In my previous post I gave forth a wide, sweeping assertion - no surprise there, then! - to the effect that these days all 'hearties' are a total pain. Now, my regular readers will know that that sort of all-encompassing generalisation is not the sort of thing you would expect to read on this blog, famous as it is for its nuanced, careful, even forensic, weighing of the pros and cons of any subject before a judgment is issued forth! So my conscience has been well and truly pricked - and before you start I do the jokes round here! Anyway, since writing that post I have been trying desperately to think of any contemporary 'hearties' who actually conduct themselves in a sporting and gentlemanly way.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeees, quite!
However, one did occur and I give you as a disproof of my previous conclusion - Mr.Roger Federer. Now, I seem to remember that way back in the days of his youth he was given to occasional outbursts of yobbery but I am inclined to forgive him because ever since he has been a model of impeccable behaviour both on and off the tennis court. But ... but ... where are the others? Come on, people, help me out here because surely there are other sportsmen possessed of similar Corinthian values. I realise, alas, that no track and field athlete can be considered even if they are as clean as a really clean thing because their entire sport has been besmirched by doping scandals such that no-one can be trusted. Similarly, of course, with cycling which appears to shift more drugs than a street corner in Harlem!
Cricket has been hit for six by constant tales of illicit gambling, and the 'Aussie' practice of vile 'sledging' has grown apace so that all indulge in it today. Rugby can be ignored - all you have to do is look at the man-mountains who waddle out onto the pitch barely able to take a step because their steroid-induced thighs are so huge. The same thing, I suspect, holds good (or bad!) for American football.
Oh hell, I give up on the lot of them which is a pity because sport at its very best was an enormous pleasure to me as it was to millions of others. So come on, give me some real, clean heroes to worship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHD_nG8uY1Y
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 14 March 2015 at 13:18
Horse shoes? I try from time to time but my efforts often result in an odd landing where the horse shoe does a rapid semi circle runner in search of the shins of bystanders. I am gentlemanly enough to yell "look out" for the benefit of those who are about to be wounded.
Posted by: Whitewall | Saturday, 14 March 2015 at 14:33
Well WW, where the blindfolded lady is concerned the fact you yell out a warning would tend to weigh heavily that you're on the gentlemanly side.
Thus in the course of events a "gentleman sportsman" but the scales demand balancing. Hang out here on D&N much?
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 14 March 2015 at 15:30
Throwing horse shoes?! I'd rather watch bog-snorkelling!
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 14 March 2015 at 16:36
JK, yes I am comfy here at D&N. It is the closest thing I have found to "High Brow" blogging. Why after just 10 minutes or so on these pages, I'm sure my IQ rockets upward by a point.
David, the attire for throwing horse shoes is much more refined.
Posted by: Whitewall | Saturday, 14 March 2015 at 16:45
Do they have drug tests for horse shoe pitching?
Frankly, I still prefer bog snorkelling.
Not to mention real estate sign throwing.
I saw that on a TV sports show one day and was quite taken with it.
Posted by: Andra | Saturday, 14 March 2015 at 19:17
Andra, the drug of choice has traditionally been "home brew".
Posted by: Whitewall | Saturday, 14 March 2015 at 19:30
Gosh Andra, I hadn't a clue you Aussies had the handle on "Mine & Whirewall's" Quadathalon.
Certainly no doping, caf-fiend the day before is fine but in the five hours before sunup three require a homebrew-drip (Expert Division permitted to Quaff-Gulp) .. two hours pitching betwixt fifteen minutes more homebrew then, five miles of real estate sign pitching ... four miles of 60-Proof "aerosolized" mixed with atmospherically available O2 for the 500 meters (as a nod to the French Revolution) through the "mixed doubles" of more homebrew and more or less shucking horesshews by which time ebren th' Beeb's wut wuz at th' ...
(Barney? Why wuz the Beeb there in the first place?)
Oh yeah.
To dig Pete.
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 14 March 2015 at 22:50
S'cuse me.
Whitewire.
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 14 March 2015 at 22:54
Sounds like fun.
Could I have more information please?
In English this time, if you don't mind.
Posted by: Andra | Sunday, 15 March 2015 at 06:01
Australian Ladies ✆ BR-549 for instructions in English Please.
Flip Flops only when making International calls for the © Rules. Queensland Callers confused by ✆ may substitute a ☏ or a ☎.
(Please do not squat too closely to the Dr. Who "Squirmly Recognition Camera" on the floor. Unless you Aussie Ladies've dropped your nickel pieces.
If you Aussie Ladies have, accidently - it's a free call.)
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 15 March 2015 at 07:49
That didn't help!
Posted by: Andra | Sunday, 15 March 2015 at 18:31
Rowing as a sport is generally fairly sporting.
Posted by: Cuffleyburgers | Tuesday, 17 March 2015 at 12:11
Hmmmmmn, possibly, Cuffers, but would you really want to spend more than five minutes of your life watching it?
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 17 March 2015 at 14:38