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APRIL 26, 2006 at 10:32 PM
Posted by GERI
Source: The Guardian
In an odd column complaining about football commentary in the UK, the author asks the question "Is quidditch the worst fake sport ever?"
While watching the latest Harry Potter movie, the author questions the rules of the game; its popularity in the wizarding world and sportsmanship.
The author equates
quidditch to basketball and the worthlessness of the game:
Running simultaneously are: a version of basketball, where players are required to punt a ball called a quaffle through various hoops; a perversion of the kind of bodyline swingball favoured by hyperactive 10-year-old boys, where the aim is simply to whack one of two balls called bludgers at your opponent; and the search for a tiny flying ball called the Golden Snitch, which must be captured for the game to end, and is worth an instant and wildly disproportionate 150 points.
So to clarify, I am required to keep my eye not simply on three balls at any one time, but also on a winged snitch (which is virtually invisible to anyone in the crowd anyway), the capture of which almost without exception renders the preceding however many minutes or hours entirely worthless.
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Muggle Executioner
Points: 5173
ThunderofHisSky says:
Oh great..... another one!
Hmmm..... this is the first time someone ever bashed quidditch. I think./
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:38 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 331
xParselmouthx says:
Hahahaha how lame. I love quidditch.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:38 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1386
Lynet_Mathfish says:
He has a point. Quidditch is a stupidly designed game. It works well in the first book as a setting in which Harry can have some success, the mayhem caused by the bludgers is quite fun, and letting the Snitch be not enough to win the game was a superb way of making the Quidditch World Cup incredibly exciting, but in general, the Snitch ought to be worth a lot less than it is. Even just the power to end the game would be worth a lot on its own.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:41 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1921
gubbyfish says:
I kinda have to agree about the 150 points making the rest of the game pointless. Otherwise though, I love Quidditch!
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:41 PM EST
Snape's Dream
Points: 3173
Wicked Witch says:
This person's just jealous cause they're old!! ^_^ Just joking, to bad they don't get Quidditch. Loser.. Just joking again ^_^, well before I get myself banned, I'll stop writing.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:43 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 338
Dangerous Dai says:
Well, i think the author is awesomely wrong, he doesn`t feel the quidditch magic, what i do, is leave him alone with his bad thoughts.oh, i almost forgot, third!!!!!!
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:44 PM EST
Wizard
Points: 875
forbio says:
I think that the guy who wrote this is not a fan. May be he has a grudge or something(haha). But it does not matter what anybody thinks as long as you like it and it does not hurt anyone so I guess he can have his opinion.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:44 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1152
fire_cookie says:
WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?!?! quiditch rocks...im so sad that jkr said she wrote the last one in hbp. *sobs into keyboard*
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:46 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 446
Phoenix Lament <3 says:
Quidditch is great! May be the snitch is worth too many points and sometimes makes the rest of the gameplayed pointless. I love it though!
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:47 PM EST
Queen of the Fae
Points: 4614
marauderette says:
I love quidditch! I always thought itwas the best part of the movies (well, one of the best parts, anyways). I was dissapointed they didn't put any of the actual game in the GoF movie.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:48 PM EST
Sirius's Veil Thrower
Points: 4655
SiriusBlacksGodDaughter says:
People are so lame! What idiots! L0L!
~Drish~
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:49 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2401
tonks 27 says:
Hmmm, someone not a kid at heart anymore? or just truly bored and this was the best he/she could come up with? honestly...it's a story!!!! get a life!
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:50 PM EST
Points: 138
HarrykillsVoldemort says:
Did the author invent hockey or something?! Its pretty hard inventing a sport on your own, and JKR did a great job with quidditch, what would be more exciting than a quidditch match?
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:53 PM EST
Witch
Points: 817
PadmaPatilPassion says:
Since when has anyone cared about fake sports? Let alone the "worst" ones. The person who wrote that article must have a lot of time on their hands to go bashing a sport that has never been played! I think people should seriously lighten up. Honestly.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:53 PM EST
Squib
Points: 128
chudley cannons says:
Now there's someone who clearly hasn't read 'Quidditch Through The Ages.' If he had he would realise that quidditch and basketball are nothing alike and that quidditch is not, as he/she said, a worthless game.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:57 PM EST
Keeper of Harry's Fate
Points: 8934
TheOneWhoMustBeNamed says:
Very funny. I think it is really impressive that someone would even take the time to ask the question. They should get JKR's short book on the subject. They might learn something useful.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:57 PM EST
Points: 3207
IRockedDanLastNight says:
Oh, that was so dumb. I think it was just someone trying to get attention because his colum sucked anyways. I hink quidditch is an amazing sport and I give Jo props on coming up with suck a brilliant idea!
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:59 PM EST
Long Way from Happy
Points: 2952
OEHFICE says:
"Is quidditch the worst fake sport ever?" he asks. Well, I have the definite answer for him: "NO!"
"Is quidditch the best fake sport ever?" I ask. Well, I have an answer for that too: "HECK YEAH!"
I wish Quidditch was real. The guy is a loser seeking attention, plain and simple.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 10:59 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1479
Newest Mrs. Weasley says:
You know, quidditch came easy to me. Not that I play, obviously, but imagining it being played seemed natural. As detailed and confusing as it is, I was able to construct a great picture in my mind's eye. But then again, I like rugby, and noone really understands rugby...
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 11:00 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1370
hellothere says:
That is the best game ever, I would love to play it in real life? It rocks so much!
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 11:06 PM EST
Heiress of Gryffindor
Points: 3537
Nienna Narmolanya says:
It is NOT the worst fake sport ever. It requires teamwork, which makes it such a good sport. The aim is good, and it is so well thought out - well, well thought out enough. I wish I could get to really play it (without computers), but I don't think I'd be very good at it.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 11:07 PM EST
Princess of the Heliopaths
Points: 5276
Ginny Weasly says:
Maybe he should try and not to push his opinion onto other people cause he's obviously alone in his theory!
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 11:07 PM EST
Half-Blood Princess
Points: 2875
Katie Bloom says:
I love quiddich!!!!!
I would love if it was a real sport..!!!!What are they thinking??!!
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 11:08 PM EST
Lily Potter
Points: 2450
~*~Millie~*~ says:
It is like a awsome sport with many rules and things to make it interesting
I can't believe someone called it the worst fake sport out there and what other fake sprts are there to compare it to??
Strange people..
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 11:08 PM EST
Weasley is My King
Points: 5042
HarryPotterGeek says:
Ummm... how random. Who has time to write this stuff? *mutters* Stupid Jo bashers....
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 11:08 PM EST
Prof. of Cultural Literacy
Points: 4469
PowerGranger says:
I think Quiddich is pretty ingenius, though I don't think there is a need to argue with this article since it's probably not meant to be taken seriously. I like that the snitch is worth so many points. It's supposed to be very hard to catch, of course. That said, I always thought it was kind of weird that it had to be caught to end the game. If it's theoretically that hard to catch (for anyone but Harry, that is!), I imagine there would be a fair few games that went on for hours and hours until the snitch was caught. That's just how I (the most non-athletic person ever) see it.
Posted Apr 26, 2006 at 11:11 PM EST
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