Posts by BenWilson
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Hard News: Interesting Britain!, in reply to Russell Brown,
Revered former Observer political editor not fucking about.
He isn't, although I think that it's more a case of that referendum exposing a country that was already quite fucked. I'm still amazed that they would have let a single referendum decide such a thing. It's like they literally have no idea how to use referendums.
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Yes, I didn’t think I’d be interested at all. But no, this game is close.
FWIW, I don’t think historical bias in the exit polls is something to rely upon. Pollsters model it once they have a pattern to work with.*
One thing I’ve found interesting in summaries over the last few days is how little Brexit has been discussed. This seems dumbfoundingly stupid on the part of the Tories – the called the election over the whole thing, after all.
*ETA: What I mean is that the direction of such a bias can't be relied upon from past data. There may still be a residual bias, but we can't be certain which direction it is in. The pollster may overcompensate for the Labour bias.
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One thing is quite odd. It appears not to have been the Brexlection at all. Brexit barely figured at all. I'm mystified by this, but then I'm mystified by the whole Tory strategy of essentially trying to sleepwalk it in.
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Where are you following it, Tom? I've resorted to Al Jazeera
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Hard News: Rugby Now, in reply to Geoff Lealand,
With some blokes I know, following soccer seems like a rather snobby strategy to differentiate themselves from the mainstream sport of NZ rugby,
It always seemed to involve British/European signalling when I was a kid. But the signalling was both ways, rugby always staking the claim of being salt of the earth genuine kiwi thing despite the quite small number of people I actually knew playing it. Of course my formative years were marred by 1981. But I think the hostility to the game that many quite righteously developed was also something we were quick to shed, a kind of emotional amnesty following that outpouring. The threat of violence from rugby supporters was actually something that loomed quite large in my childhood consciousness. But yes, the British soccer hooliganism is a whole other thing.
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Hard News: Rugby Now, in reply to Russell Brown,
What you described above is a bunch of people who actually aren’t that into the game.
Yes, although they were more into it in the past.
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Hard News: Rugby Now, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
Nothing to do with the code – it’s a problem that will attach itself to the mainstream/working class sport in any country.
Yes, a lot do that. But when I say you don't see "many" guys my age playing rugby, I actually meant I NEVER see it. Whereas middle aged guys playing soccer, I know half a dozen guys. The die-hard-est rugger fan mate of mine joined a club about 5 years ago for a bit, got hurt badly during the training and games and that was basically the end of it. Said he went for after drinks one time, got called a pussy and a faggot and decided that actually, there was literally nothing in it for him any more. Whereas every other sport I've ever done (well OK apart from kickboxing, which also has a strongly professional element to it), had at least one old fart giving it a go and getting something out of it.
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I've had a general decline in interest in all televized sport. I used to like the Olympics, but for the last couple I haven't even bothered. I put it down to excessive professionalism. Essentially, the whole point of it seems lost. To me, sport was a part of life that encompassed some healthy values, but I don't see any of these values embodied any more (in professional sport). I see a machine that generates freaks, chews them up and spits them out.
I don't want my own kids anywhere near toxic rugby culture. The natural choice for local high school is Kelston, but I have no intention of sending my frail son to a school where a pupil was beaten to death by a couple of guys whose identities we are not even allowed to know because they are promising rugby players.
My ambitions for my kids is to have a well-rounded interest in sport via participation. If one of them excels, fine, but the ultimate aim is for them to develop healthy bodies and habits, teamwork skills and hopefully some lasting friendships. Rugby is particularly unlikely as a choice, since it's basically an injury fest. You don't see too many guys my age playing rugby, their participation in the sport is sitting around in shitty bars drinking beer and reliving their glory days, and making homophobic and racist slurs the whole time, while the soccer guys are still running around actually doing their sport. It's not at all inclusive of women.
Yes, the cultural touchstone aspect is there, but it's fading fast. Last time there was an All Blacks test that I intended to enjoy with mates, I think only one guy there actually sat and watched it consistently. It felt hollow and unenjoyable. We absolutely thrashed whoever it was, and it wasn't some second string team, was like Oz or something. Don't remember, don't care. I think we might well have re-engaged the party by switching over to YouTube and watching Fails or something. Which everyone, including the kids, could appreciate. They could also participate, making picks of their own.
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Hard News: Rugby Now, in reply to Glenn Pearce,
I think at the end of this winter I’ll be ditching my Sky subscription and joining the local bowling club so I have somewhere to go to watch the odd game.
Now that is not a bad idea.
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Hard News: Rugby Now, in reply to Tom Semmens,
When you give up Sky, rugby ceases to exist.
So that's what happened to me.
Sky seem to want all or nothing from viewers. How's that working out for them?
They lost me, that's for sure. Too greedy and too crap.