EVERY FOUR YEARS the sporting world comes to a standstill to marvel at the heart stopping brilliance of the World Cup.
We’re treated to a summer of unbelievable drama, excitement and skill before we are forced to remember that we have to wait four years for another. Then there is the Commonwealth Games, which unforuntaely shares the same four-year cycle as the World Cup. Being a Commonwealth Games “champion” is like being a Super Bowl winning “World champion”; fair play on winning a medal but don’t go getting notions.
There are certainly some very gifted athletes competing at the Commonwealth Games but Glasgow being “a bit s**t” aside, it hasn’t really grabbed the attention of sports fans. Comedian John Oliver sums up a lot of sports fans feelings on the games pretty well in this video, mainly that it is an excuse for Great Britain to finish first in the race to be second behind Australia.
With that in mind, we thought about other sporting events that we wouldn’t miss if they joined Fredo Corleone out on a boat. Here are five tournaments/sporting events we could live without if they disappeared from the sporting calender.
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The Community Shield
Not really doing anybody any harm but when the most/only memorable incident happened the year before Kerry won their first All-Ireland under Mick O’Dwyer, there is probably no need to keep it going. In fairness, when that incident is Kevin Keegan and Billy Bremner knocking the heads off each other, you can still say you did the public a noble service. Top managers always complain of burnout so it’s surprising Mourinho hasn’t lobbied for this to be cut yet.
Australia's Brad Scott moments before flooring Graham Geraghty INPHO
INPHO
There were elements of this that were quite enjoyable, mainly watching AFL players slice the round ball, wince and then point wide right like a golfer at a tee box. Also, the fact their team needed to draw straws to decide who would watch a GAA goalkeeping tutorial and give it a go was admirable. Eventually it got to the stage where bruisers like Barry Hall, Brad Johnson and Brad Scott were just constantly doing a version of the Lions 99 call, and whatever little focus there had ever been on the game was gone. It should really have ended after the injury to Graham Geraghty that had Sean Boylan up in arms. When Meath men are complaining about the opposition’s physicality, it has probably gone too far.
Presseye / Darren Kidd/INPHO
Presseye / Darren Kidd/INPHO / Darren Kidd/INPHO
With so much upheaval going on in club rugby, would it have been too much to ask for the LV Cup to be swallowed by the black hole? Back in 2007 when the Leicester juggernaut was going for a treble, this was actually a prestigious trophy where teams played their full-strength sides. Now it’s basically a televised version of the British and Irish Cup. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but you could definitely have it both ways. The Aviva Premiership should have their own knockout cup and so should the Guinness Pro 12. Sure the early rounds might be a little understrength but what Irish fans wouldn’t want to see two of the provinces hammering at each other in a cup final? I’m surprised BT haven’t already tried to launch a “Rugby FA Cup” alongside the new European tournament.
The Uefa Super Cup
Allsport / INPHO
Allsport / INPHO / INPHO
Much like the argument about the Community Shield except this game has never, ever, ever had an interesting moment. In fact, Europa League players shouldn’t be allowed mix with Champions League players at all, unless they come across each other in an airport. I suppose it gives the players a night out in Monaco at least and also gave the masses the chance to see Emile Heskey score a bit of a cracker in a European Final.
A photo from the BDO World final Presseye / Matt Mackey/INPHO
Presseye / Matt Mackey/INPHO / Matt Mackey/INPHO
Sky Sports’ greatest achievement isn’t Premier League soccer or making the Lions seem like the most important entity on earth; it is making darts seem big time. PDC darts sells out huge arenas and has models accompanying the players to the oche. BBC’s BDO offering has Martin “Wolfie” Adams, Bobby George and the Lakeside venue that looks like it hasn’t yet enforced a smoking ban. I once had a friend who only watched BDO darts and couldn’t be bothered with how “Sky money had ruined the other organisation”.
That guy really should have been committed. That is like willingly eating Four Star pizza over Dominos; it should just never come out of a sane person’s mouth, in my view.
Sick of the Commonwealth Games? Here's 5 sporting events that need to go away
EVERY FOUR YEARS the sporting world comes to a standstill to marvel at the heart stopping brilliance of the World Cup.
We’re treated to a summer of unbelievable drama, excitement and skill before we are forced to remember that we have to wait four years for another. Then there is the Commonwealth Games, which unforuntaely shares the same four-year cycle as the World Cup. Being a Commonwealth Games “champion” is like being a Super Bowl winning “World champion”; fair play on winning a medal but don’t go getting notions.
There are certainly some very gifted athletes competing at the Commonwealth Games but Glasgow being “a bit s**t” aside, it hasn’t really grabbed the attention of sports fans. Comedian John Oliver sums up a lot of sports fans feelings on the games pretty well in this video, mainly that it is an excuse for Great Britain to finish first in the race to be second behind Australia.
With that in mind, we thought about other sporting events that we wouldn’t miss if they joined Fredo Corleone out on a boat. Here are five tournaments/sporting events we could live without if they disappeared from the sporting calender.
The Community Shield
Not really doing anybody any harm but when the most/only memorable incident happened the year before Kerry won their first All-Ireland under Mick O’Dwyer, there is probably no need to keep it going. In fairness, when that incident is Kevin Keegan and Billy Bremner knocking the heads off each other, you can still say you did the public a noble service. Top managers always complain of burnout so it’s surprising Mourinho hasn’t lobbied for this to be cut yet.
The International Rules Series
There were elements of this that were quite enjoyable, mainly watching AFL players slice the round ball, wince and then point wide right like a golfer at a tee box. Also, the fact their team needed to draw straws to decide who would watch a GAA goalkeeping tutorial and give it a go was admirable. Eventually it got to the stage where bruisers like Barry Hall, Brad Johnson and Brad Scott were just constantly doing a version of the Lions 99 call, and whatever little focus there had ever been on the game was gone. It should really have ended after the injury to Graham Geraghty that had Sean Boylan up in arms. When Meath men are complaining about the opposition’s physicality, it has probably gone too far.
The LV Cup
With so much upheaval going on in club rugby, would it have been too much to ask for the LV Cup to be swallowed by the black hole? Back in 2007 when the Leicester juggernaut was going for a treble, this was actually a prestigious trophy where teams played their full-strength sides. Now it’s basically a televised version of the British and Irish Cup. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but you could definitely have it both ways. The Aviva Premiership should have their own knockout cup and so should the Guinness Pro 12. Sure the early rounds might be a little understrength but what Irish fans wouldn’t want to see two of the provinces hammering at each other in a cup final? I’m surprised BT haven’t already tried to launch a “Rugby FA Cup” alongside the new European tournament.
The Uefa Super Cup
Much like the argument about the Community Shield except this game has never, ever, ever had an interesting moment. In fact, Europa League players shouldn’t be allowed mix with Champions League players at all, unless they come across each other in an airport. I suppose it gives the players a night out in Monaco at least and also gave the masses the chance to see Emile Heskey score a bit of a cracker in a European Final.
BDO Darts World Championship
Sky Sports’ greatest achievement isn’t Premier League soccer or making the Lions seem like the most important entity on earth; it is making darts seem big time. PDC darts sells out huge arenas and has models accompanying the players to the oche. BBC’s BDO offering has Martin “Wolfie” Adams, Bobby George and the Lakeside venue that looks like it hasn’t yet enforced a smoking ban. I once had a friend who only watched BDO darts and couldn’t be bothered with how “Sky money had ruined the other organisation”.
That guy really should have been committed. That is like willingly eating Four Star pizza over Dominos; it should just never come out of a sane person’s mouth, in my view.
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