Enigmatic, powerful, dramatic, frustrating, graceful and brilliant. Pretty much any adjective that you will find In the Oxford dictionary could describe outgoing Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. An irresistible force yet also an immovable object, and as we all know, part time drama queen. The Ivorian epitomise's the win at all costs mentality that Chelsea have become synonymous with since Jose Mourinho rolled into Stamford Bridge in 2004. That steely determination was back on display when Chelsea, against all odds, triumphed in Munich on Saturday night. On the greatest night in the clubs history, Drogba once again stepped up when all others lost hope. Thomas Mullers 83rd minute header looked to have given Bayern their fifth European Cup, sending thousands of Bavarians ballistic. For a team whose nickname is FC Hollywood, this seemed like the perfect ending. But little did the army of red know that Chelsea's very own War Horse would come charging in to tear up their fariytale script. Leaping through the warm German summer air, Drogba crashed an unstoppable header passed a helpless Manuel Neuer. Petr Cech then out psyched former team mate Arjen Robben to save his tame extra time penalty, and after both Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger fluffed their lines in a usually routine German penalty shootout win, Drogba had to score with only one kick, to provide a mammoth twist to this absorbing tale which after 83 minutes seemed unthinkable. Sure enough, with one swipe of his dynamic right foot, Drogba finally delivered the trophy his team coveted most, and with that, the mercurial forward took his final bow in front of 17,000 adoring Chelsea fans. How those supporters will miss him. In the eight trophy laden years he spent with the blues, Drogba won ten trophies, and in the ten finals he played, only failed to find the net once. That being in his darkest hour in Moscow, when he was sent off with minutes remaining and had he stayed on the pitch that night, Drogba would have taken that infamous fifth penalty which John Terry missed in Chelsea's shootout loss to Manchester United. How the footballing gods move in mysterious ways. Drogba finally had his moment of redemption in Munich and no player deserves it more.
But as well as being a fabulous player, Didier Drogba is also a giant of a man. Much of his income goes towards the many hospitals he is building in his native Ivory Coast through his charity 'the Didier Drogba Foundation'. When Civil War was growing increasingly bloody in his homeland, Drogba used his god like status in the country to call for a cease fire from all parties. As if commanded from above, the violence stopped. Many lives owe a debt of gratitude to the proud Ivorian, for he almost single handedly prevented the deaths of thousands of innocent people. In an age when professional footballers use their status to soley enrich their own lives, Drogba goes against that grain. Maybe, in the future, we may even see a President Didier of the Cote De Voir popping into Downing Street for a spot of tea.
But back to professional matters, what next for Drogba? What next for Chelsea? Drogbas Likely destination seems to be up and coming Chinese club, Shanghai Shenua, where he would link up with former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka. The 34 year old stated that he owes 'too much allegiance' to Chelsea and would never play for another English club. That is a welcomed and understandable sentiment, but Drogba in many people's mind, including mine, is still way to good to be slumming it in the Chinese premier league despite the financial wealth that would come with the move. The one thing that Drogba has always relished is the big occasions. Due to his infatuation with scoring at Wembley, some Chelsea fans claim the famous arch towering over the fabled pitch should be named after the man himself. Yes, the man affectionately known as the 'Drog' will not miss a wet, windy Wednesday night in Wigan all that much, but will his insatiable appetite for the big matches leave a void in his life? Considering the hunger and drive he seems to exude when it comes to the big occasion, one suspects it might do. There is no question that Chelsea will miss him and they will now need to find a way to cope in Drogba's absence. For now, it seems the club are willing to persevere with Fernando Torres. Despite being one of the worlds most accomplished strikers a few years back, the Spaniard has suffered 'the worst moments of his career' at Stamford Bridge, partly because the three managers he played under trusted Drogba significantly more to deliver when it mattered most. Perhaps, now that Torres knows he will no longer have to play second fiddle to Drogba, he will be liberated and we will see him back to his best. But on the flip side, Torres will be expected by the fans and hierachy to deliver in the big moments just as Drogba has over the past eight years and that could prove as big a weight on his shoulders as that £50 million price tag.
