Knighthoods all round please

Post by **spot** » Sun Jul 22, 2012 4:02 pm

To whom it may concern:

Every Brit bringing a gold medal out of the London Olympics should pick up an instant knighthood, and if we could start with Bradley Wiggins this week that would be a proper gesture.

Thank you.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:28 pm

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:58 pm

Why are you asking for something that has already been automatic and standard practice for decades? We already do It.

Traditionally, athletes who win gold or become world champion are automatically honoured in the following Queen’s Birthday or New Year’s honours lists however, Cameron seeks to end the tradition.

Gold medal Olympians will no longer get automatic honours, says David Cameron - Telegraph

Post by **spot** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:27 am

Perhaps you fail to distinguish between a knighthood and the various Orders of the British Empire. Knighthoods have never been automatic and standard practice for British athletes who win a gold medal at the Olympics. This year I think they should be.

theia · Post by **theia** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:35 am

I feel really proud of Bradley Wiggins' achievements...what a success story.

However, I don't really agree with knighthoods etc. The success in is in the doing. We all achieve incredible things in our lives, however small, and for me, they are all equally important.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:37 am

spot;1399190 wrote: Perhaps you fail to distinguish between a knighthood and the various Orders of the British Empire. Knighthoods have never been automatic and standard practice for British athletes who win a gold medal at the Olympics. This year I think they should be.

Ah

I see your point... fair enough.

Post by **spot** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:42 am

theia;1399192 wrote: I feel really proud of Bradley Wiggins' achievements...what a success story.Not the sort of thing we were brought up to expect.

I've corrected his name in the opening post.

theia · Post by **theia** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:45 am

spot;1399194 wrote: Not the sort of thing we were brought up to expect.

I've corrected his name in the opening post.

I would have happily gone along with Bernard but I have the BBC news on and I heard "Bradley." However, I still googled it to make sure.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:46 am

spot;1399179 wrote: To whom it may concern:

Every Brit bringing a gold medal out of the London Olympics should pick up an instant knighthood, and if we could start with Bradley Wiggins this week that would be a proper gesture.

Thank you.

I don't.....and as many winners will be drawn from ex-empire they might not appreciate an archaic honour based on the old Empire

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:02 am

spot;1399179 wrote: To whom it may concern:

Every Brit bringing a gold medal out of the London Olympics should pick up an instant knighthood, and if we could start with Bradley Wiggins this week that would be a proper gesture.

Thank you.

Eh.. In 10 years they will just say he was doping in some kind of new way that they hadn't thought of yet. What is it with the doping in cycling? Not only that. I hate the way an entire team works so that only one person on that team has a chance of winning. Why not let everyone just ride their damn bike up and down the hills and the first one across the finish line wins?

Post by **spot** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:50 am

YZGI;1399202 wrote: Eh.. In 10 years they will just say he was doping in some kind of new way that they hadn't thought of yet.Not all athletes behave that way. Those who don't should be applauded for their sportsmanship, not tarred with the doping brush. Mr Wiggins worked insanely hard to get where he is today.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 9:01 am

YZGI;1399202 wrote: What is it with the doping in cycling? It's something that affects my eldest brother. He travelled to Paris for the race costing him two days off work and all he got was a flash of yellow as Bradley Wiggins flew by on his bike. Last we heard he was still trying to get aboard a Ferry, whilst my other bro and I are still quietly sniggering.

Mind you, come our next family get together, we will all be bored numb as he shows us his photographs of the race.... we then have to feign some kind of Interest to be kind.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 9:06 am

spot;1399207 wrote: Not all athletes behave that way. Those who don't should be applauded for their sportsmanship, not tarred with the doping brush. Mr Wiggins worked insanely hard to get where he is today.

The same was said of Lance Armstrong. He actually said in a radio interview a few years ago that they could run test on his samples in another 100 years and they would find nothing. Now I'm not saying Armstrong did anything but their are new accusations coming out. From what I gather on Armstrong it wasn't doping but blood transfusions of some sort (if true). I hope Mr. Wiggins is clean. The sport has been so spoiled up to this point it would be nice to get it back on track.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 9:08 am

oscar;1399209 wrote: It's something that affects my eldest brother. He travelled to Paris for the race costing him two days off work and all he got was a flash of yellow as Bradley Wiggins flew by on his bike. Last we heard he was still trying to get aboard a Ferry, whilst my other bro and I are still quietly sniggering.

Mind you, come our next family get together, we will all be bored numb as he shows us his photographs of the race.... we then have to feign some kind of Interest to be kind.

