Team GB Options

[JeffG]

Are there no athletes from Northern Ireland? If they are what "team" do they belong to? Because as any fule no, NI is not part of GB.

And why the silly name? What's wrong with "the British team", or better, "the UK team"?

[Penelope]

Are there no athletes from Northern Ireland? If they are what "team" do they belong to? Because as any fule no, NI is not part of GB.

And why the silly name? What's wrong with "the British team", or better, "the UK team"?

Doesn't rhyme, doesn't scan old chap.

[Andy Capp]

Are there no athletes from Northern Ireland? If they are what "team" do they belong to? Because as any fule no, NI is not part of GB.

And why the silly name? What's wrong with "the British team", or better, "the UK team"?

Team GB is the short form of Team GB and Northern Ireland. I would imagine that Team GB is sexier from a marketing and branding point of view.

[JeffG]

Doesn't rhyme

With what, pray?

[Penelope]

With what, pray?

Doesn't trip off Lord Coe's tongue so readily.

[Biker1]

Are there no athletes from Northern Ireland? If they are what "team" do they belong to? Because as any fule no, NI is not part of GB.

And why the silly name? What's wrong with "the British team", or better, "the UK team"?

It goes with the modern trend of adopting European language i.e putting the noun first such as Hotel XXX rather than XXX Hotel.
Correct UK english is "The GB Team" I would have thought.
But, as AC has stated, it sounds better off the tongue I suppose.
All part of the evolution of language I guess.
Here is another annoyance from one of my favourite websites

[JeffG]

Doesn't trip off Lord Coe's tongue so readily.

Yes but you specifically mentioned rhyming. So I asked what does it rhyme with?

[Simon Kirby]

It seems the team representing the UK at the Olympics has always called itself "Great Britain" rather than the UK, even when it was the United Kindom of Great Britain and Ireland. This from Wikipedia:

Great Britain – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has historically maintained separate athletic organisations for each of its constituent countries. The major exception to this has been the Olympic Games, in which the country is considered as a single entity. However, it has conventionally used the name "Great Britain" at the Olympics rather than the more common shortening of the name to "the United Kingdom

[Strafin]

Just watched the football starting, there was probably only three in total singing the anthem. Disgraceful, and we picked Giggs instead of Beckham?

[Biker1]

Just a thought here....................
Everyone has digital now so why can't the BBC present it's blanket coverage of the Olympics on BBC3 or 4 and keep normal programming on BBC1?
That would keep both Olympic watchers and those who'd rather not happy.
Surely no-one would miss the dross that is pumped out on BBC3? (Apart from Family Guy of course!)

[HJD]

Just a thought here....................
Everyone has digital now so why can't the BBC present it's blanket coverage of the Olympics on BBC3 or 4 and keep normal programming on BBC1?
That would keep both Olympic watchers and those who'd rather not happy.
Surely no-one would miss the dross that is pumped out on BBC3? (Apart from Family Guy of course!)

This is just for your benefit Biker1 to cheer you up. Eurosport ( if you subscribe ) are presenting all the coverage from the recent IOM Southern 100 races at the beginning of August & also the forthcoming Manx GP.

[Andy Capp]

This is just for your benefit Biker1 to cheer you up. Eurosport ( if you subscribe ) are presenting all the coverage from the recent IOM Southern 100 races at the beginning of August & also the forthcoming Manx GP.

I look forward to that.

[JeffG]

Surely no-one would miss the dross that is pumped out on BBC3? (Apart from Family Guy of course!)

Your wish is granted. BBC3 is an Olympic channel and was earlier showing the cycling. Seeing as it's on during the day while the Olympics are on, either CBeebies or CBBC (can't remember which one shares that channel) must be off the air, but I don't watch those either (Well, I confess to watching Shaun the Sheep on occasions).

If you have Freesat, Sky, or Virgin Media, you have 24 extra Olympic channels to watch (in HD), if you're a glutton for punishment!

[Biker1]

Your wish is granted. BBC3 is an Olympic channel and was earlier showing the cycling.

Yes I saw that - spoke too soon didn't I?
Mind you blanket coverage on BBC1 also.
Oh well, have to live with it for a few weeks.
Is it going to be blanket coverage of the paralympics as well?
Hope the weather stays good and I can get out on the bike!

[Biker1]

This is just for your benefit Biker1 to cheer you up. Eurosport ( if you subscribe ) are presenting all the coverage from the recent IOM Southern 100 races at the beginning of August & also the forthcoming Manx GP.

Don't subscribe.
But you are convincing me!