McIlroy Declares for Britain?

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Rory McIlroy has declared "I’ve always felt more British than Irish", "Maybe it is the way I was brought up, I don’t know, but I have always felt more of a connection with the UK than with Ireland". This seems like a pretty strong indication to me that McIlroy will represent Team GB at the Olympics in 4 years. I think its a smart move to declare his allegiance early and in good time rather than letting the media make a storm in a tea cup about the whole issue in 4 years time close to the games.

super_realist wrote:Not unique. Looks like lots of places.
It's more the people and attitude I don't want to be like or part of.

Its a fair point, they are after all just a bunch of semi retarded, uncouth, deep fried mars bear munching, overweight, shirt wearing tight wads. And they talk funny.......

Diggers wrote:

super_realist wrote:Not unique. Looks like lots of places.
It's more the people and attitude I don't want to be like or part of.

Its a fair point, they are after all just a bunch of semi retarded, uncouth, deep fried mars bear munching, overweight, shirt wearing tight wads. And they talk funny.......

The english love their sterotypes. I think it makes them feel better about themselves or something.

[quote="Diggers] Its a fair point, they are after all just a bunch of semi retarded, uncouth, deep fried mars bear munching, overweight, shirt wearing tight wads. And they talk funny....... [/quote]

LOL

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

Diggers wrote:

super_realist wrote:Not unique. Looks like lots of places.
It's more the people and attitude I don't want to be like or part of.

Its a fair point, they are after all just a bunch of semi retarded, uncouth, deep fried mars bear munching, overweight, shirt wearing tight wads. And they talk funny.......

The english love their sterotypes. I think it makes them feel better about themselves or something.

Nah, we just like a bit of banter and dont understand why the other little countries we look after get so offended about their quaint little customs.

THing is Diggers, If I wrote that about the Irish (and I have been known to write a few derogatory things about them), someone (obviously a right sad git) would complain it was "offensive" and I'd get a warning via a PM, the difference is I can laugh about something like that, but people take their own nationality and associated stereotypes so seriously and without humour.

It's rather pathetic. You'd have thought I'd just shagged their mother or handed them a dead baby.

super_realist wrote:THing is Diggers, If I wrote that about the Irish (and I have been known to write a few derogatory things about them), someone (obviously a right sad git) would complain it was "offensive" and I'd get a warning via a PM, the difference is I can laugh about something like that, but people take their own nationality and associated stereotypes so seriously and without humour.

It's rather pathetic. You'd have thought I'd just shagged their mother or handed them a dead baby.

You might find this strange but not everyone has the same sense of humour as you. Shocking, i know.

Perhaps its your delivery Super. Or you need to vary your attacks to balance things out, I personally think you are letting the Welsh off lightly and should be having a go at them a lot more.

Leinster, more incredulous that people find ribbing their nationality offensive.

Why so sensitive?

It's a difficult task to talk about Americans, Irish, Scots..whatever.... joke about 'them', throw traditional jokes at 'them' etc...and then say..."Me? I'm nothing - I have no allegiances, I think everything means nothing. I have no notions of pride or anything else that involves the outmoded idea of 'emotion'. I just exist in a vacuum"

Some vacuum...a lot of growling snappiness and dislikes of 'others' is getting in there amongst all the nothingness.

super_realist wrote:Not unique. Looks like lots of places.
It's more the people and attitude I don't want to be like or part of.

I think the north of Scotland has a fairly unique and beautiful landscape. The west of Ireland (Connemara) has a similar landscape, but nothing like the scale of Scotland. I've been to some big mountain ranges (the Himalaya & Alps among them), and there is a sameness about them - which you don't get in Scotland - its the light, clouds being near to an ocean that makes the unique to other mountain ranges.

The people can be a bit prickly alright - I've had my worst ever travelling experience by a hospitality supplier (hostel!) on the Island of Skye and I've stayed in some dives!

Secret, its mostly nationality I feel indifferent about. I've no inkling why people care so much about something so insignificant, something they can't change or why they get hot under the collar should someone dare to criticise (insert silly country here).

There is plenty in this world to care about and be passionate about. Who McIlroy chooses to represent in an event that shouldn't be part of the Olympics is certainly not one of them.

super_realist - its only insignificant to you because it means nothing to you.

Its part of an Irish persons's cultural heritage to have a great sense of pride in the place we come from. This is drilled into us from a young age to be proud of who you are - i.e., the priority in life is - family - townsland/parish, village, county, province, country. Pretty much all our sporting teams work like that (and hence why the Irish provincial rugby teams have great support). And why the professional rugby players who could make a lot more money in France for instance, want to stay in Ireland and play for the Province/club they grew up in.

super_realist wrote:THing is Diggers, If I wrote that about the Irish (and I have been known to write a few derogatory things about them), someone (obviously a right sad git) would complain it was "offensive" and I'd get a warning via a PM, the difference is I can laugh about something like that, but people take their own nationality and associated stereotypes so seriously and without humour.