Maybe thats why they throw tacks. To slow them down a bit so they can observe. I'll assume your brother threw a fit not tacks.:wah:

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 2:16 pm

Please if they do I hope they will have the integrity to refuse.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 10:36 pm

I don't think anyone should be automatically knighted for winning a gold medal In the Olympics.

As a country we are historically an embarressment when It comes to sport. We are so bad at It that not only do we still sing ' Two world wars and one world cup' at any passing German tourist, we ' adopt' Canadian tennis players and South African runners In the vain hope that should they actually mange to win something, we can pass them off as British. Every four years we wave off the England squad with a cheer when In our heart of hearts we know they are going to be s.hit. They moment they go out usually In the first group, we then switch our support to the Irish and Scottish squad because they suddenly become ' the British squad ' when we've despised them at any other time.

Thus, when any Brit does actually manage to achieve something even at the level of a Scottish office cleaner sliding a lump of rock down down some Ice, It's so rare that we go Into a frenzied, hysterical euphoric state where we want to bestow every accolade going upon them and even offering them our first born child.

At the end of the day, It's a sport and a competition. All they have achieved Is what they are supposed to achieve... ie... win something. When they do, we bestow a knighthood upon them. Have they made the country a safer place ? Have they saved lives? Have they shown extraordinary bravery ? They are not heart and brain surgeons saving lives, they are not risking life and limb defusing bombs or saving crew In high sea's. They are ordinary people who happen to be a bit niffty at running round a track. Well, excuse me If I don't Indulge In the pant wetting hysteria that some In this country get themselves Into.

When they have got their new found Honour, what's It for ? It's for a lifetime of giving dreary after dinner speeches, endorsing crap high energy drinks, dodgy trainers and an excuse to write a book usually entitled something along the lines of ' My struggle '... yawn.

You want to knight someone In a sport related sense, then look to a stall handler. Considered the most dangerous job In sport... There's a guy sat on a bar Inside a stall containing 16 hands of solid muscle and sinew that's broke Into a panic while he's calming the horse from rearing up and causing chaos. That Is skill and bravery.

Post by **spot** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:36 am

oscar;1399225 wrote: I don't think anyone should be automatically knighted for winning a gold medal In the Olympics.

Neither do I. I do in this particular London Olympics 2012 though. It's not the same at all. It's home turf.

theia · Post by **theia** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:54 am

What are we actually saying when we want someone to be awarded a knighthood?

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 4:01 am

spot;1399226 wrote: Neither do I. I do in this particular London Olympics 2012 though. It's not the same at all. It's home turf.
Are you the same Spot that said recently, something along the lines that people that spend their life trying to run faster or jumping higher or further etc, were a waste of everyone's time ?

Post by **spot** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 6:57 am

theia;1399227 wrote: What are we actually saying when we want someone to be awarded a knighthood?

That they've performed a sufficient service to the country to be recognized thereafter as Sir Gary or Dame Florence. It's a national applause for a single achievement. The other orders of merit are for lifelong inch-at-a-time contributions to the nation's well-being. Knighthoods are for fleecing the Spanish of a shipload of silver or crowing over the sunken remains of an Armada that flopped. Or, I suggest, for turning the 2012 Home Games into the opposite of a damp squib, which only a shedload of gold medals will achieve,

Bruv;1399228 wrote: Are you the same Spot that said recently, something along the lines that people that spend their life trying to run faster or jumping higher or further etc, were a waste of everyone's time ?

Not everyone's - I said it was a waste of their own time in that they weren't going to end up rounded reasonable evenly-developed people, which ought to be the goal of all of us.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:07 am

oscar;1399225 wrote: I don't think anyone should be automatically knighted for winning a gold medal In the Olympics.

As a country we are historically an embarressment when It comes to sport. We are so bad at It that not only do we still sing ' Two world wars and one world cup' at any passing German tourist, we ' adopt' Canadian tennis players and South African runners In the vain hope that should they actually mange to win something, we can pass them off as British. Every four years we wave off the England squad with a cheer when In our heart of hearts we know they are going to be s.hit. They moment they go out usually In the first group, we then switch our support to the Irish and Scottish squad because they suddenly become ' the British squad ' when we've despised them at any other time.

Thus, when any Brit does actually manage to achieve something even at the level of a Scottish office cleaner sliding a lump of rock down down some Ice, It's so rare that we go Into a frenzied, hysterical euphoric state where we want to bestow every accolade going upon them and even offering them our first born child.

