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ravenmorpheus

Listed below are comments made by ravenmorpheus between Wednesday, 16th September 2009 and Tuesday, 22nd September 2009.

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The ramifications of the Singapore race fixing verdict 06:13am on 22 Sep 2009 "# 152. At 05:51am on 22 Sep 2009, you wrote:

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules."

Why am I not surprised. Seems we in the UK live in China.
Hope out of Africa 06:12am on 22 Sep 2009 "We saw what appeared to be a steely determination on the part of President Paul Kagame's administration to use technology to transform an agrarian economy into one based on the knowledge industries - in other words to move from the 18th century to the 21st century in a couple of decades."

Call me cynical but isn't that so the workers can be exploited in the ICT industry, you know, call centres and all that...

"8. At 00:20am on 22 Sep 2009, Gurubear wrote:

This is not about keeping Rwanda stuck as a third world country, it is about making sure than in their headlong rush to distance themselves from a terrible part in their history, they do not lose some of their own precious culture. Just because we dispose of our culture so easily, it does not mean that in selling them the technology that may (or may not) help their development, we make their society as equally shallow and throw-away."

I completely agree with your point here, we in the UK tend to act like Americans now, and the popularity of the internet has made that worse and as such we have lost a lot of what made us English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish etc.

One would not wish the Africans to travel the same path, but in subscribing to the "the internet is essential" idea I fear they have already started to.
Live from Mombasa 6:06pm on 17 Sep 2009 Rory you seem to be making this out to be some big deal, that you got your report broadcast to us in the UK from Mombasa.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the same could be done from most of Europe and the US in the same way, could it not?

You have stated that you use Wi-Fi when in hotels. Wi-Fi is never going to be as fast or reliable as an ethernet connection, not for a while anyway, so the two cannot be compared. Ask for an ethernet connection next time you're in a hotel trying to send video "back to base" and see the huge difference it makes.

And just how many of Africas residents will be able to request an ethernet connection right at the exchange? Correct me if I'm wrong but this "new" service in Africa isn't fibre optic is it? So the usual degradation of signal the further you get from the exchange will be an issue for the majority of people.

Of course you had preferential treatment because you're from a news agency in a "wealthy" country and Seacom want to show you how good their service is.
Briatore bows out in unsavoury style 00:58am on 17 Sep 2009 150. At 00:11am on 17 Sep 2009, JayPee28bpr wrote:

Incidentally, what is the BBC justification for spending licence money on this farce? F1 has ceased to have any sporting relevance. It's a bit like athletics. In F1, the contest is all about who can break the technical rules and has the best lawyers to defend them when they get caught. In athletics it's all about who has the best pharmacologists to provide performance enhancing drugs and then masking agents to hide them. There are far more virtuous activities to spend the licence money on. BBC (and other broadcasters) should drop F1. Nobody will miss it.

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I do believe you are wrong there. The viewing figures would suggest that many people would miss it.

Not everyone has a satellite or other cable subscription and not everyone wishes to have one just to watch one event.

For me the only thing I watch on the BBC, aside from the odd news bulletin is F1, so I think that I'm getting my monies worth from the BBC, and I cannot afford a satellite subscription on the wages that I earn so if the BBC didn't have coverage I'd be missing out. It's bad enough that there is precious little motorsports as it is on British TV.

Besides it's the only "man TV" on terrestrial "free to view" TV.

And it's far better than the alternative - more and more cheap "reality talent" shows like "Strictly solve a problem like joesph and maria dancing".

152. At 00:50am on 17 Sep 2009, alge7a wrote:

during "diffuser gate" earlier this season, a very interesting piece of information came out during the hearing on the diffusers. Ferrari representative said "why is it that two seasons ago you (the fIA) gave us permission to use a piece of tecknology, and then you say we cant and now we can?"
there was a silence and then. Then someone (i think the BMW rep) said "but wait? you had permission from the FIA to use that in 08 when it was illegal to the rest of us?
Basically the car that Kimi won in beating Hamilton was illegal under FIA regs, and the FIA approved it. Why does that not get mentioned during these dodgy behavior chats? Its huge!!!!

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It does. But this discussion isn't about Ferarri getting preferential treatment from the FIA. And besides we all know FIA have in the past been biased towards Ferrari, and will be in the future if Jean Todt is to take Max Mosleys position.
Briatore bows out in unsavoury style 9:41pm on 16 Sep 2009 "121. At 9:35pm on 16 Sep 2009, doc34tr wrote:

I sincerely hope that Renault F1'a announcement not to contest the allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix and the information that Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, have left the team will not effect the search for the truth or mitigate the penalty handed down to the Renault F1 team should the allegations be found proven at the forthcoming extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Monday, 21 September 2009.

