To wonder why the Oxford vs Cambridge boat race is televised?

[Nevertooearlyforcake]

As I understand it (so says DH) they don't compete against the other university crews so are they actually the best? James Cracknell says everyone thinks he went to Oxbridge due to the rowing but he actually was at Reading. If Keele vs Loughborough had a race every year would anyone give a shit?

If they'd been doing it for 157 years and it was part of the sporting calendar maybe they would.

If not then probably not.

I don't know. It's very boring.

This years had me on the edge of my seat

It's traditional.

It's been going for years. It's steeped in history.

And this year it was quite exciting.

And the rowers are fit. I watch the Cambridge team train as I cycle along the river and it is quite distracting I'll have you know.

Because enough people watch it and love it and the advertising revenue is worthwhile. It's a fantastic tradition and a sport that the UK is very good at - not sure what percentage of Oxbridge rowers make up the olympic team.

Might be biased as live by the river in Putney. None of us row though.

It's not about them being the 'best' - it's a tradition that's been going on since the 19th Century, and is one of the most important events on the rowing calender.

(But mostly, yes, the crews are made up of the 'best' - they specifically get scholarships for Oxford/Cambridge due to their talent).

Henley's good too even though it isn't televised. Just don't wear pink if you go OP

Because people want to watch it.

Tradition and all that.

If some other universities had a competition in some other sport that they'd been doing since 1829 that would be pretty likely to be on TV too.

Aren't you a few weeks late with this question?

YANBU to wonder, of course, but I don't think that's what you are really asking.

What am I asking then? DH mentioned that the other universities get pissed off as the Oxbridge teams don't formally compete against them so we started talking about whether they were in fact the best crews. I had always assumed they were the tried and tested best so I was surprised at what DH had said. I realised I'd assumes this because it's on the telly.

My DSIL was asked to row for the ladies crew when she was there but she couldn't be bothered with the level of training required and the need to give up the fags

You are asking "why is it...?" not "Am I Being Unreasonable to wonder why...?"

The Oxbridge teams may well be the best as it is pretty much self-fulfilling. They are perceived as the best, so the best rowers try to get in to Oxford or Cambridge.

But it is tradition anyway. The Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race is a competition between Oxford and Cambridge, not a competition between the best university teams in the UK. It is televised because a lot of people want to watch it. If people didn't want to watch it, it would eventually be dropped as a televised competition.

It's tradition and it makes good TV.

..and believe me, your DSIL was not "asked to row for the ladies crew" women's rowing is every bit as competitive (if less well funded) - at the very moat she might have been asked if she wanted to go to squad trials.

No, I was asking the latter - as I said. And you think yes, fair enough.

I had always just though of it first and foremost as a clash of the UKs best rowing talent then DH said they won't compete formally against the other uni teams which surprised me. If it's primarily about tradition then I'll accept it's just the sporting equivalent of the Lord Mayor's parade but with more defined pecs.

The DSIL was probably asked if she wanted to row for her College's women's team - not the same thing at all.

I went to school in Cambridgeshire.

My Primary school used to have a boat race party!

That's probably it squiggle, she wasn't boasting (definitely not the type). She has a picture somewhere of her in the ladies kit with the rest of the team but I don't know whether this actually meant she was a fully fledge member. I do think she was for a while but decided to give up because she didn't want to commit to the rigorous of the required training regime.

Librarian good point. That's probably it, my mistake.

Tradition. It's as much about ancient rivalries between the two Universities as it is about rowing.

The Oxbridge crews do compete against other boat clubs though. Few other Uni's are at the same level, or have the facilities. Serious rowers at them row for town clubs, whereas Oxford and Cambridge tend to compete against the best town clubs. But then most people at each Uni try rowing, if only as freshers. Also lots of overseas graduates are already good rowers, and choose specifically to go to Oxbridge for the rowing.

It's now an anachronism IMO.
I've no interest in rowing but if it has to be televised it should cover everybody, not just Oxbridge's elite.

LadyBeagle We're talking about the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race. It is a race between Oxford and Cambridge. Why the fuck would it cover anyone else? No other team is in it.

Like I said Librarian, it's more an anachronism in this day and age, rather than a tradition.

It's televised because it attracts a lot of viewers. If it didn't it would be dropped. There was massive coverage of international rowing today, I noticed - it is a sport which makes good TV.