The "Freeola Customer Forum" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Time for another trademark rant and tonight my target is Paula Radcliffe, well not her exactly but basically the english media trying to explain why she failed.
Now i know it's an epidemic in this country to never actually take the blame for failing at sport, we've only just gotten over Becks and his penalty spot and 'no wait it was actually because i'm tired' excuses and the whole Sun campaign to try and drag Urs Meier through the streets of London and then lock him up in the Tower of London but some of the excuses i've heard for why Paula Radcliffe failed are beyond laughable. Some of the best include
*Oh the heat got to her, she's not used to it* (which is why 2 fellow british athletes managed to complete the race and the winner was from Japan with a climate not a million miles away from our own?)
*oh she wasn't going to win anyway i don't blame her for stopping* (hmmm so what about all the others behind her who decided they could finish the race even though they weren't going to get a medal)
and the very best one i heard
*oh the car is too close to the athletes, Paula suffers asthma and the exhaust fumes got to her, they should stop running them and instead have electric cars (strange then how it doesn't seem to have affected any athletes in the past)
Why can't they just admit she wasn't good enough on the day and was unable to complete the race? It's not hard, She.... Was... Not... Good...Enough. 5 little words that speak the truth. Now don't take this as a go at Paula, she isn't the one making up all these pathetic excuses, it's everyone else that can't seem to get it out their head that England is not the sporting mecca of the world and has no divine right to win at anything.
However i must say i haven't laughed quite so hard at some of the things that have been said so i must give the media some credit. Who needs to watch comedies when you have the tabloids around.
Now i know it's an epidemic in this country to never actually take the blame for failing at sport, we've only just gotten over Becks and his penalty spot and 'no wait it was actually because i'm tired' excuses and the whole Sun campaign to try and drag Urs Meier through the streets of London and then lock him up in the Tower of London but some of the excuses i've heard for why Paula Radcliffe failed are beyond laughable. Some of the best include
*Oh the heat got to her, she's not used to it* (which is why 2 fellow british athletes managed to complete the race and the winner was from Japan with a climate not a million miles away from our own?)
*oh she wasn't going to win anyway i don't blame her for stopping* (hmmm so what about all the others behind her who decided they could finish the race even though they weren't going to get a medal)
and the very best one i heard
*oh the car is too close to the athletes, Paula suffers asthma and the exhaust fumes got to her, they should stop running them and instead have electric cars (strange then how it doesn't seem to have affected any athletes in the past)
Why can't they just admit she wasn't good enough on the day and was unable to complete the race? It's not hard, She.... Was... Not... Good...Enough. 5 little words that speak the truth. Now don't take this as a go at Paula, she isn't the one making up all these pathetic excuses, it's everyone else that can't seem to get it out their head that England is not the sporting mecca of the world and has no divine right to win at anything.
However i must say i haven't laughed quite so hard at some of the things that have been said so i must give the media some credit. Who needs to watch comedies when you have the tabloids around.
Page:
Er - let's not go from one extreme to the other. Rooney is a very talented young player and deserves praise for it. Euro 2004 isn't a piece of cake, you know. And Paula Radcliffe is considered world class for good reasons.
The problem with British sport is the tabloids. They shower athletes with so much praise that it rubs off onto everyday people. In the case of Paula Radcliffe, this was done to such an extent that all she has ever known or wanted is to win. When she sees she can't win, it's utterly devastating.
She's the result of emotion. British sport and athletics are like a soap opera - mostly due to exagerrated press and the like. That's why we have great heros, and tragic ones too. It's passion in extreme, but is that really so bad? When it comes to rioting fans, yes. But when people are being hyped up, and excuses being made, who the hell cares? It's supporting your country - and worshipping the latest idol and finding the next excuse for losing is all part of it.
The problem with British sport is the tabloids. They shower athletes with so much praise that it rubs off onto everyday people. In the case of Paula Radcliffe, this was done to such an extent that all she has ever known or wanted is to win. When she sees she can't win, it's utterly devastating.
She's the result of emotion. British sport and athletics are like a soap opera - mostly due to exagerrated press and the like. That's why we have great heros, and tragic ones too. It's passion in extreme, but is that really so bad? When it comes to rioting fans, yes. But when people are being hyped up, and excuses being made, who the hell cares? It's supporting your country - and worshipping the latest idol and finding the next excuse for losing is all part of it.
Lucy-Jane wrote:
> definately number 2.
Oh do you?
Me too.
> definately number 2.
Oh do you?
Me too.
ah yes, very true. Forget the 2nd coming, Ronnie would be the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th
I meant if he was English, the hype would be unbelievable
The difference is the plaster eared magician is actually good and warrants the hype
If Christiano Ronaldo was English, imagine it then.......
Indeed, prime example. Lad has one good tournament against some teams that are barely in the top 50 in the FIFA rankings i think and suddenly he's the english Pele. *sighs*
lalakersrule wrote:
> True Quinty, anytime some english sportsperson shows even the
> slightest hint of talent the media jumps all on them proclaiming them
> to be the second coming.
Like Wayne Rooney :-(
> True Quinty, anytime some english sportsperson shows even the
> slightest hint of talent the media jumps all on them proclaiming them
> to be the second coming.
Like Wayne Rooney :-(
True Quinty, anytime some english sportsperson shows even the slightest hint of talent the media jumps all on them proclaiming them to be the second coming.
definately number 2.
Page: