

Nearly forgot.

Good luck to Mr Hamilton. Even if he doesn't clinch it, it's been an astounding year for him.


yes best of luck a great year for Lewis Hamilton and hes so young with a great future ahead
I for one will be watching it and Mr X

[peter macdonald]

I really hope its a good game and who ever plays the best rugby wins Im never sure about this support the home countries thing as if Scotland had been playing England tonight would all the Scots fans be wishing England well??? Nah dont think so!!!

Re the London media I was listening to Radio 5 for the England Russia football match on Wednesday and when England scored the commentator shouted " A goal just what WE needed" the commentator was Alan Green who is of course Northern Irish from Belfast !!! Sorry Mr Green I thought Northern Ireland were playing Sweden !! Pathetic
The other thing is the buIld up to tonights game with its continual references to "The nation" wrt England Ehh I thought the nation was the UK and the ITV and BBC were national broadcasters
PM

[Blazing Sporrans]

Im never sure about this support the home countries thing as if Scotland had been playing England tonight would all the Scots fans be wishing England well??? Nah dont think so!!!
But here's the rub peter, I'm a proud and patriotic Scot who's also proud to be British. Certainly if it were Scotland -v- England I'd only be rooting for one team (Scotland of course) but to hold the failings of the media against the English national team is to be wholly unfair to them.

[Camel Spider]

Ouch!

Mr Spider, you ought to be ashamed of yourself!

I wouldn't put Mr Wilkinson down as a Prima Donna. The guy is dedicated and good at what he does. Doesn't strike me as someone interested in 'celebrity'.
Is he the subject of over-intense media coverage? Absolutely.

A bit like a certain Mr Rooney and his meta-wotsit shenanigans.
I don't know why the media has to single out a certain player for intense speculation/coverage and blatantly ignore the rest of the team. Well, actually I think I do. It's to give the great unwashed a simple no-brainer focus without confusing their poor little minds.
Works well, look at the coverage it's getting the final! Not that many years ago, Rugby played a very poor second fiddle to footie - not any more....


Regarding kicking ahead - isn't that the general idea?

C'mon chaps, lets thrash those bleddy Seth Efrikaaans and wind the Scots up even more

Ok Fair one .. Maybe calling him Prima Donna was a tiny bit uncalled for. But Rugby for me is playing the game on the ground and scoring tries, not booting it over as soon as it creeps into kicking range. As for Rooney I did hear a rumour he was being signed up as a spokesman for Help the Aged .. ;)

I just hope we get a good game today whatever the score, and as for winding us Scots up .. once you English accept the fact you are just there to keep the Channel off Edinburgh we will all get along .. ;)

[peter macdonald]

"but to hold the failings of the media against the English national team is to be wholly unfair to them."

Im sorry if my post sounded like that as it wasnt meant to be Its just I cant get excited the same if Wales or England or any other home nation is playing football or really any other sport I mean I wonder how many people on here know how Wales did against San Marino or Northern Ireland against Sweden this week????
The other point I was making was about Alan Green being Nothern Irish and referring to England as "we" when the Northern Irish were playing in the same competition
I remember when I was in the USA talking to some Irishmen (Eire) who were horrified to see English supporters "adopting" Ireland as team to support after England were knocked out of the World Cup I was treated to some history of Ireland which I will not bother to repeat here but it just shows you maybe "outside" support isnt sometimes welcolmed !!!!!

[john harrold]

ALL the Best to Lewis Hamilton. But i have heard to much from the English sports comentaters. when the game was on tv the other night i thought England were playing again give us a rest .come on SA.

[northener]

"
I remember when I was in the USA talking to some Irishmen (Eire) who were horrified to see English supporters "adopting" Ireland as team to support after England were knocked out of the World Cup I was treated to some history of Ireland which I will not bother to repeat here but it just shows you maybe "outside" support isnt sometimes welcolmed !!!!!


What a pity that the people you were talking to couldn't separate football from politics.
Any country on the planet could find reason to express disgust at how their neighbours have conducted themselves. It doesn't mean they should use that as a stick to beat people with.

That's as unsavoury as an England supporter chanting 'two world wars and one world cup' at a German supporter.

I was lucky enough to watch the last Rugby Cup final whilst in Sharm El Sheikh in company with a lot of other Brits (not just English), more than a few Aussies and a bunch of Argies. Turned out a couple of them were ex Argie Marines. Shook hands, had far too much beer and it would have been a great experience even if England had lost. No mention of politics or anything.

Thats how it should be.

[footie chick]

Good luck Lewis Hamilton REALLY hope you do it.
As for the rugby come on South Africa!!! lets hope the referee is on your side today as well !!! [evil]




Cannot bear the comentators if England win it will be 66 all over again :~( and then some.

[Boozeburglar]

I am rooting for England, and they need all the help they can get!

C'mon lads!

I cannot understand anyone rooting for S.Africa, unless they have some connection with them.

;)

[footie chick]

[quote=Boozeburglar;285831
I cannot understand anyone rooting for S.Africa, unless they have some connection with them.
[/quote]


I do my kids GR8Grandad is South African and proud of the fact plus the South African commentators are better [lol] they don't seem to bring up the past :roll:

[Boozeburglar]

the South African commentators are better they don't seem to bring up the past

Wonder why.

;)

[Boozeburglar]

I do my kids GR8Grandad is South African and proud of the fact plus the South African commentators are better [lol] they don't seem to bring up the past


I cannot understand anyone rooting for S.Africa, unless they have some connection with them.


So they have a connection.

;)

[Blazing Sporrans]

Okay - hardly a classic but the better team did win. Congrats to the Boks.

[peter macdonald]

Not a brilliant game but sooo exciting !!! The way the English team conducted them selves to the disallowed try was a credit as was the reaction of the commentators Great sportsmanship from both sides Be proud both South Africa and England
PM

[Boozeburglar]

The way the English team conducted them selves to the disallowed try was a credit as was the reaction of the commentators Great sportsmanship from both sides Be proud both South Africa and England
PM

Could not agree more.

Well done England, worthy losers.

;)

[Welcomefamily]

I wish football would learn from it, perhaps they should bring in the 10 yards forward move for questioning a back chating a referee.

[Housewifie]

It was brill, a very close game, they were un lucky with the try, it was a close call.

[Welcomefamily]

Just four more years to wait until the next one.