Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Abernathy wrote: ↑Sun Jan 18, 2026 8:41 pm Another Tory defector to the Farage party just announced.

As you’d expect, it’s another grade one shit - Andrew Rosindell MP.

Its Kemi's lucky week. He has some real dodgy shit hanging over him, a total cunt.

There is a reasonably decent doko in the World Service about the Lithuanian basketball team, emerging from Soviet rule and being sponsored, somewhat improbably, by the Grateful Dead.

"Get it online or wherever you get your podcasts."

Like exhuming it out of a grave or the back of your fridge.

Reporting on Rossendale's defection/defecation GBNews claims that 'Another member of Kemi Badenoch's team defects to Reform UK'. I really wouldn't describe the shadow cabinet as a top team, with less than 120 MPs the Tory talent pool is currently very shallow.

This looks very co-ordinated. Who's next? Andrew Griffith is a headbanger and a relative high flyer. Joy Morrissey? Esther McVey? Nick Timothy? Suella Braverman?

It probably is co-ordinated but the plan was probably thrown into chaos when Jenrick had to make a quicker than expected exit. The issue for most remaining Tories is whether they think switching parties will help or hinder them retaining their seat. It could get very messy if a sitting Tory MP joins Reform if Reform already have a prospective parliamentary candidate in place.

Youngian wrote: ↑Sun Jan 18, 2026 9:21 pm

Abernathy wrote: ↑Sun Jan 18, 2026 8:41 pm Another Tory defector to the Farage party just announced.

As you’d expect, it’s another grade one shit - Andrew Rosindell MP.

Its Kemi's lucky week. He has some real dodgy shit hanging over him, a total cunt.

Given her full name, "Olukemi" perhaps should be pronounced "Oh Lucky Me"...

Another way of looking at all these defections is that in the long term it won't set Reform apart from the mainstream, which is part of their pulling power. Giving licence to casual racists and xenophobia is their number one pull, but Nigel being a regular guy who doesn't conform (he conforms more than anyone with his head in that money trough on the gravy train) with his party that's "different" is a major factor. But being full of Conservatives won't bode well in the long term. It will be just like having two Conservative parties to split the right's vote.

But being full of Conservatives won't bode well in the long term. It will be just like having two Conservative parties to split the right's vote.

I’m in one of a number of constituencies where Reform is the only contender to the sitting Conservative MP, should I give a fuck and lend the Tory (Steve Barclay) my vote?
If they moved to the centre right repudiated Brexit and promised not to reverse any government measures for closer ties, then maybe but as it stands at the moment, fuck ‘em.

Saw Priti Patel was sent out to give the PM full backing over Greenland through gritted teeth. This is where they can steal a march over Reform, trust in defence and national security. And make Farage look like the right wing Jeremy Corbyn. Which he sort of is.

Youngian wrote: ↑Mon Jan 19, 2026 6:18 am

But being full of Conservatives won't bode well in the long term. It will be just like having two Conservative parties to split the right's vote.

I’m in one of a number of constituencies where Reform is the only contender to the sitting Conservative MP, should I give a fuck and lend the Tory (Steve Barclay) my vote?
If they moved to the centre right repudiated Brexit and promised not to reverse any government measures for closer ties, then maybe but as it stands at the moment, fuck ‘em.

Well, I'm done with voting. Round here it's either Reform or John Hayes, so why should I even bother to expend the effort of a literal five minute walk to the polling station? I know people will say "unless you vote, you are in no position to complain" but frankly, they can go and fuck a dead dog.

davidjay wrote: ↑Sun Jan 18, 2026 9:08 pm

Youngian wrote: ↑Sun Jan 18, 2026 8:32 pm Saw some middle aged white blokes playing basketball in the local park who are shit hot with all the moves. They were Lithuanians who were badgered as kids in the Soviet school system to practice sports where they could take on the Yanks. And remains popular to this day.

Does anyone, without Googling, know who the reigning professional British champions are?

Leicester Riders?

mattomac wrote: ↑Sun Jan 18, 2026 8:23 pm It’s a very odd attack for them

All this sports from the states are looking to spandex their global appeal then again every sport is.

Darts is in Bahrain, Golf is everywhere, it’s one thing football can sort of survive without but even leagues like la Liga are taking trying to take their sport over there.

