Freddie Clamp2013-05-19T09:38:56-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=freddie-clampCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Freddie ClampGood old fashioned elbow grease.Should Men and Women Receive Equal Pay?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.16673962012-07-12T06:55:34-04:002012-09-11T05:12:10-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
2007 was the first time all four Grand Slams offered an equal pay check to the champions, Wimbledon being the last of the four to do so. In a society where political correctness is paramount to public acceptance, why were Wimbledon so slow in adhering to these unwritten rules. Were they, in fact, correct to offer women less prize money than the opposite sex, given that women's matches are potentially two sets less?
The obvious starting point to this discussion is the length and duration of a match. Sticking with Grand Slams, the only tournaments offering equal prize funds, a women's match has the potential to last three sets, compared to a men's match which could last for five sets. Immediately we open the debate of "equal work for equal pay", although those who are quick to suggest that this argument is as clear-cut as that, are exceptionally narrow-minded, and dare I say it, naïve. An interesting point to look at would be the respective 2012 Australian Open finals. Viktoria Azarenka defeated Maria Sharapova in 82 minutes whereas Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in 353 minutes, in fact the first set lasted 80 minutes, two minutes shy of the entirety of the women's final. It is hard to fathom an argument to suggest that the men didn't exert more energy.
Next we must consider the ability to do work. Without risking any controversial statement, it is fair to say, on the whole, men are able to move more quickly and exert more force than women. With specific reference to tennis, the men hit the ball harder, are able to generate significantly more spin and have a greater range of movement. Perhaps the shot which demonstrates this best is the serve. Bar the Williams sisters, the serving amongst the female players is woeful, not only is no spin generated on the serves, but no power is either. Even though the women are less able to generate the same spin and power as the men, this doesn't mean to say that their effort levels are any lower. Without analysing the physiology too closely, it is particularly hard to gauge 'effort' on a tennis court. Who are we to say that Azarenka and Sharapova didn't expend as much energy as Nadal and Djokovic? We can only surmise that they may not have done. In order to become a professional player, either on the ATP or the WTA tour, immense amounts of work and training must be put in, it isn't a breeze to go on the women's tour, despite many thinking it is.
Another facet to look at is entertainment value. There is, undoubtedly, a higher demand to watch male Grand Slam protagonists than their female counterparts. As a result surely it is a smarter move from the governing bodies to elongate the men's matches and to make the women's more concise. If the women's matches were to be extended to five sets, I would hasten a guess that crowd numbers would dwindle, particularly in the opening rounds. Such is the dearth in quality in the opening rounds of women's Grand Slam matches, it would be highly tedious to watch Serena lumber her way through three benign sets of tennis.
Top 20 player, Gilles Simon, hit the headlines during Wimbledon for stating that men are more entertaining to watch and therefore should have a bigger prize fund. Naturally, this was hit by a monumental backlash from the women, notably Sharapova, Williams and Marion Bartoli being quick to refute his claims. Williams claiming that more people watch Sharapova than Simon, probably true, but in a typically ignorant manner she clarified this by stating that Sharapova was "more hot than Simon". Surely that depends on your point of view, Serena?
Although we live in a world of equal opportunites where equal work should mean equal pay, is this really the right argument for this situation? Do bankers really work harder than roofers? Physically, absolutely not, but current demand states that they will be paid more. Tennis is, after all, an entertainment industry and therefore pay scales are derived from relative entertainment values. Ultimately, the men do, it would appear, attract larger crowds and TV audiences and thus should be paid more handsomely.
I would be very interested to hear your views below and I will endeavour to respond.]]>Wimbledon 2012 - The Return of the Old Guardtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.16584592012-07-09T06:51:58-04:002012-09-08T05:12:09-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
There seems to be no other place to start than Lukas Rosol's victory over Rafael Nadal, which, in itself, was the greatest sporting achievement of the past decade. To beat Nadal in any situation is quite brilliant, but to beat him over five sets at SW19 on the back of his record-breaking French Open triumph is remarkable. The manner in which Rosol claimed victory was incredible, the audacity of his shot-making was wonderful and his ability to sustain it over five sets made it all the more astonishing. He hit shots in excess of 90mph off both flanks with such regularity that it stunned Nadal, who was able to offer no answer to the Czech playing the match of his life. Rosol will be remembered as the man who beat Nadal at 2012's Wimbledon, but I highly doubt that he will have another noteworthy win in his career. Once in a blue moon.
In what would have, almost certainly, overtaken Rosol's achievement, Agnieszka Radwanska almost beat Serena Williams in the women's final from a set and a break down despite appearing not to be fully fit. Both players deserve immense praise for their feats on the grass in South-west London. Williams had recovered from career-threatening surgery earlier this year and after a first-round defeat to Virginie Razzano in Paris, she looked destined to fall the same way as her sister, Venus. However, it is for Radwanska that I reserve such special praise. Probably the least flaunted #3 in the history of the women's game, Radwanska glided through the draw with serenity akin to a ballet dancer. The analogy doesn't stop here, her movement around the court is so graceful whilst her shot-making is of a different order to the majority of the women currently residing in the top 100. Her ability to manufacture the most acute angles is something to behold and a skill that is desperately lacking among many of the women. She has been a joy to watch for the past fortnight and here is to hoping that she will not be bullied out of the world's elite by the bruisers which currently make it up.
Just as Serena reclaimed her hold on the women's game, the evergreen Roger Federer did likewise in the men's. Without a grand-slam title for two and a half years, 'Rog' had suffered a drought, many had written him off as a serious contender, yet he showed why he must be considered the best tennis player of all time. After seeing off Djokovic, everyone's choice as the eventual champion, in the semi-final, Federer laid waste to Andy Murray in the final to claim a record equalling seventh Wimbledon crown. Murray gave it an almighty go by playing undoubtedly the best grass-court tennis of his life, but it wasn't enough to beat the Swiss maestro who regained the #1 sport in the process. Take a bow, Roger, you are up there with the greatest athletes of all time. He must be mentioned in the same breath as the esteemed Ali, Pele and Bradman.
Andy Murray had an outstanding tournament by reaching his first final on the hallowed turf, yet for once, he wasn't the solitary Brit to reach the headlines for the right reasons, Jonathan Marray won the men's doubles title on Saturday evening, in the process becoming the first British winner since 1936. Partnered by the Dane, Frederick Nielsen, the pair pulled off the unlikeliest of victories despite only having gained entry through a wildcard. They endured four 5-set encounters and took out the Bryans on the way, as they claimed victory in front of the vociferous crowd. At last Andy Murray isn't the sole Brit giving the public a reason to be cheerful.
We must also send our condolences to Australian tennis federation who only managed a single player in the second round, either in the men's or the women's draw. Sam Stosur, who will happily confess that she loathes grass, was knocked out in round two as she fought to be the only Australian to progress.
So, raise a glass to the powers that be at SW19 and let's look forward to 2013 when, no doubt, Wimbledon shall produce its magic again. Surely there can be no greater shock than Rosol-Nadal or a match as record breaking as Isner-Mahut was in 2010? Maybe, just maybe, there can.
N.B - to any budding female star, no matter how good your physical appearance is, grunting is distinctly unattractive and must be swept out of the game.]]>The Greatest Midfielder of His Generationtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.16457682012-07-03T09:07:56-04:002012-09-02T05:12:16-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
In an era where such emphasis is placed on the physical nature of a footballer, notably in English and Italian football, Xavi has dispelled the theory that you need to be 6 3" of smouldering muscle. Brought through the famed La Masia academy, his talent has been carefully nurtured and developed under the guise that size is no hindrance. Indoctrinated into the 'tika taka philosophy' from an early age, his sole cognitive function on a football pitch is to pass and move, pass and move. Almost without fail he completes the most passes in any given match; this is not, however, in the way that Swansea's Leon Britton (Xavi's main competitor in the passing statistics) passes. Britton passes sideways and backwards across expanses of no more than six yards, a sure way to achieve great scores on Opta stats. Xavi, on the other hand, is capable of cutting a defence in half with one waft of his right foot; he sees things that commentators can't see, let alone a poor lumbering centre half. Such is the majestic nature of the Catalan master, he barely appears to be trying to the casual observer.
Many have noted that he doesn't bare enough "athletic" qualities to be considered an "all time great", those who suggest this, are, in a word, ignorant. Athleticism is more than a great 100m sprint or the best on the bench press, Xavi possesses the most outrageous agility and the balance of a bird perching on an electricity cable. It is these two characteristics that enable him to play as he does.
Should he have been unfortunate enough to have been born English, surely he would now be stuck on some grubby marshland getting crumpled by a 47 year-old bruiser week in, week out. It would be an unusual step for an English club to take a punt on a child in the mould of Xavi. Rather, he is strutting his stuff on the World's finest pitches. England, take note.
Many argue that Zinedine Zidane is the best midfielder of his generation, yet, despite potentially possessing more individual brilliance, he wasn't so central to the way his teams played. The removal of Zidane would weaken the team but wouldn't have a detrimental effect on the nature of the play.
On a final note, Xavi, along with his Spanish compatriots and Barcelona team mates, have revolutionised football. The perceived way to achieve football excellence is now based on the "tika taka" style of La Masia. This is the crowning trophy on Xavi's mantelpiece, who since Johan Cruyff can claim to have changed football philosophy?]]>Wimbledon Confirms Its Status as the World's Best Sporting Eventtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.16430612012-07-02T10:26:31-04:002012-09-01T05:12:12-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
Come 2012 and we have seen the greatest shock in tennis history as Rafael Nadal, one of the five greatest players ever, was beaten by unknown Czech, Lukas Rosol. No one in the tennis world had heard of Rosol, certainly the BBC Live Text commentary team hadn't, judging by what a certain Ben Dirs wrote "You have to say Rosol's got two hopes of winning this: slim and none, and slim's got his bags packed and is about to leave town...". With the benefit of hindsight he has made himself look a tad foolish, however at the point of writing almost the entirety of his readers would have agreed - he would have been a fool to suggest anything but a Nadal win. Rosol played five blistering sets of tennis, hitting winners in excess of 90mph off both flanks and serving with so much gusto it would have hurt. Only the entrapments of Wimbledon could have inspired Rosol to such levels - he shall never reach the levels of that performance again.
Arguably a harder achievement, although many would disagree due to the state of the women's game at present, is the accomplishment of the Golden Set. A set in which a player wins 24 straight points which culminates in a 6-0 thrashing of their opponent. Yaroslava Shvedova reached these dizzy heights as she took the first set off French Open finalist, Sara Errani. A result which, on the face of it (a 6-0 whitewash), would be squeezed into 10 seconds of highlights on Today at Wimbledon, but under closer inspection is one of the grandest achievements in tennis history - the first time this feat has been completed. Such is the magnitude of completing a Golden Set it made the front page of every Sport's media outlet. Just as the likes of the Isner-Mahut marathon will never be seen again in my lifetime, nor will a Golden Set.
It is events like these that make Wimbledon such a prestigious and world renowned spectacle, a tournament unrivalled by any other. However good the Golden Set is, unless something momentous happens in the next 6 days, Wimbledon 2012 will be remembered as the tournament when Nadal was beaten by a man playing so well Tim Henman labelled him a "freak".
N.B - Andy Murray still feigns injury when he is losing.]]>Quintessentially Britishtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.16221292012-06-24T09:48:53-04:002012-08-24T05:12:03-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
It would seem appropriate to begin with late spring and the early part of the summer - the crisp autumn air and brown leaves are being rapidly replaced by smatterings of warmer sunshine and, who could forget them, daffodils. Just as we see a change in the seasons, we see a shift from the rough and tumble of rugby to the elegance of the cricket season. For many the first sounds of Jonathan Agnew and Henry Blofeld presenting the summer's cricket instalment is music to our ears. Blofeld is celebrated throughout England for his plummy voice and his idiosyncratic mention of superfluous details - many a day at work have been lost listening to Blofeld carefully describe a picture perfect Michael Vaughan cover drive. For those who have yet to be blessed by the sound of Mr Agnew, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiYayt6IgtM. (This is a clip of his infamous "putting on a rubber" gaff).
Sticking with cricket and moving outside of the professional game, one of the finest outings one can have is Sunday cricket. On God's day of rest we take to village greens in our scores, we bat, we bowl, some of us field and we attempt to soak in the sun's rays. As 24 willing sportsmen (sportsmen, of course, used loosely here) take to a quaint village green to casually toss a leather ball 22 yards we have what is undeniably one of the most celebrated occasions in British. The day isn't about winning or losing - it is about tea. Every club strives to produce the best tea - making the best tea is winning. Cheese and cucumber sandwiches, Victoria sponge cake, scotch eggs - now this is what we came for. After tea, as the match draws to a close we see the sun disappearing over the nearest 300 year old Oak tree into the distance, a truly mesmerising scene. At close - the pub.
We move to another sport played on a green carpet, lawn tennis. Nothing is quite so symbolic of a British summer than the reasonably priced strawberries and cream on offer at Wimbledon. People flock from all corners of the globe to SW19 to watch the best sporting tournament in the world, a tournament that far surpasses any footballing competition and simply blows any other sports tournament out of the water. The sheer simplicity of Wimbledon is mind boggling. The respect for traditions that have stemmed back since 1877 is awe inspiring. Without wishing to quote incorrect figures, I would suggest that participation in tennis rockets during the Wimbledon fortnight such is the British pride in the event. Each year we are blessed with royalty in the surprisingly named "Royal Box", it is truly a sporting event that couldn't be anymore befitting of royalty.
Staying with the Championships in south-west London, it would be a massive oversight to fail to mention the annual British protagonist who aims to capture the hearts of the nation. Overlooking Scotland's Andy Murray, Tim Henman was the epitome of all things English. Carefully spoken, a family man was loved by the public and duly had a mound of grass named after him, how English most would say. Year in year out we heralded said year as "Tim's year", unfortunately it was never to be, but Tim Henman shall long reside in the hearts of the English nation.
"There's no 'I' in team" - really, I wouldn't have guessed.
"Nobody believed in us" - all the home fans that turned up didn't believe you and had disposable cash? I don't think so.
"He/she's a team player" - every person on a team is, by definition, a team player.
"Game of two halves" - thank you Mr Commentator for stating the obvious.
"We're just taking it one game at a time" - it is highly unusual to play more than one game at a time.
"We overcame adversity" - Lance Armstrong and fellow cancer survivors overcame adversity, most sportsmen and women don't.
And a couple of slightly amusing sayings:
"English batting collapses" - Up until the Andy Flower era this was something that was synonymous with the English cricket team.
"This could be Andy Murray's year" - ha bloody ha.]]>Wimbledon 2012 Previewtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.16138882012-06-20T18:45:43-04:002012-08-20T05:12:05-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/Men:In the lead up to the world's finest sporting tournament we have seen two results that, historically, would have typified the clay court season. Two of the world's top three players were upset in Halle. On the back of his record breaking French Open triumph, Rafael Nadal was beaten by German Philipp Kohlschreiber, whilst five time Halle champion, Roger Federer, was ousted in the final by another native, the ageless Tommy Haas. However these two results will likely bare no correlation with the outcome at SW19.
Title Contenders: As much as I would wish to claim to envisage a champion from outside the top 3, I cannot. Messers Djokovic, Nadal and Federer will, once again, occupy 3 of the 4 semi-final berths. These three phenomenal athletes are simply several classes above the rest and their domination (between them they have taken 26 of the past 28 Grand Slam titles) shall continue.
Outside Bets: For a long time I have preached that Andy Murray shall not win a Grand Slam, and until the day he does this will not change. He simply isn't good enough in this era. The two players in with a shout of disrupting the top three are Tomas Berdych and the flamboyant, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Both of these men possess enough power and dynamism in their game to hurt and inflict serious amounts of pain on anyone's game. The one who doesn't play Djokovic, Nadal or Federer in the quarter's is a shoe-in for a place in the semi-finals.
