Too Much Sport?
Gotta love this of time of year … sport, sport, sport.
A wise man once said (this column started like that last week, too) “Too much sport is never enough”. I’d have to agree, especially at this time of the year. Logically, the beginning of winter in the Lucky Country coincides with summer on the other side of the world. So, as we hit our straps with rugby union, rugby league, football (soccer), hockey and netball, those in the northern world are hard at work on their basketball, cricket, tennis and a host of other addictive sporting delights.
To say I was obsessed with tennis when I was a young tacker is an understatement. I’d go to bed every night hoping I’d wake up the next day as talented and Swedish as Bjorn Borg. Idol. I tried unsuccessfully for a couple of years to perfect his double-backhand thing, it was so ridiculously accurate. I fondly remember the French Open and Wimbledons of the late 70s and early 80’s, and sitting up all night on the floor in the lounge room on my own as Bjorn taught John McEnroe lessons in both tennis and etiquette. Their battles were epic, even more epic than those between Rafa and Roger of the past decade. Those guys today are good, but the tennis with the wooden racquets that Bjorn and John played was a cut above. Just saying.
Staying up all night to watch the sport from overseas is awesome – it’s like you’re the only person in the audience, watching a private showcase of brilliance. It is pretty hard not to scream at the tele when the action heats up, though. A mate of mine is a fanatical supporter of the Tottenham Hotspurs English Football club. They made the European Champions League Final, only to be beaten at the final hurdle by Liverpool <tear emoji for him L>. There’s a few mates of my young bloke who wouldn’t dare miss a single second of the NBA playoffs. They all have their favourites, and again it’s been a big year for the Aussies over there, with Ben Simmons as an All Star amongst other things.
With both Cricket and Women’s Football World Cups keeping us up all night as well as the tennis, productivity at many workplaces might be just a little lower than normal for a month or so. I know Glenn Maxwell is a polarising kinda guy, but I’m in his corner to have a big world cup – I hope he gets to show those poms a thing or two. Like everyone I’m cheering for our golden girl Sam Kerr in the soccer, it’ll be hard for her to get us over the line, but we can send her good vibes and dare to dream.
The Super Rugby is getting to the pointy end of its season, and it’s hard not to be in awe of the Kiwi teams. The style of rugby they play is a cut above, and they’ll be specials in the World Cup. Again, I guess we can dare to dream in the middle of the night. In the League, my beloved Bulldogs are languishing at the bottom of the table, so I’m cheering for all of the ‘ex’ Bulldogs as they run around in the State Of Origin – there’s heaps of them, sheesh.
Why not get out and about in the Central West to watch and support our local sport? Again, there’s soooo much on offer, you’d have to be very fussy not to be catered for. [The Men’s All-Age B grade Football comp is a pearler, with an un-named 53 year old making a few guest appearances in goal J, worth a laugh …]
Too much sport? Never. Too much sport is never enough.