 I've no particular gripe with the class associations with rowing. I'm a rower... and while they are not necessarily true for much of the time (as pointed out by Posh) the stereotype can't be completely denied. What I do object to is the idea that this is a celebration of mediocrity on our TVs. In fact it is one of the few occasions where you can see sporting endeavour taken to the highest level (it's not uncommon for the Oxford / Cambridge / Imperial crews to be faster than the GB olympic eight at that time in the annual rowing calendar due to training for a peak at this time of year)... and done so for no financial gain at all. The training regime of the boat race crews goes up to 40 hours per week on top of whatever academic studies they manage to maintain. It's not all 'land economy' either. One of the best boat-race rowers I had the pleasure to row with was a medical student. The TV is full of celebrity / reality / talent contest trash with mediocrity to go around for all to see. The boat race might be anachronistic... but so is excellence. John
|
 |
 Kate Middleton refused to attend the boat race when she was told she was expected to kiss the cox of the winning crew!
|
|
Yeah, why watch or be inspired by people who have dedicated year of their life to an almost unimaginably intense training regime when you can watch fat beer swilling working class darts players on tv make loads of money while they smoke.
And why spend years of your life studying and lumbering yourself with huge loans just to get, if you're lucky, a poorly paid insecure job, when you could be a rich, privileged, self-employed, tax-evading plumber?
|
| Edited: 28/03/11 09:04 |
 Why watch either? Rather be outdoors. In terms of the Boat Race? I hate the term Elitist - but there are a few events it fits for. So a "national" event with an entry completely restricted to the 2 Oxbridge universities? That would seem to fit the term. I'd watch a race between Windy and Bennachie mind you
|
|
The week before there's a regatta called "Head of the River", where any crew can enter. The crews row the same course as the Boat Race but in reverse, so with instead of against the current. Last year the Head of the River was won in 17.21. This year Oxford won the Boat Race in 17.32. Any claim this race is about mediocrity is demonstrably uninformed.
|
|
 I don't see what fat, beer swilling darts players have to do with it? As far as i'm aware, anyone can enter a darts competition. Fat, thin, beer swilling or not. I enjoy watching any endurance event. I can appreciate the time and effort needed to do well. Especially if the athlete has to fit their training around earning a living. Isn't the national rowing school based at Eton Comprehensive School? I think the whole 'boat race' thing sums up the UK perfectly.
|
|
Maybe it's just me. My original post was nothing to do with rowing. The sight of maybe 400,000 folk demonstrating on the streets of London, against the actions of a group of Eton schoolboys, whilst the BBC was showing another group of public school boys rowing up the river, just seemed to sum up the way the UK is run. Big society indeed. Fiddling whilst Rome burnt, or just let them eat cake?
|
| Edited: 28/03/11 17:55 |
Mike, on this you're being a classist snob. Darts is played almost exclusively by people who didn't attend public school and there's more TV hours and prize money in it than the boat race. That said, your OP did make me laugh - whilst not exclusively true rowing is generally the preserve of public schools (although I took up rowing at my polytechnic).
|
| Edited: 28/03/11 18:06 |
 Why watch either? Rather be outdoors. In terms of the Boat Race? I hate the term Elitist - but there are a few events it fits for. So a "national" event with an entry completely restricted to the 2 Oxbridge universities? That would seem to fit the term. I'd watch a race between Windy and Bennachie mind you
Who would be the cox on the windy team, there are a lot to pick from.
|
|
 Looking forward to the royal wedding, Mike? 
|
|
Mike, on this you're being a classist snob. Darts is played almost exclusively by people who didn't attend public school and there's more TV hours and prize money in it than the boat race. That said, your OP did make me laugh - whilst not exclusively true rowing is generally the preserve of public schools (although I took up rowing at my polytechnic).
I'm not interested in darts. I was responding to ALS!
Classist snob? I don't think so. I just dislike the forelock tugging nature of UK society. Wedding?
|
|
Yeah, your future King and Queen
|
|
Feckin parasites. 
|
|
 I went up to a mate's flat on the riverside at Barnes to watch the race (an excuse to meet up, more than anything). I was surprised how many people were lining the riverbanks. I'm not sure that it's any more elitist than the Grand National.
|
|
 it's just an old, established, competitive race between two universities. no-one used to give a monkey's. now more people are aware of it, suddenly it's undemocratic because no-one else is invited, and they're 'all rich'. it's no more undemocratic than the local football derby - invitation is by ancient rivalry only
|
|
Why watch either? Rather be outdoors. In terms of the Boat Race? I hate the term Elitist - but there are a few events it fits for. So a "national" event with an entry completely restricted to the 2 Oxbridge universities? That would seem to fit the term. I'd watch a race between Windy and Bennachie mind you
Who would be the cox on the windy team, there are a lot to pick from.
There are so many responses that could offend so many people that my frontal lobes have melted down.
|
|
I've always thought that 'frontal lobes' sounds quite smutty 
|
|