When Didier Drogba first arrived on these shores, not many were convinced about his ability to cut it in the big time and his amateur dramatics at times made him a figure of hate for many. But the striker, over the years, redeemed himself and Frank Lampard said Drogba will leave a 'massive hole' at the club. He may not have been included in the best striker category in the'20 seasons of the Premier League' awards, but there is no doubt Drogba is one of the finest centre forwards to have graced the competition. Thank you and goodbye Didier Drogba, you will be sorely missed (not by any Premier League defenders though!)
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Growing Importance of Social Media
As we enter 2012 it seems strange to think that only a few years ago; social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter were merely just a flickering idea in a budding entrepreneurs mind. Both of these mediums are now so vital to people’s everyday lives that they are the first thing people check when they wake up and the last thing they look at before they go to bed. Begrudgingly, I admit that I am one of these people. But as well as being useful for organising ones social life and checking out the latest dramas filling the enviable lives of many talent-less celebrities; social media has become vital in breaking and making news stories.
Facebook was first set up in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and three of his fellow students while they attended Harvard University. After initially limiting usage to only students attending Havard; Facebook was then made available to other Universities in America before moving onto high schools. From September 2006 it became available worldwide; and as of 2011 there are an estimated 800 million users and Facebook is reportedly worth over $15 billion.
In 2007; Barack Obama used the power of Facebook to help him to victory in the 2008 presidential election. A relatively unknown entity; Obama drummed up support and encouraged members of the public to help fund his successful campaign. This allowed him to reach out to millions of people across America and gave him the opportunity to deliver his policies before his fellow candidates had time to even think about theirs. A new superpower was born; and it wasn’t Obama.
Twitter was the brainchild of an American by the name of Jack Dorsey: and it went live to the public in March 2006. After becoming popular among celebrities such as Stephen Fry; the micro-blogging site was seen as a direct competitor to Facebook. But in truth; Twitter and Facebook are vastly different. Whereas Facebook is seen more as a tool for the wider public to communicate with each other on a social basis; Twitter is seen as a suitable medium from which celebrities, politicians, buisness’s and journalists can share their thoughts with us (the general public). This is one of the reasons Twitter has gained such a vast following. Facebook is technically more sophisticated and offers perhaps more entertaining applications which people can use; but Twitter offers something that the general public greatly desire; access to both interesting information and the lives of people that they inspire to live themselves.
Many moons ago (well, only about three years), television news networks such as Sky News and BBC News 24 were seen as the main gateways to breaking news. But thanks to the advent of social media that is no longer the case. People can now tweet breaking news stories as they unfold via smart phones or portable laptops. With the use of hash-tagging; the tweet can then be picked up by anyone across the world. A recent example of social media being solely responsible for the development of a story was after a video was posted on the internet called “My Tram Experience”. The video showed an intoxicated white woman racially abusing a tram carriage full of black people. This caused shock and outrage amongst the public; and soon enough the story and video spread all over Twitter. Public figures such as Piers Morgan even picked up on the story and there was a public outcry for something to be done. The following day the woman was arrested.
Twitter has become a prime avenue for journalists to break developing stories. More often than not, journalists such as Dan Roan (BBC’s Sports Correspondent) will tweet the ongoing developments of a story and then guide his “followers” to watch his full report on the BBC News channel. It is an extremely effective way for journalists and news outlets to direct traffic to their websites and news channels. People will now pick up the strands of a news story on Twitter and then go onto websites such as BBC News for further information.
However, the breaking of stories via Twitter has begun to cause murmurings of discontent in some news agencies. The Associated Press (AP) recently reprimanded a number of their journalists for breaking news stories via Twitter before putting it on the wire. News agencies such as the AP feel that Twitter can at times be inaccurate and is devaluing the traditional methods of delivering breaking news. The AP policy on the use of social media by their journalists reads as follows; "If you have a piece of information, a photo or a video that is compelling, exclusive and/or urgent enough to be considered breaking news, you should file it to the wire, and photo and video points before you consider putting it out on social media." There was also a strongly worded email sent to all AP journalists by Managing Editor Lou Ferrara saying employees “first duty was to the agency; and not Twitter.” It is evident that agencies such as AP feel they are increasingly being undermined by the rising importance of Twitter to breaking news.
Facebook and Twitter has been accused of becoming “dangerous”; in some circles. Recently, a man who was sentenced to death in America had his sentence overturned due to a member of the jury tweeting during court proceedings. The trial was declared invalid after Randy Franco posted a series of tweets including one which read; “Choices to be made. Hearts to be broken. We each define the great line.”