The US sports have had a following in this country for years, NFL leads that but MLB, NHL and NBA have sizeable markets.

It’s literally what a global city will do, anything else is backward which sums up Reform.

Yeah, it's like complaining about foreign players in the Premier League. Not only stupid, but massively out of date. It's global, and Reform don't like that.

American Football was enormous on Channel 4 in the mid 80s, helped by "soccer" being in the doldrums.

American Football is seen as a 'white' sport, while basketball is seen as the black game.

Baseball is also a whiter game than Basketball too. Ron De Santis leant into that a while ago.

That doesn't work in Britain. Does anyone hate basketball? Lots of people love the NBA, and most others are probably at worst neutral, recalling it as being more fun than the usual PE lessons. You can even not like it much, but think that it's quite cool that the NBA is coming to London.

Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:49 am American Football is seen as a 'white' sport, while basketball is seen as the black game.

Which is odd considering how many African-Americans play it.

Boiler wrote: ↑Mon Jan 19, 2026 8:41 am

Youngian wrote: ↑Mon Jan 19, 2026 6:18 am

But being full of Conservatives won't bode well in the long term. It will be just like having two Conservative parties to split the right's vote.

I’m in one of a number of constituencies where Reform is the only contender to the sitting Conservative MP, should I give a fuck and lend the Tory (Steve Barclay) my vote?
If they moved to the centre right repudiated Brexit and promised not to reverse any government measures for closer ties, then maybe but as it stands at the moment, fuck ‘em.

Well, I'm done with voting. Round here it's either Reform or John Hayes, so why should I even bother to expend the effort of a literal five minute walk to the polling station? I know people will say "unless you vote, you are in no position to complain" but frankly, they can go and fuck a dead dog.

May as well put down a marker and vote for who you want. Demographic change happens within five years that can tell the other parties if there's a shift in their direction.

The Weeping Angel wrote: ↑Mon Jan 19, 2026 12:33 pm

Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:49 am American Football is seen as a 'white' sport, while basketball is seen as the black game.

Which is odd considering how many African-Americans play it.

An American friend once explained this to me - Basketball makes stars of its players, they go on to do endorsements, promote brands, use it as a jumping point (pun intended) into other areas. It's also quite rare for players t sustain career-ending injuries.

Compare to American Football, where despite all the padding, concussive injuries are very common, and the sport on the whole is much more of a grind. Also, while basketball players are personalities, AF players are part of a machine. Individualism is not tolerated, especially if it's anti-establishment.

Put it like this - when some old white man says "Shut up and just play ball, boy", they don't mean shoot some hoops.

Watchman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 19, 2026 8:55 am

davidjay wrote: ↑Sun Jan 18, 2026 9:08 pm

Youngian wrote: ↑Sun Jan 18, 2026 8:32 pm Saw some middle aged white blokes playing basketball in the local park who are shit hot with all the moves. They were Lithuanians who were badgered as kids in the Soviet school system to practice sports where they could take on the Yanks. And remains popular to this day.

Does anyone, without Googling, know who the reigning professional British champions are?

Leicester Riders?

Aston Villa. There was one season in the 1890s and they won it.

Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:49 am American Football is seen as a 'white' sport, while basketball is seen as the black game.

60-85% of NFL players are black.
The old "reserved occupation" of Quarterback isn't even full of Milky Bar Kids.

Ice Hockey (or what the Yanks call "Hockey") is the white sport.

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Mon Jan 19, 2026 12:21 pm Does anyone hate basketball?

I find it boring to watch but not to play. Used to hit a few three pointers back in my PE days.

Spoonman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 19, 2026 5:58 pm
I find it boring to watch but not to play. Used to hit a few three pointers back in my PE days.

I've never watched a game live, and probably not watched a game on TV since 1983-4 on Channel 4. But someone I know told me that it's more interesting to watch live than I might have thought. Teams build up momentum, pressure, whatever you want to call it and outscore the others for a while. Rather like football, I suppose, except that there are a lot more scores. I expect people who know the game can tell you why this is happening at any one time. He found that interesting anyway, I probably wouldn't even have noticed, until it was pointed out, and that might have interested me.

I never scored a 3 pointer. I gather they've become more common because the stats people have worked out that they are worth the risk at the highest level.