Quote: Aaron @ February 19 2010, 7:12 PM GMTMyth. Recent genetic surveys revealed that the various invasions from the likes of the Vikings had next to no effect on the populus or makeup of the country; most are still descended from people who were here long before they invaded.
The prevailing wisdom at my local pub is that one in every four English persons is of Huguenot stock, at least in the south. I have no idea whether the man in the pub is correct on that matter.
Hockeys quite popular in my city, granted no where near as popular as our national sports but locally our Nottingham Panthers have a pretty big following and get a fair few mentions on the news (mostly because it's the only thing we're good at).
And we have a fair few English pro players on the team if I remember rightly a friend of mine was going to join but he unfortunatly passed away last year and never made it.
Quote: Paul W @ February 20 2010, 1:35 PM GMT...a friend of mine was going to join but he unfortunatly passed away last year and never made it.
Or - he faked his own death to get away from you.
Quote: don rushmore @ February 20 2010, 9:27 PM GMTOr - he faked his own death to get away from you.
Back to form eh?
Quote: don rushmore @ February 20 2010, 9:27 PM GMTOr - he faked his own death to get away from you.
The entire BCG thought about doing that with you, but it was too logistically difficult.
Please refrain from being a c**t, Don.
Quote: chipolata @ February 20 2010, 10:10 PM GMTThe entire BCG thought about doing that with you, but it was too logistically difficult.
Never really the done thing to joke about peoples' dead friends Don.
No matter how many smilies you add.
Think of it as a tip for the future.
Quote: Kenneth @ February 20 2010, 8:46 AM GMTThe prevailing wisdom at my local pub is that one in every four English persons is of Huguenot stock, at least in the south. I have no idea whether the man in the pub is correct on that matter.
He could be, though I don't know how he could prove this theory, even with DNA. This sounds more like the very strained germ of original English anti French propaganda put about at the time of the Hugenot exodus to Canterbury and London. Of white English in the south, he could theoretically be right, but who ever had the proof to be able to put a figure on it???
Quote: Chappers @ February 20 2010, 10:04 PM GMTBack to form eh?
I'm considering self harm... 
Quote: deckard @ February 19 2010, 6:48 PM GMTI live in Minnesota (the 'State of Hockey' as we like to call it), and I find it interesting that England is actually further north than Minnesota and yet there doesn't seem to be any hockey being played (from what I can see from 5000 miles away, if there is I apologize).
So, there are three tiny countries. Two of them have one or two ice-hockey teams, that are not pro, I think, and ice-hockey is cultivated in one or two towns there.
However, the third (which actually taught Russians how to play it, after having learned from Canadians in 1930s) is somewhat successful on international level - unless it has to play with grands like Norther Americans, Swedes, Finns, Czechs or Russians; as any who has been following games in Vancouver can attest 
Big fan of ice hockey here, btw. There's one only local team - which makes up two thirds of Latvia national team - which is competing in open Russian league, probably the second strongest league after NHL - and it is probably the most popular club team currently. I've been to all home games this season.
(there are two clubs competing in Belarus championship, and there's local championship as well, which has a Lithuanian team participating).
One of the Latvian hopefuls on junior level has sadly lost it... he snow a quite successful goalkeeper for Hull Stingrays. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hull_Stingrays)
Football is quite popular, but with the local championship withering and the international success eluding, it loses its popularity. Same thing about basketball.
Quote: WrongTale @ February 22 2010, 5:14 PM GMTSo, there are three tiny countries. Two of them have one or two ice-hockey teams, that are not pro, I think, and ice-hockey is cultivated in one or two towns there.
However, the third (which actually taught Russians how to play it, after having learned from Canadians in 1930s) is somewhat successful on international level - unless it has to play with grands like Norther Americans, Swedes, Finns, Czechs or Russians; as any who has been following games in Vancouver can attestBig fan of ice hockey here, btw. There's one only local team - which makes up two thirds of Latvia national team - which is competing in open Russian league, probably the second strongest league after NHL - and it is probably the most popular club team currently. I've been to all home games this season.
(there are two clubs competing in Belarus championship, and there's local championship as well, which has a Lithuanian team participating).One of the Latvian hopefuls on junior level has sadly lost it... he snow a quite successful goalkeeper for Hull Stingrays. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hull_Stingrays)
Football is quite popular, but with the local championship withering and the international success eluding, it loses its popularity. Same thing about basketball.
You have got to see the US vs. Canadian game from yesterday at the Olympics. It was one of the best games I have ever seen. Very physical, tons of scoring and a very rowdy Canadian crowd. I am not sure if or when it will be rebrodcasted, hopefully on Hulu.
This is the 30th anniversary of the so-called 'Miracle on Ice'. US defeats the Soviets in 1980.
yeah, well. If we win Czechs today, now THAT would be a miracle