Is Britain the Greatest sporting nation on Earth?
Discussion
DJRC said:
Tim reached no 3 or 4 in the rankings didn't he?
Andy's brother Jim is one of the best doubles players in the world.
And the team is through to the Davis Cup semis against Aus who look beatable. Let me guess, it still won't count even if they win the semi and the final will it?
some people have impossibly high standardsAndy's brother Jim is one of the best doubles players in the world.
And the team is through to the Davis Cup semis against Aus who look beatable. Let me guess, it still won't count even if they win the semi and the final will it?
We certainly have the most successful sportsman, George Digweed, now has 26 world titles spanning 4 decades, all for clay shooting. I don't think anyone in the world has equalled that?
Oh and he also has an entry in wisden for a league match in Sussex, 5 overs 5 maidens and 8 wickets!
There is currently a petition running to get him a knighthood
.http://email.change.org/mpss/c/0AA/SCE/t.1p3/TWc0SIbgTXGDjZNhg8tFgQ/h5/W9oZwjoGX5ulRlet7FB-2BvPvkNfGlUVGQTy1leFR8j3KE78ofVumArVl2koKR9W17jJx5-2BCk8NE5nM05tXgRgKkrKOi4THWVAPO5R2qMFBxHKE5w5yiTy4K-2BXw2uEhJEDiGfVEag3UpF943lNyaUPfBnokEW6f-2BMjXEOCToTtOJq8xOHPQitTJm4WXL1V0ENYOlqtuoVte9znpvayPMM7VpJ4uJZdDb4JdD4wU1fMLDQspEcK1q7bkA4-2FK88Nrm3O5Qx4UqbI4MMLr9BS6pdGZQ-3D-3D
Oh and he also has an entry in wisden for a league match in Sussex, 5 overs 5 maidens and 8 wickets!
There is currently a petition running to get him a knighthood
.http://email.change.org/mpss/c/0AA/SCE/t.1p3/TWc0SIbgTXGDjZNhg8tFgQ/h5/W9oZwjoGX5ulRlet7FB-2BvPvkNfGlUVGQTy1leFR8j3KE78ofVumArVl2koKR9W17jJx5-2BCk8NE5nM05tXgRgKkrKOi4THWVAPO5R2qMFBxHKE5w5yiTy4K-2BXw2uEhJEDiGfVEag3UpF943lNyaUPfBnokEW6f-2BMjXEOCToTtOJq8xOHPQitTJm4WXL1V0ENYOlqtuoVte9znpvayPMM7VpJ4uJZdDb4JdD4wU1fMLDQspEcK1q7bkA4-2FK88Nrm3O5Qx4UqbI4MMLr9BS6pdGZQ-3D-3D
MarshPhantom said:
Vocal Minority said:
MarshPhantom said:
It's also strange how no one bats an eyelid at the fact plenty of people who play cricket for England weren't actually born here.
Ditto Chris Froome.
In fairness of the team expected to play in the Ashes today it is only Gary Ballance and Ben Stokes who weren't born in England. Stokes moved here at the age of 12, so his sporting education was predominantly English. Ditto Chris Froome.
Imagine how much better the England football team would be if they just draft in foreign players as and when required.
Just this - there are a multitude of things that make up nationality- its way more than where you popped out of your ma. Parentage, heritage, cultural influence, where you have lived and how long you have lived there. What you 'feel'.
It all counts.
For example, apparently Craig Keiswetter turned down the chance to play for the Proteas as he wanted to play for England, as he felt English - he was born in Jo-berg. (I read that somewhere, it may be apocryphal)
It all counts.
For example, apparently Craig Keiswetter turned down the chance to play for the Proteas as he wanted to play for England, as he felt English - he was born in Jo-berg. (I read that somewhere, it may be apocryphal)
AW111 said:
Not aimed specifically at the UK :
The Olympics.
Where millions of people sit on the sofa eating crisps and drinking beer, while watching a few hundred professional athletes on the TV and telling each other "we're a great sporting nation".
I think that's the point sport in the UK is popular both to watch and to participate in at all ages.The Olympics.
Where millions of people sit on the sofa eating crisps and drinking beer, while watching a few hundred professional athletes on the TV and telling each other "we're a great sporting nation".
thankyou4calling said:-
"Well, with GB currently fourth in the medal table I thought I'd resurrect this thread".
This is exactly what we need!
What about a 'resurrect an old thread', thread?