During the summer riots in the UK; Twitter and Facebook became a platform for people to plan the terrible events that saw towns and shops being destroyed. In some quarters, people called for Facebook and Twitter to be shut down temporarily in order to stop people from being able to plan which areas would be targeted. One man posted a picture of himself on Facebook holding a bag of Tesco’s value basmati rice that he had stolen; and the social media sites seemed to be taken over by opportunistic criminals laughing in the face of justice by bragging about their misdemeanours. This, by many, was seen as the dark side of social media.
Over the last five years, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have come to define the lives of many people. They are viewed by many as an opportunity to share their thoughts with the world and a chance to learn more about the world around them. They are now a source from which news stories can be broken and they have come to define modern day technology.
So at the end of this article I ask myself the question; what has come to define the beginning of the 21st century? Could it be the War on Terror? Could it be the continuing economic difficulties facing us? Or could it be the year long “Who shot Phil Mitchell” plot line from Eastender’s which gripped the nation in 2001; (a close second I think)? But despite the significance of all of these events; the birth of social media is what has defined and will continue to define us this century.
Facebook was first set up in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and three of his fellow students while they attended Harvard University. After initially limiting usage to only students attending Havard; Facebook was then made available to other Universities in America before moving onto high schools. From September 2006 it became available worldwide; and as of 2011 there are an estimated 800 million users and Facebook is reportedly worth over $15 billion.
In 2007; Barack Obama used the power of Facebook to help him to victory in the 2008 presidential election. A relatively unknown entity; Obama drummed up support and encouraged members of the public to help fund his successful campaign. This allowed him to reach out to millions of people across America and gave him the opportunity to deliver his policies before his fellow candidates had time to even think about theirs. A new superpower was born; and it wasn’t Obama.
Twitter was the brainchild of an American by the name of Jack Dorsey: and it went live to the public in March 2006. After becoming popular among celebrities such as Stephen Fry; the micro-blogging site was seen as a direct competitor to Facebook. But in truth; Twitter and Facebook are vastly different. Whereas Facebook is seen more as a tool for the wider public to communicate with each other on a social basis; Twitter is seen as a suitable medium from which celebrities, politicians, buisness’s and journalists can share their thoughts with us (the general public). This is one of the reasons Twitter has gained such a vast following. Facebook is technically more sophisticated and offers perhaps more entertaining applications which people can use; but Twitter offers something that the general public greatly desire; access to both interesting information and the lives of people that they inspire to live themselves.
Many moons ago (well, only about three years), television news networks such as Sky News and BBC News 24 were seen as the main gateways to breaking news. But thanks to the advent of social media that is no longer the case. People can now tweet breaking news stories as they unfold via smart phones or portable laptops. With the use of hash-tagging; the tweet can then be picked up by anyone across the world. A recent example of social media being solely responsible for the development of a story was after a video was posted on the internet called “My Tram Experience”. The video showed an intoxicated white woman racially abusing a tram carriage full of black people. This caused shock and outrage amongst the public; and soon enough the story and video spread all over Twitter. Public figures such as Piers Morgan even picked up on the story and there was a public outcry for something to be done. The following day the woman was arrested.
Twitter has become a prime avenue for journalists to break developing stories. More often than not, journalists such as Dan Roan (BBC’s Sports Correspondent) will tweet the ongoing developments of a story and then guide his “followers” to watch his full report on the BBC News channel. It is an extremely effective way for journalists and news outlets to direct traffic to their websites and news channels. People will now pick up the strands of a news story on Twitter and then go onto websites such as BBC News for further information.
However, the breaking of stories via Twitter has begun to cause murmurings of discontent in some news agencies. The Associated Press (AP) recently reprimanded a number of their journalists for breaking news stories via Twitter before putting it on the wire. News agencies such as the AP feel that Twitter can at times be inaccurate and is devaluing the traditional methods of delivering breaking news. The AP policy on the use of social media by their journalists reads as follows; "If you have a piece of information, a photo or a video that is compelling, exclusive and/or urgent enough to be considered breaking news, you should file it to the wire, and photo and video points before you consider putting it out on social media." There was also a strongly worded email sent to all AP journalists by Managing Editor Lou Ferrara saying employees “first duty was to the agency; and not Twitter.” It is evident that agencies such as AP feel they are increasingly being undermined by the rising importance of Twitter to breaking news.
