WHAT A FARCE ... AGAIN!

[Baldyman]

So not as many as compared to speedway fans??? I'm guessing it was brought in at speedway so it gives people something to do in between races.  

I've watched many sports on TV and been to a fair few and it's never a stand out thing I've seen the fans do . 

I go to superbikes, touring cars, moto gp..to name a few..and have never felt the need to write down the order they finish in, along with the majority of people at those sports I would imagine.

So I imagine it's done at speedway more than any other sport. 

Not that I have a problem with that...but like I've said..I just find it strange.  

Edited December 21, 2017 by Baldyman

[BWitcher]

1 hour ago, Mr. Clemens said:

We told the person '15 races, 2 riders from each side, 3pts for 1st, 2 for 2nd etc'. But they wanted to know the deeper intricate down home country rules - which you perfectly understood - and we told them not to worry about them as they change them every other week.

 

Of course they did.

What rules were these 'intricate' rules that they were enquiring about then that change 'every other week'. Feel free to name just one.

[orion]

Some great posts on here, I remember seeing some people who were at a golf tournament for the first time and wanted to know all the rules ..when I told about the two length  club l rule when you take a drop they just laughed  and left the course saying they would. never come back .

Edited December 21, 2017 by orion

[martinmauger]

4 hours ago, Baldyman said:

So not as many as compared to speedway fans??? I'm guessing it was brought in at speedway so it gives people something to do in between races.  

I've watched many sports on TV and been to a fair few and it's never a stand out thing I've seen the fans do . 

I go to superbikes, touring cars, moto gp..to name a few..and have never felt the need to write down the order they finish in, along with the majority of people at those sports I would imagine.

So I imagine it's done at speedway more than any other sport. 

Not that I have a problem with that...but like I've said..I just find it strange.  

Some fans do write down such things for other mortorsports; qualifying times, 'timed' & 'untimed' practice laps + lap times during the race actual: for F1, F3, F Ford, Touring Cars, Ginetta Cup, BSB, MotoGP, etc.  Just think; lap times of each car for a full-distance F1 race, 70 laps or so, I know folk who do just that .   A publication which would be a programme to speedway fans, they call a 'scoresheet' (or timing sheet, don't recall) and the actual 'race programme' is akin to a full-blown magazine.  So it does happen in other motorsports.  Filling in proggies is a choice for speedway fans but as a meeting is a 'flowing' competition with natural breask, between heats, it's difficult to keep track without a proggie if you are really following the scores....

[Baldyman]

Yes some other sports fill in such things but I don't see many..in fact I've never seen anyone....but at speedway I would imagine a good 90 percent fill in the programme..Maybe even more.   

Next time I'm at or watching another sport I shall see if can see anyone do it.  

 

Speedway is 4 riders ..I can see where they finish, I've no need to write it down.    Anyway, I think this has been done to death now.

[BWitcher]

Just now, Baldyman said:

Yes some other sports fill in such things but I don't see many..in fact I've never seen anyone....but at speedway I would imagine a good 90 percent fill in the programme..Maybe even more.   

Next time I'm at or watching another sport I shall see if can see anyone do it.  

 

Speedway is 4 riders ..I can see where they finish, I've no need to write it down.    Anyway, I think this has been done to death now.

I've taken many new folk to the sport over the years.

Not once, ever has any one of them questioned filling a programme in. Indeed they've all been keen to do it and found it very useful to look back to see how riders had done earlier in the meeting. 

The other important aspect of course is the complete lack of scoreboards at speedway. Most sports you have something somewhere telling you the score.

[martinmauger]

Plus, laters when you review a meeting or even an incedent  comments like "Fell, hit fence, bike too damaged to contimue" I find it takes you back and you remember loads more.

Returning briefly to F1, I know peeps who when playing video games on Xbox P Stations always do the full race distance: 70 or so laps over 1 1/2 hours, playing over a few weeks or so the full 18 races or so season.   With the obligatory steering wheel and pedals game controllers.  And some say speedway fans are anorak geeks; on the rare occasions I can be bothered I get bored playing racing games over more than 25 laps....

 

[Baldyman]

Speedway is geeky in its little way...not that it's a problem to me...I watch the racing and go home and maybe make comments about what I've seen on this forum...which is probably geeky

Maybe more should be made of the statistics and geeky side of the sport as someone has suggested previously.  Maybe 4 blokes on motorbikes isn't as appealing as putting numbers in boxes and crossing out names and putting other names in spaces.   Each to their own and all that.

[alkadera]

2 hours ago, Baldyman said:

Speedway is geeky in its little way...not that it's a problem to me...I watch the racing and go home and maybe make comments about what I've seen on this forum...which is probably geeky

Maybe more should be made of the statistics and geeky side of the sport as someone has suggested previously.  Maybe 4 blokes on motorbikes isn't as appealing as putting numbers in boxes and crossing out names and putting other names in spaces.   Each to their own and all that.

Definitely speedway should make more of its statistics. Watching sports on TV the majority have done so. Football, for example, each player has distance run, passes completed(% and number of), shots on and off target, activity zones to name just a few. NFL commentary is packed with stats too. Same for rugby, cricket, F1....

There are so many stats that speedway could work with. We only scrape the surface with averages and gate position scores. Head to head results for each rider, performance at each track, performance in each team position, number of each heat result(5-1, 4-2 etc) overall and against each team, rider partnerships performance, heat 15 performance etc.

