No game is really as interesting if controversy has no place as it builds especially if it lives to the standards of its billing. What makes it fun to have controversies is that if your team or player emerges the winner, the victory becomes all the sweeter especially if you think and feel it {your team} was on the receiving end of the controversy. The fact, also, that your opponents will be whining about how unfair the game was, or the Ref {Arsene Wenger and co.} makes it even sweeter..
However, am not talking about controversies that end games. No. Am talking about small incidents in it that make you want remember what happened, and maybe get a good laugh out of it…well, depending on which side you’re seated or standing. The rule of controversy {rules of the game according to Wilson} states: a controversial moment shall not lead to an ugly end of a beautiful game especially one that is deemed to be of Very High magnitude {e.g. World Cup Final} and shall not be seen to pose danger to human health and life in general. But if it is just a case of people complaining, well, that is acceptable.
Lets take a direction that is acceptable to all; ladies first.
American tennis starlet Serena Williams was facing the Belgian queen of comebacks, Kim Clijsters {Pronounced Klaistas} in the US open on Saturday night and what a match it turned out to be, especially at the very end, for all reasons unpleasant.
The Belgian had been a set and 6-5 up when the line judge foot-faulted Williams on a second serve to give Clijsters match point. Let’s first understand what a foot fault is.
In tennis rules, rule number 8 states:
The Server shall throughout the delivery of the Service:….Not touch, with either foot, any area other than that behind the base-line within the imaginary extensions of the centre-mark and side-lines.
Foot Fault
That is Rule 8b
The key to understanding this rule is to realize that the Server’s feet must be at rest immediately before beginning to serve. A serve begins with any arm or racket motion, and ends when the racket contacts the ball (or misses the ball in attempt to strike it).
If either foot touches the Court, including the baseline or the imaginary extension of a line specified in Rule 8b, after his feet are at rest but before he strikes the ball, he has committed a foot fault.
There can be no foot fault if the Server does not attempt to strike at the ball. As long as the Server makes no attempt to strike at the ball, it is immaterial whether he catches it in his hand or his racket or lets it drop to the ground.
Trouble started when Serena lost her first set and consequently, her cool. The end result was quite interesting; she smashed her racquet on the court and it almost bounced onto her face. Fortunately it didn’t; she caught it midway there. But she wasn’t happy with its shape so she disfigured it.
Serena Williams with her smashed racket
She of course got a warning for that.
That was not all. When the line judge, Louise Engzell, called foot fault on her, the already irate Williams didn’t take it too kindly. Video replays of her serve show that she was at fault but the tension of the game and the pressure must have gotten to her as she screamed unprintable things to Engzell who in turn ran like a scared little boy to report the matter to the match ref! But if you put yourself in the poor lady-judge’s position, you have to understand why she ran- just imagine Serena Williams, 5 ft 9 in, her physique, holding a tennis racquet and waving it in your face, ANGRY…
It’s sad how the match ended, but then again, rules are rules and the have to be followed, right? The thing is, if at all the better half of the Williams sisters did not cause that hullabaloo and just conceded defeat, it would just have been another game. But thanks to her, even Clijsters’ win on Sunday, making history in the process by being the first mother to win the tournament won’t be remembered, at least not as much.
And now to the game many say is played and watched by hooligans but is still the most watched: Soccer…wait, does that mean that most of us are hooligans? Or every one of us has a hooligan that we like hiding?
That’s beside the point. The stage was set for a great match pitting two sides playing very interesting football in England. But that was not the reason why the game was a must watch. The fact that some players of the host team were in the opposite side of the field just a few weeks ago made for a very interesting encounter. Manchester City was playing host to Arsenal at The- City- Of- Manchester Stadium.
Going into this game, Man City had not conceded a goal in three games and Arsenal were playing the most beautiful football in the league but conceded in all their games. The only blip in the Arsenal side’s record was just one loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford, so that doesn’t really count {Arsenal losing to Man united doesn’t make headlines nowadays}. These two teams were evenly matched!
The fact that Arsenal got run over by the new rich boys of the Barclays Premier League – how cool is that, “Run Over”- is in itself not really a surprise nor does it matter. What happened after the 3rd goal, however, got the whole focus of the game.
Running after scoring is cliché. Running wildly, maybe in circles, doing all sorts of stunts {Nani, Obafemi Martins} and Rocking a baby {Tevez} or that funny cockroach thing Brazilians at Real Madrid did some seasons back is nowadays the in thing. However, there’s a behaviour that is unacceptable, but interesting nonetheless: Antagonising the opposing fans. That is as unsportsmanlike as it is badly behaved.
In February 2006, Gary Neville, the Manchester United captain and also a life fan was fined 5,000 pounds (KSh 700, 000) for the same bad manners of celebrating in front of Liverpool fans and kissing his shirt badge.
Adebayor loves emulating his seniors. He wears a No. 25 Jersey because his role model Nwankwo Kanu was in the same shirt while at Arsenal. It’s really not a bad thing, but he should have known better for the behaviour he exhibited on Saturday, running the length of the field to sit in front of his former fans – turned villains.
It is quite interesting though because it’s rubbing salt on a fresh wound. The problem is, the owner of the wound may respond with a big blow and with the Arsenal fans, it wasn’t any different throwing all sorts of things at the striker.
Adebayor now faces quite a punishment after the F.A concluded that he was wrong in his acts. The punishment may extend to six matches!! If it’s for just that, I think that is quite unfair. Truth be told, not many people will remember that game on the basis of how Arsenal was outplayed, outclassed, outwitted and just plainly beaten.
You know why? One, because the last time the two teams met in the same stadium, the gunners lost by an even bigger margin and two, because there are far much more interesting things to remember; like Arsenal fans screaming what may have been obscenities or death threats at the giant Togolese and throwing all manner of objects at him or debating whether he intentionally kicked Van Persie on the head- now, that is really quite debatable.
Coming after that incident where Van Persie accused Adebayor of lacking class while he’s still a Gunner, it’s very questionable. Now, that is one controversial moment that should be avoided. That Van Pesie boy was left with a bloody face, which is against the Rule of Controversy. If he gets six matches for that, absolutely fair!
So, before you go on to condemn controversial sportsmen like Adebayor, Eric Cantona, Jose Mourinho, Mohammad Ali et al, try remembering what spice they bring/brought to the game.
Oh, by the way, remember Ronaldo, the one who added weight? The one who holds a world cup record? The Brazilian? Do you know what he’s been up to? Apparently, he can still score!!
Obviously, he can’t move as fast as he used to after the surgeries he has had on his knees, the age, and of course the weight. You gotta admit, though, he still shows signs of brilliance that made him famous…just a thought
