Wednesday
Go here for video of Boris Johnson's amazing football tackle (actually more like an American football block), in that bizarre pro-celeb England Germany match about a month ago. Apologies if this has already been alluded to here, but a search through the archives suggests not. "Finest hour" is, however, an odd way to describe it. More like finest five seconds.
Talking of great sporting moments, ideal for the delectation of internetters, can anyone direct me to any video of Kevin Pietersen's equally amazing (and equally subversive of established order and decency) reverse sweep of Muttiah Muralitharan, last Friday? There are plenty of photos of this extraordinary stroke, but you need video to get the full flavour of what Pietersen did.
Immediately after this, Pietersen got out. But nobody cared, because that shot was one of those "worth the price of admission alone" moments. Not that I was there, or paid this price. I just heard about it on the radio, and then saw it on the TV highlights, which I sadly do not yet have the ability to process and pass on.
More ruminations from me about the wondrous enrichment of cricket fan memories offered by the internet here.
I saw the "tackle" by Boris. He's an idiot and could have badly hurt the other fellow. He seems to have carried off this rather staged persona of the upper class twit who likes to have a jolly good time mixing with the proles. Which seems to be the modus operandi (as he would say) of the Cameronian Tory Party. Condescending asses, the lot of them.
Posted by Johnathan Pearce at May 31, 2006 07:24 AM
Did the State step in and give him a yellow card? Should they?
Sorry, couldn’t help it, I was giggling too much at the video…
Posted by Dave at May 31, 2006 11:39 AM
Surely headbutting another man in the groin, even if on the sporting field and the result of a tackle gone wrong, is worthy of an ASBO?
Posted by James Waterton at May 31, 2006 12:42 PM
Well, you know......John is John
Well, you know......Boris is Boris
Posted by permanent expat at May 31, 2006 01:29 PM
Personally, I think the German took a dive in a cynical attempt to get our super-star sent off.
But tangential to the two highlights mentioned, there is a something much more important (to cricket lovers, anyway) that needs to be tracked down: any film at all that shows S.F.Barnes in his pomp - roughly 1912-1930. Rated by some as the greatest bowler ever, it's difficult to accept that there isn't something out there somewhere.
Posted by bt at May 31, 2006 01:35 PM
Jonathan: '............and could have badly hurt the other fellow.'............Diddums then, how caring of you. men playing with their balls are so dangerous. Eek! It should all be banned like everything else. ;-)
Posted by permanent expat at May 31, 2006 01:38 PM
permanent expat, no, of course contact sports can be dangerous, but these things are a matter of degree, which is why you have referees and, er, rules. Johnson is an idiot who cannot play the game. Oafs like Johnson can be as dangerous as Roy Keane.
Posted by Johnathan Pearce at May 31, 2006 02:21 PM
Rob, it isn't chippiness: it is a sense that Boris is putting on an act that I find a bit of a bore. I have no problem with aristos in public life and despise inverted snobbery and the other kind. My problem is that Boris cultivates the upper-class berk image and after a while it grates on the nerves of even a fairly reasonable person like me.
Posted by Johnathan Pearce at May 31, 2006 08:44 PM
