Why do they bother?

bonerm

Pittens wrote: »

The winter Olympics are a playground for the rich, and the idle.

.... and the dead. So clearly these sports are a bit more challenging than just getting out daddys chequebook and hopping on a plane.

Besides, everything you've said above could be applied to both F1 racing, Rugby, Golf and Tennis and those four wouldn't be easily dismissed when discussing sport.

BossArky

Bonito wrote: »

Hey! If Jamaica can bobsleigh why can't we?! :mad:

'cos we don't have Usain Bolt to push us off at the start.

Bodhisopha

bonerm wrote: »

.... and the dead. So clearly these sports are a bit more challenging than just getting out daddys chequebook and hopping on a plane.

Besides, everything you've said above could be applied to both F1 racing, Rugby, Golf and Tennis and those four wouldn't be easily dismissed when discussing sport.

Hence the domination of the ladies game by two black girls from compton L.A?

It's not all Cliff Richard, strawberries and cream.

You can have rugby, golf and F1 racing. They're all sh1t.

My name is URL

Pittens wrote: »

On the subject of whether the OP ever got into a Bobsleigh.

I think 5 or 6 Irish people from Dalkey have ever got into a Bobsleigh, and they are at the Olympics. So it is unlikely.

That could be because there's no interest in it here. Having an Irish team partake in any sort of sport is a good thing, it shows youngsters that they can achieve something, even if it's prizeless

I know a good few people that started playing cricket as a hobby just because of Ireland's involvement in the World Cup a few years ago,
it's better to feel that something is worth doing rather than assuming it's not worth trying

Overheal

Pittens wrote: »

Horsepoo. The only thing we can get from the Irish bobsleigh team is that they were rich enough to get to own bobsleighs and travel periodically to countries where it actually snowed.

Who gives a sh*t. The average worker makes more sacrifices on an average day.

If Ireland produced the best summer Olympians I would be on their side. Little money is needed there.

Like I said, ask them. Ask them what it cost. I understand getting to the Continent can be quite cheap if you know what youre doing. I highly doubt its a Significant amount of money, if you're going to bitch and moan about tax dollars.

bonerm

Bodhisopha wrote: »

Hence the domination of the ladies game by two black girls from compton L.A?

It's not all Cliff Richard, strawberries and cream.

You can have rugby, golf and F1 racing. They're all sh1t.

When I see two black girls from Ghana dominating the ladies game I might take your point.

Sir Gallagher

No matter what happens if they get an epic slow clap at the end it'll all be worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31M_MdSVxV8

Bodhisopha

bonerm wrote: »

When I see two black girls from Ghana dominating the ladies game I might take your point.

Because black girls from compton are known to have full access to daddys chequebook and hopping on planes?

This one, you lose.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Overheal wrote: »

Joking aside, you basically represent every attitude that is Wrong with your Country and its only happened in the last few years. You guys used to be proud. Now you're just like "Why fcuking bother doing anything?"

Son I strongly recommend you view the list of Irish Athletes. And when they get back home, why don't you go fcuking ask them Why. Maybe they'll knock something into you, like Pride or Confidence, Integrity or Determination, with the answer they give you.

Its for the same reason Ireland plays Soccer or Hurling or Enters the Summer Olympics. You might think "Oh well Soccer! We actually can half-play Soccer!" Well yeah you can, but how would you have fcuking known it if you didn't participate in a slew of Early World Cup attempts where you had your ass handed to you? Give up when it gets hard much?

I mean if you wanna talk Soccer, the US is still an embarrassment but fcuk me if they aren't constantly trying to improve themselves. Fair play. Which reminds me of who's in it this year and who is not

Thats a great post.

bonerm

Bodhisopha wrote: »

Because black girls from compton are known to have full access to daddys chequebook and hopping on planes?

This one, you lose.

You started a sentence with "because". You lose ... at life.

InTheTrees

Pittens wrote: »

The winter Olympics are a playground for the rich, and the idle.

Just because you've never lived anywhere that it snows doesnt mean that people dont.

