That's it, I'm moving to France

[kelvedon wonder]

My youngest daughter is a Cavendish fan, so took herself off to Canary Wharf to buy the book and meet the chief crush in her life. Got a lovely photo taken with him, too, which I printed off & stuck over my desk at work.

I then spent the whole day explaining who the bloke in the picture was with the daughter. Oh, only arguably the most successful athlete in a country whose media seems to constantly whinge about our lack of sporting success. I despair sometimes. The only people who noticed the picture and showed any excitement at all without her having to write a small essay of explanation were her french friends.

Just waiting for December so I can watch some bloke get sports personality of the year for driving a car....

 

[rolfrae]

Sorry, Cavendish you say? Who is he? Rides a bike you say? What, can't afford a car?
These are the attitudes my peers had when I was at school twenty years ago and it seems little has changed, despite Cav's meteoric rise through the sport's ranks. When I was young I would rant and rave about Graeme Obree and no one knew or cared, whilst he would be stopped and asked to sign autographs on the continent. I guess Chris Hoy is the only cyclist most of the general public would recognise, and he's not even a real cyclist--just kiddin' trackies

 

[Moondance]

At least Britain has sporting heroes that the general public doesn't know about. In the Netherlands, if we have anyone who comes even close to sporting greatness (very, very few of which do) we fawn over him/her till they die of media pressure, even if they practice some kind of meaningless sport.

BTW, I might not be Jenson Button's biggest fan, but he has oodles more personality than Mark Cavendish. If Mark Cavendish wins any kind of personality award my head might explode. Also, who the f- hands out personality awards? Isn't that a bit high-school of them?

 

[kelvedon wonder]

Also, who the f- hands out personality awards? Isn't that a bit high-school of them?

It's a 'personality' award in name only - basically it goes to the UK sports person who has been deemed to have achieved the most success in that particular year.

I do know what you mean about NL sports stars, though - I heard how Bram Tankink's mum was slightly mobbed on the train to Harwich after a few Dutch kids spotted the name on her suitcase
Lots of our sportsmen do get that kind of attention, but generally it's mainly people in the more mainstream sports like football, rugby, cricket - and heaven help you if you're British and can play tennis, you have the whole country on your shoulders.