Not enough Olympics already

[Arborbridge]

The BBC providing far too much coverage of dressage which is a very minority sport both tonight and last night.

Hardly any coverage of the rugby 7s.

Well, my wife would have a different view! She recorded a whole two hours of the Olympics to see Charlotte Dujardin and complained bitterly that they showed only a couple of minutes in a roundup.
Clearly she must have missed recording the main event somehow.

And as for the comment by someone that "at least she didn't fall off", this shows a woeful ignorance of the complexities of dressage and the dedication of the rider in years of training a horse. For goodness sake, this woman has becoming our leading gold medal winner, and that's all you can say about it?

And I'm sorry zico, when she said it's a young and inexperienced horse, she wasn't blaming the horse but explaining the reality that it's the horse and rider who train as a unit and that unit needs years of practice and experience to hone the skills needed. She would be the first the credit the horse for his part in the combined effort.

I suppose cynics are the order of the day here, but even if we don't enjoy these sports, we should try to appreciate all them in their own terms and the extreme dedication of the people involved. Those who can do, those who can't criticise - but I know whom I would admire most.

I suppose next we'll have people unmoved by watching Bethany Schriever winning gold next. It's "just" a BMX race, but who couldn't admire that effort which left her totally exhausted at the end? Well, don't answer that

Arb.

Arb.

[Arborbridge]

I had wondered whether the studio was in Tokyo, or in a barn somewhere with lots of CGI providing the set. If you're correct I was right to be concerned

Well at least the table's real ...
https://twitter.com/chrishoy/status/1418581742810767362

I have always wondered just WHY presenters need to be at the scene of what they are reporting about
In the case of Olympics\WorldCup\any other major sporting event, it's just a jolly for the lucky presenters
It's the same with news reporters what value does it add to have the hack outside a landmark or he the scene
I think Colin Baker would agree with me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVYhCBVKfW8
and there was a joke in the army that if BBC reporter Kate Adie turned up on the scene, they knew they were in trouble.

I don't object to reporters, particularly at sports events actually being there. There is no other way to really see what's going on and spot the details - otherwise why would any of us bother to go anywhere?

The ones I object to are the "famous" TV personalities who present travel programs. These have multiplied in the past five or so years and they really do smack of their managers looking out for a good "wheeze" for them to make money at our expense. It's become endemic and annoying that anyone with a reasonably well known face but absolutely no knowledge should be given these freebies. You could reasonably say I'm envious, but it's not that - it's the clear lack of expertise and the feeling it's all just invented for the sake of a jolly.

Back in the "old days" of a few years back, people who showed real expertise or talent could get away with it: Michael Palin, Julia Bradbury, Michael Portillo, Mary Beard had real ideas and came up with good programs where effort was put into detail. Or if it's a genuine expert - say a historian or archaeologist visiting a site - that's fine by me. But z listers who know nothing outside the script can stay at home.

Arb.

[Dod101]

The BBC providing far too much coverage of dressage which is a very minority sport both tonight and last night.

Hardly any coverage of the rugby 7s.

Well, my wife would have a different view! She recorded a whole two hours of the Olympics to see Charlotte Dujardin and complained bitterly that they showed only a couple of minutes in a roundup.
Clearly she must have missed recording the main event somehow.

And as for the comment by someone that "at least she didn't fall off", this shows a woeful ignorance of the complexities of dressage and the dedication of the rider in years of training a horse. For goodness sake, this woman has becoming our leading gold medal winner, and that's all you can say about it?

And I'm sorry zico, when she said it's a young and inexperienced horse, she wasn't blaming the horse but explaining the reality that it's the horse and rider who train as a unit and that unit needs years of practice and experience to hone the skills needed. She would be the first the credit the horse for his part in the combined effort.

I suppose cynics are the order of the day here, but even if we don't enjoy these sports, we should try to appreciate all them in their own terms and the extreme dedication of the people involved. Those who can do, those who can't criticise - but I know whom I would admire most.

I suppose next we'll have people unmoved by watching Bethany Schriever winning gold next. It's "just" a BMX race, but who couldn't admire that effort which left her totally exhausted at the end? Well, don't answer that

Arb.

Arb.

I have no great interest in the Olympics but it is one reason why I tend to read little of these Boards except for the investment ones. Cynicism is very much the order of the day and it is a not very becoming trait or style of writing.

Dod

[Arborbridge]

I have no great interest in the Olympics but it is one reason why I tend to read little of these Boards except for the investment ones. Cynicism is very much the order of the day and it is a not very becoming trait or style of writing.

Dod

Yes, it does seem to infect most of the boards. I guess it's just easy for the paper tigers to clack away
but it smacks of not being able to appreciate another person's lifestyle, situation or POV which isn't a good basis for a happy world.

Arb.

[Watis]

And as for the comment by someone that "at least she didn't fall off", this shows a woeful ignorance of the complexities of dressage and the dedication of the rider in years of training a horse. For goodness sake, this woman has becoming our leading gold medal winner, and that's all you can say about it?

Arb.

That was my comment, intended to be a tongue in cheek response to the previous post. Perhaps I should have added a smiley.

So, to be clear, Charlotte has my full respect for her achievements in Dressage.

Watis

[Dod101]

And as for the comment by someone that "at least she didn't fall off", this shows a woeful ignorance of the complexities of dressage and the dedication of the rider in years of training a horse. For goodness sake, this woman has becoming our leading gold medal winner, and that's all you can say about it?

