Is sport now too uptight?

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Tongo

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Today there's been debates on the Barcelona pass penalty from last night and the Ronnie O'Sullivan refusal to go for a 147 cos he thought there wasnt enough prize money on it.

Instantly words like unprofessional, disrespectful and arrogant whilst in some quarters there is a general sense of angst, ire and sport descending into some form of dystopia.

My question is this: have too many people involved or following sport become too uptight about it all? Has it become so professional and businesslike that when someone does something out of the ordinary or unconventional they are instantly lambasted by a litany of po-faced media types intent on provoking controversy closely followed by the tweeting hoi polloi looking for something to moan about?

Has top level sport lost the ability to have fun?
 
It's just people looking for something to complain about

It appears with the increase of social media people only seem happy when they are complaining about stuff and will always look for an angle to complain as that makes more of an impact and helps people stand out a bit more

A perfect example is

On here there were two threads

- Random Irritations where people posted what annoyed them

- Things that make you smile

Which thread is still going strong now

We are all guilty of it as well - no one is immune

Social media has given everyone a voice to be heard
 
More to do with the availability of information imo, 20/30 years ago we may not of heard of the 2 examples for more than 24hrs and they may not of made more than a couple of lines in print.
Now with modern technology it's instant, A few years back in the Masters you could bet on someone going around in over 100, one of the previous winners played(think he was in his late 79's) and was in the 110-115 strokes (I think) but as he walked off the 18th he ripped his card up meaning he was DQ'd, apparently he saved the bookies hundreds of thousands around the world and there was a media backlash on him!
It's not just Sport though, have a look at the fall out Stephen Fry has took on twitter today for making a joke with a friend at the BAFTAs.
 
Two completely different examples, for me. The Messi penalty was a brilliant piece of entertainment but O'Sullivan's was the complete opposite - he refused to entertain, tantamount to cheating, in fact. He deserves all the criticism coming his way.
 
FairwayDodger said:
Two completely different examples, for me. The Messi penalty was a brilliant piece of entertainment but O'Sullivan's was the complete opposite - he refused to entertain, tantamount to cheating, in fact. He deserves all the criticism coming his way.
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Sums it up for me as well.

The trouble with sport now is that it is a worldwide betting table.
Where there is betting there is bound to be cheating.
Even at club golf level the 'swindle' is well named.

Every now and then you get a lovely moment like that penalty, sadly very rare though.
 
FairwayDodger said:
Two completely different examples, for me. The Messi penalty was a brilliant piece of entertainment but O'Sullivan's was the complete opposite - he refused to entertain, tantamount to cheating, in fact. He deserves all the criticism coming his way.
Click to expand...
Although Karen the BBC ran a Poll today and 33% thought it was disrespectful,
Personally loved it, but as the saying goes, you can't please everyone.
 
The penalty pass was good, but if it was so Suarez could get his hattrick, why didn't he just take the penalty?

As for O'Sullivan he still cleared the table so what was the problem.
 
FairwayDodger said:
Two completely different examples, for me. The Messi penalty was a brilliant piece of entertainment but O'Sullivan's was the complete opposite - he refused to entertain, tantamount to cheating, in fact. He deserves all the criticism coming his way.
Click to expand...

He refused to entertain? You don't watch much snooker do you.
 
FairwayDodger said:
Two completely different examples, for me. The Messi penalty was a brilliant piece of entertainment but O'Sullivan's was the complete opposite - he refused to entertain, tantamount to cheating, in fact. He deserves all the criticism coming his way.
Click to expand...

Doon frae Troon said:
Sums it up for me as well.

The trouble with sport now is that it is a worldwide betting table.
Where there is betting there is bound to be cheating.
Even at club golf level the 'swindle' is well named.

Every now and then you get a lovely moment like that penalty, sadly very rare though.
Click to expand...

ditto
 
Tongo said:
Maybe they just wanted to have a laugh?
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I still remember Pires and Henry messing this up. At the time, I wasn't laughing, but after the game was won, I could see the humour in it. What a cods they made of it. Idiots, the pair of them.

At least Messi and Suarez made it work!
 
Tashyboy is on for a nine dart finish, sod that there's only a pint of lager and half bag of cheese and onion if I hit double 21, really.
Tashyboy is on a 3ft putt for his only real eagle attempt but there's only £10 in the swindle. Really.
Last black balls over the bag for a 147 and am bitching coz it don't make me enough. Really.
Tweeting a picture of me 120k Merc when ave just been dicked 6-0 at home. Seems I am not the only one.

Point is some people don't know there born.

Then again, I love my sports inc golf, and if I had a chance to "showboat" and that's what the Messi penalty was, then Tashyboy is polishing his shoes, having a back, sack and crack done and a dental floss. Love it and why not.
 
FairwayDodger said:
Indeed not, it's like watching paint dry! However I imagine seeing a player make a maximum break would be more entertaining to paying punters than him just potting meaningless balls in a frame he'd already won.
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Paint dry, that should be in my decorating thread.
 
FairwayDodger said:
but O'Sullivan's was the complete opposite - he refused to entertain, tantamount to cheating, in fact. He deserves all the criticism coming his way.
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That's a ridiculous statement.

"cheating "???????

" deserves criticism "?????

His job is to win. He is a professional. Not only does he make a massive amount of money with his talent and dedication, but other people also make a massive amount of money out of him. If he thinks there is an imbalance, he is perfectly entitled to demonstrate that whilst still winning.
 
Three said:
That's a ridiculous statement.

"cheating "???????

" deserves criticism "?????

His job is to win. He is a professional. Not only does he make a massive amount of money with his talent and dedication, but other people also make a massive amount of money out of him. If he thinks there is an imbalance, he is perfectly entitled to demonstrate that whilst still winning.
Click to expand...

So why not do the 147 and make the statement by giving it Charity or to the spectators at his next event, he could've missed any ball once he knew he'd won the frame,
Not cheating, but you can't for one minute think everyone who disagrees with him shouldn't criticise.
Like I posted before thousands who voted on the BBC today thought the Barca penalty was bad sportsmanship, I think it was brilliant, doesn't make the others wrong.
 
Three said:
That's a ridiculous statement.

"cheating "???????

" deserves criticism "?????

His job is to win. He is a professional. Not only does he make a massive amount of money with his talent and dedication, but other people also make a massive amount of money out of him. If he thinks there is an imbalance, he is perfectly entitled to demonstrate that whilst still winning.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen it but what I meant is that he cheated the people who paid to see him by giving less than his best. Personally I don't care as it's never a spectator sport IMO anyway but the point I was trying to make was the OP was clumsy since the messi and osulivan incidents were not comparable.
 
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