In light of the damaging information already in the public domain only the truth will do. Unless the Renault F1 team and individuals specifically associated with the allegations come out and tell the truth then there is no place for the Renault F1 team or those individuals in motor racing or any other sport for that matter.

I believe that the Renault F1 brand and its sponsors are permanently damaged. Renault F1 must do the honourable thing - tell the whole truth about the affair and then retire from the sport never to return again.

This type of behaviour can no longer be tolerated in Formula 1 motorsport.
"

Whilst I'm sure most of us would agree the behaviour of Piquet Jr/Snr, Symmonds and Briatore should not be tolerated I don't agree that Reanult should be booted out.

For the simple fact that the 700 or so employees at the team had no knowledge of the instructions Piquet Jr was given and carried out.

Where sir would you propose the innocent employees go if Renault are pushed out of F1?

If Renault choose to leave F1 then so be it, one would hope they do not, for the sake of the employees, as there will be scarce employment for them in these hard times.
Briatore bows out in unsavoury style 9:26pm on 16 Sep 2009 115. At 9:18pm on 16 Sep 2009, NowIremember wrote:

Yes it's dispiriting to have it rammeddown you throat that your sport is as shallow & amoral as football (sorry, but I've recently had my moral superiority well & truly scuppered....;), but unfortunately, that's professional televised global sport for you: so long as the rewards are there, people will cheat. If you want to go back to the corinthian values of amateurism, remember you can't watch it on telly......because there isn't any money in it, because there isn't an audience....

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Perhaps Bernie should hand the reigns of F1 over to Vincent Kennedy McMahon then... /sarcasm
Briatore bows out in unsavoury style 9:17pm on 16 Sep 2009 "113. At 9:01pm on 16 Sep 2009, jetbar wrote:

Can anyone restore the faith in fair and square competition?"

Unfortunately no. Not while F1 is still viewed by big business as a business and not a sport.

Sadly like everything else in this world F1 has been hijacked by big business, who invariably see it as a marketing exercise and pull out if their latest greatest tech. becomes a failure and doesn't generate the sales they want in road cars (yes BMW I mean you).

Having said that if Bernie was got rid of and the sport went back to the days of the garagistas, or even as late as the 80s, it may recover.
Briatore bows out in unsavoury style 8:20pm on 16 Sep 2009 105. At 8:01pm on 16 Sep 2009, BaldFatBloke wrote:

BUT I would certainly not be looking to Mr Ecclestone to put the sport in order, in my view his support of Briatore sums up Ecclestone.......The sport will better of without Briatore for sure, Just a shame that Ecclestone continues to ruin the sport to gain a greater sum of money, that he is not short of.

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Couldn't agree more.

109. At 8:09pm on 16 Sep 2009, Czar-Orac wrote:

Is Briatore still Chairman of FOTA's Commercial Development?

Because Montezemolo's been very quiet on the subject, not unsurprisingly.

No wonder FOTA wanted their own little series, they could do what they want there, without the FIA insisting on fair play :)

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One would certainly hope that Flavio is no longer a part of FOTA, he isn't with any team.

And yes how dare the FIA insist on fair play...
Briatore bows out in unsavoury style 7:39pm on 16 Sep 2009 So much for free speech. The BBC has yet again removed my comments.

Oh well here goes a third try...

72. At 5:59pm on 16 Sep 2009, o_ci2007 wrote:

Well I wonder what all those who castigated Piquet are saying now?"

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This does not absolve Piquet of his involvement. He has a case to answer still and this scandal would not have seen light if he had not been fired.

Good riddance Flavio.

There moderators is that any better or will you censor that for no reason as well?
Briatore bows out in unsavoury style 7:05pm on 16 Sep 2009 "88. At 6:57pm on 16 Sep 2009, TheamazingMrWhite wrote:

Also, on the idea that this drives people away from watching the sport...to be honest, scandals just make me more intruiged, not less.

It might not be the right thing to say, but fudge it. SCANDALS IN F1 MAKE FOR GREAT ENTERTAINMENT, and result in more coverage for F1. No F1 commentator/critic would dare say this."

Yes but it's the wrong sort of coverage.

Proper motorsports fans want to hear of the racing and motorsport, not the political rubbish that is at the forefront of F1.

It's the "car crash" set that have made it this way unfortunately. Those among us who are proper motorsport fans would rather people like Flavio (and a few others) did not exist, certainly in F1 at least.

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