Sports general discussion thread

Imagine that! A clean table without anyone sitting on it :sweatsmile:

Never been much of a snooker player myself, but I do like some pub play once in a while. Excellent play of that lad. I liked the shot at 4:11. Looks so easy to do, but I know it is not because I have tried that shot waaaaay too many times and failed.
 
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It's strange it's considered a sport. But I do remember after wasting away three hours a day of college time playing pool and drinking cider, I decided to have a go at snooker.
I remember bending to take the first shot and it was like looking across a football field extending into the distance, with illumination.
But relaxing to play and watch.
Always enjoyed the daring, skill and speed of Ronnie>(5min 8 sec 147)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D2rFMPN9js&ab_channel=SwagatGhy
 
strange it's considered a sport
It fits easily under Wiki's definition, taken from the Council of Europe:
"Sport pertains to any form of physical activity or game, often competitive and organised, that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators."

like looking across a football field extending into the distance, with illumination
Yeah, I had the same intro—pool and beer » snooker & oh-so-long feeling :D
 
It fits easily under Wiki's definition, taken from the Council of Europe:
"Sport pertains to any form of physical activity or game, often competitive and organised, that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators."


Yeah, I had the same intro—pool and beer » snooker & oh-so-long feeling :D
Oh I wasn't doubting it. It's also strange that playing video games becomes ESports, but I suppose that comes under 'competitive and organised'.

Angling is also a sport. I'm not sure if this series has been seen elsewhere.

It's about angling, but also because it features two Brit comedians from 1990-2000's has a lot of humour, there's also talk about men's physical(both had heart surgery) and mental health, and some great drone shots of British, Norwegian(one episode), and in this case Irish countryside.
It was a great watch during lockdown.

Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing
 
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I suppose that comes under 'competitive and organised'
Oh surely it qualifies on more than that. I would make the case it also qualifies on:
♣ any form of physical activity or game
♦ use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills
♥ providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators

Physically 'quieter' sports still need excellent physical conditioning at the top level—one won't survive 35 frames of world class snooker on beer and pizza :)
 
Which one
"he was given a medical certificate that allowed him to offset the cost of the booze against income tax as a necessary overhead"

OMG, that's a tough one to beat! I remember Big Bill Werbeniuk vaguely from when I used to watch snooker sporadically on TV—but only I guess from coming up against one of the guys I 'sort of' followed. Alex, Jimmy White, Steve Davis and Denis Taylor—never forget their epic 1985 World C'ship final, which acc to Wiki drew 18.5m viewers after midnight on BBC2… still a record in both those categories.

Huh, I didn't know Steve was president of the British Chess Federation—talented guy.
 
"he was given a medical certificate that allowed him to offset the cost of the booze against income tax as a necessary overhead"

OMG, that's a tough one to beat! I remember Big Bill Werbeniuk vaguely from when I used to watch snooker sporadically on TV—but only I guess from coming up against one of the guys I 'sort of' followed. Alex, Jimmy White, Steve Davis and Denis Taylor—never forget their epic 1985 World C'ship final, which acc to Wiki drew 18.5m viewers after midnight on BBC2… still a record in both those categories.

Huh, I didn't know Steve was president of the British Chess Federation—talented guy.
There seems to be multiple articles reporting that as true from different sources, but I still kind of can't believe it. Darts players were pretty famous for it too back in the old days.

I used to watch Snooker with my Grandad in the 80's and 90's and sort of followed it around that time. I've been known to wobble around with a cue, but Pool is way easier than Snooker. That table seems like a football pitch when youre used to bar pool. Bit of top spin and back spin is my limit.
 
Yes sports were very different back in the day. George Best was a brilliant footballer but also liked to party.
Although Ronnie isn't secretive about his habits.

I used to enjoy snooker but after watching those Mitchell and Webb skits involving two retired players who were now commentators I couldn't take it seriously. They basically drank and smoked continually, while throwing out a comment occasionally like, 'that was a bad miss'.

@Brian Boru > Steve also know for his DJ and experimental music these days.