Stats are commonplace in sport now. Why not speedway? At the very least, it would give Nigel and Kelvin something different to talk about between races.

[BWitcher]

6 hours ago, Baldyman said:

 

Maybe more should be made of the statistics and geeky side of the sport as someone has suggested previously.  Maybe 4 blokes on motorbikes isn't as appealing as putting numbers in boxes and crossing out names and putting other names in spaces.   Each to their own and all that.

Once again you are utterly wrong in your observation.

Your constant reference to 'geeky' is way out of date. Stats are massively popular. Every single sport on TV the coverage is laden with stats. Fantasy Sports which is immensely popular is all stats.

Definition of geek:

an unfashionable or socially inept person.

Doesn't quite fit the bill I'm afraid.

 

[BWitcher]

3 hours ago, alkadera said:

 

There are so many stats that speedway could work with. We only scrape the surface with averages and gate position scores. Head to head results for each rider, performance at each track, performance in each team position, number of each heat result(5-1, 4-2 etc) overall and against each team, rider partnerships performance, heat 15 performance etc.

 

Exactly.. and some of these stats could be immensely useful to team managers as well.. 

 

[SteveLyric2]

9 hours ago, BWitcher said:

I've taken many new folk to the sport over the years.

Not once, ever has any one of them questioned filling a programme in. Indeed they've all been keen to do it and found it very useful to look back to see how riders had done earlier in the meeting. 

The other important aspect of course is the complete lack of scoreboards at speedway. Most sports you have something somewhere telling you the score.

You need to get out more - and visit some of the more professionally run clubs  with scoreboards!!

[Baldyman]

3 hours ago, BWitcher said:

Once again you are utterly wrong in your observation.

Your constant reference to 'geeky' is way out of date. Stats are massively popular. Every single sport on TV the coverage is laden with stats. Fantasy Sports which is immensely popular is all stats.

Definition of geek:

an unfashionable or socially inept person.

Doesn't quite fit the bill I'm afraid.

 

No I'm not utterly wrong....its my opinion.  Believe it or not I'm allowed one. 

[Baldyman]

I shall do a poll down the pub later...it will be full of football fans.....I shall ask if any of them give a single toss about the statistics of passes and distance run and the other stuff  mentioned.   I very much doubt the average fans could give a single one...I'm sure they just want to watch a good match with goals and  their team winning.....you wouldn't hear a fan in the  stand saying to his mate.. Our striker touched the ball 20 times last match and ran a distance of 400 metres and passed the ball so many times........the statistics are for the half hour chat on the build up to the game on the TV.

 

 

[WRDukes]

With regard to stats in football - Sky Sports are obsessed with them. Most meters run, most touches of ball, most assists, most tackles - the list goes on. Then again it's probably just a time filler on Sky.  I'm no football fan so don't find the stats of any interest and I very much doubt fans are either?  Team managers and coaches yes, in fact many clubs employee someone to compile the stats.  With regard to football the one stat that would interest me is just how many times these "professionals" fall over every match.

 

[BWitcher]

44 minutes ago, Baldyman said:

No I'm not utterly wrong....its my opinion.  Believe it or not I'm allowed one. 

You might wish to learn what an opinion is.

You have stated that having an interested in stats is 'unfashionable or socially inept'. That is incorrect, therefore you are wrong. Nothing to do with opinion.

Now, if you'd simply said it didn't interest you, that's your opinion and is fair enough.

Edited December 22, 2017 by BWitcher

[Baldyman]

It's my opinion that people that have an interest in stats are unfashionable and socially inept.    

[Fourentee]

8 hours ago, alkadera said:

Definitely speedway should make more of its statistics. Watching sports on TV the majority have done so. Football, for example, each player has distance run, passes completed(% and number of), shots on and off target, activity zones to name just a few. NFL commentary is packed with stats too. Same for rugby, cricket, F1....

There are so many stats that speedway could work with. We only scrape the surface with averages and gate position scores. Head to head results for each rider, performance at each track, performance in each team position, number of each heat result(5-1, 4-2 etc) overall and against each team, rider partnerships performance, heat 15 performance etc.

Stats are commonplace in sport now. Why not speedway? At the very least, it would give Nigel and Kelvin something different to talk about between races.

I agree. Adrian Smith makes much the same point in the Speedway Star this week.

[BWitcher]

10 minutes ago, Baldyman said:

It's my opinion that people that have an interest in stats are unfashionable and socially inept.    

Let us hear the reasoning behind this 'opinion' of yours?

Statistics is a multi BILLION dollar industry in sports alone due to it's popularity with MILLIONS.

Quite clearly it is not 'unfashionable'.

As said, you are wrong.

[alkadera]

In my opinion speedway is a perfect sport to use statistics to generate extra interest/something to talk about/ listen to on tv. Team make up is decided by statistics so why not include more? Programmes/club websites could include much more in match previews. E.g Lindgren vs Doyle head to head results this season home and away, heat 15 performances overall and head to head. It’s something else for supporters to talk about in the time between each race, can be highlighted by centre green presenters to build tension and atmosphere - much better that than crap music from the 70s and 80s.

It’s not about carrying around a log book to record every little thing at a meeting that your traditional statto may have done, it’s about trying to give supporters more - if they’re talking about something to do with the match, they won’t be moaning about the length of time between heats etc.