I like your perspective on respect for the losers….

I like your perspective on respect for the losers. If only everyone involved in sport – participants as well as fans – internalized this concept. The world would be a more peaceful place.

It is, after all, a game.

Well said. Dropped by from Michele’s to thank you for saying it like it needed to be said.

Just seen the tackle on Eduardo – I really hope th…

Just seen the tackle on Eduardo – I really hope the guy plays again. The aftermath is that bad looking that I’m fearing that the young ‘un may not get into football again.

Looked like an honest tackle though, just extremely bad timing.

How do you celebrate ?

Curious about this one – we’ve just had one of the best Six Nations Rugby matches I’ve seen for some time and happily England ran out the winners. France were playing passionately and near their mercurial best but England were able to soak up all the pressure and counterpunched when they could.

The scoring of the England try right at the end drew out a fist raising “YES!” out of me. I reckon the way we celebrate either winning or losing can tell a lot about it. It certainly tells things about our passion for the activity we’ve been pinning our hopes on. I’ve gone for the fistraising one fairly often in my sport. There’s just something to seeing the stumps and bails going flying when you’ve snuck a ball past a batsman’s defences.

When I’m watching rugby and a team is about to score a try, it’s often a more first (definitely not the middle one!) finger pointed in the air in a more dignified kinda mini-fist. I reckon if the event being celebrated is more sudden like a wicket in cricket, a goal in football or the opening of an exam results envelope, the cheering will be that much more intense.

I’ve gone for the Shirt-Over-Head & Aeroplanes one a few times but I try not to do that any more as it’s usually followed by cries of “Put it away!” (My figure is not what you’d call svelte). I don’t think I’ve ever done the Snoopy Dance, although I can understand more Twinkle-Toed people going for that one.

The most important thing is the dignity aspect. A celebration is only a good one if it has respect for the loser in the house. That would be the people who you just realise have failed that exam, or the batsman who just got sent back to the pavilion. Bad losers aren’t good people to know but Bad Winners are a lot, lot worse. I’d like to think I’ve never intentionally rubbed in a triumph and once or twice I’ve given an “Unlucky mate” to someone who’s gotten out to me who really didn’t deserve it.

So what’s your favourite celebration ? Is it the quiet demonstration, the Primal Scream, the Snoopy Dance or do you try to embarass yourself as much as you can ? This isn’t just for the sporty, success in anything should be celebrated, including exams, relationships, achievements for other people, promotions, anything.

PS There’s an audio clip somewhere which has Guildlink’s first downing of Ragnaros, which marked that organisation “Arriving” on the Big-Guild stage. When he went down, there was a good bit of shouting YES! from various people, followed by what can only be described as gurgling giggling. Well – I had an open mic and nothing better popped into my head. What makes it really embarassing is that the next comment was an “Oooo-kay” from Sarai, the raid leader. Think she may have been alt-tabbing to Teamspeak to see who needed the huggy jacket.

I havn’t seen Rocky and I noticed today that the U…

I havn’t seen Rocky and I noticed today that the UK Odeon chain has decided ot to show the latest Stallone film, although they don’t seem to be saying why.

Intriguing. And Hi – Michele sent me here today!

rashbre

[big grin] Maybe I’m too squeamish to enjoy watchi…

[big grin] Maybe I’m too squeamish to enjoy watching too much of it …

Gotta say – the people who go into boxing as a sport know what they’re getting into with the physical dangers. You have to have respect for people who throw themselves headlong into dangerous situations (fire, cops, servicemen, boxers, paramedics), knowing full well that they could get seriously hurt.

Plus – and I’m writing this last bit just as a news story about a footballer injuring another player came up – boxers do have their code of honour to fight by and they stick by it. They don’t cheat, they don’t quit. It puts them far above certain other sports … (football is a good game to play but it’s let down badly by its players)

I saw Rocky IV at the cinema and loved it. I agree…

I saw Rocky IV at the cinema and loved it. I agree that it is one of the most inspirational films I have seen in a long time.

I have to defend the art of pugilism though. There is an awful lot of skill involved in boxing and it really isn’t just slugging it out, especially when you see some of the lighter weights boxing. Think of it more as a martial art as there is the same degree of skill involved in finding the opening, selecting the attack, evasion and blocking. I must admit though that I was never a huge fan until I started doing boxing training. Man those guys have to be fit. It really opened my eyes up to the sport.

Took a while before I caught this one – I’ve had i…

Took a while before I caught this one – I’ve had it waiting on Skyplus for a few weeks until I had a gap to watch it in. Miami Vice has been there for longer …

Missed it at the cinema though.

I’ve not seen any of the Rocky films. I’m probabl…

I’ve not seen any of the Rocky films. I’m probably the only person in the Western world who can say that….. I don’t like boxing, but that’snot the reason I haven’t seen them. just Life really, each time one has come out, there has been a different reason I can’t go to the cinema. This time round it’s just finding the time…..

Hi, Sleepypete! I am not a boxing fan either, but …

Hi, Sleepypete! I am not a boxing fan either, but Rocky movies are more about the people and the process, aren’t they? I haven’t seen one since the second came out, I think. Michele sent me this morning.