[Rain]

http://www.reuters.c...E66J3FY20100720

Bridge is in the news again =P

[Hanoi5]

All publicity is good publicity, Britain (the world?) just needs a Culbertson who can make a profit out of it for bridge.

Of course the real problem in the story (and the real cause of the trouble) is alcohol. I also hope there are no new swinger's clubs named Chicago or worse Rubber Chicago because of the story.

[dicklont]

How is it possible that people keep on playing bridge with an abusive partner?

[helene_t]

Well in this case they were married so then it's a little difficult to back out. Ending a bridge partnership with an abusive partner is probably a minor consideration if one is considering whether or not to file for divorce.

But I often wonder. I guess there could be too reasons:
- one has a relationship beyond bridge and find it difficult to break up the bridge partnership. Maybe the abusive partner would find it difficult to find another p so the abused keeps playing with him/her as a tit-for-tat.
- the abused is addicted to bridge but can't find a different partner.

[jjbrr]

dicklont, on Jul 22 2010, 05:14 AM, said:

How is it possible that people keep on maintaining any type of relationship whatsoever with an abusive partner?

I've often wondered this myself.

People are stupid imo.

[1eyedjack]

I posted a similar article about the case in the offline bridge area.

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?sho...ndpost&p=479207

It being supposedly bridge-related I put it there rather than the water cooler, possibly incorrectly.

Reading the published accounts, it seems to me that the fact that they were bridgeplayers seems incidental to the crime, contrasted with (say) the Bennett case.

[barmar]

jjbrr, on Jul 22 2010, 10:25 AM, said:

dicklont, on Jul 22 2010, 05:14 AM, said:

How is it possible that people keep on maintaining any type of relationship whatsoever with an abusive partner?

I've often wondered this myself.

People are stupid imo.

That's a bit of an oversimplification. Human psychology is a complicated matter.

For some people, the need to be in a relationship outweighs the hurt they get from the relationship they're in. Other people have self-esteem issues (perhaps as a result of the abuse, or other abuse earlier in their lives) that makes them think the abuse is warranted.

Brain researchers have also found that being in love has some of the same neurological characteristics as substance addiction. So people may stay in bad relationships for the same reason that drug addicts keep taking the stuff after bad trips, or smokers keep smoking despite the hacking coughs and lung cancer it's causing them.

[babalu1997]

[quote name='barmar' date='Jul 22 2010, 05:19 PM'] [quote name='jjbrr' date='Jul 22 2010, 10:25 AM'] [quote name='dicklont' date='Jul 22 2010, 05:14 AM']

Brain researchers have also found that being in love has some of the same neurological characteristics as substance addiction. So people may stay in bad relationships for the same reason that drug addicts keep taking the stuff after bad trips, or smokers keep smoking despite the hacking coughs and lung cancer it's causing them. [/quote]
people continue to play bridge despite humiliating losses

not much different from failed relationships

[Fluffy]

dicklont, on Jul 22 2010, 11:14 AM, said:

How is it possible that people keep on playing bridge with an abusive partner?

I know people who PAY to play with abusive partners.

[Hanoi5]

Fluffy, on Jul 22 2010, 06:55 PM, said:

dicklont, on Jul 22 2010, 11:14 AM, said:

How is it possible that people keep on playing bridge with an abusive partner?

I know people who PAY to play with abusive partners.

I thought that only happened here...

[helene_t]

Fluffy, on Jul 22 2010, 11:55 PM, said:

dicklont, on Jul 22 2010, 11:14 AM, said:

How is it possible that people keep on playing bridge with an abusive partner?

I know people who PAY to play with abusive partners.

haha Fluffy is a pro so he should know

[1eyedjack]

According to this article he was a one-time World Championship player.

http://www.ukwirednews.com/news.php/76715-...Lancashire-home

Does anyone know in which World Championship he played, whom he represented, whom he partnered and how he faired?

[EDIT]
Ah, I see he represented England in 1998

http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Exinternationa...e39s.6437908.jp

That almost makes it newsworthy

[y66]

I took golf lessons from a guy who was married to a hot tempered babe.

He never did understand why she lost her temper so often.

One day, instead of reacting reflexively to an outburst, he looked her straight in the eye and said "hey, you can't behave like this" in a way that froze her in her tracks.

It was like nobody ever said that to her before and a mystery to him that it never occured to him to say it earlier.

I've used that expression a few times since he told me that story and had good luck with it, once with a woman at work and once with a bridge pro who was having a bad day. It works. A week ago someone used this on me. Very annoying.

Once the knives come out, it might be too late to try this.

[kfay]

y66, on Jul 25 2010, 06:25 PM, said:

Once the knives come out, it might be too late to try this.

[Rossoneri]

A very well-known member of Coventry Bridge Club is also named Stephen Green, and coincidentally of the same age...While making a speech at the opening ceremony of the new clubhouse yesterday, he started off by pulling out the above newspaper article...apparently he's had several calls asking him about it!

[PassedOut]

Rossoneri, on Jul 26 2010, 10:51 AM, said:

A very well-known member of Coventry Bridge Club is also named Stephen Green, and coincidentally of the same age...While making a speech at the opening ceremony of the new clubhouse yesterday, he started off by pulling out the above newspaper article...apparently he's had several calls asking him about it!

And he is still at large?

[helene_t]

Oh I thought that Coventry guy was the same man. Thanks for clearing that up.

[kfay]

Gnasher, Frances, et. al.... please comment if you know this dude!!!

PS, gnasher's in this month's BW

[kenberg]

1eyedjack, on Jul 22 2010, 01:07 PM, said:

Reading the published accounts, it seems to me that the fact that they were bridgeplayers seems incidental to the crime, contrasted with (say) the Bennett case.

I agree with this statement. From the article it seems there was some severe mental deterioration. Bridge can serve as a trigger but so can driving or waiting in line or whatever.

One stress that I have seen in bridge occurs when a person, for whatever reason, starts to lose his powers. In simple activities it is often possible to fake it. In bridge the failing is often on clear display. This can be difficult to accept. I, and I expect most of you, have seen some pretty dramatic cases of players casting about for an explanation other than their own failure. Something like that may have been at work here.

[1eyedjack]

Well, who knows if this is the end of the matter, but he has been found guilty and sent down for life (recommended a minimum of 23 years).

Criminal sentencing never ceases to amaze me. I would not wish to comment on whether this sentence is appropriate to this case, but I do wonder sometimes at the consistency. Just the other day a couple of "happy slappers" who killed a pensioner were sent down for about 5 years.