Showing posts with label sport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sport. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 December 2014
Sport and the courts
An interesting story here about whether a sporting referee's decision can be reviewed in the courts, something I have considered at greater length in my book.
Monday, 12 April 2010
Class players
Letter 15
From http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article7094798.ece
(They managed to get my name wrong, but at least it is correct in the paper version)
Sir, Morgan Rees (letter, April 9) rightly points out that not all amateur rugby union players were middle class. As well as the 1905 Welsh team that defeated the All Blacks, he might have cited the New Zealanders themselves.
In 1987 they won the World Cup on a Saturday afternoon. On the Monday morning Craig Green waited outside his house, packed lunch in hand, for his mates to pick him up on the way to work on a building site, while Zinzan Brooke went back to work as a roofer in a working-class suburb of Auckland.
From http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article7094798.ece
(They managed to get my name wrong, but at least it is correct in the paper version)
Sir, Morgan Rees (letter, April 9) rightly points out that not all amateur rugby union players were middle class. As well as the 1905 Welsh team that defeated the All Blacks, he might have cited the New Zealanders themselves.
In 1987 they won the World Cup on a Saturday afternoon. On the Monday morning Craig Green waited outside his house, packed lunch in hand, for his mates to pick him up on the way to work on a building site, while Zinzan Brooke went back to work as a roofer in a working-class suburb of Auckland.
Monday, 29 March 2010
Natural ability scores every time
Letter 14
Ironically, I don't actually like football. But I can't let them get away with illogical arguments ...
From http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article7077859.ece
Sir, Patrick Coffey (letter, Mar 24) objects to Diego Maradona being placed above Pelé in the greatest football player rankings on the ground, among others, that Pelé played in more successful teams and scored more goals. With respect, that is a reflection of the quality of their respective team-mates rather than their individual talents. Without Maradona the Argentine sides of his era would have been a footnote; without Pelé it is unlikely that Brazil would have been anything less than a great side.
Certainly Pelé’s conduct both on and off the pitch has been more commendable; but there is the old saying that nice guys finish last. The likes of Mike Tyson, George Best and Alex Higgins, for example, indulged in a fair bit of questionable conduct over the years, but their sporting greatness has not been downgraded as a result. If anything, Maradona’s astonishing natural ability is highlighted by the fact that his lifestyle was less than conducive to international sport.
Ironically, I don't actually like football. But I can't let them get away with illogical arguments ...
From http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article7077859.ece
Sir, Patrick Coffey (letter, Mar 24) objects to Diego Maradona being placed above Pelé in the greatest football player rankings on the ground, among others, that Pelé played in more successful teams and scored more goals. With respect, that is a reflection of the quality of their respective team-mates rather than their individual talents. Without Maradona the Argentine sides of his era would have been a footnote; without Pelé it is unlikely that Brazil would have been anything less than a great side.
Certainly Pelé’s conduct both on and off the pitch has been more commendable; but there is the old saying that nice guys finish last. The likes of Mike Tyson, George Best and Alex Higgins, for example, indulged in a fair bit of questionable conduct over the years, but their sporting greatness has not been downgraded as a result. If anything, Maradona’s astonishing natural ability is highlighted by the fact that his lifestyle was less than conducive to international sport.
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