Why do they bother?

donfers

The Winter Olympics is on at the moment. I was up late last night and caught a glimpse of the Irish ladies bobsleigh team. I wanted them to do well but didn't expect them to do well. However I am no expert at bobsleigh but the driver couldn't even jump into the bobsleigh properly and they are in last place at the moment and way way off the pace.

This is not a gender thing so please if anyone wants to spark a gender debate/war or accuse me of whatever spare your breath. I'm sure and Irish men's bobsleigh team would be equally as embarrassing.

I just want to know why do they bother? To fight for last place? To gain experience? In a million years these girls won't get close to a medal.

I do need clarification on two matters

1) there was a lot of controversy about their qualification. Were they just shoehorned into the competition to get a new country involved? If so, I completely disagree with this but I do know there were complaints and appeals about Ireland's participation in this event.

2) Is the taxpayer funding their participation. I don't know if they are receiving grants from the sports council of Ireland or if the taxpayer is funding them through the Olympic Council of Ireland. If so, then please invest the resources somewhere more worthwhile as this is a complete waste of time and money and a real token representation in my view.

Anyway my main query is why? So they can have a laugh and a party in Vancouver and try not to come last? If so this doesn't justify the funding in my view.

mikom

Our Father, who art in Calgary, Bobsled be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, gold medals won, on Earth as it is in Turn Seven.
With Liberty and Justice for Ireland and Haile Selassie. Amen.

funk-you

You never win at anything if you don't try.

-Funk

IrishManSaipan

Its a privilege and an honour to represent your country in a sporting event.

My name is URL

I'd rather see my tax money going towards supporting our athletes than our bankers, but whatever

stovelid

You appear to be far better at bobsleighing than they are.

If you're Irish, you should be there?

Or at least offer your advice directly.

Bonito

Hey! If Jamaica can bobsleigh why can't we?! :mad:

super_furry

donfers wrote: »

1) there was a lot of controversy about their qualification. Were they just shoehorned into the competition to get a new country involved? If so, I completely disagree with this but I do know there were complaints and appeals about Ireland's participation in this event.

They qualified based on their times throughout the season - they were one of the fastest 20 teams in the world this season and earned their place on the basis of that. Australia protested their involvement as Ireland were number 20 in the qualification times and the Australians claimed that all continents should be included in the games, and that Ireland should be removed in order for them to take part based on their location. The Court of Arbitration for Sport decided that Ireland had earned their place and world indeed take part.

You're not even aware if they recieve funding yet you're outraged by it. Being good enough to participate in the Olympics is an achievement within itself, have you learned nothing from Cool Runnings?

FlutterinBantam

Call me Mr HJ Cynical, but it seems to me that a certain coterie of folk make a career of this stuff.

Obscure events funded by the taxpayer that they have no chance in.

Now ,per se, I have no argument with that but there ARE a group out there who use the system to the nth degree.

Terry mcHugh is a good example, nothing ,I repeat nothing against the lad himself but he certainly did well over the years.


Out in Switz. now i believe.

InkSlinger67

Apparently they only learned the sport when trying to figure out how to get a few trays home from the off license over christmas

Fair play to them

connundrum

Eh.. they are not coming last.

They are in fact coming 20th out of 21 competitors.

Whilst I actually know one of the girls on the team and would only wish them well, I'd rather see the money used in sending them to Vancouver redirected towards our national basketball teams who have been disbanded as of today.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/basketball/2010/0224/ireland2.html

dylano_k

We finally qualify for some kinda tournament in 2010 and we have someone crying about it. We'll never win a world cup yet we pay millions on building stadiums for the Irish Team, we'v been sending our cricket team to world cups that we will never win or even come close.

Its great to see anyone represent our country whether we come 1st or last.!!!!!

robby^5

Nuff people say they know they cant believe Ireland we have a bobsled team!

cork*girl

Ireland have a bobsleigh team!

They could make a film about it!!:p

major bill

ireland participation in the winter olympics is something that has always puzzled me and it dawned on me when watching the luge and the skeleton that we are a country full of joyriders and generally mad [EMAIL="b@stards"]b@stards[/EMAIL] who quite frankly if tapped into we would clean up in the winter olmpics, cos lets be honest ye have to be a mad fcuk to go down a tunnel of ice at fast speeds on your back:D

phasers

The Ski cross is the best Olympic sport ever, Irish people should do that



Some American chap got banned from it for smoking dope, so then he just joined the Canadian team

pickarooney

Didn't an Irish guy come 4th in the bobsleigh or luge a few years back? Lord something or other?

edit: Lord Clifton Hugh Lancelot de Verdin Wrottesley, Paddy to his mates.

