I see that the left-wing Moaning Minnies have been complaining that the Winter Olympic Games are 'elitist'. Yes, 'elitist'; and they really don't like it!
They claim that it's just a bunch of Hooray Henry's and Henrietta's lording it up on the slopes at Daddy's expense. One can but wonder what these idiots will find to moan about next.
Maybe it is true that Winter's snow related sports are more to the liking of 'the middle classes', but I never hear people complaining that the Summer Games are dominated by oiks or sink-estate residents (they wouldn't dare!).
Polo players tend to be wealthy folk; do we complain?
Certain large sailing boats obviously require plenty of dosh; are we jealous?
Formula 1 racing costs an absolute bloody fortune: are we angry?.... Of course we're not!
Let's just leave people to their own sports, regardless of how rich or poor they are. The poor can amuse themselves with their Snooker, Darts, Bar Billiards, and Gurning, and the rich must be allowed to continue sailing their huge trans-Atlantic Catamarans, or Ski down mountains at breakneck speeds. What is there to be upset about?
Let's not bring political jealousy into sport; it's so bloody juvenile. Live and let live.
Motor car racing is a good example of a very expensive sport enjoyed by......well, you know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteExpensive and certainly elitist, but nothing to be jealous about.
DeleteI rather meant that the audience for the sport is far from elitist, and generally nor are the drivers. But there are some very rich people involved. I started to read some of what you called trolling, and it is rather tedious.
DeleteTorvill and Dean certainly weren't elitist, insurance clerk and policeman.
ReplyDeleteThese are just silly people who haven't done their homework!
DeleteThe skateboarders and the ski acrobats from the skate parks of Sheffield do not strike me as elite and if the speed skater extraordinaire is elite then I'm the Queen of Sheba.
ReplyDeleteOf course they're not elitist; they just want something more to moan about.
DeleteActually, Lewis Hamilton came from the town near me and comes from a very ordinary background. His talent took him to the top not his background and, tennis is thought to be an elitist sport but I’m pretty sure Andy Murray’s upbringing wasn’t elitist. Money must help but you still have to have the talent. XXXX
ReplyDeleteTalent will always win through. Money never buys talent. I think these moaning lefties just hate anything that smells of success.
DeleteAustria's skiers generally come from rural backgrounds, hill farms, small villages in the mountains.
ReplyDeleteCritics wrong again!
Sportsmen come from all walks of life, it has nothing to do with elitism.
DeleteThere would be no sport worth watching at all without elitism. 'Sport for All' used to be a slogan, but not everyone can be a brilliant sportsperson.
DeleteOne needs to be 'elite' to win gold, but not to take part. I think the article I read presumed that everyone representing the UK in S Korea had been to Eton/Oxford.
DeleteIt is expensive to train at the top. I knew an Olympic bobsleigh man. The RAF gave him a job just so he could train all day. That's all he did. Bath University is an Olympic training centre, and presumably they get student loans to use the facilities. If you're at the top, there are ways around it.
DeleteThere are elitist sports and there are sports with elite sportsmen and women. Cro's lefties imagine that skiing is a sport like polo or golf at snobby club in that it is elitist. This is false. Skiing is a sport in which anyone can take part. A second hand pair of skis can be picked up for next to nothing. And there is no membership fee. There are special offers from the railways which include ski passes. A friend of mine recently skied all day for the price of a meal. In fact cross country skiing is mostly free or if you have to pay it is very little. Ice skating, ice hockey are also open to all and not overly expensive. In fact elitism is more to do with snobbishness rather than cost. The triathlon for example requires much expense but thousands find the money and get on with it. The people who are complaining, what sports do they do? Darts is very cheap, but even there you can be elite.
DeleteSome people have nothing to do except complain. They are so boring. We need to look up and do more cheering for those who strive to do their very best, whether they are rich or poor. My heart skips a beat when I see people who put themselves out there to do daring deeds and accomplish what others only dream about.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. You can imagine how it must feel, having done your best, to have some idiots complaining that you are only there because of 'Daddy's money'.
DeleteFrom a bit of a leftie...more sports are becoming elitist. My own sport (cycling)as much as any other. Its a sport that attracts loners who want to be in a club, and non-conformists..and the further up you go (I've been up to International level) the more you are a round peg shoved in a square hole...
ReplyDeleteFootball is also a good example... how often do you see ordinary people just having a kickabout?
Unless you have backing from somewhere, its more about watching instead of just taking part, which is sad. Look at football...its about money, not about sport and enjoying doing it. Very sad indeed.
