Coping with the pressure

[Martin Gardner]

I thought I'd start a new thread to reply to comments made on the spoilers thread. I think people on this forum might underestimate or even forget how difficult it is to play in studio conditions. It's about as far away as you can get from playing at home. Although I've never thought about it before, I was lucky that I live in Leeds because I just had to get a taxi to get there, otherwise if it had been a 4 hour train journey, I would have been really nervous. And then of course when you're playing, 30 seconds feels like 10 seconds, on the numbers it feels more like 5 seconds. And it's hard to grip the pen with the sweat on your hands. I know I did my Spanish oral exam two weeks ago at Leeds, and I made a bit of a mess of it, and that was in front of one person!

So I think sometimes people on this forum are too critical, but at the same time the players that average 100 a game are playing in the same conditions as players that get 35 and lose. And most people who go on the show aren't going to read this forum, so there's no real "harm" in criticising. Let's not overestimate how many people read this forum. I certainly don't think posting DC-beaters is "disrespectful" or anything.

Martin

[Martin Gardner]

Oh yeah I was gonna say. I also don't think the televised show is for everyone either. Some players that are good at home just wouldn't cope with the pressure in the studio. I suppose actually we see a lot of that anyway. But still I wouldn't recommended that everyone that's good at Countdown go on the show, it's a personality thing. Some people would just die with nerves, the reward wouldn't justify the discomfort.

Martin

[David O'Donnell]

I was really nervous and my mind went blank several times only to switch on again somewhere in the cadence of the music. Personally, even though I felt I'd done well I still thought that you lot would rip my performance to shreds and it really just added to the sense of stress. Posting beaters is certainly not disrespectful but posting "how the hell did those idiots miss XENOGRAFT?" certainly is. I type this knowing I have probably done it myself but then I do a fine line in 'holier than thou.'

[Dinos Sfyris]

How the hell did those idiots miss XENOGRAFT

Unforgivable really...

[Gavin Chipper]

Commenting on others' performances - it's an interesting thing really. On, for example, an F1 forum, you can say what you like about the drivers, commentators etc. because they'll never appear they're "professionals" and therefore it's fine, but on a Countdown forum things are different. This could be seem good or bad depending on your perspective. To be honest, I think you have to accept that things will be said, which may be good or not good, and it all needs to be kept in perspective.

[lelb72]

Thank God someone has bought this up!
I can understand people suggesting possible words that contestants could have used as it's easy when you're sitting at home with a letter shuffler and more time. Some of the words that are suggested by people on the forum are in no way something you can think of in 30 seconds. I didnt realise how cruel some people could be until i read some of the comments under the suggested words.
For goodness sake have some respect for the contestants, they have feelings. We're not thick or stupid. Even watching my own game i noticed other words that were better than i came up with on the day. Im more relaxed in the vicinity of my own home. I could have easily scored 100 points sat here in an armchair having time to think and pause the game.

[Jon Corby]

I didnt realise how cruel some people could be until i read some of the comments under the suggested words.

What comments are you referring to Lee?

[lelb72]

Corby, maybe it's me but sometimes people's comments sound a little cocky when they say "well i came up with blah i cant believe they didnt see that one".
When i have more time i will have a proper look and give you an example.
I'm just saying have some consideration it's not hard is it really. It's easy to criticise when the people you are criticising cannot stand up for themselves. I am perhaps the minority here.

[David O'Donnell]

I have scanned the threads for you and can confirm that only two people mentioned anything in a negative way: one's a former series winner; the other, the creator of this thread, a former semi-finalist. I wouldn't be too quick to assume that people are using solvers to generate the beaters, though it's not impossible. Try to bear in mind that most are former contestants, who did well, and most are involved in regular face-to-face tourneys. Try not to take the 'beater posting' too personally, nobody has ever played a perfect game yet, in the 15 rd format, so that should give you a little perspective. I managed to catch your performance today and you come across like a thoroughly decent bloke and although your opponent had the lead for a time you always registered a better score than him against me in my 'armchair hero' position.

Keep up the good work and don't let the bastards get you down !

[lelb72]

Perhaps i am taking things too personally, but when a contestant sees these spoiler threads for the first time as a "newbe" it looks very derogatory. Like he/she is being made to look a little "thick" for not seeing what others have seen.
There should be some sort of intro at the beginning of the thread that states they are only suggestions and they are in no way meant to disrespect the people who were on the program at that particular time.
I dont see anyone yet who i remember from when i was on but i will send them here and see if they have the same view as me.

[Jon Corby]

There should be some sort of intro at the beginning of the thread that states they are only suggestions and they are in no way meant to disrespect the people who were on the program at that particular time.

Sorry dude but I think you're being really oversensitive here. Suggesting a disclaimer like that at the top of every spoiler thread is as absurd as it is unnecessary. I don't think I've ever seen anybody seriously denigrate any contestant's performance (you may find a bit of comedy sledging of certain people like Dave O'Donnell, but this is only where they are established forummers with a sense of humour), they're just a place to discuss individual shows, often live as they happen. It's natural that people will post their own efforts where they are noteworthy, although I would agree with you that it would be a little pointless to sit there with a solver considering that every show has an "official" recap which covers the maximum scores comprehensively. I don't think anyone does that though, which leads me to the chief point you might be missing here - just how seriously some people take Countdown... there's a lot of people on here who learn words specifically for Countdown, so they'll know percoid (to use your example from elsewhere) is a word, but perhaps not even know what it means.