Facebook and Twitter has been accused of becoming “dangerous”; in some circles. Recently, a man who was sentenced to death in America had his sentence overturned due to a member of the jury tweeting during court proceedings. The trial was declared invalid after Randy Franco posted a series of tweets including one which read; “Choices to be made. Hearts to be broken. We each define the great line.”
During the summer riots in the UK; Twitter and Facebook became a platform for people to plan the terrible events that saw towns and shops being destroyed. In some quarters, people called for Facebook and Twitter to be shut down temporarily in order to stop people from being able to plan which areas would be targeted. One man posted a picture of himself on Facebook holding a bag of Tesco’s value basmati rice that he had stolen; and the social media sites seemed to be taken over by opportunistic criminals laughing in the face of justice by bragging about their misdemeanours. This, by many, was seen as the dark side of social media.
Over the last five years, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have come to define the lives of many people. They are viewed by many as an opportunity to share their thoughts with the world and a chance to learn more about the world around them. They are now a source from which news stories can be broken and they have come to define modern day technology.
So at the end of this article I ask myself the question; what has come to define the beginning of the 21st century? Could it be the War on Terror? Could it be the continuing economic difficulties facing us? Or could it be the year long “Who shot Phil Mitchell” plot line from Eastender’s which gripped the nation in 2001; (a close second I think)? But despite the significance of all of these events; the birth of social media is what has defined and will continue to define us this century.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Roo Are A Disgrace
For many people,including myself, football is one of the few things that can lift my spirits regardless of what obstacles life is throwing me. loyal football fans up and down the country have been struggling over the last decade to be able to afford to go and watch their beloved team play. Over 500,000 hard working men and women will lose their jobs it was announced this week, so it is inevitable that the average football supporter will drift away from the game yet further due to the crippling financial constraints they will face. So it is in times like these that we turn to our idols, our heroes,the people who can provide us with some joy, despite the looming cloud of despair that blows our way. However, a certain Wayne Rooney, has effectively spat in the face of every hard working man and woman in Britain (not to mention football fans).
Many a Manchester United fan will declare the fact that Rooney has signed a new megabucks deal as a victory for football. They will digress that the ever domineering Sir Alex Ferguson has again triumphed over a rebellious footballer, and now that the saga is over, we can all pretend it never happened and that this week has purely been an elaborate work of fiction. I for one, think this is the worst possible outcome.
The money motivated 24 year old declared on Wednesday evening that the reason he wanted to leave Old Trafford was because the board had not given him assurances about the clubs future and that their ability to win trophies had severely waned. And he did have a point. The 3 time European champions are not the juggernaut they once were, highlighted by the average at best trio of Michael Carrick, Ji-Sung Park and John O'Shea being first team regulars. But what could have changed Rooney's mind over the past two days? Has Rooney been told of the "immenent" signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? definatly not. Did a ropey 1-0 victory over European minnows Bursaspor convince Wayne that United are destined for a trophy laden season? Well unless there has been some funny substances in those ciggerettes we have seen him smoking recently, most probably not. There is only one thing that motivated Wayne Rooney and his distasteful agent Paul Stretford, and that was the astronomical amount of money David Gill presented them with.
The man who once exclaimed "Once a blue always a blue" while at Everton, has treated Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson and the fans with utter contempt. He has swindled a club who are riddled with debt into making him the highest paid footballer in the country, while also undermining the credentials of his fellow teammates. Exemplary professionals such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes must feel disgusted at the way Rooney has taken their beloved club for a ride.
The boy who grew up in working class Liverppol has forgotten his roots, and given a two fingered salute to the hundreds and thousands of men and women across the country who will not be in a job this time next year. And in an age when footballers are lambasted for being greedy and self indulgent, Wayne Rooney has proved that theory right. Quite frankly Mr. Rooney, you are a disgrace.
Many a Manchester United fan will declare the fact that Rooney has signed a new megabucks deal as a victory for football. They will digress that the ever domineering Sir Alex Ferguson has again triumphed over a rebellious footballer, and now that the saga is over, we can all pretend it never happened and that this week has purely been an elaborate work of fiction. I for one, think this is the worst possible outcome.
