Is it just me? #3
Team GB
It's a phrase I've used myself. It seems the be the generally accepted way of denoting the "home" team in the 2012 Olympics. For example, when talking about the football team, (which includes a few Welshmen) commentators frequently have to correct themselves from "England" to "GB". But I'm starting to get a bee in my bonnet about it. For example, Mark Cavendish the cyclist who was expected to win gold but ended up 29th* is a Manxman. Last time I looked, the Isle of Man wasn't part of Great Britain. There are several competitors from Northern Ireland. Ulster isn't part of Great Britain either.
So why do we call it Team GB and why do we not hear the competitors from "unrecognised" parts of the Kingdom complaining about it? Even Team UK wouldn't cover it as the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands aren't part of the UK. It would be a bit better, though.
Sometimes I think our country (contries) are too complicated. These various islands should be either British, or not. And don't get me started on the national anthem nonsense. Welsh footballers refusing to sing God Save The Queen because it's not the anthem of Wales? Yes but you're NOT PLAYING FOR WALES NOW, ARE YOU? You're playing for "Team GB" and it is the anthem of GB so f***ing sing it, you miserable gits. I wouldn't mind if they didn't sing it because "I don't sing" or they wouldn't sing the Welsh anthem either; I don't think singing the anthem should be compulsory.
Many years ago, the National Anthem used to be played in cinemas and the like, at the end of the film, and people used to stand up for it. I'm told my grandfather (a staunch socialist) always refused, on the grounds that "She wouldn't stand for me, so why should I stand for her?" (Actually it might have been the previous King in those days but you get the gist.) But I digress...
Question: Am I the only one who thinks "Team GB" is an inappropriate misnomer?
* According to the commentators I heard, and I think Cavendish himself, this was because the other countries didn't play fair and didn't allow Team GB to execute their plan for the race. FFS! Why would they?
This entry was originally posted at http://mitzimaybe.dreamwidth.org/27278.html. I can rarely respond to comments on LJ, so if possible, please comment on the Dreamwidth article using OpenID instead; thanks.
It's a phrase I've used myself. It seems the be the generally accepted way of denoting the "home" team in the 2012 Olympics. For example, when talking about the football team, (which includes a few Welshmen) commentators frequently have to correct themselves from "England" to "GB". But I'm starting to get a bee in my bonnet about it. For example, Mark Cavendish the cyclist who was expected to win gold but ended up 29th* is a Manxman. Last time I looked, the Isle of Man wasn't part of Great Britain. There are several competitors from Northern Ireland. Ulster isn't part of Great Britain either.
So why do we call it Team GB and why do we not hear the competitors from "unrecognised" parts of the Kingdom complaining about it? Even Team UK wouldn't cover it as the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands aren't part of the UK. It would be a bit better, though.
Sometimes I think our country (contries) are too complicated. These various islands should be either British, or not. And don't get me started on the national anthem nonsense. Welsh footballers refusing to sing God Save The Queen because it's not the anthem of Wales? Yes but you're NOT PLAYING FOR WALES NOW, ARE YOU? You're playing for "Team GB" and it is the anthem of GB so f***ing sing it, you miserable gits. I wouldn't mind if they didn't sing it because "I don't sing" or they wouldn't sing the Welsh anthem either; I don't think singing the anthem should be compulsory.
Many years ago, the National Anthem used to be played in cinemas and the like, at the end of the film, and people used to stand up for it. I'm told my grandfather (a staunch socialist) always refused, on the grounds that "She wouldn't stand for me, so why should I stand for her?" (Actually it might have been the previous King in those days but you get the gist.) But I digress...
Question: Am I the only one who thinks "Team GB" is an inappropriate misnomer?
* According to the commentators I heard, and I think Cavendish himself, this was because the other countries didn't play fair and didn't allow Team GB to execute their plan for the race. FFS! Why would they?
This entry was originally posted at http://mitzimaybe.dreamwidth.org/27278.html. I can rarely respond to comments on LJ, so if possible, please comment on the Dreamwidth article using OpenID instead; thanks.