orion 7,615 Posted October 18, 2018 1 minute ago, djr said: Oh dear , clicked on this to read about - " Tai Woffinden , best ever " what happened to manners on the internet , and a bit of friendly banter between people with different opinions. lucky for me I have a life and don't spend too much time on forums, take care I wonder who this could be Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted October 18, 2018 1 hour ago, orion said: I wonder who this could be Nah, can't be Moxey, he makes reference to thinking about going to a meeting in a previous post 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iainb 5,022 Posted October 19, 2018 (edited) 16 hours ago, chunky said: 6 - Nielsen 5 - Ermolenko 5 - Niemi 4 - Gundersen 4 - Knudsen 4 - Moran 4 - Pedersen Steve So really more than half the field were out of contention after 2 rides 15 hours ago, chunky said: Except that it didn't. He lost the title by 16 points. Had Doyle scored better in previous rounds (most notably in Warsaw and Horsens, where he scored 5 and 7 respectively), he could easily have had things wrapped up by the time he got injured. Ifs, buts and maybes... The point is that it doesn't matter whether it's a GP series or a one off final a competitors chances could be over in 1 single race 12 hours ago, moxey63 said: I'd say we are in a current era that is weaker than the 80s when Nielsen and Gundersen had no one else to challenge them. But that is my belief. What is the problem with that? When the likes of Gundersen, Nielsen and even Carter burst onto the scene with 8, 9 & 10 point averages in their debut seasons I'd say it was because the standard of the opposition they were riding against is weaker than it is these days and not because they were so good. It took both Nielsen and Gundersen years to win their first title and of course Carter never did 11 hours ago, BWitcher said: Not too dissimilar to the aforementioned Ivan Mauger who also took years to reach the level of World Champion and indeed for a number of them wasn't a top dog either. ... And didn't Mauger have to go back home to NZ in his early days because he was rubbish? Edited October 19, 2018 by iainb Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MARK246 243 Posted October 19, 2018 44 pages and still no reason to class Woffinden as the best ever. To come on here and be critical about past riders achievements doesn't prove that he is the best. He rides for the team that controls 25% of the GP line up, why shouldn't he win. I still find him boring and nothing in the last 44 pages would encourage me to cross the road to watch him 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,785 Posted October 19, 2018 (edited) 10 minutes ago, MARK246 said: 44 pages and still no reason to class Woffinden as the best ever. To come on here and be critical about past riders achievements doesn't prove that he is the best. He rides for the team that controls 25% of the GP line up, why shouldn't he win. I still find him boring and nothing in the last 44 pages would encourage me to cross the road to watch him Watch what you're saying, my friend, they'll come for you next. I can't stop giggling at the number of in-depth replies I get from people who believe the sport is in fine shape and isn't facing another winter of uncertainty. I too find Tai boring. But I suppose others will try to tell me he isn't boring, he has tattoos. Edited October 19, 2018 by moxey63 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iainb 5,022 Posted October 19, 2018 1 minute ago, MARK246 said: 44 pages and still no reason to class Woffinden as the best ever. To come on here and be critical about past riders achievements doesn't prove that he is the best. He rides for the team that controls 25% of the GP line up, why shouldn't he win. I still find him boring and nothing in the last 44 pages would encourage me to cross the road to watch him Haha! You drop the bait, so I'll bite... There's only one "team" in the GP's and that's Hancock/Holder, just because a number of riders are sponsored by the same company doesn't make them a team, it's like saying there's a Polcopper team or a NEB team or a TengTools team. As for your last sentence, well that's your opinion but going back to your first sentence the statistical facts are indisputable 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MARK246 243 Posted October 19, 2018 2 minutes ago, moxey63 said: Watch what you're saying, my friend, they'll come for you next. For stating facts, they wouldn't do that would they hahaha Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,785 Posted October 19, 2018 (edited) 4 minutes ago, MARK246 said: For stating facts, they wouldn't do that would they hahaha A lot of the lure for speedway is not the racing but the characters. I suppose speedway having lack of characters has followed the other sports which speedway fans used to find boring and sanitised. I suppose the interesting thing with Tai is when he gets a new tattoo. I'll stand back and await BWitcher to come knocking with a list of facts telling me Tai's tattoos are much better than those from the seventies, more professional and done with many different shades than 50 years ago. You can't compare the two. Edited October 19, 2018 by moxey63 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MARK246 243 Posted October 19, 2018 6 minutes ago, moxey63 said: A lot of the lure for speedway is not the racing but the characters I suppose speedway having lack of characters has followed the other sports which speedway fans used to find boring and sanitised. I suppose the interesting thing with Tai is when he gets a new tattoo. The GPs have got stale, repetitive, not helped by the fact you don't need to win to be champion. It encourages bland boring riders, so Woffinden is top bore Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iainb 5,022 Posted October 19, 2018 8 minutes ago, moxey63 said: A lot of the lure for speedway is not the racing but the characters. I suppose speedway having lack of characters has followed the other sports which speedway fans used to find boring and sanitised. I suppose the interesting thing with Tai is when he gets a new tattoo. I'll stand back and await BWitcher to come knocking with a list of facts telling me Tai's tattoos are much better than those from the seventies, more professional and done with many different shades than 50 years ago. You can't compare the two. Can you tell me who the "characters" were back in the good old days? And what made them characters for you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wooly73 3 Posted October 19, 2018 Barney Kennet , Canterbury crusaders Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,362 Posted October 19, 2018 8 minutes ago, MARK246 said: The GPs have got stale, repetitive, not helped by the fact you don't need to win to be champion. It encourages bland boring riders, so Woffinden is top bore I thought we'd already ascertained that, under the old system, you could also go through an entire season without winning a race and still end up World Champion. But it never happened then and won't happen now either. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted October 19, 2018 15 hours ago, Fred Flange said: Hmm..... The same thing happens when I explain how the league cup format costs the sport £thousands every season. As you know someone always argues that I'm wrong and a little clique of likes as you describe (definitely all three) dutifully appear, lol! Hmm.. Very different situation. That IS a matter of opinion, you have yours, I have mine, neither of us can prove it. The promoters all side with me... which probably means you are right Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MARK246 243 Posted October 19, 2018 5 minutes ago, Grachan said: I thought we'd already ascertained that, under the old system, you could also go through an entire season without winning a race and still end up World Champion. But it never happened then and won't happen now either. You need to sit down and work that out yourself, you needed to win a race under the old system. Come back I tell me I was right when you try it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,362 Posted October 19, 2018 1 minute ago, MARK246 said: You need to sit down and work that out yourself, you needed to win a race under the old system. Come back I tell me I was right when you try it I don't have the means to do that as I don't have a blank programme, otherwise I'd genuinely give it a go. Although several people have pointed out that it was possible. It's not so relevant anyway. Nobody is going to go through an entire GP season without winning a race and end up World Champion so it's a bit of a pointless argument - although the idea of whether or not you can win a 20 heat one-off without winning a race is quite intriguing. Also, nobody can win a Grand Prix without winning a race. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites