Pulse Sportstalk: The Last Laugh?
Jimmy Bullard’s post-goal parody of Hull manager Phil Brown’s infamous team talk last season brought a smile to football’s face this weekend (and thankfully humoured his gaffer too).
Elsewhere, Tiger Woods (right, pictured in 2007) doesn’t seem to be having such an enjoyable time: no
majors this year, general surliness and now unwelcome intrusions into his privacy with his late night car crash. Perhaps Hull – aptly nicknamed ‘the Tigers’ after all - can provide some comfort for Woods and maybe by next year he’ll be joking about himself too.
Unfortunately England’s World Cup bid for 2018 is currently clowning around. With the resignation of Premier League chairman Dave Richards from the team it doesn’t look best encouraging, which seems a great shame.
After risking being a laughing stock in the third one-dayer pasting by South Africa, England put up a sterner display in the fourth securing a dominant win, largely thanks to a spectacular five wicket haul from brilliant bowler James Anderson.
In tennis, the ATP World Finals at the O2 saw the top four temporarily displaced, emphasising the strength of the men’s game. Andy Murray however will have be struggling to find a positive never mind a funny side to his dismissal by percentage, despite beating both Del Potro and Verdasco.
In the final Davydenko triumphed over Del Potro, the thrilled Russian a jubilant and popular victor despite his previously dour reputation – he even seemed to joke about his wife not getting her hands on the prize money for Christmas shopping!
No doubt Irish eyes were smiling and whole faces cracking up with the sheer delight of their rugby union side’s unbeaten run in 2009. The six nations winner’s 15-10 victory over world champions South Africa was a significant confirmation of the team’s class and stamina. Wales and Scotland struggled however, with 12-33 and 6-9 losses to Australia and Argentina respectively.
The Irish team couldn’t quite pull off a win in the World Cup of Golf though as the Italian Molinari brothers achieved their country’s first win with a 29-under victory.
There is a time for everything … a time to weep and a time to laugh. (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4)
Matthew Hunter is a Christian writer exploring a vocation to Church of England ministry
(Photo: Shutterstock)
