The French..What do you have to say?

[Itchy Sanchez]

The French are a bunch of assholes.

[Surf McBrowse]

"Itchy Sanchez" <itchysanchez@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3d042144.0312110751.20197a2d@posting.google.com...
> The French are a bunch of assholes.

Bill, oops, I mean Itchy, have you considered a trip to Paris to taunt the French?

French Spectators Taunt the Runners in the Paris Marathon

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

PARIS - Apparently, while they are enthusiastic supporters of professional sports such as their
national soccer team, the French have a disdain for joggers and other amateur sports enthusiasts.

According to The New York Times, spectators taunted runners during the running of the 26 mile (42
kilometer) Paris Marathon this month.

Whereas spectators in the New York City marathon shout encouragement to runners, especially to
those who are flagging, spectators in Paris were reported as shouting out to runners taunts such as
"You'd better run faster because they're opening the street up to cars soon" and "Only 500
kilometers left."

http://www.bongonews.com/layout4.php?event=105

[Arbor77]

>French Spectators Taunt the Runners in the Paris Marathon

"All DNF's go to the Foreign Legion!"

[TopCounsel]

>Whereas spectators in the New York City marathon shout encouragement to runners, especially to
>those who are flagging, spectators in Paris were reported as shouting out to runners taunts such as
>"You'd better run faster because they're opening the street up to cars soon" and "Only 500
>kilometers left."

I could name perhaps 2 dozen top-flight British runners off the top of my head.
How many French? Not many. The reverse would be true for Bicycling. This
attitude thing may be partly symptomatic, and partly a bit of the cause.....

[Steve Common]

topcounsel@aol.com (TopCounsel) wrote:

>I could name perhaps 2 dozen top-flight British runners off the top of my head. How many French?
>Not many.

This is all a bit silly. It's sod all to do with attitude, just local media exposure (lack of) for
mainstream foreign athletes. I mean the Beeb isn't going to say "well, we're not running any news
about UK marathon runners coz they're all slow-pokes and get beaten by a lady. So here's some news
from our fast French neighbours" are they? Course not, they tell you about the local runners.
Perfectly normal.

I can name a dozen top flight French runners off the top of my head and only one Brit (Paula) and
zero Americans (except Andy Hass :-). The current European marathon record holder is French BTW.

In the top 50 10000m IAAF mens performances of 2003, how many GB,FR,US runners? One of each.

In the top 100 IAAF mens half-marathons of 2003, how many each of GB, FR, US? 0, 2, 1 (Steinl
doesn't count coz South Shields is downhill)

In the top 100 IAAF mens marathons of 2003, how many each GB, FR, US? 0, 2 (both in top 10), 1

[Andrew Taylor]

In article <qsqhtv0e3pp44cobddh7brgsenjk0ec11r@4ax.com>,
steve common <steven.common@wanadoo.fr> wrote:
>In the top 100 IAAF mens marathons of 2003, how many each GB, FR, US? 0, 2 (both in top 10), 1

http://www.iaaf.org/ lists 349 separate male marathon runners in its top performances for 2003. Out
of curosity I broke them down by nation, list is appended. I also calculated per capita
representation. This was partly manual, so only did it for nations with 5+ runners. Also stopping
there left Australia in second place.

So for example Kenya has 141 different runners in the IAAF performances, a population of 31 million
and hence almost 5 top male marathonners for every million Kenyans.

The powerhouses of European male marathonning appear to be Poland and Italy.

Scanning quickly through the countries, the best per capita performance in Europe and the world
appears to be Andorra with a population of 70000 and a single runner, Antoni Bernado, in the list.

Andrew Taylor

Nation Runners Pop. Per Capita KEN 141 31 4.55 AUS 7 19 0.37 MAR 9 30 0.30 JPN 36 127 0.28 POL 9 39
0.23 ITA 13 58 0.22 ETH 13 63 0.21 ESP 8 40 0.20 TAN 6 35 0.17 FRA 8 60 0.13 KOR 6 47 0.13 RUS 19
145 0.13 RSA 5 43 0.12 UKR 5 50 0.10 MEX 8 99 0.08 USA 10 283 0.04

Andrew

Runners Bation 141 KEN 36 JPN 19 RUS 13 ITA 13 ETH 10 USA 9 POL 9 MAR 8 MEX 8 FRA 8 ESP 7 AUS 6 TAN
6 KOR 5 UKR 5 RSA 4 BRA 3 GER 3 CHN 3 BEL 2 PRK 2 POR 2 NED 2 ISR 2 COL 2 BLR 2 ALG 1 ZIM 1 VIN 1
SUI 1 SLO 1 RWA 1 NZL 1 NOR 1 NAM 1 GUA 1 GRE 1 GBR 1 FIN 1 EST 1 ECU 1 CUB 1 BRN 1 BDI 1 ANG 1 AND

[Anders Lustig]

topcounsel@aol.com (TopCounsel) wrote in message news:<20031211121819.16022.00000465@mb-m21.aol.com>...

