Glastonbury

[MattC]

(2011-06-28 08:29)To be a Rock and not a Roll Wrote:  

MattC Wrote:...oh - and while i'm venting - Wimbledon - in fact Tennis generally - who gives a monkeys?? ...another monumental waste of money and airtime from the BBC. Basically the BBC in its entirety is dedicated to Wimbledon for two weeks. Tennis isn't so much a sport as a middle class pastime - promoted fanatically by the BBC because its all they've got - i'm certain if the BBC actually did some research they'd find the nation apathetic at best. I'm sure i'm not the only one who's only interest in Tennis is based on which round Andy Murray (and Tim "Come on Tim!" Henman before him) makes an ignominious but deeply satisfying and massively predictable exit...

...apologies for Hijacking your thread with my grumpy middle aged man ranting!

Your largely wrong about the Tennis, I'm not a fan but it is a great sporting contest ( especially in the Mens Game ) were the result is not always known and there is a real contest, unlike say F1.
I don't get the social economic group plays a sport arguement, does that mean people who have a certain upbringing can't have a sport ?
Looks like it's Premier League Football wall to wall then, because the supporters and players come from an 'okay' social group !
Maybe we should go a little further and regionalise all Sports, being from the North of England we could have say... Whippet Racing, Scotland you can have just Football ,,,,,,

The Social Economic argument is perfectly relevant - the game tries not to be elitist, but it is, the whole club structure supports it and the LTA (awash with cash) fails in every initiative to polularise the sport. I personally hold the view that this failure is more down to the dullness of the game rather than the clear socioeconomic factors.

Interesting you bring up F1 - there are exceptions in terms of background (Lewis Hamilton) but ultimately it is something that requires a huge amount of money to get along in even the lower echelons of Motor sport.

I'm not a communist - but these are facts.

Your argument around football and its okay-ness i simply don't understand either. The English Premier League is dull as ditchwater and is in the process (in my view) of self distructing.

My argument was not for or against any sports existence - but more that Tennis gets a disproportionate amount of coverage by the nationally owned and funded broadcaster. We pay Tim Henman £15k a day for his words of wisdom....hmmmm....

Better let the market decide and take Wimbledon off the list of crown Jewel British sporting events (where it has no right to be) and see how much the commercial broadcasters think its worth. I'd say that its about as popular - and has the same general audience - as the Badminton Horse trials.

Yes i'm from the north - and yes - i'd prefer to watch whippet racing than Tennis (even Womens Tennis) - but i don't follow where you're going with that point.

[billzab]

(2011-06-29 19:04)MattC Wrote:  

(2011-06-28 08:29)To be a Rock and not a Roll Wrote:  

MattC Wrote:...oh - and while i'm venting - Wimbledon - in fact Tennis generally - who gives a monkeys?? ...another monumental waste of money and airtime from the BBC. Basically the BBC in its entirety is dedicated to Wimbledon for two weeks. Tennis isn't so much a sport as a middle class pastime - promoted fanatically by the BBC because its all they've got - i'm certain if the BBC actually did some research they'd find the nation apathetic at best. I'm sure i'm not the only one who's only interest in Tennis is based on which round Andy Murray (and Tim "Come on Tim!" Henman before him) makes an ignominious but deeply satisfying and massively predictable exit...

...apologies for Hijacking your thread with my grumpy middle aged man ranting!

Your largely wrong about the Tennis, I'm not a fan but it is a great sporting contest ( especially in the Mens Game ) were the result is not always known and there is a real contest, unlike say F1.
I don't get the social economic group plays a sport arguement, does that mean people who have a certain upbringing can't have a sport ?
Looks like it's Premier League Football wall to wall then, because the supporters and players come from an 'okay' social group !
Maybe we should go a little further and regionalise all Sports, being from the North of England we could have say... Whippet Racing, Scotland you can have just Football ,,,,,,

The Social Economic argument is perfectly relevant - the game tries not to be elitist, but it is, the whole club structure supports it and the LTA (awash with cash) fails in every initiative to polularise the sport. I personally hold the view that this failure is more down to the dullness of the game rather than the clear socioeconomic factors.

Interesting you bring up F1 - there are exceptions in terms of background (Lewis Hamilton) but ultimately it is something that requires a huge amount of money to get along in even the lower echelons of Motor sport.

I'm not a communist - but these are facts.

Your argument around football and its okay-ness i simply don't understand either. The English Premier League is dull as ditchwater and is in the process (in my view) of self distructing.

My argument was not for or against any sports existence - but more that Tennis gets a disproportionate amount of coverage by the nationally owned and funded broadcaster. We pay Tim Henman £15k a day for his words of wisdom....hmmmm....

Better let the market decide and take Wimbledon off the list of crown Jewel British sporting events (where it has no right to be) and see how much the commercial broadcasters think its worth. I'd say that its about as popular - and has the same general audience - as the Badminton Horse trials.

Yes i'm from the north - and yes - i'd prefer to watch whippet racing than Tennis (even Womens Tennis) - but i don't follow where you're going with that point.

Just watched Andy Murray get to the semi's for the third year in a row I love Tennis

If you think the English Premier League is bad you should try watching the SPL (Scottish Premier League). Theres not many football leagues as good as the English Premier League. It's usually a 4 or 5 team race for the title. Here in Scotland we have a two team race every year. Boring.

Was very impressed to find out that you can train horses to play Badminton. Must watch out for that on the BBC. When is it on?

Bill.