It’s looking promising for the UK reopening and my pending trip to Spain. That said, much can change very quickly. It is looking more hopeful than it has over the last fifteen months. We shall see.
Some sporting joys to consider. Conor McGregor’s defeat and broken leg seems a good place to start. The guy has really embraced the obnoxious for some time now. I mean, punching an old guy in the head because he didn’t want to drink McGregor’s whisky? That, the attack on the coach, the other incidents and the language he used against Poirer all speak of the man. Although his Black Knight impression: “This isn’t over” from his stretcher at least had the novelty of humour – unintentional I’m sure. Before the fight he seemed confident that it would be Poirer carried out on a stretcher so it goes to show two things; karma always scores and no amount of money can buy class.
Moving swiftly on to Sir Lewis Hamilton and his heart wrenching experience of discrimination. One can only wonder at the heights he might have scaled, the riches he might have amassed were it not for this. It’s a shame he disposed of his private jet, perhaps he could have renamed it ‘Diversity’ that would surely help? It’s a bit like him turning vegan to fight climate change – er maybe stop driving a car that does four gallons to the mile? Or the constant air travel? No, I’m afraid that he’s a blatant case of hip-hopcrisy (wrong genre I’m afraid but I couldn’t resist using it).
Great misery at the English Football team’s loss to Italy, on penalties, at the Euros Final. It’s the Euros, it’s not the World Cup for a start. Secondly, being beaten on penalties is no disgrace, deciding a game, especially a final, on penalties is, in my opinion, only a small step above tossing a coin. Finally, of course, it’s only a game!
Why o why are the Olympics still going ahead? I get that it’s the IOC decision and, apparently, the only acceptable reason not to hold them is war (so why were they postponed last year when the pandemic situation in Japan is worse this year and they have to go ahead? Asking for a friend) . But, athletes are already infected, no (or only a few) spectators will be allowed and the public are staunchly against and there’s a state of emergency. None of this counts, obviously against the money that will be made (by the IOC, Japan won’t see a penny, indeed it will make a fairly stonking loss). So much for the Corinthian ethos then. The Olympics as they are now are a travesty, a deformed and sickly shadow of the original intention, the IOC corruption, the doping scandals (Believe in Better…chemistry?) it’s all devalued the brand. And yet, every four years, another one appears like the next series of Strictly Come Dancing. What on earth is the point?
I could ask the same question about the Lions tour. A Covid emergency in South Africa, hospitals overwhelmed again and twelve of the Springbok Test squad isolating. Oh yes, then add in the worst violence seen in the country since the end of Apartheid (1991!) and I do wonder at what the tour expects or hopes to accomplish.
Speaking of Covid and a hat tip to Simon here is the tautology: ‘Global Pandemic’. Guys, a pandemic is global by definition.
An addendum following the British Grand Prix where Hamilton wins after serving a ten second penalty. He got the penalty for forcing Max Verstappen into a 51G exit and crash into the tyre wall. The penalty indicates the stewards found Hamilton to be at fault. So he gets a ten second penalty and Verstappen is out of the race, how on earth is that equitable? Needless to say Hamilton immediately claims innocence and celebrates the win in his usual fashion – Verstappen watching this from the hospital… Then Toto Wolf outshines even Hamilton with the comment to the effect of “Only one more DNF for Max and we are ahead”. The class just keeps on coming doesn’t it?
Addendum two; I’ve discovered a fourth LibDem MP’s name! It’s Wee Timmy Farron the ex leader no less. Well that was a surprise, I really thought he’d jacked the Commons in to focus on his main interest of ranting about gay sex. Oh well, at least they have the highest calibre people in Parliament…