HENman awarded OBE... Erm, why?

[Mr Popkins]

Inverted snobbery. He cannot help the fact he was born to rich parents.

What was he supposed to do?

Oh I have this talent but I will only use the council courts to practise. No matter how rich you are it doesn't give you an eye for the ball.

its not snobbery ,just a case of he got where he is partly due to money.

there were prob better tennis players out there when Tim started but due to funding they could not continue, i have a friend who was in that situation, played for sussex but gave up all ambition of being a professinal due to no money, or decent sponserrhip to play in tournements abroad.

I just think everyone shuld be on a level playing field when it comes to sport.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I do like tennis, i think Greg Rusedski deserves an award, he's made a major final, HENman hasn't.

Must remember that OBE does stand for Other Buggers Effort, which kind of sums Tim's career up.

 

[Mr Popkins]

O.B.E

Order of the british Empire

We havnt even got an empire any more!!!!!

and dont get me started on the royals!!!!

 

[Yorkie]

I just think everyone shuld be on a level playing field when it comes to sport.

They never will be.

How many football players are sons or nephews of past players. I am sure there are really talented youngsters in the country who can never get a coach or scout anywhere near them.

 

[Mr Popkins]

They never will be.

How many football players are sons or nephews of past players. I am sure there are really talented youngsters in the country who can never get a coach or scout anywhere near them.

thats utter rubbish

there are scouts for every club looking every week at parks football. i know someone at work whos granson has just been signed for BHA under 11,s after being scouted playing parks footy, he didnt even know he was being watched!.

 

[Brovion]

If you like tennis you've got to accept the Henman is the best British player for years - he just isn't good enough to win a Grand Slam tournament. I hate the way he's slagged off just because he can't win Wimbledon.

However ....... his background IS important, and it's no good trying to dismiss the argument by going on about 'inverted snobbery' what's that go to do with it?. If Henman had exactly the same amount of natural ability but came from Brixton, Toxteth, or even Brighton, no one would ever have heard of him. Until that changes I will continue not to care tuppence if he wins Wimbledon or goes out in the 1st round.

 

[Mr Popkins]

If you like tennis you've got to accept the Henman is the best British player for years - he just isn't good enough to win a Grand Slam tournament. I hate the way he's slagged off just because he can't win Wimbledon.

However ....... his background IS important, and it's no good trying to dismiss the argument by going on about 'inverted snobbery' what's that go to do with it?. If Henman had exactly the same amount of natural ability but came from Brixton, Toxteth, or even Brighton, no one would ever have heard of him. Until that changes I will continue not to care tuppence if he wins Wimbledon or goes out in the 1st round.

well said!

 

[Yorkie]

However ....... his background IS important, and it's no good trying to dismiss the argument by going on about 'inverted snobbery' what's that go to do with it?.

Mr Popkins said he is an upper class **** who wouldnt be where he is today without the funding of his rich parents.

Villifying him for his birth?

 

[Brovion]

Spot on Popkins, I too know several boys who've been signed for the Albion, and one sadly for Portsmouth. ALL of them were spotted when they didn't know they were being watched. This happens because clubs know they have to go out and get raw talent. British tennis has GOT to be more pro-active in nurturing talent, even if some of them don't know how to hold a knife and fork. Until then we'll just have to wait for the next rich, priviliged brat.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

I reckon handing out OBE's as a reward for failing to win anything is a disgrace. It doesn't matter if he's the best we've got or not.

He's only worth an MBE at best for what he's achieved.

If, after he retires, he carries on as an official in the game and rises within the ranks of the All-England Club etc then yes, he should be rewarded with a higher honour for continuing his ' services to tennis '.

At present he's only playing professionally because he can earn a living at it, not because he's up to world class standard. In my book that doesn't deserve any honour. The reward he gets is his prize money.

Mary Peters only got an MBE for an Olympic Gold Medal, as an amateur, c'mon, where's the justice in that ?

 

[Mr Popkins]

should we give Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards an O.B.E for being the best ski jumper we had?

its all bollox!!!

 

[pasty]

Must remember that OBE does stand for Other Buggers Effort

Beat me to it Uncle B.

 

[CHAPPERS]

It's not only tennis where this money issue arises.

Most rugby players and cricketers are from wealthy backgrounds yet nobody thinks of them as being where they are just because of money.

Henman deserves his OBE for his achievements in tennis as well as inspiring hundreds of kids to get out from in front of their playstations and get in the fresh air where they should be.

If you think that is wrong then fine, let em get fat.

 

[REDLAND]

I had a friend once that won every UK Mogul ski comp in this country he entered, yet he could never compete at olympic level coz he couldn't afford to and there wasn't sufficiant sponsership to allow him to. On the other hand the Bell family who were rolling in money were always representing Britian at that level.

 

[Mr Popkins]

It's not only tennis where this money issue arises.

Most rugby players and cricketers are from wealthy backgrounds yet nobody thinks of them as being where they are just because of money.

Henman deserves his OBE for his achievements in tennis as well as inspiring hundreds of kids to get out from in front of their playstations and get in the fresh air where they should be.

If you think that is wrong then fine, let em get fat.

but you dont need funding to play these sports.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

At this rate, SGE should be given a Knighthood ( honorary of course as he's only Swedish ) for getting that England squad to the Euro 2004 quarter finals.

Sorry, but OBE's should be awarded to World , Olympic or European title holders, or their just not worth receiving.

Henman hasn't achieved that level, and probably never will. He just isn't good enough.

 

[Yorkie]

but you dont need funding to play these sports.

You need to be rich to play golf.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Cricketers and rubgy players in this country mostly come from public schooling, FACT.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Henman is also ( mostly ) useless on any surface other than grass.

As a purely Grass Court tournamant, a good Wimbledon performance is not sufficient, of itself, to establish a tennis players ability. They should also be good on Clay, Hardcourt & Synthetic / Indoor surfaces.

Henman is no Borg, Connors, McEnroe or Lendl.

 

[Northstander]

Not being a fan of tennis, hasnt he won other tournaments, bearing in mind that Wimbledon is just one "Open" or "Tournament" of which he competes. I am saure he has won a few other competitions but the UK only takes notice when "Wimbledon!" starts!

It'll be his year next year!"