Either way, man up a bit and stop blubbing like a whiny little girl

[Jon O'Neill]

Perhaps i am taking things too personally, but when a contestant sees these spoiler threads for the first time as a "newbe" it looks very derogatory. Like he/she is being made to look a little "thick" for not seeing what others have seen.
There should be some sort of intro at the beginning of the thread that states they are only suggestions and they are in no way meant to disrespect the people who were on the program at that particular time.
I dont see anyone yet who i remember from when i was on but i will send them here and see if they have the same view as me.

I think your inferiority complex clashes with everyone else here's superiority complex. Fireworks are probably ensuing in your head, whereas I just feel even more smug than usual.

[Michael Wallace]

What about those of us with mediocrity complexes?

[M. George Quinn]

I didn't want a sodding teapot anyhow.

[Jon Corby]

But still I wouldn't recommended that everyone that's good at Countdown go on the show, it's a personality thing. Some people would just die with nerves, the reward wouldn't justify the discomfort.

I also have to disagree with this, because I'd hate for you to put anybody off applying for the show.
I hate doing any kind of presentation/public speaking (even if it's just to a handful of work colleagues that I know well) to the extent that I avoid it at all costs, but I found the studio atmosphere to be very chilled and relaxed, and everybody does their utmost to put you at ease. All the contestants I've played and met have thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience (win or lose), and I can't say I've ever heard anyone say they regretted it; quite the opposite in fact. It's fun

[Richard Brittain]

Lee, most of the people here who suggest these outrageously obscure words have spent many hundreds of hours practising the game in their own time, as well as having watched the show regularly for many years. Many of them probably forget the fact that, before they did all of this, they were, by their current standards, pretty shit. This forum by no means reflects the common Countdown audience; think of it more as a collection of elitist word nerds who gain more satisfaction out of being able to rearrange the letters of a word into another word than actually knowing the meaning of that word. I don't think anyone here is trying to imply that people who have more normal interests are stupid. So, I wouldn't worry about it. You won two games, spotted some good words, and lost to a bloody good opponent. Good job.

[Gavin Chipper]

but this is only where they are established forummers with a sense of humour

And you as well.

[Jon O'Neill]

but this is only where they are established forummers with a sense of humour

And you as well.

lmao

[Jon Corby]

Many of them probably forget the fact that, before they did all of this, they were, by their current standards, pretty shit.

They might, but why would you come to that conclusion? My issue is is that Lee is trying to claim everybody's rubbishing the contestants for not being as good as them ("I didn't know people could be so cruel"??!! WTF!?) whereas that simply isn't the case, they're just posting longer words than he got. And in nearly every case, that's all - most of the spoiler threads consist of one word posts, FFS. There's absolutely no basis for his opinion, and as such he just sounds like a whiny little bitch

[lelb72]

Corby

There's absolutely no basis for his opinion, and as such he just sounds like a whiny little bitch

How very dare you Corby.

[Jon Corby]

How very dare you Corby.

[Martin Gardner]

I've been away doing exams but I'm back now.

First of all, no I wouldn't want to put anyone off going on the show and yes it's a really relaxed atmosphere and the people are ALL very friendly, but I did have a friend who was really good at Countdown and was just petrified of appearing on the show, so I'm just saying people like that, it's not really fair to put too much pressure on them, it could be seen as "peer pressure".

Also yes I think it is over-sensitive to say we're "mocking" the contestants or whatever, the whole "thick" business, nobodies suggested that word, you suggested it yourself. It comes from your own imagination. And as pointed out by other people, very few people read this forum and the people that do have generally spend "hundreds of hours" learning words, so it's not like we're a representative sample of the general population. Most of the time, people just post the words with no comment like MODERATE with no text after it. I'd just tend to forget about it if I were you.

Martin

[Martin Gardner]

For what it matters, there were a lot of DC-beaters posted while I was the champion on the show, although I didn't like it much, so what? It's soon over and nobody made me read the forum. In fact I often tend to have breaks from forums like this one. I did have a few "poor scores" as well - 72, 76, 86, 88, so I wasn't getting 100 every game either. I agree that if we were talking about professional footballers, cricketers or baseball players there wouldn't be an issue, but because these are "normal people" there is a problem. The most you can have is 15 appearances, and obviously if you're good enough to win 13 of them you're a brilliant player. If you only have one game and lose, it's all over anyway.

Martin

[Joseph Bolas]

If you only have one game and lose, it's all over anyway.

Not necessarily

[Paul Howe]

If you only have one game and lose, it's all over anyway.

Not necessarily

Keep dreaming the dream Joseph

Two points. Firstly, anyone who's offended by the spoiler threads is being ridiculously oversensitive. How do you resist the temptation to top yourself when something genuinely bad happens to you?

Secondly, I think you'd have to be a real nervous wreck to not enjoy being on Countdown. I was a bag of nerves most of the time when I was on set, but it was still a brilliant experience and I'd kill (someone I didn't like very much) for another go.