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It is fascinating how in defence of this it's never about the sporting characteristics of the event.

Next it'll be "Yes but London turns up to the opening of a door so long as the press makes out it's an event."

 

2 warning points:kolobok_dirol:  Non-Political

 

 

 

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On 07/04/2022 at 07:22, gingerjon said:

I lived in Mortlake, very close to the finish line, and went along once. It was fine. You don't see much and have to put up with a lot of honkers but it's like a road being taken over for a marathon or a bike race once a year or something.

The downside was that every pub and restaurant for miles around was then filled with increasingly tiddly Oxbridgers of the worst kind for the rest of the day.

But, again, good for business and back to normal the next day.

(This was a fair while back now so it could all be different).

What are the worst kinds of tiddly Oxbridgers? Does it stretch to a top 5 list?

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On 07/04/2022 at 07:22, gingerjon said:

I lived in Mortlake, very close to the finish line, and went along once. It was fine. You don't see much and have to put up with a lot of honkers but it's like a road being taken over for a marathon or a bike race once a year or something.

The downside was that every pub and restaurant for miles around was then filled with increasingly tiddly Oxbridgers of the worst kind for the rest of the day.

But, again, good for business and back to normal the next day.

(This was a fair while back now so it could all be different).

One of those days that you choose to go off for the day, and when you come back, everyone else has gone home. Best way to tolerate local events you have no interest in.

Edited by Northern Eel
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It's one of those things the Beeb insists on showing to prove what a lefty organisation it is, was and always will be.

 

 

 

2 warning points:kolobok_dirol:  Non-Political

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Oxford said:

It's one of those things the Beeb insists on showing to prove what a lefty organisation it is, was and always will be.

Except all those years when ITV had the rights.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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On 07/04/2022 at 08:40, Oxford said:

It is fascinating how in defence of this it's never about the sporting characteristics of the event.

The moaning about it is never about the sporting characteristics of it either. 

IMO, it's dull, but less dull than say motor racing or golf. Still, some people like to watch those sports. It doesn't involve people being paid large sums of money, or indeed any money at all. It does feature people who are enormously dedicated athletes, among the very best in the world at what they do. It's half an hour of cheap tv that gets good ratings. No-one is forced to watch. 

 

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4 hours ago, JonM said:

The moaning about it is never about the sporting characteristics of it either. 

IMO, it's dull, but less dull than say motor racing or golf. Still, some people like to watch those sports. It doesn't involve people being paid large sums of money, or indeed any money at all. It does feature people who are enormously dedicated athletes, among the very best in the world at what they do. It's half an hour of cheap tv that gets good ratings. No-one is forced to watch. 

 

I bet it's not particularly cheap TV to produce with all the multiple outside broadcast locations to cover.

Unfortunately it appears to generate unfathomably high viewing figures.

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8 hours ago, JonM said:

The moaning about it is never about the sporting characteristics of it either. 

IMO, it's dull, but less dull than say motor racing or golf. Still, some people like to watch those sports. It doesn't involve people being paid large sums of money, or indeed any money at all. It does feature people who are enormously dedicated athletes, among the very best in the world at what they do. It's half an hour of cheap tv that gets good ratings. No-one is forced to watch. 

 

What you've just said is fascinating, Jon.

They're dull sports but saying they're dull is moaning about them.

The role of money and its attendant effects is essentially what the discussion is all about.

There are other very important elements too. The Boat Race doesn't just speak volumes it screams them at you.

My Grandad used to say that the Oxbridge ru match was the best version of rugby "No quarter asked and none given!" It's terrible when growing up you discover that the people you love don't know what they're talking about and you can't rely on their advice and opinions any more.  And you have to depend on your own and not worry if someone doesn't agree.

 

2 warning points:kolobok_dirol:  Non-Political

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Oxford said:

What you've just said is fascinating, Jon.

They're dull sports but saying they're dull is moaning about them.

The role of money and its attendant effects is essentially what the discussion is all about.

There are other very important elements too. The Boat Race doesn't just speak volumes it screams them at you.

My Grandad used to say that the Oxbridge ru match was the best version of rugby "No quarter asked and none given!" It's terrible when growing up you discover that the people you love don't know what they're talking about and you can't rely on their advice and opinions any more.  And you have to depend on your own and not worry if someone doesn't agree.

The Oxbridge RU match has largely died a death as an event from what I can tell. Seems to have been on at Twickenham last weekend. Didn't see any press or tv coverage. We were actually in Oxford, with the former head of one of the colleges, and he didn't mention it, and I know he follows rugby (union and league - a Dewsbury fan, improbably). 

I think people might be surprised at how big a participation sport rowing is outside the university in Cambridge. My ex-employer had multiple mens and womens teams, and I don't believe any Oxbridge graduates were involved. The "town bumps" races typically have around 100 teams taking part and many thousands of people watching (and BARLA style committee spats over who is or is not eligible to take part).

It's sufficiently popular that there is a charity which has spent the last twenty years buying land to build a second river, parallel to the existing one. They've scaled back their ambition somewhat (now planning to build a couple of miles of dedicated rowing lanes next to the river along with cycle and running tracks, facilities for anglers etc.) but it's slowly taking shape. 

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