Make the most of it.
The new Labour leader declined an invitation to watch England take on Fiji on Friday, citing “pre-existing commitments”.
Apparently, this was some sort of problem. As it turned out, he was putting his surgery first. But even if not, so what? He declined to attend a rugby match. So what? Rugby, like all ball games is tedious. I wouldn’t attend one either. I don’t care who is playing or whether it is National, International or whatever – and I don’t care what my job was, or whether it was “expected”. I would not attend. I do not watch ball games. End of. No exceptions. None.
So, on this occasion, I welcome his stance.
As Boris Jonhson put it “This is turning into a national joke…Come on Jezza: Scrum down for England.”
Oh, do fuck off, Boris. You like it; fine. Others don’t, so shouldn’t be expected to “scrum down for England”. I don’t give a flying fuck, but will have to endure the ongoing bombardment of trite media coverage over the next few weeks as we do with soccer internationals. So, enjoy it if that’s your bag, but don’t try giving the rest of us a hard time because we don’t. And if Corbyn doesn’t want to, that should be good enough. Leader of the opposition or not.
The thought that struck me was that Corbyn should not be underestimated. As far as I can see, he is a dangerous loon who has the potential to do a colossal amount of damage to our country should he ever get his hands on the levers of power. However, this little incident raises him in my estimation a great deal. Like yourself I have no interest whatsoever in watching ball games. In Corbyn’s case, whether he likes ball games or not, the reason that he missed this particular event was because he thought that it was more important to do his job. By doing this he successfully exposed his political opponents as the shallow buffoons that they are. If he keeps this up he will walk the next election. That is very worrying indeed.
Indeed.
Here in New Zealand the World Cup has been leading the news for several weeks.I can foresee a period of national mourning if the All Blacks do not retain the cup. I like Rugby but for heavens sake does noone have a sense of proportion any more?I admire him for sticking to his day job.
Sport seems to be elevated way beyond its worth. It isn’t important, yet we get wall to wall coverage of people chasing a ball about or batting it over a net and are expected to be concerned about the result. To add insult to injury, we get these people being interviewed about what happened. The subsequent incoherent gibberish is embarrassing to watch. Someone won, someone lost. Get over it, it isn’t important, doesn’t matter and many of us really, really don’t give a fuck. Now move on.
So, when the leader of the opposition decides that, actually, he has something more important to do (and, frankly, everything is more important) and refused to attend, this is refreshing.
BREAD & CIRCUSES
Yet again they, the media and useful idiots like Boris, misunderstand completely the way of the British.
We don’t like bullies, we don’t like the idea that because a lot of Bullingdon toffs had Rugger drilled into them during long winters in their prep and public schools, that every one else has to follow their trail.
We’re expected to overlook the real truth that they are mostly traitors who have surrendered (sold without a shot being fired) our country to suit themselves and their owners over the last 40 years, yet we’re supposed to join enthusiastically in their phoney televised patriotic pantomime watching a bunch of blokes chucking a bladder about.
The modern version of Bread and Circuses..dear me Claud that Corbyn chappie isn’t towing the line what?
We Brits actually like a bit of individuality or as its now known as eccentricity, we tend to like people with genuine principles and beliefs even if we don’t agree with them, so the more the political class and it’s bought and paid for media lay into Corbyn, the more of us will stand metaphorically up and listen to what the man has to say.
What did they want, they’ve been bitching for years that all politicians are the same, now one has stepped up who isn’t from the clone factory and they can’t hack it.
Corbyn i have a feeling won’t last long, he has massive forces and unlimited funds against him, he’ll have to appoint his own Meddlesome apparatchik who is reading from the correct hymnsheet or he’ll be out.
Not as any of it will make a scrap of difference, the electorate blew their chance to stop the rot earlier this year, it no longer matters who’s re-arranging the deck chairs on the good ship Titanic.
Quite so. I abhor Corbyn’s politics, but on this issue, I respect his stand.
At least this might lay to rest the whining that he Didn’t Sing The National Anthem – I thought we’d never hear the end of that.
God, I wish he weren’t sooo left – first politician of principle we’ve had in, erm, ever?
Indeed. I don’t stand for the national anthem, let alone sing it. Fuss about nothing. His policies frighten me, but I admire a man of principles even if I vigorously disagree with them.
Nothing to do with liking it or not. If a company was hosting a world event with the eyes of a lot of the world on it, they’d expect the big noises to be in attendance.
Corbyn seems to be a bit self indulgent with himself. Fine, it’s his choice (wrong, imo) but I bet he wouldn’t give us plebs down here the same opportunity of choice.
Tough shit, frankly. They need to get the message that they and their silly game are just not that important. Being the leader of a political party – or even the PM – should not mean being expected to turn up at a game and not doing so should not have any meaning.
In his – or Cameron’s place – I would not turn up because I don’t like it. That is sufficient reason.
Possibly so and if so, I’ll castigate him for it. However, on this one, he is right to put real work that he is paid for ahead of attending a facile sporting event.
I do see the point of sport if you do something that you enjoy doing in order to keep yourself fit. Sitting watching other people doing it doesn’t really get the job done.
Well, quite. But what really gets me is the level of importance attached to it. It is unwarranted.
This issue was demonstrated to me via a news item about Manchester United ripping off fans by “forcing” them to buy two different away strips at exorbitant prices. the idea that they could attend matches without the correct peer approved uniform never seemed to enter their heads. The obvious protest would have been to have bought clothing of approximately the correct colour from the cheapest shop in town. Man U would then have been left with tons of expensive kit that they would have to sell off for next to nothing because their fans had refused to buy it. But having the right kit is so much more important apparently.
Few things look quite so stupid as wearing football kit off the field.
Actually, few things look so stupid as football kit period.
“Few things look quite so stupid as wearing football kit off the field.”
Where I live it’s called fashion…..