Bl00dy Wimbledon

Majestic 12

arran77 wrote:

pinarello001 wrote:

Funny how very little other tennis is televised on UK terrestrial TV. It's as if Tennis happens once a year - like for some the only cycling event is the Tdf. How many times have you been asked by a non-cyclist in their jokey fashion "Training for the Tour De France?". That's our navel gazing mentality both intrinsic and institutionalised.

To be fair this can be leveled at other sports as well, golf for example, how much is televised here apart from the Masters?

Err. The Open. That is a real full 4 days of coverage. Where as the Masters on the beeb has now reduced to just Sat and Sun as their live coverage package due to cut backs.

Apart from TdF I think the coverage of cycling is on terrestrial channels is exceptionally poor. As we all know, most of the public think that the Tour is the only pro race in the season. If ITV are going to be the torch bearers of cycling coverage, why don't they cover the other two grand tours and the spring classics to the same degree?

Flâneur

Cricket highlights I'll watch but generally I find watching a test worse than watching tennis, but I do enjoy the sport. Was glad to see Butler hit the double ton after the ashes debacle.

TV rights for cycling are a nightmare though, each country/race seems to hold their own, coverage is run by them and so can be very patchy with little understanding of what to cut too. On top of that, asking a company to run it when the content has a limited audience (and watching cycling is a limited audience, especially in its current format) is going to be hard given they will want to sell advertising for the breaks.

More highlight packages would be wise, 4 hour slot on normal TV for a week isn't going to sell, never mind 3 weeks. The ability to put proper stats and information would help so even those with little understanding can begin to get a grasp.

Read an article recently which mentioned some of this but was generally about the finance of World Tour Cycling

Golf coverage outside of Sky is poor, and I think it is only Eurosport which brings tennis to tv except the slams. TV companies bring in what gathers viewers. The open and Wimbledon only remain on BBC etc because they are on a list which says they must be accessible (Ofcom list?)

awavey

sa0u823e wrote:

Golf coverage outside of Sky is poor, and I think it is only Eurosport which brings tennis to tv except the slams. TV companies bring in what gathers viewers. The open and Wimbledon only remain on BBC etc because they are on a list which says they must be accessible (Ofcom list?)

BT Sport has the rights to the WTA, which all used to be on Eurosport, hence why theres been more cycling/snooker/speedway appearing lately to fill the gaps. Seemed a bit unfair all the criticism theyve been getting for not showing more of the nationals live, as a) they cant because they are covering the sports they are contracted to and would be keen to keep happier than British cycling and b)I dont see anyone else stepping in to show them.

Wimbledon is an odd one because its used more as hospitality gig by the BBC (bit like Glasto) than a pure sports coverage event so it gets wall to wall coverage almost to justify the cost per transmitted hours kind of approach, I think even if it wasnt on the list the Beeb would desperately want to outbid any of the subscription channels for it.

rick_chasey

SecretSam wrote:

I hate it. Every year, the 37 people in Britain who actually play tennis get wall-to-wall coverage of their crappy, dull sport for TWO WHOLE WEEKS.

And we football fans, who support our teams and either PLAY or GO TO GAMES, and who outnumber tennis-pennises by about 20,00-to-1 are treated to a barrage of criticism for "all the football" due to the World Cup. Which is every four years.

And someone please explain to me why women get the same money for only playing an absolute maximum of 3 sets???? Equal pay for equal work, surely??

Hope it fcuking rains.

You're complaining about criticism around football coverage? C'mon. Football gets a ridiculous amount of coverage. No football fan can complain about the coverage of the world cup. You literally won't miss a single minute of it. Or the Euro champs. etc etc.

Tennis is one for two weeks during the summer which isn't even in the football season. And the football when it is on takes priority over the tennis coverage anyway.

As for the women's pay in tennis - i'll put your comment down to ignorance. Women's tennis is constantly arguing for 5 set matches, and they're constantly refused. That they're patronised to the point where they're not allowed to play for the same length of time is bad enough, but to decide to dock their pay too?

secretsam

Rick Chasey wrote:

As for the women's pay in tennis - i'll put your comment down to ignorance. Women's tennis is constantly arguing for 5 set matches, and they're constantly refused. That they're patronised to the point where they're not allowed to play for the same length of time is bad enough, but to decide to dock their pay too?

Ignorance it is - didn't know this

But I'm with Arran on the women's game

secretsam

Option Click wrote:

ThomThom wrote:

Tennis is a terrible sport to watch and has stolen far too many good bits of cycling coverages on Eurosport over the years for my liking.

