The Most Depressing Thing In All Sport
It's not like there hasn't been loads to be depressed about in sport lately, I think that's why I haven't posted anything for a couple of months. Jeez, the nearest thing to a post I wrote was entitled 'Reconciling to Chelsea' ... no, I can't.
But Chelsea's stroll to the Premier League and the fact that I couldn't object to it or feel that miffed about it is just one of the sporting events to be depressed about recently. As this Guardian article coherently suggests, this may just be the most boring time in the history of football. Only little Mr Messi is elevating it, and the Real Madrid fans' horrendous treatment of Gareth Bale is another spirit-crusher. I'll win you the Copa del Rey and the Champions' League, I'll score a goal every couple of games, and then you can start booing me for not passing to Ronaldo enough. No wonder the poor guy's spirit was crushed and his form nosedived. Get the fuck out of there, dude, that's an arsehole club with an arsehole history and arsehole fans.
But still it's not that.
The relentless dull and misinformed KP-gate that one can't help rising to, even just to try to stop other goofs from bringing it up? The generally pisspoor state of English cricket amidst the whole other disintegration and bastardisation of cricket in general? I must say I find the crass, tacky IPL (as opposed to the witty and self-aware Big Bash) relentless depressing.
But still it's not that.
The dull farrago of Mayweather-Pacquiao, the obscene amount of money that awful but brilliant man is taking without apology for serving up such fare. Mayweather is brilliant, though, I do give him that, but still ... Fight of the Century, nowhere near fight of the month.
Still, it's not that.
Deflate-gate? The ongoing violent corruption at the heart of the American dream, the fall of the all-American hero, revealed as nothing but as a sly trickster? Well, who'd expect anything else?
What else? FIFA? Brentford? Tuilagi? Naah, nowhere near, not at the moment ...
No, it's the prospect of the World 100m champion, the fastest man in the world, being Justin Gatlin, replete with his smiling, flagrant bonhomie, twice caught doping (in 2001 and 2006) and handed two and four year bans (he got the second one down from 8 to 4) and now enjoying his golden years, essentially unpunished, still in the record books as the 2004 Olympic champion.
Once? I'm soft. Once can, I've always thought, be forgiven and understood. 2 year bans should be 3 or 4 but, even if proved, should not be a life sentence. But twice? Twice failing a doping test, whatever your excuses? What is even the point if this guy ends his career as an Olympic and world champion, as if that's worth anything. It's one thing people getting away with stuff, that's depressing enough, but when people don't get away with it ... but still get away with it, well, that's pretty crushing.
So, yes, above everyone else, Justin Gatlin is, for me, the most depressing figure in sport. Long may he fail.
But Chelsea's stroll to the Premier League and the fact that I couldn't object to it or feel that miffed about it is just one of the sporting events to be depressed about recently. As this Guardian article coherently suggests, this may just be the most boring time in the history of football. Only little Mr Messi is elevating it, and the Real Madrid fans' horrendous treatment of Gareth Bale is another spirit-crusher. I'll win you the Copa del Rey and the Champions' League, I'll score a goal every couple of games, and then you can start booing me for not passing to Ronaldo enough. No wonder the poor guy's spirit was crushed and his form nosedived. Get the fuck out of there, dude, that's an arsehole club with an arsehole history and arsehole fans.
But still it's not that.
The relentless dull and misinformed KP-gate that one can't help rising to, even just to try to stop other goofs from bringing it up? The generally pisspoor state of English cricket amidst the whole other disintegration and bastardisation of cricket in general? I must say I find the crass, tacky IPL (as opposed to the witty and self-aware Big Bash) relentless depressing.
But still it's not that.
The dull farrago of Mayweather-Pacquiao, the obscene amount of money that awful but brilliant man is taking without apology for serving up such fare. Mayweather is brilliant, though, I do give him that, but still ... Fight of the Century, nowhere near fight of the month.
Still, it's not that.
Deflate-gate? The ongoing violent corruption at the heart of the American dream, the fall of the all-American hero, revealed as nothing but as a sly trickster? Well, who'd expect anything else?
What else? FIFA? Brentford? Tuilagi? Naah, nowhere near, not at the moment ...
No, it's the prospect of the World 100m champion, the fastest man in the world, being Justin Gatlin, replete with his smiling, flagrant bonhomie, twice caught doping (in 2001 and 2006) and handed two and four year bans (he got the second one down from 8 to 4) and now enjoying his golden years, essentially unpunished, still in the record books as the 2004 Olympic champion.
Once? I'm soft. Once can, I've always thought, be forgiven and understood. 2 year bans should be 3 or 4 but, even if proved, should not be a life sentence. But twice? Twice failing a doping test, whatever your excuses? What is even the point if this guy ends his career as an Olympic and world champion, as if that's worth anything. It's one thing people getting away with stuff, that's depressing enough, but when people don't get away with it ... but still get away with it, well, that's pretty crushing.
So, yes, above everyone else, Justin Gatlin is, for me, the most depressing figure in sport. Long may he fail.
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