Steve DJ set. + praise from clubbers.
 
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George Best was a brilliant footballer but also liked to party
I liked the quote attributed to him—doesn't matter if he said it, it sums him up:
"I spent half my money on women, horses and booze—the other half, I wasted".
:D

Steve also know for
Yeah, I saw that in passing—bit of a Renaissance Man.

Why didn't you start this topic a few months ago!?
Quitcher bitchun, I started it 10 months early! Your guys will win it again, small chance it'll even be this century :D

🏉 Meanwhile, there's more rugby on than you can shake a bat at—coming to the business end of the club competitions now, after which it'll be all the hype building to the World Cup in September.
 
Some sports I like, it's because of the intensity of the action. I enjoy watching boxing for that reason, but also Moto GP.
I also like slightly maverick geniuses in their field. Valentino Rossi.

Moto GP brings together so many elements to make it exciting; good track design, incredible design of the bikes themselves, a great engineering/tech team and support + a great rider.

When you consider the speeds these bikes can reach of over 220 mph and the cornering speeds with just a few inches of rubber connecting them to the track.

I've watched live racing, but the TV coverage is often better with aerial views and on board cameras. Also raced a few bikes and cars on the road and it is intense with no room for errors.

It's also a sport which transfers to gaming in a satisfactory way. You get to race on some of those great tracks around the world and appreciate just what these riders can do.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VqufZiFllo&ab_channel=BTSport
 
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Freaks me out, for the reasons you mention—knee an inch off the tarmac on those corners, any little miscalculation or track imperfection and guy is a cripple for life… if he's lucky.

I used to follow boxing—it accounts for about half of Ireland's few Olympic medals—but the corruption in the pro side turned me away from it.

Similar with athletics, which I did as a kid and had a major interest in—would watch the Diamond League Wednesday evening meets, they were class. But it became who could hide their drugs the best, and lost my support at that stage. Same with cycling.
 
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Freaks me out, for the reasons you mention—knee an inch off the tarmac on those corners, any little miscalculation or track imperfection and guy is a cripple for life… if he's lucky.

I used to follow boxing—it accounts for about half of Ireland's few Olympic medals—but the corruption in the pro side turned me away from it.

Similar with athletics, which I did as a kid and had a major interest in—would watch the Diamond League Wednesday evening meets, they were class. But it became who could hide their drugs the best, and lost my support at that stage. Same with cycling.
They actually have sliders on their knees which they place on the tarmac at 80mph as it gives them three points of contact and helps with stability.

I used to motorcycle courier through London, driving at obsence speeds down lines of traffic with an inch to spare on either side of the handlebars. But you get so good and so aware it's like being on another level. Also rode bikes at high speed across Europe, holding 110 mph all day, but also enjoy Italian mountain roads and winding country lanes.

Yes it's a shame you get some great atheletes, then because it is competetive they are tempted by steroids and the like, or gambling syndicates offer cash.

I enjoy watching snowboarders at the Olympics and freestyle going down mountains and also watching wingsuit skydiving flights down the sides of mountains and across valleys, also with on board camera.

Some sports are best enjoyed in games; motorcycle racing being one, but also I enjoy the two above in STEEP. Also learn what all the snowboard jumps are called.

This is still one STEEP challenge I haven't mastered.

La Fieuse
 
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Wow, this is incredible—player celebrates 1,000 games for club


He's still playing at 53 :eek:
I stopped playing contact sports around 33, and didn't feel it was too soon—and it had only been low-level stuff for the previous decade.
 
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Spot the error :D

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With all the talk of buyers for premier league teams, how it doesn't always help the teams(the Glazers) and often upsets the long term world wide fan base.

It's great to see a success story when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney put £2 M into helping Wrexham AFC. And two years after they bought the club they have won promotion to the Football League.

They have not only helped by paying to build a new training facility, improving the stadium, but have lifted the spirits of the players and the community. Ticket sales are up and the two have promoted the team on social media leading to a shirt sponsership deal.

Wrexham AFC also became the first fifth tier team to be included in the FIFA video game franchise.
 
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