Minor things that annoy you-sports edition

[NWI_Irish96]

at the Olympics they are The United Kingdom.

No they're not.

WDYM by that?

The team is Team GB.

This guy gets it.

Great Britain is an island, not a country.  While all of the United Kingdom—minus a few exceptions of overseas territories with their own teams—is included in the Great Britain Olympic team, athletes from Northern Island (you know, the one constituent country that isn't on Great Britain) are allowed to compete for the Republic of Ireland instead if they so choose.

From 1707-1801, the country was known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
From 1801-1922, it was known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
From 1922-present, it is know as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

So in addition to being the name of the island, Great Britain has been in the country title since 1707.

[kphoger]

From 1707-1801, the country was known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
From 1801-1922, it was known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
From 1922-present, it is know as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

So in addition to being the name of the island, Great Britain has been in the country title since 1707.

Fully aware already.  Note that it's been "Great Britain and ____" since almost a century before the first modern Olympic games.  When the Republic of Ireland ceased to be part of the United Kingdom, the team name "Great Britain" became even more accurate.  Most athletes from Northern Ireland compete for the Republic of Ireland rather than for Team GB.

What's actually more interesting to me is that all pre-1920 Irish athletes actually competed under "Great Britain".  That must have been just a little bit demeaning.

[SSOWorld]

NASCAR say Hold Our Beers

Sounds about right.

they start on the yellow flag, then they parade through the pits, then go green.

F1 likes to lampshade this by focusing the camera on a Rolex clock - which hits the top at the hour at which time the formation lap starts????? The real start is 5 minutes late.

[1995hoo]

It's a Tag Heuer clock this year.

[kphoger]

NASCAR say Hold Our Beers

Sounds about right.

they start on the yellow flag, then they parade through the pits, then go green.
F1 likes to lampshade this by focusing the camera on a Rolex clock - which hits the top at the hour at which time the formation lap starts????? The real start is 5 minutes late.

Actually, it was just a joke about NASCAR fans and drinking beer.

[Max Rockatansky]

NASCAR say Hold Our Beers

Sounds about right.

they start on the yellow flag, then they parade through the pits, then go green.
F1 likes to lampshade this by focusing the camera on a Rolex clock - which hits the top at the hour at which time the formation lap starts????? The real start is 5 minutes late.

Actually, it was just a joke about NASCAR fans and drinking beer.

Here is one that is NASCAR related.  Race cars looked so much better in the past when the sponsors had simple design aesthetics.  Related to beer sponsors, they had some bangers:

-  The #25 Budweiser Hendrick car was a simple red design.
-  The black and gold Miller #2 Penske/Rusty Wallace was super clean.  It to gets frequently reused on the 2 car as a throwback paint scheme (like this weekend at North Wilkesboro).
-  The silver bullet Coors #40 driven by Sterling Marlin was basically just silver with some mountain hood graphics.
-  I really dug the design gold Miller High Life cars which Bobby Allison drove (both the 12 and 22 cars).

Past cars were also easy to identify and associate with a specific driver.  Modern paint schemes are super busy and change way too frequently.  The only thing consistent is the car number in NASCAR.  Most of the time I can't even identify the sponsors from a glance in F1 and Indy Car (aside Red Bull).

[formulanone]

NASCAR say Hold Our Beers

Sounds about right.

they start on the yellow flag, then they parade through the pits, then go green.

F1 likes to lampshade this by focusing the camera on a Rolex clock - which hits the top at the hour at which time the formation lap starts????? The real start is 5 minutes late.

Ugh, it's so campy nowadays. Although it was visibly delayed by 10 minutes in Japan this year because they had to repair the crash barriers after a real whopper during the Supercup race.

Formation or reconnaissance laps didn't come about until the 1970s. There used to be a waved national flag to start the race; the cars were just pushed out from the pits to their respective grid places, and started whenever they felt like it. Historically, Monaco was never on time.

Here is one that is NASCAR related.  Race cars looked so much better in the past when the sponsors had simple design aesthetics.

I agree; some designs look great for the still camera but are terrible in motion.