![[challenge entry]](/images/board_posticon_c.gif "Challenge Entry: The Olympics"){kind=small}
Run, Mo, run!
Despite myself, I've really enjoyed the Olympics. Mo Farah's performances made me very happy. But his victory face is a gift.
From the The Olympics challenge. See all 169 entries (closed)
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Enzyme is powered by sunlight,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 15:20,
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Cut using Microsoft Paint: Michael J. Fox edition.
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undergroundmonkey Kernt,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 15:39,
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I know.It's quick and very, very shoddy. Meh. I'll tidy it up later if I get a chance, and repost.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 15:44,
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Ha ha! Also all that running must make him hungry...
(Edit: Thanks for the cutout Enzyme!)
(,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:28,
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(Edit: Thanks for the cutout Enzyme!)
using his loaf ! have some Hill hilarity
Dick Wonder ₐ wₒₙₖy, wₐᵥy wₒₙdₑᵣ,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 17:05,
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Cheers!
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Cassius Kray floats like a butterfly, stings like a trout,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 19:07,
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Ouch!I too liked the Olympics and it's all about the 'Legacy' now. I think the cyclists have it covered.
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Mon 13 Aug 2012, 15:31,
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Cool!At some point, I shall head off to the Olympic park to have a proper look around at the permanent buildings. I was there yesterday, but they chucked everyone out at 2:30, so I didn't get a lot of time to have a proper explore.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 15:33,
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*sniff* - it's all a bit sad now it's overand it feels like, well that's that. But do support the Paralolpics (masterfully coined by taters down there!) - I have a disabled lad and I'd like to think London can be nice and supportive for a couple more weeks.
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Mon 13 Aug 2012, 15:41,
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I have to admit, I struggle with the idea of the Paralympics.It seems to me to suffer from being caught in a dilemma about what it's for.
One possibility is that it's there to give an opportunity to compete to people who wouldn't normally have a chance. But, if that's the motivation, then it looks horribly patronising - as though a whole event has been invented purely for the sake of giving prizes to people who wouldn't normally get them. And, of course, reasoning like that also faces the objection that most able-bodied people wouldn't have a chance against those who, by a quirk of genetics, happen to have a physical capacity for running, jumping, or whatever, that the majority lacks; so why not have a third competition for average sorts? If this is absurd, and I contend that it is, there's a problem.
So that can't be it. The other alternative is that the sports in the paralympics are disciplines in their own right, in which people can excel just as they could in any other discipline. Thus, just as some people are great runners, others are great wheelchair-racers; as some are great basketballers, others have an amazing talent for partially-sighted basketball, and so on. Each requires a particular skill or set of skills; and a person who excels in those skills is worthy of admiration. But while that seems satisfying in one way, it raises the question of why an able-bodied person can't compete in wheelchair racing, or why they can't use a blindfold to emulate impaired vision. The rules don't allow that. And for as long as they don't allow it, I can't help but to wonder if the paralympics is vulnerable to the objection that it's patronising.
Maybe I've missed something important - but I've been thinking about this for about 8 years, and I can't see what it might be.
(One possibility is that it's there to give an opportunity to compete to people who wouldn't normally have a chance. But, if that's the motivation, then it looks horribly patronising - as though a whole event has been invented purely for the sake of giving prizes to people who wouldn't normally get them. And, of course, reasoning like that also faces the objection that most able-bodied people wouldn't have a chance against those who, by a quirk of genetics, happen to have a physical capacity for running, jumping, or whatever, that the majority lacks; so why not have a third competition for average sorts? If this is absurd, and I contend that it is, there's a problem.
So that can't be it. The other alternative is that the sports in the paralympics are disciplines in their own right, in which people can excel just as they could in any other discipline. Thus, just as some people are great runners, others are great wheelchair-racers; as some are great basketballers, others have an amazing talent for partially-sighted basketball, and so on. Each requires a particular skill or set of skills; and a person who excels in those skills is worthy of admiration. But while that seems satisfying in one way, it raises the question of why an able-bodied person can't compete in wheelchair racing, or why they can't use a blindfold to emulate impaired vision. The rules don't allow that. And for as long as they don't allow it, I can't help but to wonder if the paralympics is vulnerable to the objection that it's patronising.
Maybe I've missed something important - but I've been thinking about this for about 8 years, and I can't see what it might be.
Enzyme is powered by sunlight,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 15:52,
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See your point but isn't itworth doing just because participants and spectators enjoy it?
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edjogs Collared doves are shit.,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 15:58,
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For sure.And that's kind of my point.