At the end of the day, It's a sport and a competition. All they have achieved Is what they are supposed to achieve... ie... win something. When they do, we bestow a knighthood upon them. Have they made the country a safer place ? Have they saved lives? Have they shown extraordinary bravery ? They are not heart and brain surgeons saving lives, they are not risking life and limb defusing bombs or saving crew In high sea's. They are ordinary people who happen to be a bit niffty at running round a track. Well, excuse me If I don't Indulge In the pant wetting hysteria that some In this country get themselves Into.

When they have got their new found Honour, what's It for ? It's for a lifetime of giving dreary after dinner speeches, endorsing crap high energy drinks, dodgy trainers and an excuse to write a book usually entitled something along the lines of ' My struggle '... yawn.

You want to knight someone In a sport related sense, then look to a stall handler. Considered the most dangerous job In sport... There's a guy sat on a bar Inside a stall containing 16 hands of solid muscle and sinew that's broke Into a panic while he's calming the horse from rearing up and causing chaos. That Is skill and bravery.

How is it any different from the actors, musicians, golfers etc. etc. that have been knighted?

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:43 am

spot;1399235 wrote: That they've performed a sufficient service to the country to be recognized thereafter as Sir Gary or Dame Florence. It's a national applause for a single achievement.

. It demeans the entire Honours system.

You can not even begin to equate someone knighted for a life time's work with a one off competition.

And what possible reason could anyone find In being on home turf any different to any other Olympics ?

I actually agree with the Prime Minister that the entire nasty practice should be halted and Honours only given to those who put more service In to the country other than a one off event. Beckham's a good example given the amount he contributes to Investing In the country's children and charities.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:45 am

YZGI;1399236 wrote: How is it any different from the actors, musicians, golfers etc. etc. that have been knighted? Because typically, they are only recognised after a life time's achievements and work.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:52 am

YZGI;1399236 wrote: How is it any different from the actors, musicians, golfers etc. etc. that have been knighted?

For example... something from my field.... Sir Peter O' Sullevan was Knighted In 1997 after a life time of 50 years work dedicated to Horse racing. It Included him being actively involved In charity work fund-raising for causes which revolve around the protection of horses and farm animals, Including the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH), the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre and Compassion in World Farming.

The National Hunt Challenge Chase Cup (ran at the Cheltenham Festival) was named for him in 2008 to celebrate his 90th birthday.

I am awestruck by him and what I call a worthy Knighthood... not a 20 year old In a one off competition.

theia · Post by **theia** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:56 am

oscar;1399238 wrote: Because typically, they are only recognised after a life time's achievements and work.

I just feel that most people's lives are a mixture of blessings and struggles. The majority of us quietly plod away...the things that we do are a mixture of good and not so good. Why should some people receive honours and others not? For me, it seems rather pointless.

Post by **spot** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 8:32 am

oscar;1399237 wrote: It demeans the entire Honours system.I suspect that, on the contrary, you place too much value on these completely worthless trinkets. The very notion that either the State or the Monarch or worse yet the Prime Minister can add lustre to anyone's life is propagandist twaddle. Using up a few knighthoods from a bottomless pit of knighthoods in order to brighten the mood of the country is entirely reasonable, so long as you recognize that they have no value whatever beyond their ability to applaud good form.

Post by **spot** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 8:33 am

oscar;1399239 wrote: I am awestruck by him and what I call a worthy Knighthood
Lordy me. There'll be no reasoning with you, then.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:50 am

spot;1399235 wrote:

Not everyone's - I said it was a waste of their own time in that they weren't going to end up rounded reasonable evenly-developed people, which ought to be the goal of all of us.

Like for instance Seb Coe, Steve Redgrave and Tom Daley ?

Just off the top of my head...........you do say some silly things sometimes.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:19 am

oscar;1399239 wrote: For example... something from my field.... Sir Peter O' Sullevan was Knighted In 1997 after a life time of 50 years work dedicated to Horse racing. It Included him being actively involved In charity work fund-raising for causes which revolve around the protection of horses and farm animals, Including the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH), the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre and Compassion in World Farming.

The National Hunt Challenge Chase Cup (ran at the Cheltenham Festival) was named for him in 2008 to celebrate his 90th birthday.

I am awestruck by him and what I call a worthy Knighthood... not a 20 year old In a one off competition.

Those 20 yr old in the one competition have trained most of their lives to be at the level it takes to win. Not every sport can you compete at the highest of levels when you get older. Maybe if they get a knighthood for winning they can then use it to do good for the country fron there on out.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:57 am

Bruv;1399244 wrote: Like for instance Seb Coe, Steve Redgrave and Tom Daley ?