Glenster

Joke about them all you want but I'll tell you this,

when they look in the mirror they dont see silly little boys like you do

they see pride

They see power

They see a bad-ass mutha who aint gonna take no crap from nobody




But this doesn't mean that I like them.

donfers

I really don't see the point in them being there

l've actually done a bobsleigh ride once and there was nothing to it, i was third man in, the driver does 95% of the work, the brakeman/brakewoman at the back does a very easy job of braking at the end and other than that all that's required is jumping into the thing as fast as you can at the start

fair play to these girls for having a go, it's not a sport for the feint-hearted but honestly i'd prefer if the money that sent them there was invested in the likes of derval o rourke or luke sorensen or paul hession or olive loughnane (I knew the people I've mentioned already get funding but i'm sure they'd like more and be able to compete more effectively with more and unlike the bobsleigh girls the examples mentioned would actually be able to compete rather than be merely token representation to justify some departmental boffin's existence in the olympic council of ireland)

Prof.Badass

Bonito wrote: »

Hey! If Jamaica can bobsleigh why can't we?! :mad:

because jamaica don't do drug tests during training season :rolleyes:.

General Zod

Instead of trying to enter events in the winter olympics, we should get events we excel at made into winter olympic sports.

We should lobby the IOC for "Taking a swore one when your head bounces off the ground after slipping on ice" made into an event. We'd be great!

dr.bollocko

General Zod wrote: »

Instead of trying to enter events in the winter olympics, we should get events we excel at made into winter olympic sports.

We should lobby the IOC for "Taking a swore one when your head bounces off the ground after slipping on ice" made into an event. We'd be great!

Or the old smoking and shivering event. I'd kick ass at that one.

Herb Powell

Maybe because it's fun??????? No?????????? But of course they're just doing it for the medals:rolleyes:

Naos

Woah there! When & where did you do that? I'd say it's some craic. Scary but some craic.

donfers wrote: »

l've actually done a bobsleigh ride once and there was nothing to it, i was third man in, the driver does 95% of the work, the brakeman/brakewoman at the back does a very easy job of braking at the end and other than that all that's required is jumping into the thing as fast as you can at the start

As for them competing, I suppose it depends how serious they are about it (in terms of dedication to training) and how much of our tax money went towards it.

In saying that, if they won it'd be something else, lift the spirits - I love watching any sport where an Irish person is participating, become an avid fan for those few moments then have to see it out to see where they come.

Cunning Stunt

I don't know why Ireland has never invested properly in sports facilities in general.
I am living in a country smaller than Ireland and they are well represented at an international level for most sports. What the hell happened to us?! It's embarrassing..:(

oppenheimer1

donfers wrote: »

I really don't see the point in them being there

l've actually done a bobsleigh ride once and there was nothing to it, i was third man in, the driver does 95% of the work, the brakeman/brakewoman at the back does a very easy job of braking at the end and other than that all that's required is jumping into the thing as fast as you can at the start

fair play to these girls for having a go, it's not a sport for the feint-hearted but honestly i'd prefer if the money that sent them there was invested in the likes of derval o rourke or luke sorensen or paul hession or olive loughnane (I knew the people I've mentioned already get funding but i'm sure they'd like more and be able to compete more effectively with more and unlike the bobsleigh girls the examples mentioned would actually be able to compete rather than be merely token representation to justify some departmental boffin's existence in the olympic council of ireland)

I doubt they got much money from the Olympic council to be honest. They only took it up about 3 years ago, it shows that if you're athletic and have the time patience and most importantly money you can make it to the games

The thing about winter sports is that it is incredibly expensive to participate in, much more so when your home country isn't an alpine nation. Team GB generally do fairly poorly considering they have a population over 10 times the size of ours. Even China hasn't been doing that great either.

Irish competitors can also realistically forget about track and field in the Summer games when it comes to medals, the best they are really looking for is PB and national records. The european circut isn't competitive enough to really challenge the african/jamacian/us sprinters... It just seems to appear that black people are faster than white people (personal observation).

The focus for ireland should be minority sports with many diciplines which amplifies the chance of medals. Boxing is a great example of this. Indeed this approach is one that is being taken bu the olympic council of ireland. The aim is to medal in sports that most people don't know are even in the olympics!

The_Kew_Tour

at least there out there competing in something for there country rather then sitting at home doing F all.

