There's a 'Great Summer of Sport' coming up!

[eighthobstruction]

I can assure you that my excitement at the prospect of all these upcoming events is immeasurable.

....well something had to replace religion ....deep belief....devotion....divinity....{I'm in training- making peanut butter toast + strawb'jam in between sets)....

[Serial_Apologist]

Sorry - my fault.

[Serial_Apologist]

....well something had to replace religion ....deep belief....devotion....divinity....{I'm in training- making peanut butter toast + strawb'jam in between sets)....

It's Bold, surely, according to the Advert - (see what I did just then?) - that truly and utterly heartrending ululating voice imploring us to "always believe in your goal", all in one pod (god), while keeping away from children, of course.

[teamsaint]

Well at least it seems to be “bread and ( sosocially distanced ) circuses, “rather than “ bread or circuses”.

After a rubbish 18 months, even a slightly bonkers Euro 2020 will be something to enjoy.
Enjoy your sports ,whatever it is people.

Got my Euro beer in, ready for the big kick off tonight.

[teamsaint]

It's Bold, surely, according to the Advert - (see what I did just then?) - that truly and utterly heartrending ululating voice imploring us to "always believe in your goal", all in one pod (god), while keeping away from children, of course.

Of course the media talking complete bollocks. about things is a downside........

[Sir Velo]

zzzzz

[teamsaint]

Don’t you just love people who go on threads just to say they don’t like the thing in question.

Just what the fuck is the point ? As if the world isn’t irritating enough right now.

[vinteuil]

Don’t you just love people who go on threads just to say they don’t like the thing in question.

... o, a helpful corrective to over-enthusiasm is usually a good thing



.

[Serial_Apologist]

Don’t you just love people who go on threads just to say they don’t like the thing in question.

Just what the fuck is the point ? As if the world isn’t irritating enough right now.

If it was art or politics per se I'd have to agree. But you have to admit sport does function a bit like a religion in our society though, teamy.

[teamsaint]

If it was art or politics per se I'd have to agree. But you have to admit sport does function a bit like a religion in our society though, teamy.

I don’t disagree about the religious aspect S-A .
But some of us just enjoy the distraction, the competition ( taken in context) and the human ability and achievement.
Oblique comment or whatever seems fine to me on any subject. Or questions, or comparisons, or even discussing the sort of contexts that you allude to. ( There is no doubt at all that there is a long history of political context for sport). And that, I think, would go for all kinds of threads.

As a comparison, going onto a BaL thread and just saying “ This piece is boring” would be just the same level of pointlesness.

[Richard Barrett]

As if the world isn’t irritating enough right now.

For some of us, media-supercharged hysteria about sport is one of the irritating things about the world, and doubly so now when it's so clear that the financial clout behind institutionalised sport enables it to force its way back onto the public agenda when all kinds of cultural activities are still waiting in the wings. If I did have the slightest interest in spectator sports, which I don't, I'd be giving them a wide berth this summer out of principle.

[teamsaint]

For some of us, media-supercharged hysteria about sport is one of the irritating things about the world, and doubly so now when it's so clear that the financial clout behind institutionalised sport enables it to force its way back onto the public agenda when all kinds of cultural activities are still waiting in the wings. If I did have the slightest interest in spectator sports, which I don't, I'd be giving them a wide berth this summer out of principle.

Well I’m taking a principled stand ( I hope) on certain aspects of pro sport, for the kinds of reasons you allude to. The sports authorities have been very feeble in their responses , in some ways.
But it doesn’t strike me as a binary thing, and many areas of elite sport have been hit in unnecessary ways , as the arts have.
EG...what is the actual public health risk of modest sized crowds at horse racing or cricket ?

Genuine question. Is it that hard to avoid the media supercharged hysteria if you don’t like spectator sport?

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Dunno what the deuce you're talkin' about, squire!

What a base line...

[gurnemanz]

If it was art or politics per se I'd have to agree. But you have to admit sport does function a bit like a religion in our society though, teamy.

I would have thought that art and politics were even more like religions than sport. I remember as an undergraduate being asked to write an essay entitled something like "Der Dichter ist ein Priester" (the poet is a priest) I can't remember what my 20-year-old-verdict was. For me sport is fun, human interaction and exercise for my limbs + endless variety, no two tennis rallies or football goals are ever exactly the same.

I agree with Saint about coming on here just to be negative, see also the venom re Carmina Burana.

[Richard Barrett]

Genuine question. Is it that hard to avoid the media supercharged hysteria if you don’t like spectator sport?

It's on the front "page" of every digital newspaper, for a start (as opposed to having been on the back page of physical newspapers, mostly), and down my way you can't go very far without seeing the face of Novak Djoković looking out from something or other. Not that this kind of thing usually bothers me too much; it's just that now it's cranked up to new levels, as far as I can see. As for going on threads to say the whole (whatever) thing is rubbish, that wasn't my intention... I agree with you that the world is highly irritating at the moment but I thought it might be worth saying that things like will the Olympics go ahead or not are part of the general irritation as far as some people are concerned!