It's rather pathetic. You'd have thought I'd just shagged their mother or handed them a dead baby.

Its so boring how every conversation on the golf boards becomes dominated by so called "banter"/Bernard Manning humour etc. call it what you want. Where are the moderators? Real pity cause there actually is a lot to discuss in this topic.

To be fair, a discussion about McIlroy choosing GB over Ireland or indeed vice-versa is only going to go one way on a messageboard.

I don't think it's just this messageboard, I would imagine it would be the same anywhere there were enough Brits, Irish and probably Americans to discuss it.

Super

As a man who works in the oil and gas industry I would expect you to know that the north of Scotland is very unique in a geological sense!




I am also Scottish and feel no real pride in that fact(or indeed from a UK angle), I just can't get my head around being nationalistic. So what you were randomly born somewhere, what does that even mean to anyone?

I take some pride in things like our welfare state and the NHS, but given the amount of people in the UK that would get rid of them given the chance this does not translate into a nationalistic pride.

Too true dj,
My children both have dual citizenship and they're mulling their 2016 options as I write.

McLaren wrote:Super

As a man who works in the oil and gas industry I would expect you to know that the north of Scotland is very unique in a geological sense!




I am also Scottish and feel no real pride in that fact(or indeed from a UK angle), I just can't get my head around being nationalistic. So what you were randomly born somewhere, what does that even mean to anyone?

I take some pride in things like our welfare state and the NHS, but given the amount of people in the UK that would get rid of them given the chance this does not translate into a nationalistic pride.

I'm not leading you but is the lack of any real pride in being Scottish something to do with you not feeling Scottish? I mean is the truth that you feel more ...British?

McLaren wrote:Super

As a man who works in the oil and gas industry I would expect you to know that the north of Scotland is very unique in a geological sense!




I am also Scottish and feel no real pride in that fact(or indeed from a UK angle), I just can't get my head around being nationalistic. So what you were randomly born somewhere, what does that even mean to anyone?

I take some pride in things like our welfare state and the NHS, but given the amount of people in the UK that would get rid of them given the chance this does not translate into a nationalistic pride.

Substitute English for Scottish and this pretty much sums me up too.

Mac, look up a dictionary. There are no degrees of uniqueness. It either is or it isnt. Just as something is on or it is off or you are pregnant or you are not.

The geology of scotland is not unique and can be found in many places across north west europe.

That shows a very unique level of pedantry.

super_realist wrote:Mac, look up a dictionary. There are no degrees of uniqueness. It either is or it isnt. Just as something is on or it is off or you are pregnant or you are not.

The geology of scotland is not unique and can be found in many places across north west europe.

You're spot on about the geology, super. Topographically though, yep... them Scottish lakes and mountains are unique.

Ever been to the hardangavidda in Norway. Lakes and mountains look exactly like Scotland. The only way you can tell is what side of the road you are driving on.

But topographically they be different - unique onto themselves - topography is like fingerprints, we all have them but only the bad guys go to jail for theirs

I'm really glad 606 has a geography forum now. I think it was exactly what it was missing. Coast is about to start now on the BBC so must dash.

SecretFly wrote:But topographically they be different - unique onto themselves - topography is like fingerprints, we all have them but only the bad guys go to jail for theirs

Only if they are silly enough to leave them at the scene of the crime

super_realist wrote:Ever been to the hardangavidda in Norway. Lakes and mountains look exactly like Scotland. The only way you can tell is what side of the road you are driving on.

And the language sounds equally silly.

You see how useful this room is? Not only the geography and the architecture but also being told a show is on that you didn't know was on...but now I too will go turn it on.

Useful for misinformation that is! I don't see no Coast

Super


Read this

Mac, I work daily in exploration and deal with geological data of Scotland and Norway on a daily basis. You'll need to try harder than another limp Google search to prove your point. We're getting off the point a bit aren't we? This isn't really relevant to Nationalism and who you could compete for.

I wasn't trying to prove a point, I just thought you might find it interesting.

Mac, its just a laymans geological page. Nothing that I haven't seen before or didn't learn about in the first year of university. You can't teach me anything about a subject you know nothing about, I don't try and tell you how to do your job (if you'll ever reveal what you do) do I?

Bloody hell I didn't realise you thought your were an expert on it. And I am a layman so the layman page will do me just fine.

And further, what lame ass university did you go to where that sort of material counts as degree standard?

Mac, its basic geology. I didn't say it was all I learnt but its the sort of basic stuff that you learn as introductory stuff on the subject.

You really are a t1t sometimes. All you ever do is read Wikipedia pages and the back cover of books and present it as your own evidence. You don't really know anything about anything but try and pretend you do. Stop being a Wum and get back to your lowly civil service job as an accounts assistant or whatever you do.

