I really have little interest in watching sport. There are a few exceptions which I do try and watch and enjoy: the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races (brilliant now that the ladies race is given as much TV time as the men's), the Grand National and The Golf Masters from the stunningly beautiful Augusta National Golf Club.
Having been born in Liverpool it's inconceivable that I wouldn't have come into contact with the Grand National. Almost everyone used to have a flutter (usually as a member of a workplace sweepstake) and may, so far as I know, still do. My family made a (minor) killing in 1956 when E.S.B. won the race. My maternal uncle's initials were E.S.B. Enough said!
This year I knew one runner: One For Arthur and I knew about him because he was the only Scottish trained horse in the race and the owners, registered as Two Golf Widows, managed to make the Scottish news before the race.
I decided to have a flutter and then realised that to do so I'd probably have to set up an online betting account so abandoned the idea. It's a shame because my intended £10 would have netted me £140 which would have provided a case of an acceptable red. Hey ho.
Then on Sunday night I stayed up to watch the enthralling final round of The Masters where the last people on the course, Justin Rose (England) and Sergio Garcia (Spain), battled it out and at the end of four rounds and 72 holes were level so went to a sudden death play-off. They are friends and their respective partners (wife and fiancée respectively) were very obviously friendly as well. I would have been very happy for either to win but Sergio in his 74th Major event managed his first Major title.
There was an added poignancy because it would have been his fellow Spanaird the late Severiano "Seve" Ballesteros's 60th birthday.
I was pleased that he won. However what was really heart-warming in this age of business which is called sport was the wonderful attitude that the defeated Justin Rose displayed.
Thank you for mentioning "the stunningly beautiful Augusta National Golf Club." I'm a native Georgian and always so proud of the magnificent scenery of the Masters. Unfortunately this year Spring came three weeks early to that part of Georgia and the azaleas had already dropped their colorful blooms. Happy for Sergio Garcia's win too.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Georgia, Jill, but if the lushness of the golf club is typical of the vegetation then it must be a very beautiful state.
DeleteI enjoy watching some sports on TV, too. Golf tournaments are one of them. I also love watching tennis. Last weekend I spent watching the Davis Cup Quarter-final between Australia and the US. The Aussies won, taking us into the semis again I played both games but am a better watcher than player! :) Australia will be playing Belgium in the semis, at a venue yet to be decided. It will either be here in Aus or in Belgium. I hope it's held here.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch football aka soccer, but I do watch the State of Origin Rugby League matches between Queensland and New South Wales each season...three games in all...each season. So far Qld is on top of the ladder.
And of course, I do enjoy watching the Olympics, summer and winter...and the Commonwealth Games...the latter are being held here on Qld's Gold Coast around this time next year.
Lee I originally wrote one of my convoluted opening paragraphs explaining what I do and don't watch and bored even myself so deleted it. I tend to watch very specific things rather than sports in general. So I always watch Wimbledon, for example. Years ago I was a very ardent cricket fan (I was a member of the Lancashire County Cricket Club) but that was all in Life Before Lewis.
DeleteAnd needless to say, really, I never miss watching the Melbourne Cup. Actually, I watch all of the Spring Carnival/Cup races leading up to and after the legendary race day.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone in NZ watches the Melbourne Cup as well.
DeleteThe only time I won on The Grand National was with a horse called Corbiere. I backed it simply because I occasionally drink their wine. I won £130.
ReplyDeleteCro, in The National I suspect that's as good a reason for choosing a horse as any and better than most.
DeleteHow right!
DeleteI can't really comment since I don't understand half of what you are talking about (a flutter for me is something entirely different, for instance). So why am I commenting nonetheless? Because your post appeared on my dashboard, and it is always good to read from you.
ReplyDeleteMeike you made me smile. That has to be one of the most original comments. I often read posts and just can't think of anything to say. A 'flutter' in the context in which I used it is an occasional bet.
DeleteA "flutter"? I've never heard that term before. So when you follow Eagleton Notes you can learn all kinds of things.
ReplyDeleteI've learned a lot from blogs over the years Red.
DeleteJohn loves sport more than he lets on, and regales me with goals and scores and betting odds, most of which leave me cold, I'm afraid. But he did make a killing last season by backing Leicester to win the league, and that did impress me. And I did think of One for Arthur, but didn't do anything about it ...
ReplyDeleteFrances isn't life just so full of things we didn't do anything about?
DeleteI am extrememly uninterested in watching sports. It has just about the same effect on me as commercials, i.e. it's time to switch channels or go and do something else while it lasts... The only thing I might watch "on purpose" is figure skating. Once in my life I've been at a horse race. I was there with a friend whose relative had a horse running in the race. I didn't place a bet, but afterwards kind of wished I had, because that horse actually won.
ReplyDeleteMonica depending upon the sport I can and do watch occasionally but it's not something I generally follow but when compared with you I obviously am quite a sport watcher.
DeleteComing from Liverpool you ought to be either a blue or a red. When I was a boy Hull city was always my team but my second team was Everton after I had seen the way they fought back against Sheffield Wednesday in the thrilling FA Cup Final of 1966. It's safe to come out of the closet now Graham. Blue or Red?
ReplyDeleteBy the way I also enjoyed The Masters this year and felt Sergio Gracia deserved his moment in the sunshine after battling through so many majors with so much disappointment. A very popular winner.
I'm a Blue YP. The rest of the family are Red. Why am I Blue? Because in the 5th Year at Quarry Bank the class was split 13 Red and 12 Blue and me sitting on the wall. My closest friend was Blue and persuaded me of the merits of boosting the Blues' number. I remained a Blue through thick and thin until I stopped following football at all when it became such a money machine.
DeleteI knew it! I knew you were a blue! Not an Oxford blue or a Cambridge blue, not even a Danish blue but a Liverpool blue! Cue Z-Cars theme tune.
Deleteoh yeah golf is incredibly popular here, not as much as rugby though. I use to caddy for my dad as a youngster, he use to play alot.
ReplyDeleteYes Amy there were quite a few courses in the Napier area. I was going to take up the game again in Napier back in 2006 but got hooked on croquet instead which is one of the reasons I spent so much time in Mount Maunganui.
DeleteYou can imagine the joy round here as the horse is trained in Kinross. The local bookie is sad as he neglected to lay enough bets off. I suspect my brother-in-law had a grand on it but he says not. Last Wednesday he was smiling so I suspect he is being economical with the truth. It was probably five grand.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Adrian and, as always, you have an interesting tale to tell.
DeleteSorry about the £140 but glad you are feeling philosophical about it. I think my view would be thank goodness for all the money I DIDN'T lose by not having an online betting account!
ReplyDeleteJenny I think you have a very good point there. Fortunately gambling has never been one of my vices.
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