The Paralympic Games

[John Wright]

That's OK Lat, your thread, waffle away; those of us interested in the sports have Channel 4 and the main news bulletins

[Lateralthinking1]

That's OK Lat, your thread, waffle away; those of us interested in the sports have Channel 4 and the main news bulletins

As a matter of interest, what have been the stand out sporting moments for you? You haven't been specific on the sport.

[Lateralthinking1]

I've separated these points to make them more digestible!

On the discussion about bravery, I take the point to a degree. However, I do not share the views of Sir Philip Craven that we should not be told about the athletes' personal stories. Many athletes also disagree with him. I feel too that I and others have a right to say whether we would think ourselves brave if we had lost both legs in 7/7 and were now in an Olympics volleyball team. I would feel I was being brave so I get narked when people on the radio tell me that I shouldn't do by virtue of the way I describe other people. A part of being the same rather than different is to accept a range of perspectives intended to be well-meaning.

I also switched the radio off in disgust when a woman who is both a disabled athlete and a newspaper journalist had a right old go at others on this point. She held her position reasonably well until adding that she, quote, "just wanted to beat the c**p" out of opponents like everyone else". That kind of ugliness becomes very tiresome. It reminded me of women who "want to be like men" on the grounds that all men are cut throat in business, box in their spare time, drink heavily and engage in domestic violence. It seems to me that she was revealing anger and a lack of any genuine feeling for others with her condition as well as herself.

On yummy mummies, Resurrection Man, I don't know the precise origin but it was linked closely to rich celebrities. The MumsNet people have used the phrase in the past and not always favourably. Now there is an acquiring of the label for themselves. Here is the Yummy Mummy Day Bag that they are currently advertising - http://www.mumsnet.com/reviews/nurse...-mummy-day-bag. Their differing attitudes towards the term is unsurprising as many of those involved are wealthy. My understanding is that they were largely responsible for the Government's about turn on child benefits to those earning many tens of thousands of pounds.

[Flosshilde]

I think I spotted yesterday that the United States are nowhere in the medal table.

& according to the 'reduced' Independent NBC, the channel which has the USA broadcasting rights, is giving the event "an almost derisory level of coverge".

[Flosshilde]

That's OK Lat, your thread, waffle away; those of us interested in the sports have Channel 4 and the main news bulletins

So why are you getting your knickers in a twist? If you want a thread for discussion, & you don't like this one, start another. If there are enough people interested it will thrive, if not it will sink, just like any other thread.

[John Wright]

So why are you getting your knickers in a twist? If you want a thread for discussion, & you don't like this one, start another. If there are enough people interested it will thrive, if not it will sink, just like any other thread.

Yes but THIS thread is titled The Paralympic Games so I'm going to leave y'all to it

[Flosshilde]

I also switched the radio off in disgust when a woman who is both a disabled athlete and a newspaper journalist had a right old go at others on this point. She held her position reasonably well until adding that she, quote, "just wanted to beat the c**p" out of opponents like everyone else". That kind of ugliness becomes very tiresome. It reminded me of women who "want to be like men" on the grounds that all men are cut throat in business, box in their spare time, drink heavily and engage in domestic violence. It seems to me that she was revealing anger and a lack of any genuine feeling for others with her condition as well as herself.

Sorry, Lat - that's just plain silly. Of course she, as an athlete, "just wants to beat the crap out of oponents" - that's what sporting competitions are about. Youd be pretty stupid entering one if you didn't want to do so. Do you see the sentiment or the language as ugly?

"It seems to me that she was revealing anger and a lack of any genuine feeling for others with her condition as well as herself" - tthe attitude I referred to in my earlier reply to S_A. You are seeing the disability & not the competitor (that is, a DISABLED athlete, not a disabled ATHLETE) and that the disability trumps competitiveness & that disabled athletes should be 'nicer' to competitors than non-disabled athletes are.

[Flosshilde]

Yes but THIS thread is titled The Paralympic Games so I'm going to leave y'all to it

bye bye

[Lateralthinking1]

Sorry, Lat - that's just plain silly. Of course she, as an athlete, "just wants to beat the crap out of oponents" - that's what sporting competitions are about. Youd be pretty stupid entering one if you didn't want to do so. Do you see the sentiment or the language as ugly?

A good question. The language if I have to choose but to me it reveals a sentiment. She could just as easily have said "defeat" or simply "beat". Better still "win". I don't find any of the words offensive in themselves but I find the violence implied in the phrase deeply depressing. It puts me on a real "downer". I feel that physically.

You might recall the photo frenchfrank posted of Bunny Austin drinking tea after a win at Wimbledon. That is my preferred image of sport although I do enjoy things that are more competitive. But more significantly it represents what I expect of the world's ways. There is no room for any compromise there and I can't change it.

"It seems to me that she was revealing anger and a lack of any genuine feeling for others with her condition as well as herself" - tthe attitude I referred to in my earlier reply to S_A. You are seeing the disability & not the competitor (that is, a DISABLED athlete, not a disabled ATHLETE) and that the disability trumps competitiveness & that disabled athletes should be 'nicer' to competitors than non-disabled athletes are.

I really believe in having respect for opponents in any walk in life unless their position is truly threatening or repugnant. The latter doesn't normally apply to sport. It is more of a political thing. I don't like the way in which being "sportsmanlike" has gone out of fashion. Remember that the British and the Germans played football convivially during WW1.

As for disability, I had a good friend with one arm who played the guitar. I suggested that he could emphasise his uniqueness in promotional material. I did think long and hard before I said it and when I did he greeted it with surprise. He isn't famous but I see on the internet that he does just that some fifteen years on. He makes a living from his music and he has followed the advice.

Incidentally, he was once in a calendar of people who achieve with disability. Mr October probably. There was also a disabled cricketer. Heather Mills was, I think, Miss January. It was before she became a McCartney. He said that of the twelve people there, she was the only person who refused to talk to anybody. He found her very rude.

[Flosshilde]

Apologies, I mis-interpreted what you said. I think, though, that saying 'beat the crap out of ...' is now unexceptional, however regrettable that might be, & doesn't neccessarily imply any lack of respect (which I see now is what you meant by 'feeling') for oponents.

[Lateralthinking1]

Apologies, I mis-interpreted what you said. I think, though, that saying 'beat the crap out of ...' is now unexceptional, however regrettable that might be, & doesn't neccessarily imply any lack of respect (which I see now is what you meant by 'feeling') for oponents.

That's ok. I just find the attitude dismal and very ugly. That applies to anyone. At a football match, such sentiments are not at all uncommon. I tolerate them if I can link them to ignorance or immaturity. They don't feel threatening and go with the terrain.

As soon as anyone educated is in that area, it speaks to me about leadership in society. And I immediately want to walk away.

[John Wright]

Originally Posted by John Wright

Yes but THIS thread is titled The Paralympic Games so I'm going to leave y'all to it

bye bye

Eh, what a charmer you are flossy, I didn't say I was going to leave leave

[Lateralthinking1]

John Wright - What is your view of the Paralympics so far?

It seems that the British are gaining a reputation for succeeding in the sit down sports. That applies to both the Olympics and the Paralympics.

There also appears to be more scope for crossing over in Paralympics events. Richard Whitehead, for example, won gold in the 200m but his background is in marathon running.

[Flosshilde]

Eh, what a charmer you are flossy,

All the boys say that

[MrGongGong]

How on earth can you draw that conclusion? Bizarre.

I guess sarcasm doesn't ring a bell with you then ?

and the DLA that people (like my son) get is not a "handout" any more than what any of us might earn from working