Where we are now (again)
For those of us who love it, the world of sport as an industry and pastime that has been affected at least as badly as any other during the coronavirus pandemic crisis.
In an universe of infinite amounts of unknows and uncertainty – like all species – the human race craves fixed points, regularity and structure in its daily struggle to survive, plan for the future and even provide reasons for the purpose of life itself.
Whenever a significant number of them get turned upside down – either in an individual’s personal life or that of a group, nation, continent or even the globe – everything begins to get confusing and worrying to the point that it raises questions about almost everything.
This applies especially in sport.
To learn that Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, who won the 1988 Seoul Olympics 100 metres Men’s final so thrillingly watched by a global audience, had in fact cheated by taking drugs was a devastating shock to all sports-lovers.
Later to learn that, at one time or another in their careers, six out of the eight men who lined up for that event were accused of and/or then proved to have taken illegal performing- drugs simply went to confirm doubts in the minds of all right-thinking people about whether the sport of track and field deserved our attention.
Could one ever again believe that what was being presented to us as a national, European, Commonwealth, World or Olympic championship final was de facto a genuine test and demonstration of athletic excellence … as opposed to rather grubby, money and/or national prestige driven, nasty free-for-all in terms of drug-use, cheating and the pursuit of any advantage that could be devised or found (and then concealed) in order to affect the outcome?
And if the Olympic 100 metres final itself wasn’t safe from such things – could there honestly be any sporting contest anywhere that ever was?
Right now we are watching an almost existential struggle for some sports – and indeed some clubs at all levels of their sport – to survive financially when the restrictions upon public meetings and gatherings considered necessary to protect the health of nations do not allow spectators to attend sporting events and matches in sufficient numbers to ensure commercial viability/survival.
And yet simultaneously things happen and random event continue to come along in sport which to do little more than amplify the global issues we are facing and underscore the point that the world has gone nearly plumb-loco.
I was at a golf gathering yesterday at which the parlous state of Premiership rugby union became a discussion point.
It would be fair to say that the consensus that “the completion of last season” currently going on has been an ultimately unedifying spectacle for those of us watching empty grounds on television – viz. far too often Mickey Mouse games played by randomly Micky Mouse team squads on the day (understandably caused by players welfare issues and the horrendous frequency of matches that imposed).
It might be “getting the sport back in front of the viewers” again, but it has also served to highlight again some of the fundamental problems facing the sport as a whole.
And then something lie this comes along. Sixteen Sale Sharks players have tested positive for Covid-19 and yet the club is defiantly insisting that its fixture with Worcester Warriors should go ahead.
Crazy!
See here, for a report by Nik Simon that appears today upon the website of the – DAILY MAIL
And then there’s the latest goings-on with Premier League football.
Here are links to:
(1)
The Premier is doing its best (not) for its fans – as per this report by James Dutton that appears today on the website of the – DAILY MAIL
(2)
the Premier “family of football, we’re all in this together” initiative – as per a report by Matt Hughes James that appears today on the website of the – DAILY MAIL