Bodhisopha

bonerm wrote: »

You started a sentence with "because". You lose ... at life.

Lol! Girly.

donfers

Overheal wrote: »

Joking aside, you basically represent every attitude that is Wrong with your Country and its only happened in the last few years. You guys used to be proud. Now you're just like "Why fcuking bother doing anything?"

I didn't say "why bother doing anything?" ...i said why bother sending an Irish bobsleigh team to the Winter Olympics when funds and reosurces would be better allocated to athletes who could genuinely compete in their events rather than being a novelty act. Thank you though for your analysis...I am surprised Brian Cowen hasn't recruited you to oversee our economic recovery what with your precise and acute socio-political analysis of what is wrong with my country. I don't presume to lecture you about what's wrong with yours but heh I guess that tells you quite a lot about how we differ

Son I strongly recommend you view the list of Irish Athletes. And when they get back home, why don't you go fcuking ask them Why. Maybe they'll knock something into you, like Pride or Confidence, Integrity or Determination, with the answer they give you.

I can't really be arsed Dad, too busy at my tiddlywinks practice. I'd guess they'd sell me the same old spiel you just did.

Its for the same reason Ireland plays Soccer or Hurling or Enters the Summer Olympics. You might think "Oh well Soccer! We actually can half-play Soccer!" Well yeah you can, but how would you have fcuking known it if you didn't participate in a slew of Early World Cup attempts where you had your ass handed to you? Give up when it gets hard much?


I mean if you wanna talk Soccer, the US is still an embarrassment but fcuk me if they aren't constantly trying to improve themselves. Fair play. Which reminds me of who's in it this year and who is not

ya it must be so difficult to qualify when you have to overcome football heavyweights like honduras, trinidad & tobago and costa rica whereas we were unbeaten throughout our group campaign including two games against the current world champions and ultimately lost out to an illegal goal against the former world champions.

The point = sometimes sport events like the Olympics/World Cup want a wide representation of competitors from different countries at an event, we all know only a European or South American side will win the World Cup. Now I don't mind competitors from all around the globe as long as the qualification process is fair and the best competitors get there, anything else is a sop to the very essence of sport

cloneslad

The British bobsleigh team crashed and overturned and did a good chunk of the race on their head yet they still finished over a second ahead of the Irish team after run three.


The Brits then pulled out of the last run.

SomeFool

donfers wrote: »

2) Is the taxpayer funding their participation. I don't know if they are receiving grants from the sports council of Ireland or if the taxpayer is funding them through the Olympic Council of Ireland. If so, then please invest the resources somewhere more worthwhile as this is a complete waste of time and money and a real token representation in my view.

Don't know if they get much funding really, I'm pretty sure the sports council payed for the sled though but like mose athletes in Ireland they have to stump up most of the cash themselves. For what it's worth here is the list of our carded athetes for 2010 and I don't see them there, nor do I see extravagant amounts for any full time athlete to live on while funding their training.

The total being paid out by the sports council in grants to athletes for 2010 is €2,647,000. The amount being put into skeleton bobsled alone by UK sport is £2,110,000 or €2,402,500.

Congratulations to the six members of the Irish winter olympic team on repesenting their country at the highest level. As we are (obviously) not an alpine country there are far more obstacles involved for our atlethes in seeking qualification. OP if you're that good at the tiddly winks get off your hole and put Irish tiddly winks on the map the way these two girls did for their sport!

brendansmith

I dunno if its been mentioned already but the winter olymics can sometimes reward the worst competitor as shown by this Australian goon.

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

robinph

donfers wrote: »

The point = sometimes sport events like the Olympics/World Cup want a wide representation of competitors from different countries at an event, we all know only a European or South American side will win the World Cup. Now I don't mind competitors from all around the globe as long as the qualification process is fair and the best competitors get there, anything else is a sop to the very essence of sport

That is how Australia gained entry, Ireland got there by being one of the top 20 teams in the world.

Ireland beat the current world champions, OK by default as they didn't crash where as GB1 did, they also beat RUS2, AUS1 and GER2.

