Sporting moods

I had had one of those ‘Monday blues’ days yesterday, which is a rarity for me.
Why Gareth? Shame, poor chap – I can hear you all say, or is it just one person with a Canyon like echo I can hear? Thanks Zoe, er Zoe are you listening?
Was I slipped a Rohypnol (roofie), at my local on the weekend and taken to the Blue Oyster Bar by several YMCA song loving, Stetson wearing homosexuals? Well I hope not - I can’t really remember!

Actually, it’s far more dramatic than that. My beloved Sharks rugby franchise lost a close encounter to the Blue Bulls team from up north. The loss meant that after a great start to the Super 14 competition, the Sharks failed to qualify for the play-offs. Hats off to the Bulls though for topping the table, meaning a home-semi and possibly a home final.

Doubling up my misery was the fact that Liverpool couldn’t prevent United from a record equalling 18th championship title. I couldn’t even bare to watch the trophy presentation at Old Trafford, sorry Man U – poor sportsmanship I know, but that’s the way it is with sport sometimes, it can just be too much to take – See Chelsea’s Drogba’s reactions after his side went out to a last minute goal from Barcelona in the semi final of the champions league recently, for a clue.

I also watched with interest Rodger Federer’s reaction after he beat Rafael Nadal on Clay in Nadal’s home country on the weekend.
Nadal has made a habit of beating Federer in recent times, to the point where it left the Swiss great in tears when he was beaten in the Australian Open at the beginning of the year. I mean Federer cried like a baby, blubbing away while Nadal had to apologise for beating ‘a great champion’ - How rude is that. The best player in the world having to apologise to the former best in the world for beating him, so as not to hurt his feelings, and generally to get him to stop crying.

Anyway Rodger, being the ‘great champion' that he is, took his latest victory in his stride, showing the strut he had given the world for so many years, with his chest all puffed out, yet very little facial give-away, well except for a self pontificating smirk – Good on you Rog, I was so glad to see you win, as I could not have taken more tears from you.

So I look forward to the rest of the week, hopefully with very little sporting action. That is until the weekend again, where I will look forward to Grand Prix racing at its best in Monaco. What a great season it has been so far for a sport which has its fair share of high profile petulance between drivers.

Not even half way into the season and we have already seen reigning champ Lewis Hamilton lose all credibility after being found a cheat, along with his Mclaren team.

Meanwhile things are hotting up at the new kids on the block, British team Brawn Racing where there is a wrangle between the two drivers Jenson Button (British) and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello. The source of Barrichello's displeasure revolved around the team's race strategy. Both Brawn drivers initially started off with the intention of stopping three times, but after a dramatic opening corner, in which Barrichello leapt from third to first, Button was switched to a two-stop strategy and ended up cruising home by 13 seconds.
If I get the slightest sniff that they are favouring Jenson I'll hang up my helmet tomorrow," said the clearly frustrated Brazilian.

And while I might be displeased by my Sharks team performance last weekend, I will indeed be watching and supporting the Bulls…well not too closely, as I have a naughty weekend away planned….good timing then really –what is the saying – ‘you win some you lose some’.