It always makes me laugh when I see people in pubs laugh at one of or own in say Olympics and calling them useless when all there doing is sitting in pub wasting there life.

oppenheimer1

Cunning Stunt wrote: »

I don't know why Ireland has never invested properly in sports facilities in general.
I am living in a country smaller than Ireland and they are well represented at an international level for most sports. What the hell happened to us?! It's embarrassing..:(

Thats not true, we have invested in sports, just not ones that we can compete on at an international level. Some of the GAA facilities you find in even small communities are on a par with what you would expect to find in even a professional set up. If hurlers had taken up hockey, probably no nation on earth could beat us.

The problem we have when it comes to olympic games and international competitions is that our best athlethes compete in sports that are played nowhere else.

thebossanova

Oh pardon me! I didn't realise that two pasty white girls in a sled could make you blush.

General Zod

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Thats not true, we have invested in sports, just not ones that we can compete on at an international level. Some of the GAA facilities you find in even small communities are on a par with what you would expect to find in even a professional set up. If hurlers had taken up hockey, probably no nation on earth could beat us.

The problem we have when it comes to olympic games and international competitions is that our best athlethes compete in sports that are played nowhere else.

That's mostly the GAA investing in itself, in fairness. the Irish government has a terrible track record in investing in sports, even ones we can compete with such as athletics.

arybvtcw0eolkf

donfers wrote: »

I just want to know why do they bother? To fight for last place? To gain experience? In a million years these girls won't get close to a medal.

They're not fighting for last place, they're fighting for first place but not getting there.

But in their hearts they want to win, and so what if it never happens?.

The man who says it can't be done is the man who'll never do it!.

I fight in an olympic sport (Judo). I'll never get there, I'll never be a blip on the radar. But I've got national medals and walked away feeling like a champ, but the older I get the less this happens - but I continue to train & fight.

At my age now I compete as a 'Master' (old man stuff now ), so I might have a chance at something in at least the European master's.

Seeing as Judo is an Olympic sport and I'll never compete in an Olympic games should I give up, lie down & die?.

Fair play to the girls, I know what competition is like as the underdog & I'm very proud of their spirit & commitment.

Beezkneez!

Why not give it a bash like - life is abit short now to be worried about coming last - olympics is all about participation and the enjoyment of sport. Fair play to all the Irish out there giving it socks.

ya-ba-da-ba-doo

donfers wrote: »

The Winter Olympics is on at the moment. I was up late last night and caught a glimpse of the Irish ladies bobsleigh team. I wanted them to do well but didn't expect them to do well. However I am no expert at bobsleigh but the driver couldn't even jump into the bobsleigh properly and they are in last place at the moment and way way off the pace.

This is not a gender thing so please if anyone wants to spark a gender debate/war or accuse me of whatever spare your breath. I'm sure and Irish men's bobsleigh team would be equally as embarrassing.

I just want to know why do they bother? To fight for last place? To gain experience? In a million years these girls won't get close to a medal.

I do need clarification on two matters

1) there was a lot of controversy about their qualification. Were they just shoehorned into the competition to get a new country involved? If so, I completely disagree with this but I do know there were complaints and appeals about Ireland's participation in this event.

2) Is the taxpayer funding their participation. I don't know if they are receiving grants from the sports council of Ireland or if the taxpayer is funding them through the Olympic Council of Ireland. If so, then please invest the resources somewhere more worthwhile as this is a complete waste of time and money and a real token representation in my view.

Anyway my main query is why? So they can have a laugh and a party in Vancouver and try not to come last? If so this doesn't justify the funding in my view.

You're pathetic and completely oblivious to your own ignorance. What sport have you represented your country at?

eddie the eagle

thebossanova wrote: »

Oh pardon me! I didn't realise that two pasty white girls in a sled could make you blush.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYjsZldKh0Y

juvenal

They bother because they've invested a hell of a lot of time and effort and made a lot of sacrifices to compete in their chosen discipline at the very highest level.

In countries like Ireland, winter sports are an extremely niche enterprise. In my opinion, an Irish bobsleigh team placing in the top twenty in a great achievement, considering that describing it as a minority sport would be generous in the extreme. I'm living here in Canada, and last night in my place of business I was having a bit of banter with locals about the concept of an Irish Winter Olympic team and that we have six athletes representing the country. Lo and behold, the Irish girls came on live television after the US and the Canadians and the Swiss and the Russians, and everyone stopped and watched. That they were over three seconds outside the lead wasn't a factor for the Canadians who watched, it was the fact that a team from outside the traditional countries with a tiny population and no history of winter sports were competing at the highest level. Alas, this appears to be lost of some of the people at home, who know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

Here, the level of expectation that surrounds each home athlete is enormous at the moment. Although if they don't win gold, sure there's a little disappointment, but Canadians are generally reflective rather than begrudging. They know that the athlete gave their all, represented their country with pride and honour, and is competing at a level that 99.99% of people wouldn't even bother dreaming of.

I can bet you that the thing top athletes in any sport respect more than achievments, records and medals is courage and determination. Of course it's easier to be the best when you are a child blessed with natural talent and your family have the resources to provide you with top training and equipment and all the opportunities you need to succeed. But what about the people who just taking part is a daily struggle? What about Marjan Kalhor? Should be be denied a chance to be the best she can be because she'd unlikely to medal? What about Eric Moussambani, who had never seen an Olympic swimming pool, let alone have the chance to swim in one?

I don't buy into misty-eyed romance stories that the media sell when it comes to sport, but last night a young girl took the ice, and no matter what the result, she's an Olympic champion in my eyes. Joannie Rochette is a 24 year old figure skater from Montreal, and has probably spent most of her life practicing to skate at the very highest level. Everything was going to plan, she was in Vancouver, feeling good, and her friends and family were arriving in to see her skate. Her parents arrived in Vancouver last Saturday, but within a few hours her mother had a heart attack and died early Sunday morning. She didn't even get to see her daughter before she passed away.

Now Joannie is ranked #5 in the world, and a good shot at a medal, but if she had decided to withdraw after that tragedy no one would have batted an eyelid. No fan or athlete would have berated her for giving up, or questioned her determination had she quit. She decided to go on, and performed her short program last night. I can't imagine what it would be like to go through this; standing out in the middle of a vast bright rink, spotlights on you, waiting for the music to start, the television coverage being beamed around the world and a packed house of fans and media. Looking into the vast darkness of the stands, it must have been a very lonely place. But she persevered, and nailed her routine. She stands third halfway through the competition.

She may falter in the more difficult long program, but no matter what her position on the scoreboard, she's already dealt with more during these Olympics than anyone else we know of. And for that, she is a champion.

Perhaps the OP would favour a situation where the top three athletes/teams in a chosen sport are sent to the Olympics/World Cup/World Championships etc and they battle it out for the spots on the podium. Sure why bother sending anyone else if they're not going to medal? Because the inherent value of sport is not about being the best, it's about being the best that you can be.

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that
whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.

InTheTrees

I think its a fantastic achievement and not an embarassment at al, they made it to the olympics didnt they?

I hope they do better in 2014.

On another note its about time to get an Irish Curling team ready for 2014?

Overheal

I cant relate. Too busy browsing images of Lindsay Vonn....

InTheTrees

Nickolas Whispering Nutcracker wrote: »

They're not fighting for last place, they're fighting for first place but not getting there.

nice. It reminds me of the Buzz lightyear quote from toy story "flying is just falling in a controlled way".

bonerm

OP is right. You can't punch someone in the head with a bobsleigh and we can't make it faster by injecting it with drugs, so I don't see how we're ever going to win gold in this event?

However, I do wish we had a top class Ice-hockey team. Now that's truely the sport of kings.

thetonynator

basically, what you're saying is that in each competitive sport in the world there should only be 3 participants. there should only be 3 100m sprinters, 3 marathon runners, 3 swimmers in each distance, 3 boxers in each weight. . .

Don't be ridiculous.

Well done to them, 17th in a heat isn't bad either.

bonerm

thetonynator wrote: »

basically, what you're saying is that in each competitive sport in the world there should only be 3 participants. there should only be 3 100m sprinters, 3 marathon runners, 3 swimmers in each distance, 3 boxers in each weight. . .

Don't be ridiculous.

Don't be ridiculous. That's far too restrictive.

You can have four boxers in each weight .... as both semi-final losers get a bronze. Would certainly make the opening ceremony less tedious anyway.

Elessar

I'll give them both gold medals if they get real jobs.

thetonynator

bonerm wrote: »

Don't be ridiculous. That's far too restrictive.

You can have four boxers in each weight .... as both semi-final losers get a bronze. Would certainly make the opening ceremony less tedious anyway.

My mistake sorry

juvenal

Elessar wrote: »

I'll give them both gold medals if they get real jobs.