Arb.

That was my comment, intended to be a tongue in cheek response to the previous post. Perhaps I should have added a smiley.

So, to be clear, Charlotte has my full respect for her achievements in Dressage.

Watis

And that of course is a weakness of the Boards, any site actually. It is not easy to pick up 'asides' which would pass us by in conversation. They can be examined and studied in print and nuances tend to be lost.

Dod

[Arborbridge]

And as for the comment by someone that "at least she didn't fall off", this shows a woeful ignorance of the complexities of dressage and the dedication of the rider in years of training a horse. For goodness sake, this woman has becoming our leading gold medal winner, and that's all you can say about it?

Arb.

That was my comment, intended to be a tongue in cheek response to the previous post. Perhaps I should have added a smiley.

So, to be clear, Charlotte has my full respect for her achievements in Dressage.

Watis

OK, I did wonder if it was tongue in cheek. The various comments jarred with me because I have relatives-in-law who compete in dressage at country level (France and Hungary). Although I'm not especially interested myself, I know a little of the sport from watching and listening to them.


Arb.

[pje16]

I don't object to reporters, particularly at sports events actually being there. There is no other way to really see what's going on and spot the details - otherwise why would any of us bother to go anywhere?
Arb.

I disagree, take foootball as an example why do they pore over replays and multiple camera angles, which show much more than the initial live view
You go for atmosphere, the best actual view is always your front room

[dealtn]

Back in the "old days" of a few years back, people who showed real expertise or talent could get away with it: Michael Palin, Julia Bradbury, Michael Portillo, Mary Beard had real ideas and came up with good programs where effort was put into detail. Or if it's a genuine expert - say a historian or archaeologist visiting a site - that's fine by me. But z listers who know nothing outside the script can stay at home.

Arb.

Or you could exercise the option of not watching. Most such programmes are "entertainment" and work to the same rules of demand as others. Many like to watch them.

[scrumpyjack]

I haven't watched any, but good luck to those that are interested.

Plus ca change? As Juvenal said in Roman times 'panem et circenses'

[didds]

- and sometimes that's done exceptionally well and everyone wants the opperchancity to be the next... dunno... Steve Backshall seeing a whale? ( https://youtu.be/T2Xsfb4cT9Y and what a job he did off the cuff)

-sd

and the classic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqLpNlfruHY

[pje16]

and the classic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqLpNlfruHY

Very good
Guess she was standing in the wrong plaice

[MrFoolish]

The dressage is more akin to a circus performance than a serious competitive sport. Olympic events should be about individual athleticism and preferably not too subjective. Making a horse prance about is stretching things too far in my opinion.

[pje16]

Brilliantly summed up
Also, if it was a paupers "sport" it would never have made the Olympics

[dionaeamuscipula]

For the majority of the reportage that's true
- BUT there's always got to be someone who starts the chain of data through the fourth estate
- and sometimes that's done exceptionally well and everyone wants the opperchancity to be the next... dunno... Steve Backshall seeing a whale? ( https://youtu.be/T2Xsfb4cT9Y and what a job he did off the cuff)

-sd

And to bring this back around, Steve Backshall is married to....Olympian Helen Glover

DM

[servodude]

For the majority of the reportage that's true
- BUT there's always got to be someone who starts the chain of data through the fourth estate
- and sometimes that's done exceptionally well and everyone wants the opperchancity to be the next... dunno... Steve Backshall seeing a whale? ( https://youtu.be/T2Xsfb4cT9Y and what a job he did off the cuff)

-sd

And to bring this back around, Steve Backshall is married to....Olympian Helen Glover

DM

Now THAT I didn't know.
I met him (with my kids) a few years ago when he did a public meet and greet event as part of his speaking tour and he seems like an utter gent (show was also fascinating)
- might be just a little TOO interested in to being bitten by nasty ants though
-sd

[moorfield]

The dressage is more akin to a circus performance than a serious competitive sport. Olympic events should be about individual athleticism and preferably not too subjective. Making a horse prance about is stretching things too far in my opinion.

Not at all, you're very wrong on that. Dressage originates from the military training of horses to make them highly manoeuvrable on a battlefield - you couldn't get more seriously competitive than that! - and the riders are exceptional athletes in their core strength - shoulders, back, pelvis, hips, thighs. Watch the Dujardin video again and look at just what her hands, bum and legs are doing - you won't notice much I guess but that is where all the control is coming from and it's mightily impressive, I couldn't get anywhere close to that I can only just about manage a slow trot! It's not an individual sport being a test of both rider and horse, as I mentioned above it's the only one at the Olympics in which men and women of all ages compete on equal terms which makes it more interesting. Show jumping next, it gets better ...

[pje16]

as I mentioned above it's the only one in which men and women of all ages compete on equal terms which makes it more interesting.

which suggests that the horse adds more than a little bit to it

[moorfield]

as I mentioned above it's the only one in which men and women of all ages compete on equal terms which makes it more interesting.

which suggests that the horse adds more than a little bit to it

Yes indeed. Those German horses were v good.

[MrFoolish]

It's not an individual sport being a test of both rider and horse

Which is another reason I don't think it should be in the Olympics. How can you award medals when so much of it comes down to the horse? Perhaps the horse should get a medal too - how big is the podium?