Just off the top of my head...........you do say some silly things sometimes. Besides which... most of the country has never heard of most British athletes before the games even those who manage a gold medal and are so Instantly forgettable that even just 8 hours after winning, they are being called Bernard Instead of Bradley.

Post by **spot** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 11:03 am

Bruv;1399244 wrote: Like for instance Seb Coe, Steve Redgrave and Tom Daley ?

Just off the top of my head...........you do say some silly things sometimes.

Have a guess whether this one competes for the male or female title...

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:31 pm

spot;1399248 wrote: Have a guess whether this one competes for the male or female title...

Why you asking me ?

Post by **spot** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:42 pm

Bruv;1399255 wrote: Why you asking me ?

You could always read back to find out, you know.

I said it was "a waste of their own time in that they weren't going to end up rounded reasonable evenly-developed people, which ought to be the goal of all of us" to which you replied "Like for instance Seb Coe, Steve Redgrave and Tom Daley ? Just off the top of my head...........you do say some silly things sometimes". My photo is an example of what I meant. I could do you another dozen if that puts my point across more generally, picking different sports each time. That chap isn't naturally that shape. Other chaps have startlingly little knowledge, having effectively skipped school and life to get to be an Olympian.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:54 pm

spot;1399258 wrote:

My photo is an example of what I meant. I could do you another dozen if that puts my point across more generally, picking different sports each time. That chap isn't naturally that shape. Other chaps have startlingly little knowledge, having effectively skipped school and life to get to be an Olympian.

I am rapidly loosing the will to live.

You will get misshapen people who skip school in every walk of life.....you are waffling.

Post by **spot** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:57 pm

Bruv;1399260 wrote: I am rapidly loosing the will to live.

You will get misshapen people who skip school in every walk of life.....you are waffling.

Olympians have a far higher proportion of them than other groups. Because Olympians in general don't exercise their bodies, they exercise bits of their bodies disproportionately. And compared to non-Olympians they don't read.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:23 pm

spot;1399262 wrote: Olympians have a far higher proportion of them than other groups. Because Olympians in general don't exercise their bodies, they exercise bits of their bodies disproportionately. And compared to non-Olympians they don't read.

I am just away now......to shoot myself.

What a load of tosh.

The only ever Olympian to have ever read a book (sorry red) was Dr Roger Bannister, all the other's are total loosers.

Non Olympians are extremely erudite....... just like what I am.

To prove the point conclusively William Shakespear, never slung a javelin in his bleeding life, what more proof do you need?

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:33 pm

spot;1399262 wrote: Olympians have a far higher proportion of them than other groups. Because Olympians in general don't exercise their bodies, they exercise bits of their bodies disproportionately. And compared to non-Olympians they don't read. What an Ignorant, condescending Insult to world athletes.

Take Zara Phillips, the Queen's Grand-daughter who will be riding In the Eventing representing Great Britain In the Olympics.... Are you seriously stating that she and her like, the rest of the equestrian eventing team are un-read, Ignorant simpletons? Get real man....

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:41 pm

Who would want to be in the same company as sir fred the shred, sir philip green tc etc when the wealthy can buy a knighthood and they don;t take it away from those who have subsequently proved themselves to be somewhat less than upstanding citizens it becomes a farce.

Post by **spot** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 3:39 pm

I appear to hold a minority view.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:42 am

spot;1399268 wrote: I appear to hold a minority view.

I think it was just a wind up................anybody with half a brain wouldn't give it a seconds thought

I am ashamed I got sucked in to be honest.

Post by **spot** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:45 am

Bruv;1399264 wrote: To prove the point conclusively William Shakespear, never slung a javelin in his bleeding life, what more proof do you need?While technically correct it's misleading, in that Shakespeare famously captained the English Archery team in the 1584 Calais Olympics as depicted in this contemporary still from the BBC coverage. Shakespeare is the one in the particoloured hose, encouraging Kit Marlowe in the 400 yards pillage.

Attached files

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 9:34 am

spot;1399243 wrote: Lordy me. There'll be no reasoning with you, then.

I'll put that down to your sheer Ignorance of what he has done behind the scenes for world animal welfare, and the millions he's raised the charities.

When It comes to present day tantrum throwing sporting chavs, they should look to Sir O'Sullevan who will go down In history as 'The Sports Gentleman'.

He has brought pleasure to millions and Is renowned the world over for his charity work. He will also be remembered long after his passing unlike the crud you wish to see knighted fr running around a track. At least we won't be calling him Bernard 8 hours later.