Fair Play

[NormanH]

The French media, always ready to vent their spleen  on 'les Britanniques' are incandescent over a couple of Olympic incidents

http://www.lefigaro.fr/jeux-olympiques/2012/08/05/02020-20120805ARTSPO00235-quand-les-britanniques-reinventent-le-fair-play.php

Among the readers' comments

le fair-play est une invention anglaise réservée aux étrangers

Fairplay is an English invention reserved for foreigners

Les Anglais ont toujours été tricheurs, c'est dans leurs gènes.

The English have always been cheats it's in their genes.

[Chancer]

This bit says everything about the French petulance:

Très bien parti la première fois, le duo tricolore Jérémie Azou et Stany Delayre, énervé (Delayre adressera un doigt d'honneur à ses rivaux) et déconcentré, rate son second envol.

[cooperlola]

However, Norman, there are some pretty level-headed reactions to the piece also - they are not all convinced by any means.

[nomoss]

The Games certainly seem to be bringing out the best in people[Www]

[cooperlola]

[:D]

[idun]

Les anglais??????? Well Philip Hindes is german born and Chris Hoy is scottish.......... I do wish that they would get this right and stop blaming english people for everything[Www][6]

[Alan Zoff]

but British when they win of course

[Russethouse]

Have the French never heard of  ' Be gracious in defeat and magnanimous in victory' ?

[YCCMB]

It was interesting to note that the French understanding of "fair play" didn't extend to refusing an ex-doper from having a shot at the cycling sprint...

At least the winner was clean. Even if he was a Brit.

[Gardian]

To be fair RH, I think that almost all are - except perhaps the journalists.

We were at friends for lunch on Saturday (12 French and we two Brits) and all they wanting to talk about initially was the British cycling successes.

In my experience over here, the French will indulge in some gentle leg-pulling here and there, but encompass both those virtues above. 

[allanb]

Mmm... 

I can imagine the outcry in the British press if a French rider had pulled the same trick.

[andyh4]

To be fair the French Jingoism is not just limited to the UK.

 

I have just seen an Irish boxer beat a French one (well actaully the sound was one while I surfed)  and the commentators' comments were:

That's not fair

It's not right

No, No, No

 

So they are no less or more centred on their contry than most others.

[idun]

I read that the french commentators are saying that the british cyclists have 'magic' tyres on their bikes.  Maybe someone needs to explain that J M Barrie only wrote a children's story and Tinkerbell doesn't really exist so couldn't have waved her magic wand over the brit cyclists bikes.

Apparently some rules have also been changed to benefit the anglais. Bettchya that Victoria Pendleton was thinking just that when she and her partner were disqualified for changing over at the wrong moment.

[Russethouse]

I can imagine the outcry in the British press if a French rider had pulled the same trick.

 The man who made the comment was not a native English speaker and it has since been said that it lost something in translation - rather like one of the coaches telling a French Journalist, when asked, the secret of GB success in cycling was 'round wheels' !

The coach went on to add that they have identified lots of different things and tried to improve them just 1% each. Today Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton were the only cyclists to wear 'hot suits' when they came off the bikes after the first rounds, they were also the only ones wearing aero dynamic helmets too.

PS:  Apparently some rules have also been changed to benefit the anglais

And the British think the rules were changed to hamper them.......[8-)]

[Chancer]

They were winging about alleged magic wheels.

Anyone care to guess which country supplied said magic wheels? [;-)]

[NormanH]

Were they riding Mercury bikes?

[powerdesal]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

I can imagine the outcry in the British press if a French rider had pulled the same trick.

 The man who made the comment was not a native English speaker and it has since been said that it lost something in translation - rather like one of the coaches telling a French Journalist, when asked, the secret of GB success in cycling was 'round wheels' !

The coach went on to add that they have identified lots of different things and tried to improve them just 1% each. Today Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton were the only cyclists to wear 'hot suits' when they came off the bikes after the first rounds, they were also the only ones wearing aero dynamic helmets too.