Why have a separate competition? Why not integrate at least some of the sports into the mainstream? And why are able-bodied people not allowed to compete? If someone is fast at pushing a wheelchair, why should the fact that he or she can walk make the slightest difference to whether or not that's an admirable thing that we'd want to reward with medals? If it is, it is; if it ain't, it ain't... just as with any other sport.
(Why have a separate competition? Why not integrate at least some of the sports into the mainstream? And why are able-bodied people not allowed to compete? If someone is fast at pushing a wheelchair, why should the fact that he or she can walk make the slightest difference to whether or not that's an admirable thing that we'd want to reward with medals? If it is, it is; if it ain't, it ain't... just as with any other sport.
Enzyme is powered by sunlight,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:03,
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One reason could be logistics.I'd like to see the events combined, but I imagine the organizers have to take into account the needs of the athletes, which in many cases are different to those of able-bodied athletes. It's a tricky one though - if Pistorius can run in the 400m, then why not able-bodied people in wheelchair events?
It's worth enjoying though because GB usually win a shed-load of medals!
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Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:10,
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It's worth enjoying though because GB usually win a shed-load of medals!
Is the dude with the springs running again in the paralympics as well?If so that's slightly unfair.
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Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:16,
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Not sure.As to the fairness: I'm not sure it's unfair. But it does raise interesting questions about the nature of the sport in which he was competing. I'm writing a chapter that touches on this right now.
Writing it ironically slowly, given the topic.
(Writing it ironically slowly, given the topic.
Enzyme is powered by sunlight,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:29,
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Surely he's at a slight advantage that he's already used to the track conditions and that.Oh and he knows the good places to eat in London.
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Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:49,
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Good question,I don't actually know *goes to check*. Yes he is. He's expected to win a ton of golds.
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Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:33,
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Really? I seem to remember that someone was banned from doing both.I don't see why this is allowed
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Ham o' Shatner -.-- --- ..- .-. / .- .-.. .-.. / --. .- -.--,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:44,
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Dude's got no legs. He's disabled. Being quick enough to compete in the able bodied olympics doesn't change that.I don't see why it shouldn't be allowed.
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Mu Dinofiddler,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 17:02,
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If I had Steve Austin's legs I would win every race.The race is to see who is the fastest human being over that distance on that day.
Those legs aren't human.
(Those legs aren't human.
Ham o' Shatner -.-- --- ..- .-. / .- .-.. .-.. / --. .- -.--,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 17:19,
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It all depends on whether the swishy blade legs give an advantage or not.If he's been allowed to compete in the able bodied events, then the decision has been made that they don't.
( Mu Dinofiddler,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 17:22,
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If Kobe Bryant turned up at the partially sighted basketball, as a player, wearing a blindfoldhe would be told to fuck right off.
I still don't see why this is allowed.
(I still don't see why this is allowed.
Ham o' Shatner -.-- --- ..- .-. / .- .-.. .-.. / --. .- -.--,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 17:29,
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Because the prerequisite of being in the paralympics is a disability.To be in the olympics you just need to be good. There's no prerequisite to be able-bodied.
( Mu Dinofiddler,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 17:47,
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They have men's events.Is it condescending to have separate women's events? You're right, it's a difficult one.
( edjogs Collared doves are shit.,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:12,
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That's something else I've been thinking about.Because exactly the same could be said about sex-segregated events.
If what we want is a demonstration of being fast, strong, high, or whatever, then it's not obvious why the sex of the fast, strong, or high person should matter. Though, of course, this would mean that in many, if not most, events, men would dominate. Women might still be able to compete and have a reasonable chance of winning in some sports, but not as many. Maybe most sport just is essentially sexist in a way that, say, mathematics isn't*.
If that's unacceptable, then there must be something else we want from sport. But then the question is raised about what it is that people value about sport if its not a display of strength, speed, or whatever. Answering that would perhaps help us answer the questions about paralympics, too. There's a range of candidate answers, but each brings its own questions.
Note, too, that Pistorius and Semenya have, in their own ways, already contributed to blurring the line between mainstream and para-sport, and male and female sport. We know that a lot of people have a different sexual phenotype to what their genomes would suggest - the human body is a strange thing. It could be that our traditional easy distinction of sexes is in trouble anyway for wholly biological reasons.
tl;dr version: the philosophy of sport is trickier than I thought.
*By which I mean the subject in itself, not the way the academy or wider culture handles it, which may well be highly sexist.
