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Saturday
It doesn’t get much better than a Test decider against Australia for the British Lions and the Wimbledon finals.
John Inverdale
Backhanded compliment?
Carlsberg don’t do sporting weekends, but if they did you would have been forgiven for thinking BBC Radio 5 Live anchor John Inverdale had got to the bar first. If backhanded compliments were on a scale of one to 10, Inverdale hit Bartoli with a double-handed smash as he attempted to sum up her battling qualities that had just seen off Sabine Lisicki in the Ladies Final.
“Do you think Bartoli’s dad told her when she was little ‘You’re never going to be a looker? You’ll never be a Sharapova, so you have to be scrappy and fight’” Inverdale asked the listeners, who were probably incapable of a reply as they had been stunned in to silence.
Had the airwaves been filled with the Potter’s Wheel interlude music to mask the sound of Inverdale being dragged out of the studio, few would have been shocked. The BBC would apologise for Inverdale’s insult, while he in turn would write his own sorry note to Bartoli. Many though, are still hoping he has enough ink left to pen a resignation letter as well …
Stuart Hogg
Celebrating the Lions’ Victory
On the other side of the world meanwhile, you could imagine the Carlsberg as well as several of the local brews being guzzled after the Lions Third Test victory over Australia. And who would have thought that a Scot, in the shape of Richie Gray, would feature more in securing that win than Lions legend Brian O’Driscoll?
It was no surprise that the partying lasted well into the night. And who would have thought that a Scot, in the shape of Stuart Hogg (pictured left), would feature in one of the lasting images from the post-match celebrations. Great to see that even in this professional era, rugby players are just the same as they’ve always been …
Sunday
Earlier in the week, First Minister Alex Salmond had purchased a pair of season tickets for his beloved, and extremely troubled Hearts, then kindly donated them to a couple of fellow Jambos. Those thinking Mr Salmond might be equally generous when it came to handing out his Centre Court for the Men’s Final at Wimbledon were however, to be disappointed.
Salmond waves the Saltire
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He chose to join Prime Minister David Cameron in the best seats in the house to see Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets to become the first British male to win his home Grand Slam event since Fred Perry. As Murray held the trophy aloft, Mr Salmond unfurled a Saltire.
The actions of a proud Scot? Or a desperate act of jingoism? That probably depends which box you intend to stick your cross in come next September. Still, Salmond had to explain his actions, and said the flag had been in his wife Moira’s handbag.
Funny, I didn’t have her down as being a Sydney Devine fan …
Monday
And I’m a guest on BBC Scotland’s MacAulay and Co, joining Fred to chat about Murray’s win, and give an insight into to what happens to a sportsman in the aftermath of such a monumental success.
Should tennis have been included in next year’s games?
I’m not alone in having my say about the now two-time Grand Slam winner. Anyone remotely associated with the tennis ace is interviewed, although BBC Scotland performs something of a coup in having the champion’s mother, Judy, live from London.
After the normal platitudes, she was asked about next summer and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. No tennis?
Not surprisingly, she said reckoned that tennis should have been included, and added it would have been “huge” for the new Wimbledon champion to take part in his home country. The minutes from the meeting that decided tennis wasn’t for Glasgow should make interesting, maybe even slightly embarrassing reading now …
Tuesday
And the Nigerian Football Federation suspend four amateur teams involved in two weekend promotion deciders.
“It is unacceptable; this is a scandal of huge proportions,” NFF vice-president Mike Umeha announced after Plateau United Feeders hammered Akurba 79-0 while Police Machine thrashed Babayaro 67-0 in Division Three promotion play-offs.
Thanks for that Mike. But I think people might have guessed that five minutes in to each game …
Wednesday
Celtic’s first match
Timed to suit the broadcasters?
And there is outrage when it is announced that Celtic will begin their Championship defence against Ross County, the game kicking-off at 5.15pm, another prime example of broadcasters being listened to ahead of supporters. Twelve months ago, when there were some prickly decisions to be made about Rangers, how many clubs gave those same supporters, or ‘customers’ as they were then known, a say in what happened? You might be fans for life. But you only get treated like customers when it suits the clubs. And that was last year …
Thursday
Victor Wanyama completes his £12.5m move to Southampton. That completes an amazing piece of business for Celtic, who bought the Kenyan midfielder from Beerschot two years ago for just £900,000.
It’s also a ringing endorsement for the star-spotting capabilities of the Celtic scouting network, though I can’t help think that they might be a whole lot cheaper to buy those scouts than midfielders costing eight-figure sums …
Friday
While ‘The Weirdos’ – arguably the most irreverent (and cheapest) sporting awards around – are still a good five months off, I have to say it will take something special for the Royal Caledonian Curling Club not to win the ‘Only In Scotland’ title for 2013. They have decreed that teams selected for the 2014 Winter Olympics, should not compete in the world championships, and give three reasons why.
Eve Muirhead
Current World Champion
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They say it is to keep athletes selected for Sochi totally focussed on that target; to allow the development of athletes not selected for Sochi; and lastly to enable the Royal Club flexibility in the scheduling of the Scottish Championships.
Those reasons might appear perfectly justified, apart from one minor detail. You see, Scotland has the reigning world champion in Eve Muirhead. But she won’t be world champion for much longer thanks to the Royal Caledonian Curling Club and the criteria they have set out.
But have they not imagined the kudos that would go with being and Olympic and World Champion in the same year? Or imagined the celebrity status young Eve might achieve and enjoy, thus lifting the profile of the sport? Or imagined what that might do for the popularity of the sport?
Probably yes, along with imagining their own self importance …
Saturday
Administrator Bryan Jackson woke up this morning with three groups bidding to take control of Hearts. Fans’ group the Foundation of Hearts, HMFC Ltd, who are financed by American group Club 9 Sports, and Five Stars Football Ltd, who list Angelo Massone, who left as Livingston owner in July 2009 when they were placed in administration, as one of their directors.
I have this mental image of Jackson, in his bathroom, whistling the theme tune to The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly while he’s having a shave. I don’t know why. I just do …