BWitcher 12,453 Posted December 21, 2018 On 12/18/2018 at 9:48 AM, Grachan said: Sometimes I think people watch Sports Personality of the Year to check that speedway isn't mentioned, just so that they can have a moan about it after. Personally I have no qualms over the 'sport' not being mentioned. However, a British World Champion SHOULD be mentioned in a round up of 'other British World Champions' which is something they always used to do. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
geoff100 1,404 Posted December 21, 2018 2 hours ago, cuckootoyou said: When was the last time F1 was on the BBC?. Speedway just isn't a sport worth showing anymore. When was f1 ever a sport ? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,314 Posted December 21, 2018 38 minutes ago, BWitcher said: Personally I have no qualms over the 'sport' not being mentioned. However, a British World Champion SHOULD be mentioned in a round up of 'other British World Champions' which is something they always used to do. It should probably, yes. I do wonder if the BBC drop it as a deliberate act because of the orchestrated emails they probably get over speedway. I know people think they are helping the cause by getting people to email the BBC and complain about their lack of coverage, but if they are as bloody minded as I can be sometimes, they might just think "Oh for God's sake!" and make it the first sport dropped. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatface 2,525 Posted December 21, 2018 2 hours ago, BWitcher said: Personally I have no qualms over the 'sport' not being mentioned. However, a British World Champion SHOULD be mentioned in a round up of 'other British World Champions' which is something they always used to do. I'll always tend to leap to the defence of the BBC. No matter what other daftness blights the country, the BBC, for me, remains the world's best and best value broadcaster, bar none. It's not perfect, but what is? SPOTY is a classic bit of BBC. High profile, by and large well done, slightly uncool and unrealistically trying to please everyone. I felt Ivan Mauger deserved a nod along with other names lost this year. He's widely regarded as the most successful speedway rider ever and I think this merited it. As for Tai Woffinden's ommission, I'd like to have seen it. But I understand the low relevance of speedway on the entire sporting landscape. And "something they always used to do" is never strong basis to simply carrying on doing it. I suspect that with the increasingly diverse sports landscape and the UK's unprecedented success in recent times (in what other eras have we simultaneously had the World Heavyweight Champ, the F1 Champ the Tour de France winner, multiple Olympic gold medallists and Wimbledon men's champion?)...that listing all of the British world champions would be quite a process and wide open to leaving some out. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,784 Posted December 21, 2018 Speedway fans have a mentality which wants non-fans to notice the sport. For example, if Tai were mentioned, a speedway fan would get a warm feeling like when he receives a "like" on the BSF or social networks. They know what Tai has achieved, they are fans for god's sake, what he looks like etc. It's a belief, they believe, if SPOTY shows Tai and mentions speedway, the blokes at work or down the pub will see it... and perhaps they might feel the speedway fan not as strange as they did beforehand. Maybe. Just maybe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted December 21, 2018 35 minutes ago, moxey63 said: Speedway fans have a mentality which wants non-fans to notice the sport. For example, if Tai were mentioned, a speedway fan would get a warm feeling like when he receives a "like" on the BSF or social networks. They know what Tai has achieved, they are fans for god's sake, what he looks like etc. It's a belief, they believe, if SPOTY shows Tai and mentions speedway, the blokes at work or down the pub will see it... and perhaps they might feel the speedway fan not as strange as they did beforehand. Maybe. Just maybe. Can't be as strange as someone who doesn't go, doesn't watch, but spends an inordinate amount of his time on a forum telling people this and having a go at the sport he doesn't go to or watch. 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,784 Posted December 21, 2018 (edited) 34 minutes ago, BWitcher said: Can't be as strange as someone who doesn't go, doesn't watch, but spends an inordinate amount of his time on a forum telling people this and having a go at the sport he doesn't go to or watch. Merry Christmas, BWitcher. I know speedway fans are like this, as I was one myself. Edited December 21, 2018 by moxey63 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted December 21, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, moxey63 said: Merry Christmas, BWitcher. I know speedway fans are like this, as I was one myself. But now an armchair critic with f*ck all to contribute. Edited December 21, 2018 by Tsunami 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halifaxtiger 5,318 Posted December 21, 2018 1 hour ago, moxey63 said: Merry Christmas, BWitcher. I know speedway fans are like this, as I was one myself. 'Was' being the operative word. Absolutely no interest now other than to be critical. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,784 Posted December 21, 2018 1 hour ago, Halifaxtiger said: 'Was' being the operative word. Absolutely no interest now other than to be critical. I could say what a disgrace BBC is for not giving speedway airspace on SPOTY. But you have to be real. If they didn't give it airtime 40 years ago when the sport was booming, you shouldn't have been fooled into wasting three hours of your lives the other Sunday to watch it, and then pretend to be shocked speedway wasn't on it. Get real. Even fans have got sick to the teeth of it and the mess it's drifted into to. It isn't just me. It isn't speedway entirely, just the modern form. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orion 7,608 Posted December 21, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, moxey63 said: I could say what a disgrace BBC is for not giving speedway airspace on SPOTY. But you have to be real. If they didn't give it airtime 40 years ago when the sport was booming, you shouldn't have been fooled into wasting three hours of your lives the other Sunday to watch it, and then pretend to be shocked speedway wasn't on it. Get real. Even fans have got sick to the teeth of it and the mess it's drifted into to. It isn't just me. It isn't speedway entirely, just the modern form. I bet you have it on in the background Edited December 21, 2018 by orion 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buttons 370 Posted December 21, 2018 On 12/17/2018 at 3:13 PM, Richard Weston said: One of the problems is that the BBC sees speedway as a Sky TV sport (now BT) and not one of "their own". It seems as if preference is given to sports broadcast by the Beeb. Shame on them. Always been the same with SPOTY, if it's not one for their sports they are not interested, disgusting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted December 21, 2018 8 hours ago, Tsunami said: But now an armchair critic with f*ck all to contribute. Armchair critic if something he admits to not watching. You really have to have a screw loose to do that. Anyway, not seen an episode of East Enders in 20 years but am off to a forum to slag it off. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vincent Blachshadow 2,918 Posted December 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Buttons said: Always been the same with SPOTY, if it's not one for their sports they are not interested, disgusting. Well, the full title of the award is 'BBC Sports Personality of the Year' so it seems reasonable to give it to someone from a sport they actually cover. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halifaxtiger 5,318 Posted December 22, 2018 5 hours ago, BWitcher said: Anyway, not seen an episode of East Enders in 20 years but am off to a forum to slag it off. 11 hours ago, moxey63 said: I could say what a disgrace BBC is for not giving speedway airspace on SPOTY. But you have to be real. If they didn't give it airtime 40 years ago when the sport was booming, you shouldn't have been fooled into wasting three hours of your lives the other Sunday to watch it, and then pretend to be shocked speedway wasn't on it. Get real. Even fans have got sick to the teeth of it and the mess it's drifted into to. It isn't just me. It isn't speedway entirely, just the modern form. I am not quite sure what that has to do with your continual - and utterly unvarying - criticism of speedway. Bewitcher, Tsunami (who I count as a very good friend) and I have crossed swords on this forum several times. They are, however, at least worth arguing with because they attend meetings and retain a passionate interest in modern day speedway. They, like me, recognise the many faults that the sport has and have been extremely critical on occasion. However, they also recognise that four blokes on bikes without brakes can be as good as its ever been - indeed, on occasion, its better. They give credit where credit is due. You don't. Period. By your own admission, you don't go, have no interest and wouldn't attend even if it was free. As such, Bewitcher's EastEnders post - in your case - is just about bang on. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites