Cue dramatic music – builds to a crescendo!
Distinguished voice booms: “Last on the EPL…”
Chelsea were sitting pretty. The Citizens couldn’t buy a win. Manchester United were winning ugly with a showdown at the bridge looming. The Reds’ woes continued and the authorities were not happy about the London 2012 Olympics’ influence on the players, particularly the diving events (Cue advert).
They say football is a gentleman’s sport played by hooligans. Cantona’s famous kung-Fu kick; Zidane’s successful imitation of a bull at Matterrazzi’s expense; Vinnie Jones and the Crazy Gang; José Mourinho’s “restrained” celebrations; and then of course, the fans.
The modern game is played and followed by a passionate lot to say the least, so when the custodians of the game said they were going to clamp down on diving I sat up and paid attention. Was the world’s most beautiful game now moving towards its noble nature?? Diving or simulation is blatant cheating; it is when the player dupes the referee into awarding a free kick/ penalty when there has been no transgression. This usually involves flinging himself in the air or some other note worthy acting. Over the years this art form has reared its ugly head with the players bearing the brunt whilst no one looks at the real villains i.e. the administrators. Lately sport has realized the value of technology in improving the way sport is managed and officiated. Sports like rugby and cricket have embraced the technology giving the fans as close to a perfect game as they possibly can.
Strangely, football has refused to engage technology. Within seconds fans know whether a referee has made a wrong decision and yet they still have to bear the injustice. Wrong offside calls, dubious penalties, did the ball cross the line, is it a goal? All these questions and subsequent decisions that have been left to the frailty of the human eye. How pathetic it is that, bearing in mind the financial, emotional and social investment made by the fans and sponsors, the powers that be leave it all to chance. Maradonna’s hand of God, England’s Frank Lampard’s denied goal at the 2010 World Cup and more recently the Ukraine’s disallowed goal - all injustices that spectators could tell were wrong calls within minutes of being made, but that they were forced to live with.
Sport is competitive by nature and that’s what we love about it, so when a guy takes a dive that’s fine with me - he is well within with his right to do so. What is sad is when the authorities refuse to use the resources at their disposal to make the correct decision. The truth is that cheating takes root in the opportunity to exploit or abuse the situation. Modern technology has given us the capacity to look every player in the face and say “Dive if u dare, but when we catch you be ready to do the time!”.
So when the travesty that took place at Stanford bridge happened, with Manchester United being gifted 3 points by bad officiating, I couldn’t believe that the whole world watched and said “this is wrong” only to line ourselves up for the same mistake next time. How can we have world peace when we cannot even be accountable in sport?
Anyway in the EPL the evil patriarch marches on as Manchester United go to the top of the log, Chelsea are licking their wounds and one wonders if this set back will forge titans or give the blue boys a good excuse to sing the blues in particular a famous song titled “We wuz robbed”. Arsenal got the clock turned back to Roman times and felt what Julius Caesar felt when the not-so “noble Dutchman” twisted the knife in their back, reminding us that in this game loyalty has no place and money rules.
Liverpool continue to give their fans a lesson on how to lower your expectations and still get disappointed; yet somehow in all this gloom Suarez’s light is shining brighter than ever, giving Liverpool fans just enough of that deadly stuff - HOPE - to keep believing. Liverpool fans should be allocated high blood pressure pills upon joining the club! Everton continue to be the surprise package of the season with Fellaini pulling a Samson, maybe the power is in the hair. So as I look at the log it's getting familiar, and the old adage “form is temporary, class is forever” rings true. So let’s all count down to the weekend hoping for more epic encounters from our modern gladiators, knowing full well that we are at the mercy of human frailties or worse, Howard Webb!
Check out the log and let me know what your take on football and technology is.
