Olympic Stars Knighted And Other Honours

[ChillDoubt]

Just breaking on BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20858353

Very pleased for Bradley Wiggins and Ben Ainslie, had hoped that David Weir might have been Knighted too.

[sir.prize]

Surely Cherie Blair was honoured for her Human Rights efforts . . . .

[jno]

nobody was honoured for riding a bike. They were honoured for riding it faster and better than anyone else in the world.

But people do love their twice-yearly whinges about other people getting something they haven't got.

[sir.prize]

. . . and the men behind cycling and rowing success, performance directors Dave Brailsford and David Tanner, also received knighthoods.

Why?

[boxtops]

I'm not moaning about certain people's right to have an award, it's just very selective - some of them are only doing their jobs a lot better than anyone else. Is that knight-worthy?

[jno]

I didn't mean you, boxtops, just the ones that misrepresent what the system is in order to demand that it should be scrapped

[Mani_H]

Well Done our Cherie!!

She is patron, chair, or president for a number of charitable organisations including Scope and was president of Bernados. She founded the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, which runs all over the developing world. She advises the US government on how its foreign policy impacts on Women in the developing world, and is a human rights Lawyer to boot. Tony is a very lucky man.

[ChillDoubt]

For those slagging off Wiggins achievements in contrast to HM Forces(of which I'm one) please remember that this is a guy who hates celebrity status, puts things in context and has his feet firmly on the floor.
He is exactly the sort who SHOULD be Knighted IMHO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUm_PWHMWnk

[McMouse]

I'm pleased for Wiggo but surprised given that pro cycling is very suspect. I still can't get over Lance Armstrong who I always believed to be clean. Most of the honours go to people who were just doing the job for which they are usually highly paid.

[emmie]

mani, your cherie, most definitely not mine.

[Slapshot]

In my view the Queen should have awarded him the Knighthood as soon as the Tour finished the feat of winning this race is similar in cycling terms to what Ellen MacArthur did in sailing terms.

I'm going to be contentious; I'm all for the honours system despite its back scratching type awards, many people who would get any recognition for there efforts in life do so because it's its there.

I think these awards reflect more about what the Olympics and the TDF to an extent has given the UK in terms of morale, There seemed to be something different about the way the country felt in September from when I left in June.

McMouse; Wiggins is hopefully** the new clean face of Pro Cycling but in 1999 so was Armstrong, I've more faith in Wiggins. I've been watching cycling for over 35 years and when Armstrong accelerated all the way to Sestriere in 1999 anyone who knew anything about the sport either laughed or cried. TDF this year played to Wiggo's strengths he won't win again.

**Ive been wrong before!!

[pdq1]

I can't see why professionals are given a knighthood for doing their job whether its professional cyclists or mandarins of Whitehall. The true achievers are those amateurs who often have to hold down a job and excel at sport

[jno]

maybe I should just keep repeating this on an hourly basis

nobody was honoured for riding a bike. They were honoured for riding it faster and better than anyone else in the world.

[jake-the-peg]

Can we give Danny Boyle an award for rejecting the ridiculous honours system?

[tara20]

I was hoping Angela Lansbury would finally get her 'Dame'. It's 18 years since her CBE. If anyone deserves it, she does.

[jno]

Ken Livingstone rejected one too, despite his role in winning the Olympics. Time will tell if Boris does the same.

[gulliver1]

Boris ,should get the CLOWN OF THE YEAR MEDAL...

[anotheoldgit]

/// nobody was honoured for riding a bike. They were honoured for riding it faster and better than anyone else in the world. ///

Then perhaps everyone in the Guinness book of records should be so honoured?

[ChillDoubt]

The Guinness Book of World Records is hardly a bench mark is it?
I consider being the fastest over a 3 week event with 5/6 hours a day in the saddle to be some achievement, even more so being the first Brit.

Letting your fingernails grow for 12 years is hardly a feat of physical stamina or prowess, is it?

[sir.prize]

Can anyone suggest an appropriate award for Frankie Boyle?

[sidkid]

Bradley Marc Wiggins was born in Ghent, Belgium (to an Australian father). Is his an honorary knighthood?