English Sport ; normal service is resumed..........

[red indian]

.......a test series win against the Windies, and a World cup win against the Aussies, in their respective back yards, seems now a dim and distant memory. We are back to our familliar role, one that fits us like and old and cherished pair of slippers. The role of eating world sporting shit, humilliation and just plain lack of "bottle".

Beckham, a man who kicks footballs for a living, is incapable of scoring a penalty, the ball ending up in row Z. Out of Euro 2004.

We get skittled out, and clattered all round the ground in the one day internationals by anyone who owns a piece of willow or leather. "owzat!!!???"

Then of course "Tiger" Tim puts the tin hat on the summer by whimping out of his quarter final with all the dignity of a child having its sweets snatched by the school bully. Game, set and match.

Oh well, what can we look forward to? the Ryder Cup I suppose. Well what ever happens in that, can you Yanks keep the hell off our putting lines??!!

 

[qjakal]

Golf

Guess golf really is the great equalizer of all men, eh red?

Sorry to hear you're having trouble in sports, but it's only a minor setback I'm sure.

It's difficult to win at Wimbledon...did you really think he was going to overcome those odds? One Englishman versus the world? That has to be a 60-40 shot at best...lol.

Q

 

[red indian]

Good point Q..........

.....It makes him look a whole lot better i suppose, if you look at it that way. I read somewhere today that Tims record, in terms of consistency, i.e. the number of back to back quarters and semis is unmatched since Rod Laver.

Nope, .....just does not wash does it? thanks for your kind thoughts anyway Q.

 

[BigJim]

I think it was John McEnroe who summed up the Tim Henman situation for me. Someone asked if he thought Henman lacked courage, or bottled the big games. He replied that people had Henman all wrong, and that he rarely if ever bottled a situation.

"He just isn't good enough"

was his assessment. I'm inclined to agree. He's reached a single grand slam final in his entire career and has never won a title of any importance, picking up most of his ranking points from quarter and semi final appearances. Better by far than Jeremy Bates, but not good enough to stand on the world stage.

 

[chrisheaven]

correct, Jim
I am not sorry, though...............
I had a bet when I was in College( a few years back now) that if any Brit (man or woman) won a Wimbledon singles final, I would dye my hair --YELLOW!

 

[red indian]

hey easy there lads!!................

........what Jim says goes for the vast majority of tennis pros, including Americans. For every one Tim Henman, the Yanks have fifty Jeff Tarango,s.

 

[BigJim]

Oh that's completely true of course Indy. But because the yanks have such an intensely invested in sporting culture, and actually try and produce sports stars instead of tossers they also come out with the odd Sampras, Agassi and Serena Williams. (And now and again they come out with a woman star too.😀)

 

[theshire]

"He just isn't good enough"

That's exactly it. He will never win Wimbledon, because he does not have enough talent and he does not have the bottle. Simple as that.