20 June 2019

By Tom Weil

Tom Weil opens the bowels of rowing history.

It has been the solemn duty of rowing historians to give every variant of rowing history that comes their way the weight that may be due it, and to come to a synthesis of any contradictions that accords gravitas where merited and accommodates differences where feasible. Therefore, when legend has it as set forth above, received facts must be interpreted in light of then-prevailing norms which could have suppressed expression of the more noxious truths of the time, and, while the outcome described above is inaccurate (Oxford actually won the 1954 Boat Race by four-and-a-half lengths), it would be cowardly for HTBS to refrain from speculating that the Dark Blues could have as well been propelled by intermittent blasts of flatulence and a desperate rush to stay ahead of the noxious clouds emanating from among them as by any other source of motivation or inspiration.