"Well, with GB currently fourth in the medal table I thought I'd resurrect this thread".
This is exactly what we need!
What about a 'resurrect an old thread', thread?
Edited by The Mad Monk on Friday 12th August 18:38
Edited by The Mad Monk on Friday 12th August 18:39
lionelf said:
Its' becoming an interesting question now:
Pound for Pound are we the now the Worlds Greatest Sporting Nation?
The Olympic Medal Table certainly points that way.
Based on GDP, Iran, actually! Those tables always throw up anomalies though as it only takes a very, very poor nation to have one or two exceptional individuals to stick them top of the pile (Weightlifting, in Iran's case).Pound for Pound are we the now the Worlds Greatest Sporting Nation?
The Olympic Medal Table certainly points that way.
Take out the two anomalies (Iran and Fiji) and the top 3 based on GDP are still exactly the same as the 'conventional' table (1. USA, 2. GB, 3. China).
Funnily enough, the medal table weighted by population also has the same top 3 in the same order.
https://landing.google.com/altmedaltable/
So, by all the common metrics we're a reasonably comfortable 2nd greatest sporting nation on Earth in terms of Olympic sports.
ukaskew said:
lionelf said:
Its' becoming an interesting question now:
Pound for Pound are we the now the Worlds Greatest Sporting Nation?
The Olympic Medal Table certainly points that way.
Based on GDP, Iran, actually! Those tables always throw up anomalies though as it only takes a very, very poor nation to have one or two exceptional individuals to stick them top of the pile (Weightlifting, in Iran's case).Pound for Pound are we the now the Worlds Greatest Sporting Nation?
The Olympic Medal Table certainly points that way.
Take out the two anomalies (Iran and Fiji) and the top 3 based on GDP are still exactly the same as the 'conventional' table (1. USA, 2. GB, 3. China).
Funnily enough, the medal table weighted by population also has the same top 3 in the same order.
https://landing.google.com/altmedaltable/
So, by all the common metrics we're a reasonably comfortable 2nd greatest sporting nation on Earth in terms of Olympic sports.
They have 7 times the population of the UK but only 2 times the medals!
Yet that website shows them above the UK when weighted by population.
https://landing.google.com/altmedaltable/results/
BJG1 said:
I think it's pretty safe to say we're the greatest sporting nation on earth now, yes.
Der Spiegel says no.http://sportal.spiegel.de/spiegel/olympia-2016/med...
Not measured in total, per head, GDP absolute, GDP per capita or country size.
lionelf said:
Its' becoming an interesting question now:
Pound for Pound are we the now the Worlds Greatest Sporting Nation?
The Olympic Medal Table certainly points that way.
And pound for pound invested certainly not. From what I've heard since Atlanta 1996 (when GB performed very badly) GB has invested a lot in prof sports. Even more so up to the London Olympics.Pound for Pound are we the now the Worlds Greatest Sporting Nation?
The Olympic Medal Table certainly points that way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Summer_Olympics...
DeltonaS said:
Der Spiegel says no.
http://sportal.spiegel.de/spiegel/olympia-2016/med...
Not measured in total, per head, GDP absolute, GDP per capita or country size.
Sports is bigger than just the Olympics... You cant really count tiny nations that win one medal either as their per capita measure is hugely skewed. If Using Bolt was from the Vatican they'd have tgr best per capita ratio but obviously wouldn't be the best at sport. Similarly a country that excels at one sport (Iran and Jamaica for example) can't lay claim to being the greatest sporting nation on earth.http://sportal.spiegel.de/spiegel/olympia-2016/med...
Not measured in total, per head, GDP absolute, GDP per capita or country size.
As for your second post, I don't understand the relevance of looking at investment. Of course a large part of the reason we are so good is because we invest heavily in sport?
Amirhussain said:
England are absolutely and utterly st at football. Score goals against piss poor teams in the qualifiers, but flop at the real stage.
How many of goals did England score at 2014 world cup? 2? And even they were cancelled out by the opposition.
because the league game is still suffering the curse of ' route one' ... How many of goals did England score at 2014 world cup? 2? And even they were cancelled out by the opposition.
if you look atthe step change in performance i nthe olympics and cricket / rugby it;s becasue the systems have seen a big overhaul
Whereas when the FA tried to overhaul youth football to reduce the even bigger reliance the youth game had on route 1 ( 11 and 12 year olds playing on full size pitchs in 11 a side games etc ) all the armchair / touchline experts said it was ruining the sport.
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