Event's at the winter games are not cheap to do, mostly because we don't have mountains/ snow in Ireland (checks what the weather is doing today) so we have to travel to get to the places you do, most of that cost will have to be paid by the competitors themselves, although they may get given a green pot of paint for the bob and a green jacket to wear for free. If there were no Irish competitors at the games then people would be complaining about that instead.

We just want to be like Cool Runnings..

Local-womanizer

They finished 17th overall,well done!

JumpRope7

donfers wrote: »

The Winter Olympics is on at the moment. I was up late last night and caught a glimpse of the Irish ladies bobsleigh team. I wanted them to do well but didn't expect them to do well. However I am no expert at bobsleigh but the driver couldn't even jump into the bobsleigh properly and they are in last place at the moment and way way off the pace.

This is not a gender thing so please if anyone wants to spark a gender debate/war or accuse me of whatever spare your breath. I'm sure and Irish men's bobsleigh team would be equally as embarrassing.

I just want to know why do they bother? To fight for last place? To gain experience? In a million years these girls won't get close to a medal.

I do need clarification on two matters

1) there was a lot of controversy about their qualification. Were they just shoehorned into the competition to get a new country involved? If so, I completely disagree with this but I do know there were complaints and appeals about Ireland's participation in this event.

2) Is the taxpayer funding their participation. I don't know if they are receiving grants from the sports council of Ireland or if the taxpayer is funding them through the Olympic Council of Ireland. If so, then please invest the resources somewhere more worthwhile as this is a complete waste of time and money and a real token representation in my view.

Anyway my main query is why? So they can have a laugh and a party in Vancouver and try not to come last? If so this doesn't justify the funding in my view.

You could relate this directly to the Irish football team, buddy. We never come close to winning anything. We didn't even qualify for football's version of the olympics.. the women's bobsleigh team actually managed to qualify(with little to no resources/training grounds at home). And to add more fuel to the fire they've gone and built a bigger, better stadium for the team that wins nothing(talk about spending money on something we've no chance of doing well in). So how do you feel about that? Maybe we should give up the football and start focusing on bobsleighing?.. seeing as we're actually able to qualify for an event..Joking, I love football just as much as the next guy but you can't just say that because we're not the best at something we should just stop participating in it altogether.. where would that leave us?

Rookster

JumpRope7 wrote: »

You could relate this directly to the Irish football team, buddy. We never come close to winning anything. We didn't even qualify for football's version of the olympics.. the women's bobsleigh team actually managed to qualify(with little to no resources/training grounds at home). And to add more fuel to the fire they've gone and built a bigger, better stadium for the team that wins nothing(talk about spending money on something we've no chance of doing well in). So how do you feel about that? Maybe we should give up the football and start focusing on bobsleighing?.. seeing as we're actually able to qualify for an event..Joking, I love football just as much as the next guy but you can't just say that because we're not the best at something we should just stop participating in it altogether.. where would that leave us?[/

QUOTE]

Are you for real? Is your brain switched off? Soccer is played in virtually every parish in Ireland. It is played in every country on the planet. Bobsleighing is for the privileged. The offspring of Property Developers and Bankers probably. I heard one of them being interviewed after one of the heats and she said that she did not know if the runners could perform in the cold while it was snowing. HELLO!!!! IT IS THE WINTER OLYMPICS!!! WHAT DID YOU EXPECT??? SAND AND SEA???

robinph

Rookster wrote: »

I heard one of them being interviewed after one of the heats and she said that she did not know if the runners could perform in the cold while it was snowing. HELLO!!!! IT IS THE WINTER OLYMPICS!!! WHAT DID YOU EXPECT??? SAND AND SEA???

They were probably talking about the actual bob itself and how the blades had been setup on it for the different conditions they had had the day before/ earlier in the day. The track will be slower when there is fresh snow falling on it, or if the temperature of the ice changes at all.

Herb Powell

Elessar wrote: »

I'll give them both gold medals if they get real jobs.

that's just ignant innit

robinph

Snow Leopard

Son Of A Vidic

Fairplay to the Bobsleigh girls, they deserve to be there as much as anyone else. You know what, they finished higher than the Aussies, Germans, Russians and Brits.

