Robsk II

Innocent until proven guilty, morons.

Scratch all of the above, this Dowdswell fellow is a genius. nay, a saint.

Well, Will, I think you read rather too much into the fact that I had darts and golf in the same line. I rate golf far higher than darts in sporting terms, as it is clearly more of a game the way I term it. Calling me idiotic and pathetic shows that you are a dullard. I never claimed to know much about gold, but it's clearly not as 'pure' a sport as some others. That's fine, it still takes greatness to be the best at it. As for your slagging off minority sports, it is quite evidently YOU who are entirely uninformed. Rowing is less technical, but it makes no difference that you don't see canoeing on Sky. I know for a fact that it is as technical a sport as anything you could ever mention, and requires far more fitness in every sense than golf, and no shortage of mental strengh. This isn't a dreict competition between them - golf is a hugely popular pursuit for a reason, but it is a very narrow focus. You can't tell me that Tiger Woods is stronger than sports some of those sprinters. You can't tell me he's as fit as truly fit athletes. You can try, but you'd be a liar, simple as that. He gets paid a lot, rightly, as he is incredibly good at what he does - yet golf is primarily skill based. How much he gets paid and if it's on Sky being important in your eyes are indicative of the fact that you are a generic populist cretin. These things in no way measure a sport - just the status quo of a cultures interest. Anyway - Paul Ratcliffe, someone rather more recent, was world ranked number one for several years, and he was sponsored by Adidas, if that impresses you. As it happens, other sports get a lot more coverage elsewhere. In Germany and France, and even more so in Eastern Europe, international kayak slalom races DO get coverage. I should know, I've been on TV in those competing in international races. I've raced against olympic medallists several times. Of course this is about me defending my sport to an extent, but only because you attacked what it was without cause. I know a whole lot more about golf than you do about other sport, by the sound of it, and your derision about a sport just because it isn't 'big' is simply closeted. Is surfing on TV? Not much. is it highly technical and skilful? Yes. Snowboarding? Yes. Skateboarding? Yes. Just because you're some fuddy-duddy with a typically conservative outlook, don't bring your money and image based prejudice here. Tiger Woods is a great sportsman, perhaps, and incredibly skilled - but he's no athlete compared to the likes of Usain Bolt. Oh, and I know a couple of sports psychologists from when I was working with them directly - I shall be sure to ask them their iew, seeing as, according to "Mr informed", ALL of them asy golf is the most mentally challenging sport. Ever tried a sport where you die if you get it wrong? Serious climbing, for example? You clearly haven't done many sports to any level if you think golf alone requires mental strength. We had minutes, hours, days, weeks of varying types and levels of pressure. Any sport in the world gets pretty intense at high levels. What an idiot.

Massimo Maccaroni..

There are some bloody stupid comments on here. How can Woods be the greatest sportsman of all time? Total balderash. It's more of a game than a sport anyway. Sir Steve Redgrave dominated rowing for a massive period, in a sport that requires incredible fitness and mental strength. 'Sir' Richard Fox performed a similarly impressive feat, becoming kayak slalom mens World Champion for GB a record TEN times, and many world cup series races besides - also retiring at a ripe age - truly dominant. Precocious talents, genuine rarities. In my mind, the greatest sports are those which test an an athlete to the limit across the board, not one area. The above sports require skill, finesse, technique, mental strengh and work all the fitness sytems. Golf and darts, for all their merits, simply don't. Olympics, world championships, come a lot less than grand slams and majors, too - Federer's achievement deserves plaudits, and footballers who have dominated the game are similarly admirable, etc - but it's very hard to measure achievement in such simple terms. Many athletes have overcome incredible difficulties or hard lives to excel, or even to compete at all. These are no less admirable sometimes.

Yes, it is, and they sometimes have them for ships leaving as well. I could see those regularly from my house in inner Ave too.

The first PES. Perhaps later ones, too, but it was so good compared to anything else I'd played footie wise at that time - was at uni at the time and several times went round a mates house and we ended up still playing it at 5am, thinking "whoops".

I certainly recall having heard them quite regularly, more than once a week, certainly. I heard someone say they get tested every day at a certain time, but I can't imagine that's the case or surely we'd all know about them? I'm sure I heard them a lot when my work pattern meant I was at home for portions of the day quite a lot.

I always heard those when living in Inner Avenue too. never heard them the first year, but I lived on Middle Street for 3 and could hear them quite regularly. Always wondered about them too.

Ouch. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8159290.stm

I'll do it.

It's pretty cool, either way. I don't think the creators ever suggested it was real. it's just a clever ad, and it's only because wassisname said it was impressive and apparently believed it that this is being debated.

$500-1000 million.

We know, Simon. And running your arse out. Tuck Over, mate!

Sure, but quite a lot of it's fake.

Derek Sandy.

Was a good game in the end, can feel it in my toe now but am pretty pleased how it turned out. Will not play Tuesday, I think - but seems I made the right decision to play. As for that new rule, Spades - it sorted most people out, but it seemed to make Simon WORSE...!

No, I might be a few minutes early but I live half an your away now instead of about 8 minutes. ****e. Lee, I'm not sure that's the flip flops

I've 'passed a late fitness test', ie I just went for a little jog in the garden and it seems better(ish). I think I will be there, Ben is there too, if also injured still... I have a new theory about the toe - I have worn flip-flops for a much greater time than ever before this summer, and my feet can't have been used to it. I haven't done so for over a week, and it seems a bit better. Over flip-floppage, I think?

This chap was 'a hero', of course. But not only were his peers, but also those serving today, and inbetween And not to take anything away from it, but I think even today, we would find a great generation amongst this apparent shambles if it was required of us. The point is, people face what needs to be faced, in the end. History shows us that. What makes his generation special is that they HAD to face it, and did so in such conditions and times. Same goes for WW2 veterans and that generation. If anything, people like Mr Allingham, for me, are not about individual heroism, generally. Many would themselves say they are only heros because they were there, or survived, or indeed died. It's about remembering what people can be capable of if they choose to, or have to. I see an awful lot of negative things manifested in today's culture, though I probably get a particularly bad version of it - and it's just good, for me, to remember what a collective of individuals can face or achieve if they must. Of course, these conflicts also vividly demonstrate how violent, disgusting we can be - but they prove, more than anything else, that we react to bad with good, and the worse the tribulation, the better we respond. With the passing of Mr Allingham's generation, a light that shone this fact over that dark part of history will be extinguished, but hopefully remain in record and the actions of future generations.

stop f**king with my head!

I should sit this out, my toe almost certainly needs a rest. God knows wht's up with it, I might have a little jog tomorrow and see.

He was 48 on D-day. Incredible.

RIP Same goes for all of his generation, of course. Interesting chap, Mr Allingham. Worth reading his memoir. Kept a clear head and a sense of modesty and perspective until the end, really - was asked in earlier in the year how he'd like to be remembered - he replied, "I wouldn't. Forget me. Remember the others.".

No lumps or outside tenderness at all. Certain it's not an ingrowing toenail as it definitely feels further back than that, and it's linked to certain movements. Seems a bit better today, but def. not right. Suppose I should see a doctor, but I think he'll say 'rest it'. Poo.