SecretFly wrote:Useful for misinformation that is! I don't see no Coast

It wasn't really on, I lied.

Good grief. I thought the Irish were over sensitive until I saw what was on the news about US embassy's around the Arab world. They really are professional at getting offended. Idiots.

Can someone explain why atheists are expected to respect people's religious beliefs when religious people are happy to murder countrymen of film makers who they perceive to have been critical of those beliefs in favor of equally groundless, vaguely different ones?

Super, remember to check your car ignition tomorrow morning...

PS. Talking about extremism: If you took some well known US golfers daily vocabulary and replaced the word "Lord" with the word "Allah", they wouldn't be allowed into any tournament - let alone on any airplane (except the one heading directly to Gizmo)...

Islam needs an enlightenment but it would appear to be a long way from getting one. They tolerate no discussion of their religion and they're so ridiculous they seem to feel that their God can't look after himself when an idiot on YouTube might have offended their 'Prophet'. Pathetic - talk about insecure. Organised Islam is a disgrace, pretty much like all official, organised religions.

SmithersJones wrote:Can someone explain why atheists are expected to respect people's religious beliefs when religious people are happy to murder countrymen of film makers who they perceive to have been critical of those beliefs in favor of equally groundless, vaguely different ones?

For one, religious belief isn't "groundless"..it's not a science, it's...belief. Therefore, 'groundless' is an irrelevent term.

Now maybe you could tell me why I should respect Democracy, if Democrat I am? Why I should respect Capitalism, if I love the trapping of it? Why I should respect socialism, if socialist I am? Why I should respect my neighbour who throws his garden clipping over his hedge into my garden? Why I should respect the scientists who experimented on concentration camp captives during WW2? Why should I respect atheists when Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot were of that persuasion?

There are many things and many 'isms' and 'ists' that cause violence, death and war. A dead person doesn't particularly care why he was killed.... he's just dead. Maybe we should all respect simply to survive as a lack of it causes the problems you allude to.

Let's not respect an 'ist' or an 'ism'..just respect period.

Am I the only one that did not understand a word of secretfly's last post?

As Ali G would say: say no to racialism! Wezpect!

McLaren wrote:Am I the only one that did not understand a word of secretfly's last post?

A few times 'ill do it, McLaren. I like to make people work at it Oh don't bother yourself ...those who do will, those who don't won't - understand it, that is

I would have thought 'groundless' is pretty pertinent. Maybe a bit more education and learning to think for oneself would be time better spent than listening to preachers, of all ilks, talking cr@p and stirring up prejudices.

navyblueshorts wrote:I would have thought 'groundless' is pretty pertinent. Maybe a bit more education and learning to think for oneself would be time better spent than listening to preachers, of all ilks, talking cr@p and stirring up prejudices.

'Groundless' is a scientific term..meaning lack of evidence/lack of a basis in fact, navy. Religious belief doesn't require evidence...it's belief. A child believes in ghosts - ghosts are groundless in scientific terms...the child still believes in ghosts.

Yeah but the child does not go on to let ghosts shape their behaviour and decisions for the rest of their lives.

McLaren wrote:Yeah but the child does not go on to let ghosts shape their behaviour and decisions for the rest of their lives.

You think? Aren't those the people you're complaining about?

But to get back to the atheist point then. So all atheists are good folks with great ideas? And if not, then we should lose respect for all atheists?

Atheists have killed and some of them for the very reason of trying to suppress religious thought amongst other things. So all atheists are bad and shouldn't have respect because some of them were nuts?

SecretFly wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:I would have thought 'groundless' is pretty pertinent. Maybe a bit more education and learning to think for oneself would be time better spent than listening to preachers, of all ilks, talking cr@p and stirring up prejudices.

'Groundless' is a scientific term..meaning lack of evidence/lack of a basis in fact, navy. Religious belief doesn't require evidence...it's belief. A child believes in ghosts - ghosts are groundless in scientific terms...the child still believes in ghosts.

Believing you are an onion doesn't require any evidence either but it will still get the men in white coats round.

Religion is the acceptable face of insanity.
Look at this crackpot golfer thanking god for their victory. Truly mad, if they said they'd like to thank the devil or bogeyman for their victory they'd be rightly branded nuts, but because its 'god' its ok.

Which boat did all these johnny come lately Irish folk who have suddenly appeared on the golf pages sail up the liffy on anyway.

Don't think any of the NI boys need to lower themselves in playing in the Olympics.

1. Golf in the Olympics? That's a joke. No-one is really taking it seriously, are they?
2. There are enough English golfers who need to win something to fill the GB team.
3. There are enough good Eire golfers to win anyway.

I don't think Ireland or GB will put in a team. Neither normally enter the Football. London was an exception for the GB (ahem.. Wales & England) football team. Stuart Pearse should know that you can't win much with just talent, need some backbone!

im pretty sure they will both have entries to the golf