PS:  Apparently some rules have also been changed to benefit the anglais

And the British think the rules were changed to hamper them.......[8-)]

[/quote]

As I understand it, certain types of cycling competition that used to be in the Olympics ( which the British team were very good at ) were dropped out of the present competion.

It is interesting that all the bikes used in the Olympics must, by Olympic rules, be available on the open market for any team to buy, presumably that includes the ''magic'' wheels.

 

 

edit. Great - the IE emulation works.

[woolybanana]

Did the French team know that the wheels were made in France when they began bit ching? Had they done so, perhaps a sympathy strike at the factory might have been organized to ensure that les Rosbifs did not get the deliveries they expected in time!

Seriously though, these Games seem to have been marred by allegations of unfairness in loads of sports with claims from the Chinese, Iranians, Koreans, Uzbeks, Indians and others about the judging in boxing, wrestling gymnastics and even advanced bottom pinching. Maybe better training of judges is an answer.

Which is not to mention the number of drug cheats who have been wheeded out. And what about the latest offence of 'NOT TRYING'? How many have been had up for that so far?

[Benjamin]

[quote user="allanb"]Mmm... 

I can imagine the outcry in the British press if a French rider had pulled the same trick.

[/quote]

Nothing wrong with what went on. Check the rules.

[Russethouse]

[quote user="woolybanana"]

Did the French team know that the wheels were made in France when they began bit ching? Had they done so, perhaps a sympathy strike at the factory might have been organized to ensure that les Rosbifs did not get the deliveries they expected in time!

Seriously though, these Games seem to have been marred by allegations of unfairness in loads of sports with claims from the Chinese, Iranians, Koreans, Uzbeks, Indians and others about the judging in boxing, wrestling gymnastics and even advanced bottom pinching. Maybe better training of judges is an answer.

Which is not to mention the number of drug cheats who have been wheeded out. And what about the latest offence of 'NOT TRYING'? How many have been had up for that so far?

[/quote]

About the bikes : http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/534272/british-track-bikes-available-for-sale-price-tbc.html

Some of the boxing refereeing was very dubious to my mind, but what do I know !

[allanb]

[quote user="Benjamin"][quote user="allanb"]I can imagine the outcry in

the British press if a French rider had pulled the same trick.[/quote]

Nothing wrong with what went on. Check the rules.[/quote]It wasn't "wrong" in the sense of being against the rules.  But fair play isn't always the same as legal play; there is such a thing as using the rules unfairly, and I think that's what happened here.

Anyway, Norman's comment was about the reaction of the French press, and

my point was simply that if things had been reversed the British press

would probably have reacted in a similar way.

Here's a question: if we agree that the purpose of the rule is reasonable, could it be rewritten so as to prevent the abuse?

[Benjamin]

[quote user="allanb"]

Here's a question: if we agree that the purpose of the rule is reasonable, could it be rewritten so as to prevent the abuse?[/quote]

I can't comment since my "knowledge" of the event came from a BBC Radio program where someone with obviously a full understanding explained what the actual rule was. Your original post gave me the impression (and, maybe others) that the fact it had happened on home turf was why the UK Press had not objected more vociferously and had it occurred in another country they may have made more of the incident. Who knows?

As far as "fairness" goes I come across situations which I don't think are fair but which gain acceptance by no one objecting.

[nomoss]

It seems to me that the special bicycles are just another aspect of most sports results being influenced at least as much by technological advances in equipment as by the ability of the athletes.

 

[powerdesal]

[quote user="nomoss"]

It seems to me that the special bicycles are just another aspect of most sports results being influenced at least as much by technological advances in equipment as by the ability of the athletes.

 

[/quote]

 

You are most probably correct, but the playing field is level as all the athletes have access to the same equiptment.

[nomoss]

[quote user="powerdesal"][quote user="nomoss"]

It seems to me that the special bicycles are just another aspect of most sports results being influenced at least as much by technological advances in equipment as by the ability of the athletes.

 

[/quote]

 

You are most probably correct, but the playing field is level as all the athletes have access to the same equiptment.

[/quote]

True, provided they can afford the undisclosed price, now that the bikes are "available for sale", as mentioned in the link above, and can wait for the undisclosed delivery period.