Reflections of a couch potato
Yesterday I spent most of the day watching golf and soccer on the tv. I started in the early hours with the CT Cup in Nine Bridges, Jeju Island, South Korea – a USPGA Tour event but part of the South East Asia swing.
I have never been to South Korea but over the last year or so have had a few set-tos with my rabidly Corbynista niece at Sussex Uni.
She, like many of today’s youth, rails against the excesses of capitalism but I reply that post-war when two are countries are divided – one adopting capitalism, the other communism – as in Germany and Korea, it’s the capitalist one that is triumphant … and the one you can leave easily if you want to.
South Korea is an emerging golf power and, to read Neil Rosen, cinema too.
South Korean golfers dominate the ladies game and there are some fine competing golfers on the male tours too.
The island on which the competition was held looked lovely. I always enjoy the views as much as the golf. I also enjoy the little titbits of history – Orville “Who” Moody, who won just the one major ,served in Korea and came back to play there.
Next up was Chelsea v Manchester United.
United played well and are clearly reviving.
My jaw dropped when I saw the melee with Mourinho as I thought here is the headline story for Sunday “Jose in touch line bust up.”
When the Chelsea fans broke into a loud rendition of “Eff off Mourinho” Martin Tyler felt obliged to apologise whilst referring to the heated emotions involved. I see no reason why he should apologise for crowd chanting. Most of us are no angels when it comes to swearing and in football the F word is endemic. I am old enough to remember when critic Ken Tynan, in a discussion on the F word, actually used it for which the BBC was obliged to apologise. Seems silly now.
In fact at the European tour at Valdorama Shane Lowry let rip with the F word and again the commentator apologised. In this case I believed the European tour authorities should fine Lowry for bad behaviour on the course.
In the evening I watched the replay of Cardiff v Fulham.
Although our Alan Tanner is understandably exasperated at his boys’ defence that has conceded 25 goals and is changed every week, Fulham are certainly worth watching with two cracking goals from Andreas Schurrle and Ryan Sessegnon.
Fulham ‘s 4-2 defeat exposes a difficult problem for fans: are winning and survival sufficient even if the football is not worth watching ?
