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The Boat Race

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Hedgeman49

Obviously were, judging by the ocean that opened up between the two boats!

Its much easier to open up a lead in the last 1/4 of a race once you've broken the other crew than to attempt to close it again.

Reply 81

Prudy

Chloe-Marie

Boo to Oxford (okay I'm biased as I live in Cambridge :p:

)

I thought Cambridge did well, considering they caught up well from the problems at the start.
Saying that, Oxford were the better team, and much stronger.. but weren't most of them olympians (or something) compared to the Cambridge team? :confused:

IIRC Oxford had 5 olympians to Cambridges 3. But ultimately that wouldn't have made too much of a difference. As that ethnographer said in tht painful Cambridge rowing video, it's your best 8 that win, not your 8 best. Although there are olympians on the teams the boat needs to work together in order to get the power down, you can't (at that level certainly) have a few guys pushing the rest along!

As the light blue cox said, the fumble at the beginning can't really be used as the excuse as there was the rest of the race as well. From my own personal view though, it's just good to see what top class rowing looks like. Something to aspire to...

Reply 82

monkeyduster

Olympians do make a difference. Out in Spain on the training camp Tom James was in one of the 'even' eights, he made such an impact with that crew winning easily over 2k. An olympian means good technique, great power and a real sense of leadership in the crew.

Reply 83

Arrogant Git

Prudy

No, Cambridge didn't have any Olympians. Nice to see Dowbiggen snubbing Olympic rowing and quitting coxing though - nice touch, I thought.

Sadly, Oxford were a better crew. They were always going to win. Credit to Cambridge for putting up such a good fight against a more experienced crew.

At the risk of sounding more than a little bitter though (I am bitter.), half the Oxford boat were rejected from Cambridge (for academic reasons) so *makes raspberry noise*. Also, Colin Smith is still a grade A ******. And Oxford's still a ********.

Reply 84

Prudy

Arrogant Git

Oh, of course. My mistake :o:

Some of them were national athletes though?

Yeah, Oxford were better, although I would have loved Cambridge to win if only to see the face of that American chap who wanted to kill/crush/destroy/murder the entirety of Cambridge and anything else beginning with the letter C. :s

Reply 85

monkeyduster

The thing about the Oxford crew being Cam-rejects was truer last year than this I think

Reply 86

Arrogant Git

Prudy

Oh, of course. My mistake :o:

No. At least, not beyond Under 23 or Dev Squad level. I think we'll be seeing a lot more from the likes of Ransley, Marsland, Nash and Stafford. They're all future Olympians.

Hopefully, we have a boat of future stars whereas Oxford's MSc Water Management people will **** off back to Holland, Poland, Croatia, America, Canada and Zimbabwe and they'll be left with an inexperienced crew for next year.

I'm aware that I sound bitter. I must reiterate that I am.

Reply 87

Prudy

Arrogant Git

I was thinking of Weitemeyer. I remember something about him being part of the Canadian national...?

Quite. I kept having a little chuckle with the wide ranging accents in the boats.

I'm also still quite shocked how many people are interested in the race. Tradition does strange things methinks...

Reply 88

abstraction98

I'm not sure I approve of shipping the Olympians in..

Reply 89

Inter-Company

Arrogant Git

At the risk of sounding more than a little bitter though (I am bitter.), half the Oxford boat were rejected from Cambridge (for academic reasons) so *makes raspberry noise*. Also, Colin Smith is still a grade A ******. And Oxford's still a ********.

Well you lost, so /discussion. Cambridge is still a ******** (whatever this starred word means).

To the OP - the blades clashing was hardly a reason Cambridge lost; Oxford just had a better crew, ability and strength. Also, Dowbiggin called the end slightly early, but as above, Cambridge really didn't have a chance today at all (particularly with the near-perfect conditions).

edit: oh and in terms of half being rejected from Cambridge (although I've yet to see any facts to this), Cambridge have also 'bought' athletes in the past; this practice between Oxbridge is no hidden mystery, both engage in it, so your comment is basically pot calling kettle black.

Reply 90

Arrogant Git

Prudy

I was thinking of Weitemeyer. I remember something about him being part of the Canadian national...?

My mistake. He's a world Championship silver medalist.

I'm also still quite shocked how many people are interested in the race. Tradition does strange things methinks...

The reason that the Boat Race is such an important event isn't just that it's a traditional fixture. It's that it is one of the only elite amateur events; it's a throwback to the days before professionalism; when the only people with the time and inclination to play sports were students. I think it's that that attracts people to the event.

I think part of the other reason that people watch is because it is winner-takes-all. There are very few other events where you train all season for something like this. In Olympic Rowing, you miss out by a foot and you'll get the cushion of a silver medal. In the Boat Race you lose by a foot and you've missed out on everything you've been training for. The rivalry that results is real and quite intense. Sure, we're all nice and middle class about it, but there is a genuine tension. People love a great sporting rivalry, even if they are neutral. And, it's pretty unique that a team's success or failure is based entirely on the results of the derby match.