The money motivated 24 year old declared on Wednesday evening that the reason he wanted to leave Old Trafford was because the board had not given him assurances about the clubs future and that their ability to win trophies had severely waned. And he did have a point. The 3 time European champions are not the juggernaut they once were, highlighted by the average at best trio of Michael Carrick, Ji-Sung Park and John O'Shea being first team regulars. But what could have changed Rooney's mind over the past two days? Has Rooney been told of the "immenent" signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? definatly not. Did a ropey 1-0 victory over European minnows Bursaspor convince Wayne that United are destined for a trophy laden season? Well unless there has been some funny substances in those ciggerettes we have seen him smoking recently, most probably not. There is only one thing that motivated Wayne Rooney and his distasteful agent Paul Stretford, and that was the astronomical amount of money David Gill presented them with.
The man who once exclaimed "Once a blue always a blue" while at Everton, has treated Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson and the fans with utter contempt. He has swindled a club who are riddled with debt into making him the highest paid footballer in the country, while also undermining the credentials of his fellow teammates. Exemplary professionals such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes must feel disgusted at the way Rooney has taken their beloved club for a ride.
The boy who grew up in working class Liverppol has forgotten his roots, and given a two fingered salute to the hundreds and thousands of men and women across the country who will not be in a job this time next year. And in an age when footballers are lambasted for being greedy and self indulgent, Wayne Rooney has proved that theory right. Quite frankly Mr. Rooney, you are a disgrace.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Suspicious Minds
Show business can be extremely fickle and at times very cut-throat. One minute you are the best thing since sliced bread, the next you are yesterday’s news. It has happened to me in the past, and yesterday Over the Rainbow hopeful Stephanie Davis learnt that cruel lesson as well. The 17 year old from Liverpool found herself in the bottom two along with Steph Fearon, but Andrew Lloyd Webber elected to give Stephanie the chop. But without sounding like just another conspiracy theorist, the circumstances surrounding Stephanie’s departure do raise suspicion.
It has emerged that some people who were attempting to ring in and vote for Stephanie were unable to get through, sparking claims that the result was fixed. But that is not the only thing that is puzzling about this result. Every week Stephanie received rave reviews from the panel and Andrew Lloyd Webber, resulting in her becoming the bookies favorite to win the show. So it seems strange that all of a sudden John Partridge and Sheila Hancock did not think that Stephanie was fit to become Dorothy. The Song that Stephanie was given to perform, Mr.Bojangles, has a reputation for suiting a male vocal and being extremely tough for female singers to get to grips with. That was a sentiment that all of the panel echoed after Stephanie’s performance, so it is baffling as to why she was given that song in the first place.
Every week Andrew Lloyd Webber has to decide which girl to save out of the bottom two, but his reason for saving Steph this week was farcical. The Lord was taking into account the fact that Dorothy is supposed to be an orphan, and because Steph is mixed race, he deemed that she would somehow give the role of an orphan more credibility. This was despite previously airing doubts as to whether Steph had the ability to play Dorothy, and also praising Stephanie for being a complete performer. So his decision did seem rather odd, and basing who to eliminate on the grounds of race sets a very dangerous precedent.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s verdict also raises the question of elitism in show business. Steph Fearon and her family have fairly substantial backgrounds in the world of entertainment, with both of her parents being successful recording artists, and Steph herself starring in “My Parents are Aliens” and “As If”. So some may believe that she was saved purely because of her showbiz connections. But before people begin to say that what I am saying is nonsensical, I know for a fact that it does happen as I have been a victim of it. I myself applied to audition for the role of Ron Weasley in Harry Potter, having gained the backing of my stage school, but was subsequently told by the production company that they were not looking to cast an English actor. Low and behold, Rupert Grint (an English actor) got the part, and his parents are both film producers and extremely well connected in the industry. Read into that what you will.
But in the cold light of day, the result cannot be altered, and unfortunately Stephanie is out of the competition. In my opinion, she was one of the strongest contenders to become Dorothy as she could sing, act and dance, and I had backed her to win. However, you do not always get what you deserve, but the key to achieving success in an industry such as show business is to keep on fighting and never giving up. As long as Stephanie stays focused and determined, I am sure that she can fly higher than the rainbow.