So Olympic athletes along with being an accountant and an administrator for the AAI isn't enough of a workload for you?:rolleyes:

robinph

2009/ 2010 World Rankings
They no way the worst team in existence. They made it to the Olympics on merit, which is one up on the Aussies who had to complain to get let in.

InTheTrees wrote: »

nice. It reminds me of the Buzz lightyear quote from toy story "flying is just falling in a controlled way".

I think he stole that line from Ford Prefect. "Flying is throwing yourself at the ground and missing", or something along those lines.

donfers

ya-ba-da-ba-doo wrote: »

You're pathetic and completely oblivious to your own ignorance. What sport have you represented your country at?

you're right, I am a bit pathetic and bitter

I have been Munster tiddlywinks champion 4 years in a row and despite my requests for Olympic Council of Ireland funding and despite my pestering the International Olympic Committee to make it an Olympic Sport, nothing..pah!!

Pittens

We should leave the Winter Olympics to the proper Whites.




There, I said it.

Overheal

donfers wrote: »

The Winter Olympics is on at the moment. I was up late last night and caught a glimpse of the Irish ladies bobsleigh team. I wanted them to do well but didn't expect them to do well. However I am no expert at bobsleigh but the driver couldn't even jump into the bobsleigh properly and they are in last place at the moment and way way off the pace.

This is not a gender thing so please if anyone wants to spark a gender debate/war or accuse me of whatever spare your breath. I'm sure and Irish men's bobsleigh team would be equally as embarrassing.

I just want to know why do they bother? To fight for last place? To gain experience? In a million years these girls won't get close to a medal.

I do need clarification on two matters

1) there was a lot of controversy about their qualification. Were they just shoehorned into the competition to get a new country involved? If so, I completely disagree with this but I do know there were complaints and appeals about Ireland's participation in this event.

2) Is the taxpayer funding their participation. I don't know if they are receiving grants from the sports council of Ireland or if the taxpayer is funding them through the Olympic Council of Ireland. If so, then please invest the resources somewhere more worthwhile as this is a complete waste of time and money and a real token representation in my view.

Anyway my main query is why? So they can have a laugh and a party in Vancouver and try not to come last? If so this doesn't justify the funding in my view.

Joking aside, you basically represent every attitude that is Wrong with your Country and its only happened in the last few years. You guys used to be proud. Now you're just like "Why fcuking bother doing anything?"

Son I strongly recommend you view the list of Irish Athletes. And when they get back home, why don't you go fcuking ask them Why. Maybe they'll knock something into you, like Pride or Confidence, Integrity or Determination, with the answer they give you.

Its for the same reason Ireland plays Soccer or Hurling or Enters the Summer Olympics. You might think "Oh well Soccer! We actually can half-play Soccer!" Well yeah you can, but how would you have fcuking known it if you didn't participate in a slew of Early World Cup attempts where you had your ass handed to you? Give up when it gets hard much?

I mean if you wanna talk Soccer, the US is still an embarrassment but fcuk me if they aren't constantly trying to improve themselves. Fair play. Which reminds me of who's in it this year and who is not

Pittens

On the subject of whether the OP ever got into a Bobsleigh.

I think 5 or 6 Irish people from Dalkey have ever got into a Bobsleigh, and they are at the Olympics. So it is unlikely.

The problem with the Winter Olympics is this: I can accept that the fastest man in the world is the winner of the 100 Meters.

I cannot accept that the Irish Bobsleigh team is 20th in the world, they may not be even 20th in Ireland, they were the best in Ireland of people who ever got into a BobSleigh. We can all run. Bobsleighs are useless without snow. And it doesnt snow here.

And as for the rest of the world? i mean who knows. Maybe the best natural skier is in Mayo, or Venuzuala, or Jakarta slum. Who knows? If so he probably never got on a ski slope. But anybody can run.

The winter Olympics are a playground for the rich, and the idle.

Overheal

The Olympics are about pushing the Limits of the Human Body, and its a good attitude to have that Ireland wants to be in on that endeavour. I wouldnt call it idleness.

Its harder to relate to the winter games than the summer games, but then we do strive to have all nations compete in most/all feats of strength/athletics.

Pittens

Maybe they'll knock something into you, like Pride or Confidence, Integrity or Determination, with the answer they give you

Horsepoo. The only thing we can get from the Irish bobsleigh team is that they were rich enough to get to own bobsleighs and travel periodically to countries where it actually snowed.

Who gives a sh*t. The average worker makes more sacrifices on an average day.

If Ireland produced the best summer Olympians I would be on their side. Little money is needed there.