Reply 91

Prudy

Arrogant Git

My mistake. He's a world Championship silver medalist.

The reason that the Boat Race is such an important event isn't just that it's a traditional fixture. It's that it is one of the only elite amateur events; it's a throwback to the days before professionalism; when the only people with the time and inclination to play sports were students. I think it's that that attracts people to the event.

I think part of the other reason that people watch is because it is winner-takes-all. There are very few other events where you train all season for something like this. In Olympic Rowing, you miss out by a foot and you'll get the cushion of a silver medal. In the Boat Race you lose by a foot and you've missed out on everything you've been training for. The rivalry that results is real and quite intense. Sure, we're all nice and middle class about it, but there is a genuine tension. People love a great sporting rivalry, even if they are neutral. And, it's pretty unique that a team's success or failure is based entirely on the results of the derby match.

That's a good point, the intensity of the race is quite palpable. The training video they showed for the Oxford lot wrt the visualisation was quite revealing. It's a shame I didn't go up for it, would have loved to have 'got into the mood' as it were.

Still, I wonder about people like my mother watching it. She isn't terribly au fait with the intensity of the rivalry or indeed the stakes and what it means (she was shocked when I told her the primary for CUBC was to beat Oxford at the boat race and everything else is secondary) yet still watches, perhaps the competition just exudes that sense of do or die.

Reply 92

Arrogant Git

Inter-Company

Well you lost, so /discussion. Cambridge is still a ******** (whatever this starred word means).

It was two words. The last one was hole. The first one began with 's'. And Oxford is one of those. Cambridge, for example, has never had race riots.

Cambridge have also bought athletes in the past; this practice between Oxbridge is no hidden mystery, both engage in it.

I doubt that that is true. If you're referring to Thorstein Englemann (I suspect you are), he is unfairly maligned, in my opinion. The guy was in his second year of an Economics degree and was told by his coach that he would not be considered for the German Olympic squad unless he dropped out of Cambridge. Since he'd finished fourth in the Olympics in 2004, you can understand how important it would be to him.

I very much doubt any buying of rowers goes on. For one thing, Cambridge admissions are handled by academics rather than admin staff who, quite a lot of the time, actually don't want their students to row. What does happen is people choosing less competitive courses; Land Economy, Fine Art, Masters in Water Management etc.

Reply 93

monkeyduster

Arrogant Git

I agree about Thorstein but I think you have to accept that both sides take on elite rowers who would perhaps not otherwise get into the university, taking a look down the crew lists each year will tell you that. And the 'academic decisions' are very much blurred at places like Eddies and Hughes...

Reply 94

Inter-Company

Arrogant Git

It was two words. The last one was hole. The first one began with 's'. And Oxford is one of those. Cambridge, for example, has never had race riots.

So to are Cambridge; I don't see any reason why race riots have anything to do with it. Frankly, it just comes as bitterness from your side, but thats no hair of my back so to speak.

I very much doubt any buying of rowers goes on. For one thing, Cambridge admissions are handled by academics rather than admin staff who, quite a lot of the time, actually don't want their students to row. What does happen is people choosing less competitive courses; Land Economy, Fine Art, Masters in Water Management etc.

Yes, by bought (and hence the italics and '' around the word) I meant your latter point; both universities engage in it.

Reply 95

Mayfly

Arrogant Git

It was two words. The last one was hole. The first one began with 's'. And Oxford is one of those. Cambridge, for example, has never had race riots.

Whilst I doubt Cambridge is large enough to have any sort of riot, neither has Oxford that I'm aware of*. Unless we're talking Union Protests, which aren't really riots indicative of wider social issues, other than a problem with Luke Tyryl's choice of speaker.

And I doubt either university buys in rowers. Come on, they apply for free -nay, PAY to come here - why would anyone bother buying them in... :p:

*do correct me if I'm wrong, obviously

Reply 96

Arrogant Git

Inter-Company

So to are Cambridge; I don't see any reason why race riots have anything to do with it. Frankly, it just comes as bitterness from your side, but thats no hair of my back so to speak.

I am bitter. Hence why I wrote

Arrogant Git

At the risk of sounding more than a little bitter (I am bitter.), half the Oxford boat were rejected from Cambridge (for academic reasons) so *makes raspberry noise*. Also, Colin Smith is still a grade A ******. And Oxford's still a ********.

although I'd probably feel the same about Colin Smith even if we'd won.

Reply 97

supernova2

Oxford deserved it. Cambridge looked good at the start but it became more and more apparent that they spent a lot more energy in the first half of the race. I'm not sure why they didn't take Middlesex :/ Oxford just held on until Cambridge broke and rowed through.

Pretty easy race to call. Which was why it was worth nothing at the bookies :frown:

Reply 98

supernova2

As for people whining about getting rejected from different uni's etc. If Bridgewater/Smith wanted to be in the Cambridge squad then they'd be in, theres no question of a doubt.