I don't for one moment think that all left-thinking people agree with this nonsense. Certain activists need to see themselves in the papers as often as they can, and will adhere to any old insults.
DeleteI know that who ever you are,if you are an elite athlete you and your family have made sacrifices. Here, hockey is one of the most expensive sports. Just a good mid range stick is around 200 hundred dollars. I know many grandparents who help along the way. No judgement here and I am a lefty.
ReplyDeleteOf course. People who achieve top rankings only get there because of hard work and sacrifice. Not because daddy is rich.
DeleteI'm proud of all of our competitors rich or not!
ReplyDeleteThey must work incredibly hard..what great role models they are
Absolutely!
DeleteWhat utter rubbish this 'elitist' business is total Tosh and Complete Balderdash... next time it will be Moonlight Tiddlywinks Championship !
DeleteLol most of them full of illegal drugs. You seem to forget about that.
DeleteDrug models.
DeleteF'*k off
DeleteThere are some people here who don't know what they are talking about.
ReplyDeleteAs long as they don't think winter sports are 'elitist', I don't mind.
DeleteLet me be facetious, Cro: How do you know that Rachel isn't, among others, referring to you?
DeleteU
Cro knows exactly what I mean. The GB team is made up of young people who are funded by the Lottery fund and the British government, and no doubt lots of sacrifices made by families over many years which they do entirely voluntarily. If you had read the comments made earlier this morning you would have seen sports people described by commenters and the backgrounds they come from. I doubt that any of them went anywhere other than comprehensive schools. The curling team are the children of farmers from Scotland and were featured on Countryfile recently working on the farms. Their parents before them represented their country in curling and I was watching their great grandparents doing the same on tv when I was a child. To suggest that the Winter Olympics is elitist is nothing short of insulting.
DeleteOh Rachel, of course, "Cro knows exactly what [you] mean". You are birds of a feather. Closed off.
DeletePlease do learn how to read (my comments) before you jump to the wrong conclusions. Who, if not me, was the one to point out that the terms "elite", "elitism" and "elistist" have been bent and bastardized?
Where did I suggest that the Winter Olympics are "elitist" in the bastardized definition of the term?
You know who is insulting, Rachel? Look no further than yourself.
U
Good. You insult the rest of us enough.
DeleteWhy do you sell yourself so short, Rachel? Why? You could have entered an intelligent discussion. You even may have conceded that, yes, you hadn't read/interpreted my earlier comments correctly.But that is outside your realm, Rachel. And Cro's. Once either of you are on a train you will not consider changing at another junction. It's beyond you.
DeleteThat last reply of yours to me is so, I don't know... Lame? I "insult the rest of [you] enough". It is such an empty statement. "Enough" for what? And who is "the rest"? I sincerely hope you aren't the rest because then who would I have an invigorating and intelligent exchange with?
U
Stop playing the innocent.
DeleteOh, Rachel, if only you knew.
DeleteU
What's going on Miss U you seem to kneel down and pray for comprehension. What strange folk you all are.
DeleteSigh
Delete"What's going on", Chloe? Nothing much. Other than your usual and disruptive attempt at making mischief (major fail) whilst contributing NOTHING to the actual discussion.
Delete"Strange folk"? Maybe time to make new friends, Chloe. Good Luck.
U
Poor U.
DeleteI have seen the curling practice at the Lockerbie rink. I can tell you that, there is no way that is elitist in anyway. People arrive in older cars, live in an area that is quite run down. The biggest area of employment is either forestry (logging) or the Arla factory making cheese. the rest get the train to Glasgow or Edinburgh or drive to Carlisle. These are normal people living normal lives. I see many people on instagram who are just normal people skiing, snow boarding etc and they live in colder climates. We have family in Canada, one played professional hockey and even trained a Euro team. And they live in a not so great area and I am sure many would say in the UK that they lived in poverty compared to some standards. Horse riding is more elitist for sure.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sol, we can now finish all this with your common sense.
DeleteI bloody despair!
Cro, I enjoy the athleticism and the beauty of skiing. The skiers ⛷ stories are the topping on the cake. Gabs
ReplyDeleteJust catching up on blog reading and caught this. Had to laugh. Winter sports aren't elites. They're what we Canadians do for 6 months to keep from going nuts - the Scandinavians too. Seriously though, our athletes live and training on ridiculously poverty-level funding. They really are heroes.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, could you be more specific: where did you see the complaint that you are responding to? It's not useful to have people responding to their imaginings. Thanks, Mary in Maryland
ReplyDelete