> I could name perhaps 2 dozen top-flight British runners off the top of my head.

How do you define "top-flight" to get two dozen British runners there?:-)

> How many French? Not many.

That´s entirely down to your own parochialism - and possibly that of the U.K. media!

One of the advantages of living in a small country (which no longer believes or expects itself to be
a superpower in sports) is that we tend to get a wider and more objective coverage of international
sports events.

Hence I run a test of "hHow many top-flight British or French runners can a brown-eyed Finn name off
the top of his head?" with the following results:

British: Paula Radcliffe Kelly Holmes Dwain Chambers Darren Campbell ...that´s it.

French: Marc Raquil Christine Arron Muriel Hurtis Patricia Girard Mehdi Baala Benoit Zwierzchiewski
...that´s it.

Score: Britain 4, France 6.

How many "top-flight" runners do the two countries *have*, then? I think we can count in anyone who
ran in a final in the WCs, which add these runners:

British: Karl Keska Christiopher Rawlinson (f) Lee McConnell Hayley Tullett Jane Pavey

French: Leslie Djhone Chaki Fouad (f) Ismail Sphyr Bouabdullah Tahri (f) Fatima Hajjimi

(An (f) denotes a name familiar to a brown-haired Nordic.)

Score: Britain 9, France 11.

FWIW the medal score in Paris was:

Britain 0-1-2 France 0-3-0

And when we add the relays (which I forgot):

Britain 0-2-2 France 1-4-0

And as a bonus score, here are my Eurovision Song Contest points for the two national anthems:

Britain 5 France 10

Anders

[Tim Downie]

Anders Lustig wrote:

> And as a bonus score, here are my Eurovision Song Contest points for the two national anthems:
>
> Britain 5 France 10

You're being *way* too generous to Britain. ;-) Our anthem is a dreadful dirge.

Tim

--
Remove the obvious to reply by email.

[NotTactful]

>The French are a bunch of assholes.

Frogs can't run, they can only hop.

[N_a_j]

itchysanchez@yahoo.com (Itchy Sanchez) wrote in message news:<3d042144.0312110751.20197a2d@posting.google.com>...
> The French are a bunch of assholes.

PHUCK THE PHRENCH!!!

[Rob Knell]

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 11:19:24 -0500, "Surf McBrowse" <asdf@zxcv.net>
wrote:

>
>French Spectators Taunt the Runners in the Paris Marathon
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>----
>
>PARIS - Apparently, while they are enthusiastic supporters of professional sports such as their
>national soccer team, the French have a disdain for joggers and other amateur sports enthusiasts.
>
>According to The New York Times, spectators taunted runners during the running of the 26 mile (42
>kilometer) Paris Marathon this month.
>
>Whereas spectators in the New York City marathon shout encouragement to runners, especially to
>those who are flagging, spectators in Paris were reported as shouting out to runners taunts such as
>"You'd better run faster because they're opening the street up to cars soon" and "Only 500
>kilometers left."
>
>http://www.bongonews.com/layout4.php?event=105
>
>
>
When I ran the Paris marathon I heard nothing of this. Maybe it's bollocks.

Rob

[Tellit Likeitis]

"Surf McBrowse" <asdf@zxcv.net> wrote in message news:<eO0Cb.7218$aF2.888798@news20.bellglobal.com>...
> "Itchy Sanchez" <itchysanchez@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:3d042144.0312110751.20197a2d@posting.google.com...
> > The French are a bunch of assholes.
>
>
> Bill, oops, I mean Itchy, have you considered a trip to Paris to taunt the French?

Hey Surf, have you considered pulling your head out of your ass?

[Steve Common]

topcounsel@aol.com (TopCounsel) wrote:

>(and your ".Fr" ISP is duly noted),

<joking> And I've noted your AOL.COM </joking>

I have double nationality: English born and raised and French by choice of residence and lifestyle.

>but certainly you would agree that cycling is bigger in France than running or T/F?

What's T/F? Cycling is far behind dowwnhill skiing, soccer, rugby and tennis.

Cycling is far bigger media-wise than running, but it's nowhere nearly such a popular sport in terms
of participation - far more people compete in foot races than in cycling races.

Indeed cycle is a pretty much a minority sport nowadays. Interesting statistic here, from the city
of Clermont Ferrand http://www.ville-clermont-ferrand.fr/aimer/sport/licence.htm

Of 21 000 sports licence-holders in that town, only 140 were pure cyclists (357 if we lump them with
cyclo-touring), compared to :

Skiing 2 824 Football 2 131 Basketball 1 532 Rugby 1 333 Pétanque 1 497 (incl Boules) Tennis 1 002
Swimming 702 Ice sports 751 Athletics 867 *********************************** Karate 862 Gymnastics
758 Shooting 740 Judo 631 Montain/Climb 507 Hiking 459 Scuba 450 Automoble race 447 Badminton 268
Horse riding 250 Roller Skate 250 French Boxing 231 Table Tennis 225 Wrestling 217 Cyclo-tourism 217
*************** Aïkido 200 Volleyball 160 Handball 151 Boxing 147 Cycling 140 ***************
Fencing 139 Sailing 137 Yoseikan Budo 100 Bowling 100 Billiards 100 Motorcycle 90 Free flight 85
Archery 85 Sledging 69 Baseball 65 Squash 60 Triathlon 54 US Football 52 Weightlifting 48
Parachuting 40 Golf 35 Swim/Flippers 25 Speleology 22 Flying disk 20 Taekwondo 20 Snow Surf 15

> I know American Lance Armstrong takes a lot of heat "over there" for his 5 straight "Tour de
> France" wins. Non? Or is that just animosity for Americans?

He gets the same heat as locals who dominate, as far as I know (you should have seen what Virenque
received). Questions do get asked about any big successes in cycling, and so he's particularly "at
risk", because of the massive levels of doping which are an integral part of the sport.

[Steve Common]

"Tim Downie" <timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>You're being *way* too generous to Britain. ;-) Our anthem is a dreadful dirge.

"Land of Hope and Glory" is smashing! Oh, that's NOT the offical one is it? :-

[Miss Anne Throp]

Dissing the French is SO last year. Let's focus on the real enemy here...............golfers.

[Tellit Likeitis]

High_Colonic@webtv.net (Miss Anne Thrope) wrote in message news:<27278-3FDBE42E-186@storefull-3156.bay.webtv.net>...
> Dissing the French is SO last year. Let's focus on the real enemy here...............golfers.

The real enemy to this country is GWB, the head chimp.

[Steve Common]

topcounsel@aol.com (TopCounsel) wrote:

>>What's T/F?
>
>Track & Field.

OK. Thanks. Gets lumped together as "athletics" here.

>It is VERY expensive to race cycles as a pro. You need sponsors, probably a team, etc. To run, all
>you need is ability.

This just isn't true of pro runners (or amateur bikers). The same applies to both running and
biking. OK, the bike is a good deal more expensive than a pair of shoes. And to compete at
(inter)national level you need a lot more dope to be competitive...

But the sponsors & organisers are paying it all anyway (eg Greta Weitz ran her first marathon in NY
only because the organisers paid the expenses for her and hubby, cf interview in Pfitzinger's
marathon book)...

>The media attention paid to cycling in France is based on revenue generation, and is probably the
>best measure of public interest, don't you think? In terms of public participation, the running
>events can draw anyone; the cycling events, on the other hand, have equipment-related bars to
>participation.

I would tend to agree, especially if by "public interest" you mean "non-participative spectator
interest", but in that case, you have to put Formula 1 racing, horse racing and skiing along side
footy, rugby and tennis, all ahead of (or at least equal to) cycling.

Maybe here in the South West there is a disproportionate interest in Rugby, or maybe I work with the
wrong socio-proffessional categories, but conversations at work are practically never about cycling,
outside the Pyrenees stages of the Tour. However just get them started on Rugby, Soccer or Tennis...

[Edward]

"Tim Downie" <timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:<brc1la$1j0t7$1@ID-81538.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> Anders Lustig wrote:
>
> > And as a bonus score, here are my Eurovision Song Contest points for the two national anthems:
> >
> > Britain 5 France 10
>
> You're being *way* too generous to Britain. ;-) Our anthem is a dreadful dirge.

Beethoven liked it, and his value as a music critic is way higher than yours, I'm afraid.

Edward
--
The reading group's reading group: http://www.bookgroup.org.uk (http://www.bookgroup.org.uk/)

[Tim Downie]

Edward wrote:
> "Tim Downie" <timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message

>> You're being *way* too generous to Britain. ;-) Our anthem is a dreadful dirge.
>
> Beethoven liked it, and his value as a music critic is way higher than yours, I'm afraid.

I'm not quite sure what the opinion of a dead deaf German has to do with it.

In my opinion it sucks and I think you'll find few living music critics who will defend it.

Tim
--
Remove the obvious to reply by email.

[Edward]

"Tim Downie" <timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:<brpfv5$5dcev$1@ID-81538.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> Edward wrote:
> > "Tim Downie" <timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
>
> >> You're being *way* too generous to Britain. ;-) Our anthem is a dreadful dirge.
> >
> > Beethoven liked it, and his value as a music critic is way higher than yours, I'm afraid.
>
> I'm not quite sure what the opinion of a dead deaf German has to do with it.

He wouldn't need to "hear" it to know what it sounded like - he'd just have to read the music. And
he wasn't deaf all his life. Though he is, of course, very dead. Decomposing, in fact.

> In my opinion it sucks

To which, of course, you are entirely entitled.

> and I think you'll find few living music critics who will defend it.

Well, what do critics know? As Kenneth Tynan said, "A critic is a man who knows the way but can't
drive the car." Or Sibelius: "Pay no attention to what the critics say. A statue has never been
erected in honour of a critic."

We'll agree to differ, shall we?

Edward
--
The reading group's reading group: http://www.bookgroup.org.uk (http://www.bookgroup.org.uk/)