macinter Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Of course both Rugby Union and Cricket are played at all levels of society, but that does not mask the fact that they are both cornerstones of public school sports, and as such are a firm part of Britain's social elite's culture. They are very much 'establishment' sports at heart despite involvement at other levels of society and as such have a huge advantage over others.. At my state school they had pretentions of being some kind of quasi public school and so competitive football was banned with only 'rugger', cricket and hockey allowed as team sports so I've really resisted all three sports since. They are important sports but along with football they are allowed to dominate the sporting 'conversation' far too much. Which sums the whole thing up quite precisely 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Is Dominoes a Sport? No - it is a Pub Game like Darts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiamondsRock Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Yes I do. I don't like Golf - not my scene - but it is definitely a Sport in my book. How can you classify Golf as a sport and not Snooker? It takes a hell of a lot more skill to control a cue ball than it does to belt a golf ball across a field. Dominoes agreed with though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arson fire Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Is Dominoes a Sport? No - it is a Pub Game like Darts. how do you define sport on that book of yours then?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DEAN MACHINE Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 (edited) Why did some betting companys have Tai not only in the running but quite a fancied to do well if he had bob hope of being in the top 10 ? and Why is the bspa writing a letter to the bbc? Were they led to believe tai would be in the 10? Because writing a letter to the bbc to complain about it is a waste of even the bspa's time .small time sport or not something dosent ring true. Let the conspiracy begin Edited November 28, 2013 by THE DEAN MACHINE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Shovlar Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Greetings from Orlando, just like to point out that Ben Anslie employs a PR company FULL time to make sure he is always in the news when required. I know this because. I was chattering to his PR crew at a party earlier this year. Looks like they did a good job for him. Perhaps Tai should give them a call. Publicity don't come cheap. But in the long run is worth it to get your name out thee. Off for a thanksgiving dinner whatever that is. Happy holidays! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPanther Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Anyone who thinks that golf is all about 'belting a ball across a field' should consult the 60million golfers worldwide, and ask why they don't play on the pro tours against the tour professionals. The skill levels of a top tour professional golfer are beyond comprehension. Knocking other sports, just because speedway is of little or no interest to 99% of the British public, is not going to change the facts.. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 Is Dominoes a Sport? No - it is a Pub Game like Darts. WK, you are making yourself look very foolish. Anyone who thinks that golf is all about 'belting a ball across a field' should consult the 60million golfers worldwide, and ask why they don't play on the pro tours against the tour professionals. The skill levels of a top tour professional golfer are beyond comprehension. Knocking other sports, just because speedway is of little or no interest to 99% of the British public, is not going to change the facts.. Nobody is criticizing golf or suggesting it isn't a sport. Only White Knight is being foolish with his suggestion that darts isn't a sport because fat people can do well at it. He is of course talking utter rubbish. I would actually state that someone like Phil Taylor puts in more training/practice for his sport than most other sportsmen do. The comparison with golf was made in that if darts is not a sport, then neither is golf. Of course they both are. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhamboy66 Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 Also in Orlando but not with Mr Shovlar. Walk down the road and mention Ainslee, Murray etc and most people will have an idea who they are, sadly the same can't be said of Tai. If naming a British World Champion was a question on the game show pointless then Knowing Tai Woffinden would probably be a pointless answer I have no time for the BBC however the Sports Personality of the year is a show whose main intention is to capture viewers and to do that the people selected need to be representative of the audience, sadly Speedway is far from that. Equally Tai isn't well known among the general motorcycling fraternity as can be seen by The sports absence in motorcycle news. Its not a time for slating other sports, someone like Ian Bell was well worth his place due to high quality performances over a full year. Yes a PR company would help but how much would Tai gain. On the other hand the BSPA and British Speedway in general would gain massively from a much higher profile and who knows the financial rewards could be there for the taking. Speculate to accumulate as they say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 Whatever your view on what constitutes a sport those included in the BBC list all have prominent media, especially TV exposure on the major networks. Sports such as sailing and the paralympics do benefit from rather significant TV coverage, even if only every four years in the main. Tell the average person that Tai is a speedway racer and most would ask which car he drives, I suspect. Speedway simply has a low profile, even amongst other minority sports and that's where the real problem lies. Er, yes - but how is that profile going to be raised without some mainstream exposure? And this year Tai as World Champ and with the 'back story' could've been be in there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 All of this minority sport/mainstream sport, is it a sport, isn't it a sport is getting away from the main injustice in that Ben Ainslie is utterly undeserving of his place on this years list. There are many, including Woffinden who have achieved more in their sports in 2013. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike.Butler Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 what is the point of this discussion.?. we all know the BBC has its own agenda. I never watch the thing...it was rigged for year after year and now transparency only goes so far as the actual public voting. can't believe football fans bother to watch either..if a top clubs player is included its pretty certain they will poll loads of votes just cos of their sports fan base.. Find something else to watch and let this farce go uncommented on..best way of discrediting it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_t Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 Why did some betting companys have Tai not only in the running but quite a fancied to do well if he had bob hope of being in the top 10 ? and Why is the bspa writing a letter to the bbc? Were they led to believe tai would be in the 10? Because writing a letter to the bbc to complain about it is a waste of even the bspa's time .small time sport or not something dosent ring true. Let the conspiracy beginBecause they like taking people's money,even Beckham was in the betting,what's he done for the last few years?The fact that Murray is 1/50 shows who they think will win and why they happily offer odds of 150/1 on people who didn't have a cat in hell's chance of being nominated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 Equally Tai isn't well known among the general motorcycling fraternity as can be seen by The sports absence in motorcycle news. I don't think speedway really has anything in common with other motorcycle sports. There's virtually no crossover competitor-wise, and I doubt there's much fan crossover either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 (edited) Here are several reasons BBC should hand Tai Woffinden the award right here, right now... The first... is, well... because I like speedway. Second is easy... I feel good when speedway is mentioned on TV. It gives me extended muscle (if you know what I mean). Third: Tai Woffinden rides speedway... and I like speedway, speedway drivers, team colours and even Jon Cook's one-season ideas... but I do not (DO NOT, I hasten to add) take to anyone that disagrees with me on speedway forums. I study the rules, points limits, and take anyone who disagrees with me as badly as if they'd cut me up in my Morris Minor. I will argue all day. But, looking at it selfishly, If Tai wins, I would feel encouraged and not feel responsible for being nerdy for liking speedway. If Tai wins, I would liken it to finally, after many years o trying, to persuading my mate that Daniel O' Donnell really is the nuts and I was right all along to have followed his entire hit machine. I would be proved right and, despite my hairstyle having not altered much since 1976, the fact that Tai won (that's if his nomination hadn't mysteriously fallen (hidden by the BBC top brass - this reminds me of the Briggo affair, and BBC haven't changed) down the One-Show couch), then I know at least that speedway will be mentioned on the SPOTY show and I won't feel such a loser watching three hours of mind-clunching tat in the hope that speedway will get mentioned and am forced to put off my bath time. Another matter I await... with great anticipation... is will the presenters actually pronounce Tai's name correctly... or will I be ready with pen and paper in hand, prepared to jet off a letter of complaint. After all, I have had to put up with countless hours of SKY TV's live coverage these past 15 years, the shouting and getting names wrong by them of my favourite drivers. I will not stand BBC - who I pay my licence to - for getting Tai's name wrong on the one occasion they may bleeding well say it. I can't wait for the show to arrive now... or Christmas, for that matter... I'm so excited, I could sniff a Wolverhampton speedway fan's armpit. Come on Tai... YOU CAN DO IT! Make my Christmas all the more memorable... My big present this year is a pack of 2013 speedway programmes. I'm even allowed a small drop of QC. Tai winning will be the icing on my cake. Sorted! Edited November 29, 2013 by moxey63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 Er, yes - but how is that profile going to be raised without some mainstream exposure? And this year Tai as World Champ and with the 'back story' could've been be in there... By a fundamental change in mindset when dealing with the media and many years of very hard work. A good starting point would be when making a decision or public announcement considering what impact it would make on the wider world outside speedway and those many lost or future supporters. Of course we should try to exploit Tai's success but it is only a part of a much longer battle. The sport's reputation needs rebuilding in so many ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_t Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 Here are several reasons BBC should hand Tai Woffinden the award right here, right now... The first... is, well... because I like speedway. Second is easy... I feel good when speedway is mentioned on TV. It gives me extended muscle (if you know what I mean). Third: Tai Woffinden rides speedway... and I like speedway, speedway drivers, team colours and even Jon Cook's one-season ideas... but I do not (DO NOT, I hasten to add) take to anyone that disagrees with me on speedway forums. I study the rules, points limits, and take anyone who disagrees with me as badly as if they'd cut me up in my Morris Minor. I will argue all day. But, looking at it selfishly, If Tai wins, I would feel encouraged and not feel responsible for being nerdy for liking speedway. If Tai wins, I would liken it to finally, after many years o trying, to persuading my mate that Daniel O' Donnell really is the nuts and I was right all along to have followed his entire hit machine. I would be proved right and, despite my hairstyle having not altered much since 1976, the fact that Tai won (that's if his nomination hadn't mysteriously fallen (hidden by the BBC top brass - this reminds me of the Briggo affair, and BBC haven't changed) down the One-Show couch), then I know at least that speedway will be mentioned on the SPOTY show and I won't feel such a loser watching three hours of mind-clunching tat in the hope that speedway will get mentioned and am forced to put off my bath time. Another matter I await... with great anticipation... is will the presenters actually pronounce Tai's name correctly... or will I be ready with pen and paper in hand, prepared to jet off a letter of complaint. After all, I have had to put up with countless hours of SKY TV's live coverage these past 15 years, the shouting and getting names wrong by them of my favourite drivers. I will not stand BBC - who I pay my licence to - for getting Tai's name wrong on the one occasion they may bleeding well say it. I can't wait for the show to arrive now... or Christmas, for that matter... I'm so excited, I could sniff a Wolverhampton speedway fan's armpit. Come on Tai... YOU CAN DO IT! Make my Christmas all the more memorable... My big present this year is a pack of 2013 speedway programmes. I'm even allowed a small drop of QC. Tai winning will be the icing on my cake. Sorted! Errrr...you do know he WASN'T nominated...don't you? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 Errrr...you do know he WASN'T nominated...don't you? Shhh. Don't let on, but I think he was taking the pee.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_t Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 Shhh. Don't let on, but I think he was taking the pee....I do hope so ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted November 29, 2013 Report Share Posted November 29, 2013 I do hope so ;-) Yes, indeed I was taking the pee... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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