Other Sports....

[dangie]

We have Threads on Football. Cricket, Rugby etc..... how about one for the more minority or lesser talked about sports? Post them here.....

I'll start...... Athletics

I used to be really interested watching athletics on television in the days of Coe, Ovett, Cram & Daley Thompson etc. Now I find athletics uninteresting to watch. No rivalry. Too much razzmatazz between events. More make-up on show than Rupaul's Drag Race (Google it if you don't know). Athletics needs to take a look at track cycling. As soon as one events finishes the next are on the track ready. For a sport which is 'Fastest, Farthest, Highest' it's all become a little boring.

 

[Howardh]

Another Gold for GB today but in an unidentifiable kit! Nothing wrong with the red and blue stripe Coe and Overt wore.

Agree events should start quicker, get the athletes to their mark and start!

 

[Techniquest]

I watched a bit of the 2023 athletics championships last night, to be honest I had forgot it was on. Most of what I saw was the end of the women's pole vaulting, credit where it's due to the USA and Australian athletes there as they both did rather well in my amateur-athletics-watching opinion.

One has much respect and admiration for the dedication those athletes have, I absolutely couldn't do it. Too many areas of interest for me to commit to such an intense lifestyle!

I'm glad someone mentioned track cycling, now that I really enjoy watching The recent UCI championships were awesome to watch, some fantastic and downright amazing performances from Team GB! I'd absolutely recommend getting onto iPlayer and watching it, indeed I'm strongly considering doing so right now to watching the qualifying sessions I didn't have time for during the event.

There's a number of different disciplines in track cycling, so which one would I recommend starting with? My personal favourite has to be team pursuit, absolutely fantastic to watch I also like the elimination race, and the points race can be great fun too. For pure demonstrations of outright speed and power, the individual time trial is absolutely awesome!

Oh that does that, I think it's time to put the phone down and watch those qualifying events, I'm missing my track cycling and the 2024 championships are more than 300 days away! That's too long, and I regret not getting organised enough to go to Glasgow to watch the track cycling live. I'm actually considering finding out where the 2024 event is and going there

Anyway, in non-track cycling love, I've got to give a shout-out to speed skating. That's amazingly good fun to watch, I watched it during the Tokyo 2020 winter games and I loved it. I didn't expect to, but then I didn't expect to love track cycling either. Speed skating is something I'd absolutely recommend to anyone, especially the team events

I'm not really into my ball sports, so I can't really comment on those. I did like the javelin and shot-put during the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the long jumps were good too. My enthusiasm was helped by being on that side of the stadium on my second visit, so I do have a bit of bias!

Running's good to watch too, as are triathlons, and I could never do that. Much kudos to those who can manage it!

 

[Bevan Price]

We have Threads on Football. Cricket, Rugby etc..... how about one for the more minority or lesser talked about sports? Post them here.....

I'll start...... Athletics

I used to be really interested watching athletics on television in the days of Coe, Ovett, Cram & Daley Thompson etc. Now I find athletics uninteresting to watch. No rivalry. Too much razzmatazz between events. More make-up on show than Rupaul's Drag Race (Google it if you don't know). Athletics needs to take a look at track cycling. As soon as one events finishes the next are on the track ready. For a sport which is 'Fastest, Farthest, Highest' it's all become a little boring.

Horse racing is even slower. One race, lasting a minute or two (except for The Grand National and a few other races) and then nothing for almost 30 minutes.

And American "Football" on TV where they seem to play for 5-10 minutes and then stop to talk about tactics for the next 5 minutes.

 

[dangie]

I’m not knocking athletics as a sport, but more as a spectator sport in certain events. Take the 10,000 metres for example. Twenty five laps of the track. Twenty four laps are a wearing down process, wake me up for the last lap.

Compare this with the track cycling points race. This can be up to 160 laps of the rack, but to make it interesting there are points earned every 10 laps or if someone laps the field. Maybe in the athletics 10,000 metres there should be points (or seconds) earned every three laps or so to keep the interest going. These seconds could then be deducted from the final finishing time. This would stop those with the fastest sprint sitting in the pack for twenty four laps and sprinting the last hundred metres.

I know this will never happen, but just a thought……

 

[JD2168]

In other motor sports today:
Ducati MotoGP rider Francesco Bagnaia has escaped serious injuries after a horrific crash on the opening lap of the Catalan Grand Prix. He suffered a massive high side exiting the first corner & had his leg run over by the KTM of Brad Binder. Aleix Esparagaro won to give Aprilia a 1-2 in the race & followed up his win in Saturday’s sprint.
After winning today’s Moto2 race Jake Dixon dedicated his win to Paul Bird Motorsport manager Paul Bird who passed away suddenly on Friday. His team competes as the Beer Monster Ducati team in British Superbikes.
Alex Palou has clinched the INDYCAR series title with a win at the Portland Grand Prix.

 

[JD2168]

Europe have won the Ryder Cup in Golf against USA by 16.5-11.5 points in a match played in Italy.

In MotoGP Marc Marquez has announced he will leave Repsol Honda at the end of the current season, his likely destination is Gresini Ducati riding alongside his brother Alex Marquez.

 

[JD2168]

In British motorsport the following have been decided:
Ash Sutton has won the British Touring Car Championship driving a NAPA sponsored Ford Focus.
Tommy Bridewell has won the British Superbike Championship riding a Beer Monster sponsored Paul Bird Motorsport Ducati by 0.5 points from teammate Glenn Irwin.

Alvaro Bautista has won the World Superbike Championship riding for Aruba.IT Ducati. In team moves for 2024 Toprak Razgatioglu has moved to BMW from Yamaha & Jonathan Rea has moved to Yamaha after a very successful spell with Kawasaki.

Kalle Rovanpera has won the World Rally Championship driving for Toyota.

 

[JD2168]

In MotoGP Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia has won the title after the final race of the season. Bagnaia won the Valencia Grand Prix ahead of Fabio Di Gianntonio in second & Johann Zarco in third. His title rival Jorge Martin crashed out early in the race after a collision with the Honda of Marc Marquez. He had already nearly crashed after nearly hitting Bagnaia at turn one.

In rider news Marc Marquez will move to Gresini Ducati, Luca Marini will leave VR46 Ducati & will probably replace Marquez, Franco Morbidelli will move to Pramac Ducati with Alex Rins replacing him. Johann Zarco will move to LCR Honda, Di Gianntonio is expected to move to VR46 Ducati.

In Moto 2 Pedro Acosta comfortably won the title ahead of Tony Arbolino. Britain’s Jake Dixon finished fourth in the championship with Sam Lowes leaving at the end of the season to ride a Ducati for Marc VDS. Acosta will move to MotoGP for 2024 to GasGas Tech 3 riding a KTM.

In Moto 3 Jaume Masia won the championship after a controversial race in Qatar after his teammate Adrian Fernandez ran his title rival Ayumu Sasaki off the track to ensure he finished down the field in the race.

 

[dangie]

A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

I used to enjoy watching this. In the past I’ve even voted. Now I’m not sure it actually means anything. I’m not having a go at the individuals in the shortlist, but mainly for there being a shortlist in the first place. Another year I’ll be giving it a miss.

 

[birchesgreen]

I only ever voted once, back when you had to send in a cut out slip from the Radio Times.

Unfortunately Jake the Snake Roberts did not win that year.

 

[JD2168]

Such a poor lineup for Sports Personality, I would have thought Jake Wightman for winning the 1500 meters at the world championship beating Jakob Ingebrightsen would have seen him with a chance, Ingebrightsen is almost unbeatable at the distance. You could also have included Jude Bellingham & Ronnie O’Sullivan was recently won the UK Championship 30 years after he first won it at nearly 48 years old.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Ronnie O’Sullivan should win SPOTY.
Snooker is a relaxing sport imho

 

[SteveHFC]

Such a poor lineup for Sports Personality, I would have thought Jake Wightman for winning the 1500 meters at the world championship beating Jakob Ingebrightsen would have seen him with a chance, Ingebrightsen is almost unbeatable at the distance. You could also have included Jude Bellingham & Ronnie O’Sullivan was recently won the UK Championship 30 years after he first won it at nearly 48 years old.

Jake Wightman was at the World Championships - working for the BBC as he was injured and unable to take part. It's Josh Kerr who won - and should be on the list IMO.

I concur that this years shortlist for SPOTY is a poor one.

 

[75A]

Ronnie O’Sullivan should win SPOTY.
Snooker is a relaxing sport imho

And it doesn't have VAR!
Seriously though I agree, I've spent many hours watching it on television recently and have thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the coverage on Eurosport.

 

[Howardh]

And it doesn't have VAR!
Seriously though I agree, I've spent many hours watching it on television recently and have thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the coverage on Eurosport.

VAR? Kinda does in a way, didn't a player suggest look at the replay as he'd hit a ball - very thinly - which the ref had called a miss/foul, and the player was right?

Such a poor lineup for Sports Personality, I would have thought Jake Wightman for winning the 1500 meters at the world championship beating Jakob Ingebrightsen would have seen him with a chance, Ingebrightsen is almost unbeatable at the distance. You could also have included Jude Bellingham & Ronnie O’Sullivan was recently won the UK Championship 30 years after he first won it at nearly 48 years old.

Sports Personality?
Current silver medallist at the Olympics, current World and European champion. What more does Bruce Mouat have to do?

 

[dangie]

The cynic in me says that anyone who was not available for whatever reason to attend the televised presentation evening was not considered for the shortlist.

Considering the breadth of sports in the UK, to only have the voting public choose from a shortlist of six is totally meaningless.

 

[Lost property]

Such a poor lineup for Sports Personality, I would have thought Jake Wightman for winning the 1500 meters at the world championship beating Jakob Ingebrightsen would have seen him with a chance, Ingebrightsen is almost unbeatable at the distance. You could also have included Jude Bellingham & Ronnie O’Sullivan was recently won the UK Championship 30 years after he first won it at nearly 48 years old.

The standard has been reduced to an abysmal level this year with the inclusion of.....Broad.

Although some BBC commentators seemed infatuated with him, so possibly not a surprise.

 

[dangie]

Keeping it on the sporting theme.

TV sports quiz show Question of Sport has stopped production after more than five decades, the BBC has confirmed.

Frankly I’m not surprised. This is a perfect example of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. Sue Barker & Co must be having a little chuckle.

Question of Sport has been shelved, BBC confirms

There had been just two series with current host Paddy McGuiness and captains Sam Quek and Ugo Monye.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Harvester]

Sixteen year old Luke Littler has reached the final of the World Darts Championship, in his first word tournament.

 

[1D54]

Many i suppose would argue that darts isn't a sport but it is recognised by UK, Ireland, USA, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium as such so that is good enough for me.

 

[ValentaFan1974]

Just as skillful as golf - you have to get a dart in a target, same as a golf ball in a hole from a distance. If people say darts isn’t a sport then golf isn’t either….

 

[43096]

Just as skillful as golf - you have to get a dart in a target, same as a golf ball in a hole from a distance. If people say darts isn’t a sport then golf isn’t either….

Sorry, I just can’t take darts seriously as a sport. Just look at the players, they’re not exactly elite athletes - more a diet of kebabs, pies and curry.

Smith and Jones had it nailed in this sketch…

[Alas Smith and Jones sketch of a darts match actually involving them drinking rather than playing darts]

 

[dangie]

Just as skillful as golf - you have to get a dart in a target, same as a golf ball in a hole from a distance. If people say darts isn’t a sport then golf isn’t either….

Also shooting & archery. Both Olympic sports.

 

[Trackman]

Many i suppose would argue that darts isn't a sport but it is recognised by UK, Ireland, USA, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium as such so that is good enough for me.

I've seen two grown men arguing about this and nearly coming to blows.

Anyway, good luck Luke 'The Nuke' Littler tonight and in fact good luck to Luke Humpries too, who is bookies favourite.
What amazes me is how calm he is and not fazed by the occasion.

 

[Harvester]

Just for the record, the match was won by the older Luke (Humphries) by 7-4 sets.

 

[JD2168]

Luke Littler has been announced as one of the 8 players in the upcoming Premier League Darts Tournament.

 

[Harvester]

Ding made a 147 maximum break in the first round of the Masters, but eventually lost the match 3-6 to O’Sullivan.

 

[JD2168]

Carlos Sainz senior has won the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia driving for Audi. He is the father of Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.

 

[JD2168]

The Argentinian MotoGP round for 2024 has been cancelled with no replacement on the calendar.

The time of this year’s Grand National at Aintree has been brought forward to 4pm instead of 5:15pm with a maximum of 34 runners.