The awfulness of both the football sex abuse story and the Brazil team plane crash are a reminder that what normally passes for ‘serious’ or ‘scandal’ in sport is nothing like. Ball tampering, driving slowly? Get real.
So it is with a heavy heart that I highlight the sports stories of the week. I don’t want to ignore the plane crash and sex abuse story – although both are important and horrifying in completely different ways – but I’m sure you’ve read them elsewhere.
SPOTY
Two items for the agenda. Why no Wiggins or Froome? And can Murray be stopped?
CRICKET
The case for allowing ball tampering.
FOOTBALL
It’s Gareth Southgate for England! Is he really the best person for the job? The answer is yes, if you think England are mediocre therefore need a mediocre manager. Or lets just cut to the chase and say No.
RUGBY
The extraordinary career of Kiwi Sonny Bill Williams.
TENNIS
Don’t ever go changing the Davis Cup. It always delivers. We could change the scoring system though.
plus: How far can a deaf tennis player go?
F1
Should Lewis Hamilton be criticised or even punished for driving slowly in an attempt to scupper Nico Rosberg? In a word – no. It made for a big story, overshadowing Rosberg‘s eventual championship win; but this is hardly deliberate crashing as of years gone by. Hamilton is the better driver, and part of that is the win-at-all-costs mentality. We can’t celebrate his skill and ignore the desire. Plus it was fun.
CHESS
Yes, again. How Magnus Carlsen is making chess cool.
THAT BOOK
By me. You buy.
See you next week.