Overheal

medicman2009 wrote: »

Fairplay to the Bobsleigh girls, they deserve to be there as much as anyone else. You know what, they finished higher than the Aussies, Germans, Russians and Brits.

BUT THE RUSSIANS HAVE SNOW :eek::eek::eek: THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!11!!1!!1!ONE!!!

myflipflops

I'd be sceptical enough about things like this but i say fair play to them. There is very little funding from the taxpayer goes into winter sports. An incredibly irrelevant amount actually. It's not like money is being taken away frmom healthcare or education to fund out huge bobsleigh program!!

They're off representing Ireland and being a positive representation of our country at a time when we are at a low ebb.

Elessar wrote: »

I'll give them both gold medals if they get real jobs.

Both have 3rd level degress and both have jobs as well as training to make an Olympic event. Decent role models for Irish kids i would say.

Overheal

Y'all might like this Colbert piece about the International Houses at the Vancouver Olympics: He spends a good bit of time in the Irish House


http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/265213/february-23-2010/olympic-international-houses

"This being Canada: how hard should I toke the Alphorn?"

cock robin

I thought the Irish girls did extremly well. They didn't go down on their heads like some of the better funded countries. More power to them and I wish them every success. As for the op's opinion that its basically a waste of time and money. Well that just about sums up the attitude toward's every one who dare's to be different. Leave them alone FFS :mad::mad::mad:

FunkyFit

Elessar wrote: »

I'll give them both gold medals if they get real jobs.

I happened to come across this post this evening.....obviously a long time after it was originally posted. I don't really use boards but happened to come across this conversation tonight and while some of the comments pleased me, this one in particular enraged me. I actually was one of the girls on the Bobsleigh team in Vancouver. There is a lot I could say to many of the negative comments. I did and still currently have a "real job". I am a trainee accountant with one of the biggest accountancy firms in the world and one of the best places to work for in this country! And my team mate also had a real job as you put it!! We got to the Olympics with little support from the Irish sports council but with A LOT of determination, training and support from friends and family and a lot of our racing was done in our free time or using annual leave from work! Most Olympic Sports get little funding anyway especially compared to Rugby, soccer etc. I am also currently en route to qualifying for London 2012. I am proud of my achievements to date and thank to all those who respect that!

keith16

FunkyFit wrote: »

I happened to come across this post this evening.....obviously a long time after it was originally posted. I don't really use boards but happened to come across this conversation tonight and while some of the comments pleased me, this one in particular enraged me. I actually was one of the girls on the Bobsleigh team in Vancouver. There is a lot I could say to many of the negative comments. I did and still currently have a "real job". I am a trainee accountant with one of the biggest accountancy firms in the world and one of the best places to work for in this country! And my team mate also had a real job as you put it!! We got to the Olympics with little support from the Irish sports council but with A LOT of determination, training and support from friends and family and a lot of our racing was done in our free time or using annual leave from work! Most Olympic Sports get little funding anyway especially compared to Rugby, soccer etc. I am also currently en route to qualifying for London 2012. I am proud of my achievements to date and thank to all those who respect that!

Is bobsleighing a summer event now?

Pherekydes

keith16 wrote: »

Is bobsleighing a summer event now?

No, but the 400m is.

keith16

Pherekydes wrote: »

No, but the 400m is.

It was a genuine question. Fair play if FunkyFit is qualifying for the 400m.

Pherekydes

keith16 wrote: »

It was a genuine question.

"Is bobsleighing a summer event now?" is a genuine question?

Who ya kidding?

FunkyFit

No Bobsleigh is not a summer event. I have turned my attention back to my first passion; athletics. And yes it is 400m actually, the 4x400m relay team to be exact. We smashed the Irish record finishing 12th at last year's World Championships. And need a Top 16 world ranking come the end of June to qualify for London. Our aggregate time puts us 13th on the World Ranking list for the moment.

PK2008

Remember when Cool Runnings made us all believe again?