Exactly this. I've lost count of the number of times I've settled down to watch a stage, only to find the ******* tennis is messing with the scheduling.

Tennis fans = Frumpy, beige, middle-aged, Daily Mail-reading, Tate-visiting, Cliff Richard-liking, Henman-worshipping personality vacuums :twisted:

I don't like tennis

My long-lost brother, at last I've found you!!!!!

crispybug2

verylonglegs wrote:

Mikey23 wrote:

Only if he's getting beat and we can see coverage of grumpy fans. I find tennis incredibly dull and I'm someone who follows test cricket, that's how bad tennis is.

Get your arse over to BBC right now.

Andy's is out and the grumpiness can begin.

Mikey23

@crispybug 2... Careful with your attribution, i didnt write that. Apology accepted...

pinno

Like all competitions, now that the British interest has gawn, we can sit and enjoy it.
Nadal is out too, which means that Djokovic will win and it's not worth watching.

RDW

Pretty dramatic couple of days in SW19! Djokovic is still the odds on favourite, but he was just pushed to 5 sets in the quarter, so things might not go according to the script. Semis should be interesting - Raonic or Dimitrov could easily cause another upset, and we could have a final that nobody expected. Or is this Federer's last big chance? - his first four rounds looked like exhibition matches, though Wawrinka gave him a much harder time before running out of steam on his 3rd straight day of play.

Oh sorry, yes, bloody Wimbledon. What was I thinking?

Mikey23

Dont worry about the philistines! andy gone but been a pretty amazing championship. Looks like the old guard is being replaced by some exciting youngsters

Stevo_666

Looks like Murray is back to being Scottish, as opposed to British as he was just last year.

arran77

Stevo 666 wrote:

Looks like Murray is back to being Scottish, as opposed to British as he was just last year.

Yeah, useless tw@t

secretsam

Stevo 666 wrote:

Looks like Murray is back to being Scottish, as opposed to British as he was just last year.

He was always bl00dy Scottish, the sour-faced haggis-botherer :twisted:

veronese68

SecretSam wrote:

He was always bl00dy Scottish, the sour-faced haggis-botherer :twisted:

That pretty much covers it.

arran77

Just make sure the feckers north of the border again on the 18th of September

seanoconn

Raonic and Dimitrov are looking mighty impressive. New champion this year

arran77

seanoconn wrote:

Raonic and Dimitrov are looking mighty impressive.

Pipe down you, this thread is for the haters

seanoconn wrote:

New champion this year

Well duh yeah, last years champion got knocked out yesterday :P

seanoconn

arran77 wrote:

seanoconn wrote:

Raonic and Dimitrov are looking mighty impressive.

Pipe down you, this thread is for the haters

seanoconn wrote:

New champion this year

Well duh yeah, last years champion got knocked out yesterday :P

I'll let that slide as its your anniversary. Your Mrs is a saint!

Sabine Lisicki is out

arran77

seanoconn wrote:

arran77 wrote:

seanoconn wrote:

Raonic and Dimitrov are looking mighty impressive.

Pipe down you, this thread is for the haters

seanoconn wrote:

New champion this year

Well duh yeah, last years champion got knocked out yesterday :P

I'll let that slide as its your anniversary. Your Mrs is a saint!

Sabine Lisicki is out

She sounds like a lezza

pinno

As long as she's willing to show her nootks off, who cares?

capt_slog

I noticed last week (and I remember seeing this during previous Wimboredoms) that BBC3 and BBC4 both have empty schedules until 7pm. So why don't they put the tennis and the football on those and leave BBC1 and 2 alone?

Not that it bothers me a deal BTW, it's too nice this time of year to be watching TV at that time, but it annoys people like my old mum who can't get out.

DeVlaeminck

I like the football, this world cup has been excellent, but I've been watching a bit of the tennis too these last two weeks and found it surprisingly interesting.

The only problem is my other half finds all the grunting during the women's matches very off putting, so much so I've had to tell her I'll try and stop.

peat

I don't care for tennis and manage to ignore it for the 2 weeks it's in the larger public-consciousness quite easily.

I also don't care for football, but it is impossible to ignore due to the face that we are BOMBARDED with it on every news broadcast and paper. Thus, I have grown to hate it.

Up yours, OP.

RDW

Fantastic match on Sunday - reversal of fortune in the 4th set turned it into one of the great finals. Pity Federer couldn't quite take it in the 5th; converting that last break point might just have done it. I wouldn't rule out another victory for him in a major in the next year or two.