Which is the silliest Winter Olympics sport?

[LMcD]

I'm sad to read descriptions of the Winter olympics as "silly"....I admire the people who compete as courageous, dedicated and skilful.

I find many of the events both more beautiful and more compelling to watch (and less big-name starry) than the "Summer" Olympics, most especially the Snowboarding (if you find timed events dull, try Snowboard Cross - like motocross but on... snowboards) and the Alpine Skiing, both which in all their varieties offer a spectacle of wonderful landscapes, great, even reckless skill, bravery and endurance. The much-postponed Men's Downhill was a terrific watch, and won by one of the oldest competitors, the 35-year-old Norwegian Svindal - the oldest ever Skiing Champion, who traded risks for speed at every bump, jump and turn, on the ragged edge!
Looking forward to the Womens' Super-G tonight - these post-midnight starts really suit night-owls...

You know, you don't have to watch it. Why watch, only to skit and sneer? Go off and play a symphony or something. That'll make you feel better in a good way, rather than just better than the Winter Olympics Competitors, or those of us who enjoy them...

I know I don't have to watch it - what I object to is its constant incursion into mainstream news bulletins and other current affairs programmes when there are more important issues to be covered. There are surely enough dedicated sports bulletins to satisfy those to whom these things are important. Self-indulgent coverage of the kind the BBC are indulging in does the competitors concerned no favours. Unfortunately, the BBC has so little live sports coverage these days that it tirelessly overhypes those events that it does broadcast.

[jayne lee wilson]

I know I don't have to watch it - what I object to is its constant incursion into mainstream news bulletins and other current affairs programmes when there are more important issues to be covered. There are surely enough dedicated sports bulletins to satisfy those to whom these things are important. Self-indulgent coverage of the kind the BBC are indulging in does the competitors concerned no favours. Unfortunately, the BBC has so little live sports coverage these days that it tirelessly overhypes those events that it does broadcast.

I must say, relying usually on BBC News 24 or Sky News, I haven't noticed any "constant incursion" as these channels tend to have a regular Sports Report on the half or quarter hour, very useful for catching up (and their Newspaper Previews at 22/2330 are an addiction of mine too).
As for "other current affairs programmes", which? Not many Olympic Stories on my beloved Newsnight recently....

[LMcD]

'Today' on Radio 4 has certainly been infiltrated (outside its sports bulletins). The man who slid downhill on a tray was asked how he felt about winning, how he felt before he slid, how he felt after sliding, how he rated the chances of a young lady who was sliding later, how she would be feeling, and so on (and on). I was heartened to learn that, after his victory, 'GB Sport's medal campaign was rolling'....
For what it's worth - I am a great fan of the 6 Nations Championship and the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships and would be the first to agree that, here too, the BBC goes way OTT. Most people presumably have access to the red button and/or the BBC sports website, both of which presumably have sufficient space for the extensive coverage which enthusiasts crave. I genuinely have every sympathy with non-sports (or at least non-tennis) viewers who resent seeing BBC 2 handed over to a single event for hours at a time day after day.

[johncorrigan]

At the risk of deviating from the OP, I think you may be on thin ice complaining about netball. When played properly it certainly seems a proper sport to me.

I don't disagree that netball players require great skill, finesse and fitness - but for me, a sport which does not allow you to move when you have the ball, and where only a couple of players are allowed to score seems silly to me.

[Hornspieler]

I know I don't have to watch it - what I object to is its constant incursion into mainstream news bulletins and other current affairs programmes when there are more important issues to be covered. There are surely enough dedicated sports bulletins to satisfy those to whom these things are important. Self-indulgent coverage of the kind the BBC are indulging in does the competitors concerned no favours. Unfortunately, the BBC has so little live sports coverage these days that it tirelessly overhypes those events that it does broadcast.

Well spoken Sir! Suffering the interruptions and lack of important World and Political news was bad enough during last year's Olympic Games (even though they were happenings in the United Kingdom) , but this is apalling.

We have Sky Sports, Eurosport and BT Sport to cover these events with informed comment on ALL sporting activities. The BBC and ITV news should leave it to the expertise and knowledge of those TV channels and concentrate on those matters which affect their licence payers.

