Who else thinks this?

[scooby]

I think Doctor Bob would get on very well with my dad. They seem to have the same view on televised football.

When I was younger, I used to love watching football on tv but it was never on. Midweek Sport special would show a few highlights and then it was MOTD (when it was on) and an occasional Sunday game. The finals were only the only guaranteed things to watch live.

Now I can't stand football, its on all the time Pretty easy to avoid though as mentioned and fair play to people who enjoy watching it.
I'm like a lot of people here, cycling is my cup of tea. I'll quite happily watch anything to do with cycling.

 

[Linwoodjoinery]

Each to their own. I personally love football and it’s about time we are ‘allowed’ to be English and proud

 

[MikeJhn]

Each to their own. I personally love football and it’s about time we are ‘allowed’ to be English and proud

With the current morality kick going on in the UK we are going to lose our heritage because we offend a minority with a load, nay very load voice.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Loud? More likely, we offend people who are professionally offended by proxy.

 

[joethedrummer]

Moto GP, World Superbikes, British Superbikes, IOM TT. Rugby.

Score,,,4 out of 5,, vroom

 

[Spectric]

There are things in life that you just cannot get your head round, they make no logical sense. Inhaling toxic fumes and tar from burning plant mater is one, calling it smoking for some reason makes it appear normal to some. Football is another, I just cannot see what is interesting in watching grown men running around kicking a ball, why people living in say preston support say chelsea and how you have a team with not only no players from that area but mostly imports and to cap it off foreign managers. Foreign managers is the easiest to understand because we do not have a good record when it comes to managment in the uk. Things may have been different if I was watching some of the guys I worked with playing for the local team, apparently that is how it started before becoming just a rich mans bussiness. Other sports were once exciting but now have been tamed so much they are boring, group B rallying was really when motorsport was both dangerous but very exciting, if you have ever seen an E2 sport Quattro coming through a forrest stage you will know what I mean. Then F1 is just nonsense, more like a race of technology and logistics than racing and Le Mans has gone tame since they stuck two bends into the once nearly four mile long mulsanne straight and they are now all oh so safe, so not only is there too much but also it's less watchable.

 

[J-G]

...and they are now all oh so safe...

I'm not sure Niki Lauda or Ayrton Senna would agree with your sentiment !

 

[Phil Pascoe]

"Now" being the operative word.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've never understood the tribalism in football - why would you support a team that are bought and sold regularly, a foreign manager, a foreign owner, without a single local player and on a pitch that often isn't in the original place? It does apply to rugby as well, course.

 

[Jacob]

With the current morality kick going on in the UK we are going to lose our heritage because we offend a minority with a load, nay very load voice.

Good job some of these minorities are happy to play in your teams!

I've never understood the tribalism in football - why would you support a team that are bought and sold regularly, a foreign manager, a foreign owner, without a single local player and on a pitch that often isn't in the original place? It does apply to rugby as well, course.

Because the tribalism is more important to them than the football?

 

[Spectric]

I'm not sure Niki Lauda or Ayrton Senna would agree with your sentiment !

That was a different era, when drivers drove their cars and knew the risk, modern drivers would probably struggle to get off the grid in the cars they drove let alone compete with the likes of Senna & Schumacher. The modern F1 is just a small step away from being a scalextric car that could be driven from the sidelines.

 

[scooby]

F1 is the epitome of boring...its (and has been for a long time) a measuring competition for designers. Design and build the best car and you've got an almost guaranteed driver and constructor title. It doesn't matter who's driving. Driver talent comes second, which is ludicrous.

I'd guess Hamilton's and Verstappen's talent 'levels' haven't increased/decreased significantly this year but of all sudden, Hamilton can't win a race to save his life..

Even the commentators acknowledge its boring and how it was better in the 70's/80's but they can never go back to those days as it would be a massive step backwards in technology..who cares? Sod technological advance and boring races..chuck the egos out of the window and get back to something even remotely exciting.

As mentioned, MotoGP is the only motorsport worth watching (imo).

Having said all that, much like watching season 4 of Game of Thrones..I still watch F1 in the vain hope that it will provide something exciting.

A race that isnt won from the first corner or using pit stop tactics would be nice.

 

[Spectric]

What F1 needs is new rules, you have a box with set width, height and length, so long as your car fits into the box then it is ok. The rules of non contact and such would still apply and you get penalty points if you do not have a clutch pedal or use automated pullaway systems. I would also think you would need to ban gas turbines and such otherwise you would have the unfair advantage of cremating the guy trying to overtake.

 

[Blackswanwood]

The modern F1 is just a small step away from being a scalextric car that could be driven from the sidelines.

Possibly not what Romain Grosjean felt as he went through the barrier in Bahrain(?) and burst into flames last season ...

 

[whatknot]

I stopped watching F1 a looooooong time ago, its been extremely boring for some years

Do they even need a driver these days? they control so much from trackside they could almost do it by remote control (which is what it looks like now)

F1 is the epitome of boring...its (and has been for a long time) a measuring competition for designers. Design and build the best car and you've got an almost guaranteed driver and constructor title. It doesn't matter who's driving. Driver talent comes second, which is ludicrous.

 

[Jacob]

Mad Max races are very watchable. Maybe they should have an open class for motor races, with handicap ratings to balance things out. More fun by far!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That was a different era, when drivers drove their cars and knew the risk, modern drivers would probably struggle to get off the grid in the cars they drove let alone compete with the likes of Senna & Schumacher. The modern F1 is just a small step away from being a scalextric car that could be driven from the sidelines.

I did hear a part of an interview of an ex racing driver being asked who he thought were the greatest ever drivers. (I don't remember the name.) He went through the list, Senna, Fangio etc. then was asked where was Hamilton. Oh, I don't include him - his car is so much better than the others, he replied.

 

[doctor Bob]

I never understood Norm, I thought everything he made was rubbish and couldn't understand the following he had especially when he wasn't even a local boy, not even english, over commercialised and he was managed by an American company as well, plenty seemed to worship him though. Strange old world.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I've never understood the tribalism in football - why would you support a team that are bought and sold regularly, a foreign manager, a foreign owner, without a single local player and on a pitch that often isn't in the original place? It does apply to rugby as well, course.

And looking to North America the NHL is just a completion to see who has the best French Canadian players.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Sport has become neutered over the last few decades.

F1 no longer refuels during the race, most tracks have extensive run off areas, race is yellow/red flagged for historically minor issues, complex rule books dominate etc.

Football has broken the link with local communities - we may just as well have Nike United, and Adidas town. The game is played to limit the risk of injury. Artificial grass. Cameras in football, cricket, tennis eliminate the risk of refereeing error.

Top level sport has largely become a tedious experience. It is driven by money which inhibits risk taking, and put the outcome above the game.

It is understandable competitors want to minimise serious risks - who wants to engage in a sport and end up crippled. As a spectacle it is now lacking despite those on the field often being hugely more talented and fitter than their sporting forbears.

Excitement in sport relies upon risk, physical endeavour, uncertainty, effort. Playing on rain sodden pitches, submitting to the variable quality of refereeing decisions, making passion a reality rather than just a word to be used in the post match/race interview, all contribute to the spectator experience.

There is no joy in re-analysing a slo-mo replay of a penalty decision - but a questionable umpire or refereeing decision can provide hours of debate over a post match pint or two. Competition lacks spontenaeity and excitement as the fundamental qualities have been removed from games.