h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've been keeping up with the BBC's Wimbledon highlights programme each night but I'm a few days behind (going to watch Friday's games - men's semi finals - tonight) so I'm trying to avoid all news of the results and it's driving me nutso! The news is bloody everywhere It's not enough these days to just turn off the radio (and TV if I had one) news, and not go to any news websites (the BBC news front page is one of the home tabs when I open my browser). I can't even look at Twitter in case someone says something. That's how I got wind of the results of the England v Australia ODIs, which I was also trying not to find out about before I listened to the TMS broadcast

well you wont want to look at new posts either Murry has more points
lol

I believe that's what they call a spoiler, which is exactly what I was trying to avoid by pointing out that I haven't yet watched the semis

A minor "England F" moment there, yes...

You won't get any spoiler from me. I have no interest in sprots in general, but especially tennis.

The only thing I really know about tennis is that no one can play it as well as a wall can.

The sporting aspect of Wimbledon is still important for me but becoming less so as the players become ever more self-important and the tournament starts to follow the other grand slams with the post-match on-court statements after the finals and suchlike. Wimbledon used to be above That Sort of Thing.

But it's just as much a cultural thing as far as I'm concerned and something I look forward to every year - Wimbledon Fortnight. I've been watching it since I was young enough to think that all tennis was played on grass. Since Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall and Pancho Gonzales were still playing. Since Dan Maskell was punctuating the play with an occasional "Oh I say!". Wimbledon says far more to me that I can put down in words and get across because it's a feeling. Because Wimbledon is unique. And because most of it would make no sense to anyone who isn't inside my head.

Although I've never been bitten by the Wimbledon bug, I have fond memories of my mum watching avidly when I was young. It always seemed something special. And it always seemed to rain!

Oh hell's bells, here we go again

The Tour de France is in its final week and ends on Sunday I think, but I'm about a week behind - last night I watched the time trial from Monday last week, which I think was stage nine. At that point it was looking good for Bradley Wiggins - two days in the yellow jersey and almost two minutes lead over Cadel Evans. And then, what must have been a few days later, maybe Wednesday or Thursday last week, my eye caught a headline that said British riders held places one and two in the race I'm guessing that's Bradley and Chris Froome

I haven't noticed any more headlines since then so I don't know if that's a good thing or bad for Bradley's hopes of winning the Tour.

Either way, with the race in its final stages (no pun intended), it's time for me to start avoiding the BBC news pages and streaming news again

And please... no spoilers this time! It's really not that difficult - all you have to do is not say anything about the results. No hints, no nothing. I still have a week's worth of stages to catch up on and I'd really like to find out the result in Paris when I watch it. Not too much to ask, is it? I'll happily talk about any other related aspects of this thread, including spoilers - sports, film, thrillers (the butler did it), any kind - but not the current standings, okay?

Good.

Again, you have no worries from me on that front. While I was quite into bike racing when I was young, I didn't follow the sprot. I did quite enjoy bicycling movies though. Breaking Away, Quicksilver, etc. Of course, now when someone mentions the tour, I think of "Les Triplettes de Belleville".

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4227531033/

I love watching cycle racing, but I don't follow it at all. I have no idea who's competing. I just enjoy the spectacle. (All the Italian chippies will always show the Tour de France on their TVs.)

TRiG.