(If what we want is a demonstration of being fast, strong, high, or whatever, then it's not obvious why the sex of the fast, strong, or high person should matter. Though, of course, this would mean that in many, if not most, events, men would dominate. Women might still be able to compete and have a reasonable chance of winning in some sports, but not as many. Maybe most sport just is essentially sexist in a way that, say, mathematics isn't*.
If that's unacceptable, then there must be something else we want from sport. But then the question is raised about what it is that people value about sport if its not a display of strength, speed, or whatever. Answering that would perhaps help us answer the questions about paralympics, too. There's a range of candidate answers, but each brings its own questions.
Note, too, that Pistorius and Semenya have, in their own ways, already contributed to blurring the line between mainstream and para-sport, and male and female sport. We know that a lot of people have a different sexual phenotype to what their genomes would suggest - the human body is a strange thing. It could be that our traditional easy distinction of sexes is in trouble anyway for wholly biological reasons.
tl;dr version: the philosophy of sport is trickier than I thought.
*By which I mean the subject in itself, not the way the academy or wider culture handles it, which may well be highly sexist.
Enzyme is powered by sunlight,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:25,
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I'm guessing it's because it's a focal point for disabled sportspeople to work towards,same as the one for able-bodied people. It's not patronising to the competitors if they're doing it for themselves, is it? Nobody is saying to them, here, have this event because we feel sorry for you.
Able bodied wheelchair racers probably wouldn't stand a fucking chance against the paralympic wheelchair racers. For a start, they're lighter and second their main method of perambulation is their arms. It might be a laugh to let a few of them try...
(Able bodied wheelchair racers probably wouldn't stand a fucking chance against the paralympic wheelchair racers. For a start, they're lighter and second their main method of perambulation is their arms. It might be a laugh to let a few of them try...
Smallbrainfield,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:10,
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"they're lighter"Hull for you my boy!
( edjogs Collared doves are shit.,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:14,
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You get the feeling that the rowers would do well at that.Reminds me of Douglas Bader - one of the reasons he was so good as a pilot was that he could take much higher G loadings on account of not having legs for the blood to drain into, so he could turn tighter without blacking out.
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Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...",
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:14,
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Is that so?Blimey: that's nifty!
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:26,
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Rowers use their legs when rowingbut the wheelchair pushing stroke is quite different to the rowing stroke. I don't think the muscle groups they use in rowing would be right.
( Smallbrainfield,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:36,
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^ thisThey use completely different techniques and muscle groups
( Ham o' Shatner -.-- --- ..- .-. / .- .-.. .-.. / --. .- -.--,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:41,
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I think you're right about able-bodied racers.They probably would be annihilated in competition.
Wouldn't it be possible for just one competition to provide a focal point, though? It might even be more of a focal point, inasmuch as that - like it or not - a lot of people do see the Paras as second-best. Full integration would quite possibly raise the profile.
(Wouldn't it be possible for just one competition to provide a focal point, though? It might even be more of a focal point, inasmuch as that - like it or not - a lot of people do see the Paras as second-best. Full integration would quite possibly raise the profile.
Enzyme is powered by sunlight,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:15,
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I'm sure it's been done onTV. Didn't C4 do a show with able bodied versus paralympics athletes in Beijing?
( Smallbrainfield,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:18,
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Oooh - I don't know.I'll have a rummage. I've been meaning to write a paper on this for years anyway...
:)
(:)
Enzyme is powered by sunlight,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:27,
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i think you have to look back at the origins of the paralympic gamesand at how those physically disabled from injury were treated at the time, there's a BBC dramatisation about it coming on the tellybox soon.
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Thor_sonofodin has done things, terrible things on,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:47,
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To add to the 'Feck' (ballsed up diving) and 'Stombolova' (tripped on hurdles) I just came across'female' shot-putter disqualified for doping:
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19242736
(www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19242736
joefish It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 15:46,
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Fucking hell! You came across that?You're really not fussy are you? :P
( Ham o' Shatner -.-- --- ..- .-. / .- .-.. .-.. / --. .- -.--,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 15:51,
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Never realised I had a thing for Brendan Gleeson before..."Ah Ms Ostapchuk, if you could just go behind the screen and fill this sample bottle..."
"...And I can't help noticing you didn't need the funnel there."
("...And I can't help noticing you didn't need the funnel there."
joefish It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:16,
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i see they've busted jim davidsons time travelling antics then.
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Thor_sonofodin has done things, terrible things on,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:57,
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hahahahahe's about to do the McDonalds logo again isn't he?
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Q4nobody,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 16:13,
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This is wonderful and will be displayed proudly on my facebook page.
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lord turkey boy and the cleft of venus,
Mon 13 Aug 2012, 20:22,
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