HS

[Old Grumpy]

Well spoken Sir! Suffering the interruptions and lack of important World and Political news was bad enough during last year's Olympic Games (even though they were happenings in the United Kingdom) , but this is apalling.

We have Sky Sports, Eurosport and BT Sport to cover these events with informed comment on ALL sporting activities. The BBC and ITV news should leave it to the expertise and knowledge of those TV channels and concentrate on those matters which affect their licence payers.

HS

Hear, Hear!

[mercia]

is Skeleton so-named because of the number of fatalities ?

[teamsaint]

Well spoken Sir! Suffering the interruptions and lack of important World and Political news was bad enough during last year's Olympic Games (even though they were happenings in the United Kingdom) , but this is apalling.

We have Sky Sports, Eurosport and BT Sport to cover these events with informed comment on ALL sporting activities. The BBC and ITV news should leave it to the expertise and knowledge of those TV channels and concentrate on those matters which affect their licence payers.

HS

Lots of licence fee payers who like sport and music get poor service from BBC TV. They are just as entitled to get something for their money as "news" enthusiasts.

( Has the dedicated BBC news channel been full of Winter Olympic coverage ?)

[vinteuil]

... what I object to is its constant incursion into mainstream news bulletins and other current affairs programmes when there are more important issues to be covered. There are surely enough dedicated sports bulletins to satisfy those to whom these things are important. .

... come now, let's be brave. Let's ban sports entirely - that would be my plan. After all there are excellent precedents, all to be applauded -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attempts_to_ban_football_games

( I pertick'ly liked - "By 1608, the local authorities in Manchester were complaining that: "With the ffotebale...[there] hath beene greate disorder in our towne of Manchester we are told, and glasse windowes broken yearlye and spoyled by a companie of lewd and disordered persons" ..." )


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[LMcD]

She's fallen over again. She's in tears again. I wonder how often the offending clip will be shown/analysed/assessed/debated in the next few hours?

[vinteuil]

She's fallen over again. She's in tears again. I wonder how often the offending clip will be shown/analysed/assessed/debated in the next few hours?

... as we speak, Doctoral Theses are already bein' written...

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[LMcD]

From the BBC commentary: 'Once again she ends up in a distraught heap on the floor'. Must have been some hen party

[johncorrigan]

Lots of licence fee payers who like sport and music get poor service from BBC TV. They are just as entitled to get something for their money as "news" enthusiasts.

( Has the dedicated BBC news channel been full of Winter Olympic coverage ?)

Couldn't agree more, sainty.

[jayne lee wilson]

Lots of licence fee payers who like sport and music get poor service from BBC TV. They are just as entitled to get something for their money as "news" enthusiasts.

( Has the dedicated BBC news channel been full of Winter Olympic coverage ?)

NO, just the regular Sports Report summaries (and one or two proud parents) - as I said, very useful if you're a fan...

What about the Womens' Super-G then? WOW! wow....

Dazzling skies, sparkling snow, the swish of skis as downhill speed is mixed with twists turns and jumps.... all the main competitors, (many cutting in on both edges at 30 degrees to the snow) were down, some stations were announcing and interviewing gold-silver-bronze winners (BBC knew better...)... then, running 26th**, Ester Ledecka (better-known for snowboarding) clips off 1/100th of a second to take Gold!
She stood motionless at the end of the run, mouthing "...no..." "Oh, yes, you have" said the commentator gleefully. Then the joy slowly dawned... first person to congratulate her was... the woman she'd just beaten, of course. What a great and wonderful moment.
Great story, well-told here....https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...inter-olympics

Even the slopestyle, for all its bannister-slides and somersaults seemed dull and formulaic after that one!
So much more Alpine Skiing to come (usually post 0200, often gets delayed, lay in supplies of Brandy and Hot Chocolate..)....
AS the running vests used to say - try it you might like it....(but do check the scheds on the night...)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/schedule/2018-02-18

(** those who used to watch Ski Sunday with David Vine will know how very rare it is for a late runner to win anything...)

[johncorrigan]

Have to say I spent an hour riveted by the 4 x 5k women's cross country ski relay - blinkin' amazing and in the end it came down to a second or two.