It has emerged that some people who were attempting to ring in and vote for Stephanie were unable to get through, sparking claims that the result was fixed. But that is not the only thing that is puzzling about this result. Every week Stephanie received rave reviews from the panel and Andrew Lloyd Webber, resulting in her becoming the bookies favorite to win the show. So it seems strange that all of a sudden John Partridge and Sheila Hancock did not think that Stephanie was fit to become Dorothy. The Song that Stephanie was given to perform, Mr.Bojangles, has a reputation for suiting a male vocal and being extremely tough for female singers to get to grips with. That was a sentiment that all of the panel echoed after Stephanie’s performance, so it is baffling as to why she was given that song in the first place.
Every week Andrew Lloyd Webber has to decide which girl to save out of the bottom two, but his reason for saving Steph this week was farcical. The Lord was taking into account the fact that Dorothy is supposed to be an orphan, and because Steph is mixed race, he deemed that she would somehow give the role of an orphan more credibility. This was despite previously airing doubts as to whether Steph had the ability to play Dorothy, and also praising Stephanie for being a complete performer. So his decision did seem rather odd, and basing who to eliminate on the grounds of race sets a very dangerous precedent.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s verdict also raises the question of elitism in show business. Steph Fearon and her family have fairly substantial backgrounds in the world of entertainment, with both of her parents being successful recording artists, and Steph herself starring in “My Parents are Aliens” and “As If”. So some may believe that she was saved purely because of her showbiz connections. But before people begin to say that what I am saying is nonsensical, I know for a fact that it does happen as I have been a victim of it. I myself applied to audition for the role of Ron Weasley in Harry Potter, having gained the backing of my stage school, but was subsequently told by the production company that they were not looking to cast an English actor. Low and behold, Rupert Grint (an English actor) got the part, and his parents are both film producers and extremely well connected in the industry. Read into that what you will.
But in the cold light of day, the result cannot be altered, and unfortunately Stephanie is out of the competition. In my opinion, she was one of the strongest contenders to become Dorothy as she could sing, act and dance, and I had backed her to win. However, you do not always get what you deserve, but the key to achieving success in an industry such as show business is to keep on fighting and never giving up. As long as Stephanie stays focused and determined, I am sure that she can fly higher than the rainbow.
“Magic” Mayweather Has “Sugar” Shane Spellbound
The eyes of the boxing world were on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night, and to say we got treated to something magic was an understatement. Many pundits and top fighters, including Heavyweight champion David Haye, thought that this would be the night where “Pretty Boy” Floyd’s pristine record would become tarnished. After all, he was fighting Shane Mosley, one of the greatest boxers in modern history and a certain future hall of famer. Yet Mayweather managed to make Mosley look pedestrian.
The 38 year old former welter-weight champion seemed mezmirised by the speed and unerring accuracy of Mayweather’s punches, and there was a constant look of utter dejection on his face whenever he was sat in his corner. Meanwhile, Mayweather was looking so relaxed he must have been wandering what the fuss was all about. Only once did Mosley appear to rock Mayweather, landing two hefty right hooks on the undefeated champion, sending the crowd into raptures. But Mayweather showed the grit that many thought he lacked, and weathered the storm in spectacular style.
The brash boxer used his lightning fast jab and unbelievable movement to negate any threat that Mosley posed, and once again his counter punching was impeccable. Mayweather has been criticized in the past for not showing enough aggression in the ring and being overly cautious. However, such an accusation could not have been leveled against him on Saturday night. He was determined to prove a point to his many fans, and also his critics, and he consequently produced one of the best displays of boxing I have ever seen. If he wasn’t one already, this was the fight that cemented Mayweather as one of the greats of the sport, and it was fitting that Muhammad Ali was at ringside to witness it.
The final round of the fight was one of the most surreal that I have witnessed. Both Mosley and Nazim Richardson (Mosley’s trainer) sat in their corner knowing that this was a bridge to far for “Sugar” Shane. There was nothing left in the tank, while Mayweather looked as though he could go on for another twelve rounds. But both Mosley and most importantly Richardson, who had earlier threatened to pull him out, knew that this would be the former three weight world champion’s last hurrah, and to throw in the towel so late would seem an undignified way for a proud fighter like Mosley to take his final bow. And despite still outclassing his opponent, Mayweather seemed reluctant to go for the knockout. Maybe it was because he had too much respect for Mosley, and saw it fitting that the veteran fighter should at least have his record of not being stopped in tact. But that is something we will never know for sure. But what I do know is that Mayweather, who has now firmly cemented himself as the pound for pound best in the world, will be itching to take on Manny Pacquiao in one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts in boxing history. If Mayweather emerges victorious, it will be hard to argue against him being the greatest boxer of all time.
