Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards

[Pro Tour Punditry]

millions would believe you, i didn't but hey it's your life...

That reflects more on you than anyone else. Seriously, if you look at the name of every poster before you reply then you are the one needing help.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Not really. The Olympics used to be about that sort of stuff. Now it's just about money and politics.

I think you'll find that's a bit incorrect; if you think this, then it's defeatist thinking. I have no ambitions to have "being an Olympian" in my CV, but if I did then I'd sure as hell find something that I could give as good a go of as I could to make it happen.

 

[Bobby Mhor]

Sorry you've lost me there.

I was mentioning that the BBC gravy train had twice the staff than the GB Team have competitors then I was using the Murray analogy of having the right connections to get that big break.......

lots of athletes go to the main event for experience, some have gone on to greater glory, I'm surprised you and others didn't realise this...

I do but lets be honest, if ranked in the top 50, why not....remember the top countries in this area of sport only take so many per event....

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Good for you.

Thanks, another tick on my "people who have congratulated me" list

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Marmion, I wasn't congratulating you on being Marmion, I was suggesting that your naïve optimism is very touching.

Oh that's nice as well. I'll go and start lists for "being optimistic" "being naïve" and being "naively optimistic" so I can add my first ticks. Lists rock!

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Oh don't take offence Marmion. I just wondered how you thought it would be possible to get on the Olympic team of your chosen sport, whatever it is. Naïve optimism is a quality to be cherished in my world.

That's not what I said tho, what I said was that if I had "be an Olympian" on/in my CV (and I am assuming that this goes as far as "I'd do anything to have that on/in my CV) then I'd go to the trouble of finding a sport where I'd have a good chance of fulfilling that dream. Just like what Eddie Edwards did. And not find reasons/excuses to not fulfil that dream. My dreams/ambitions do not involve being an Olympian; but I follow a path which I hope helps achieve my dreams/ambitions - if not, then at least I'll know I've tried my best and that's all we can do; I'd not get all fecking morose about it, blame someone/thing else or put it down to being naïve.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Yes, and I understood that, and said 'Good for you,' in all sincerity. But that's nothing to do with what the Olympics has come to be about - Eddie the Eagle might well have been the last Western amateur enthusiast to take part, and much good it did him. I thought the bit about 'if you can only come 75th out of 84 then it's not worth taking part' was very telling. That's one of the reasons I no longer have any interest in the whole sorry spectacle, and wish it could just be done away with.

Ah right, got you now - sorry I am a bit slow sometimes. Yes, very sad way of looking at things in my opinion.

People used to take the p*ss out of Edwards, many still see him as a fool, but he really was/is someone who I have a huge amount of respect for. He did things his own way, had little/no support, and still lived his dream.

To add to my "who would you invite to dinner list" I'd also have Obree. For much the same reasons.

And Davina could ask them both for some sponsorship

 

[GrumpyGregry]

That Jenny Jones. 33 and she wins her first, and most likely only, Olympic medal. Ex-chalet maid. They should make a film about her.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Haven't you seen the "Fridge Kids"?

Times have changed. And look at how long it has taken the various snowboarding disciplines to gain acceptance from the blazers.

 

[Ganymede]

Times have changed.

That's what I meant...

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

You're inviting Davina then? I think she might make you laugh.

She probably would. We could compare stories about shite bike rides, and how mine never made a penny not made it onto twitter.

 

[Linford]

That Jenny Jones. 33 and she wins her first, and most likely only, Olympic medal. Ex-chalet maid. They should make a film about her.

You need to get real Greg. They have been talking about making a film of eddies life story for 25 years. The local papers make a noise every few years, but nothing. The driving factor is the back story and eddies is worthy. He was living the life of a hobo and feeding himself from bins at one point to realise his dream and then his dream to represent again was left in tatters by people who shouldn't have had that power . Typical snobby institution mindset .
Chalet girl makes good doesn't inspire in the same way imo. There will be realistically many more people out there with more interesting stories which could put bums on seats than that.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Its all because the Olympic movement is an extension of public school snobbery

 

[asterix]

Its all because the Olympic movement is an extension of public school snobbery

Aren't most things? Above a certain level? If not, waddaya get for your money. FFS?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

That's what I meant...

I know. But this is a thread about Eddie not the Fridge Kids.