Confessions of a disappointed sports fan

Apr 09, 2014

My sports season effectively ended about three weeks ago, when an obviously bumbling referee gave an amazing 3 penalties against Manchester United football club.

By Kalungi Kabuye
 
My sports season effectively ended about three weeks ago, when an obviously bumbling referee gave an amazing 3 penalties against Manchester United football club. 
 
He almost gave a fourth, but changed his mind. It has never happened in the history of the Theatre of Dreams that a visiting club was awarded three penalties!
 
Anyway that ended any hope that Man Utd will play Champions league soccer next season, except in the now looking extremely unlikely event that the club wins this year’s Champions League. 
 
It was a real bad day, made even worse in that almost all the other sports teams and personalities I support were not doing any better.
Of all the sports I’ve most enjoyed playing and watching, basketball is way ahead of the others, and as far as I can remember I’ve been a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers. 
 
Ever since I watched Kareem Abdul Jabaar do his famous skyhook and Magic Johnston do his magic, I’ve been a Lakers man. 
 
Even when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls became the new showtime kings, I stayed with the Lakers. 
 
Then Shaq came and we started winning again, although it took me time to warm up to Kobe Bryant. 
 
But I liked it when we beat up on the pesky Celtics and their ugly green uniforms.
 
Now one of the most successful basketball clubs of all time have not won anything in four years. 
This year they didn’t even make the playoffs!
 
I also like watching Formula One, and have always been a Ferrari man, but just like the Lakers they haven’t won a title in 4 years, and last year only managed to win just one race. 
 
The once-mighty Ferrari team was beaten to third in the Constructors standings. 
 
They have not featured better this year so far, only managing fourth place in both the two races held. 
So no happiness there.
 
Last year the England cricket team badly mauled the Australians in the Ashes in England, but then went down under and did not win a single match. 
 
The once number one test team in the world was beaten by lowly Netherlands in the T20 earlier this week. Netherlands, for Christ’s sake!
 
Then there is tennis, and since I watched Serena win her first Grand Slam at the New York Open in 1999; and even before that have always supported the Williams sisters, Venus more so. 
 
But Venus is suffering from an auto-immune condition that drains her energy; and although Serena was coming off an awesome 2013, she too got injured and did not succeed in winning a 6th Australian Open title. 
No comfort there, either.
 
But it is the plummeting fortunes of Manchester United that really hurts, not helped by the taunting from fans of other teams. 
How can a team that won last season’s title very comfortably be stuck in 7th position now?
 
I don’t understand, and it is a very strange thing to me, why one would support a losing team. 
 
There is talk of ‘fan loyalty’ and to stick with the team through thick and thin. 
 
There are many reasons to support a team, and I would understand a person born and bred in Liverpool to hang with them.
 
But I have always admired winners, and the quality and strength that makes champions. 
 
I hate losing, and don’t understand why one can be comfortable with losing. 
 
That is why the next time I hear David Moyes say Manchester United played well but were defeated, I swear I will go over and drown the blighter.
That chap has never won anything in his life, and is too comfortable with mediocrity. 
 
Would understand why Ugandans would like the chap, given their love for mediocrity. 
 
But not me, the Glazer brothers better their act together and get a manager with a winning mentality. 
 
Ferrari has got to improve that car, the Williams sisters got to get healthy, and hopefully Kobe Bryant will start playing and Jerry Buss better buy some quality players to help him. 
 
And that is my last offer.
 

 

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