The 38 year old former welter-weight champion seemed mezmirised by the speed and unerring accuracy of Mayweather’s punches, and there was a constant look of utter dejection on his face whenever he was sat in his corner. Meanwhile, Mayweather was looking so relaxed he must have been wandering what the fuss was all about. Only once did Mosley appear to rock Mayweather, landing two hefty right hooks on the undefeated champion, sending the crowd into raptures. But Mayweather showed the grit that many thought he lacked, and weathered the storm in spectacular style.
The brash boxer used his lightning fast jab and unbelievable movement to negate any threat that Mosley posed, and once again his counter punching was impeccable. Mayweather has been criticized in the past for not showing enough aggression in the ring and being overly cautious. However, such an accusation could not have been leveled against him on Saturday night. He was determined to prove a point to his many fans, and also his critics, and he consequently produced one of the best displays of boxing I have ever seen. If he wasn’t one already, this was the fight that cemented Mayweather as one of the greats of the sport, and it was fitting that Muhammad Ali was at ringside to witness it.
The final round of the fight was one of the most surreal that I have witnessed. Both Mosley and Nazim Richardson (Mosley’s trainer) sat in their corner knowing that this was a bridge to far for “Sugar” Shane. There was nothing left in the tank, while Mayweather looked as though he could go on for another twelve rounds. But both Mosley and most importantly Richardson, who had earlier threatened to pull him out, knew that this would be the former three weight world champion’s last hurrah, and to throw in the towel so late would seem an undignified way for a proud fighter like Mosley to take his final bow. And despite still outclassing his opponent, Mayweather seemed reluctant to go for the knockout. Maybe it was because he had too much respect for Mosley, and saw it fitting that the veteran fighter should at least have his record of not being stopped in tact. But that is something we will never know for sure. But what I do know is that Mayweather, who has now firmly cemented himself as the pound for pound best in the world, will be itching to take on Manny Pacquiao in one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts in boxing history. If Mayweather emerges victorious, it will be hard to argue against him being the greatest boxer of all time.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
World Cup article
It is an understatement to say that the nation is buzzing after England emphatically qualified for the 2010 World cup in South Africa. Fabio Capello’s men were drawn in a tricky qualifying group, which included Croatia, who decimated England’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008. However, the three lions sank their teeth firmly into their fledgling challengers in group 7, finishing top with 27 points out of a possible 30.
But can England make our summer dreams come true and bring the World cup back home? Despite the way Capello seems to have rejuvenated a previously stale side, I fear we will once again return home empty handed. My reason for holding this pessimistic view is that we are serial chokers, lacking the nerve to pull through in the difficult penalties. England have lost on penalties in five of their last seven major tournament outings, showing that when it comes to the crunch England never fail to crumble.
Many people have said that under Capello England are a different beast to what they were under Messrs McLaren and Eriksson. But many forget that England’s embarrassing 1-0 loss to Northern Ireland was the only defeat in three qualifying campaigns under Eriksson’s stewardship. So with virtually the same players that we had starting for England at Germany 2006, is South Africa really going to throw up a different ending? Since our World Cup triumph in 1966, there seems to be one record that has been constantly on repeat- England qualify with a bang and go out with a whimper.
But can England make our summer dreams come true and bring the World cup back home? Despite the way Capello seems to have rejuvenated a previously stale side, I fear we will once again return home empty handed. My reason for holding this pessimistic view is that we are serial chokers, lacking the nerve to pull through in the difficult penalties. England have lost on penalties in five of their last seven major tournament outings, showing that when it comes to the crunch England never fail to crumble.
Many people have said that under Capello England are a different beast to what they were under Messrs McLaren and Eriksson. But many forget that England’s embarrassing 1-0 loss to Northern Ireland was the only defeat in three qualifying campaigns under Eriksson’s stewardship. So with virtually the same players that we had starting for England at Germany 2006, is South Africa really going to throw up a different ending? Since our World Cup triumph in 1966, there seems to be one record that has been constantly on repeat- England qualify with a bang and go out with a whimper.
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