Long Shot: Milos Raonic. For sometime now I have sung the praises of this monster Canadian, he has the complete grass-court game - reminiscent of the great Pete Sampras. If he doesn't has his name engraved on the famous gold trophy this year, doubtless it will be in years to come.
Winner: Novak Djokovic (to beat Nadal in the final).
Women:In stark contrast to the men's game, the women's side is as wide open as the Grand Canyon. It takes a brave man to confidently predict the outcome of a female Grand Slam tournament. Such is the dearth in quality one can make a reasonable argument for about 15 different protagonists.
Title Contenders: Career Grand Slam champion, Maria Sharapova, is the obvious first name to suggest. She is the form player at present, destroying the field in Paris and seemingly with her injury problems behind her, she will be the player to beat. Last year's champion, Petra Kvitova, will be a daunting prospect for anyone, with her booming serve and monster forehand she will be fancied by many to retain her crown.
Outside Bets: Serena Williams should never be written off at Wimbledon, however her form coming into the tournament is far from ideal - again another player no-one will fancy. Victoria Azarenka is seeded second but has an unwanted habit of choking on the big occasion, although still a dangerous proposition.
Long Shot: Sabine Lisicki, the big serving German, made the semi-finals last year which caused something of a shock. Expect her to make her way, slightly under the radar, through the draw.
Winner: Maria Sharapova (beating Lisicki in the final).]]>Murray Must Look Anxiously Over His Shouldertag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.15964582012-06-14T10:07:48-04:002012-08-14T05:12:09-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
It would be harsh to say Murray has become worse, if anything he is a marginally better tennis player than he was three years ago. Murray hasn't been able to improve at a rate higher than that of the three protagonists above him. If Murray were to break into this leading group then his rate of development must be significantly higher than the top three in order to close the gap and eventually overtake them.
Inevitably there are other players vying to break into the world's top four, notably Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martín del Potro. Given David Ferrer is only a genuine threat on clay there seems no reason to include him. Tsonga, Berdych and del Potro all share similar characteristics; they are all extraordinarily powerful men and possess outrageous hand-eye coordination.
Del Potro won the US Open in 2009 and the entire tennis world was of the same opinion: this Grand Slam was the first of many. However, the giant Argentine suffered terrible wrist problems following his US Open triumph which caused him to miss vast chunks of the 2010 season. It has only been recently that we have seen the form he showed in 2009, notably taking two sets off Federer at the French open last week. He possesses one of the most destructive forehands on tour and with a reasonable serve to boot, he is a real contender provided he can stave off injury for a sustained period of time.
If there is a more charismatic person on tour than Jo-Wilfried Tsonga then I would love to know. The flamboyant Frenchman has long been a "talent", recently he has started to turn his scintillating natural talent into results. Although he squandered two match points at Roland Garros against World #1, Novak Djokovic, on his way to losing the match in 5 sets he showed glimpses of becoming the real deal. Such was his disappointment as he left Philippe Chatrier he was in tears. His performance in this contest had the French crowd and television audiences worldwide in awe of his shot-making ability. Expect big things from him for the remainder of the 2012 season.
Czech, Tomas Berdych, is one of the least popular players on the tour for two reasons. Firstly, by all accounts he isn't the most pleasant of individuals with both Nadal and Djokovic taking issue with Berdych's histrionics. On a more positive note, he is cataclysmically destructive on court - booming groundstrokes, a rocket serve and pretty deft touch for a big man at the net. He has all the components needed to challenge the elite.
On their day, all of the afore mentioned are capable of taking sets off the top 3 and beating Andy Murray. There are others who could easily have made this list, the record breaking John Isner, tennis's wonderkid, Milos Raonic, or even the enigmatic Richard Gasquet.
If Andy Murray isn't careful he shall be trying to propel himself back into the top four rather than trying to fight his way into the top three.]]>The Fall of the Kingtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.15271002012-05-18T09:54:02-04:002012-07-18T05:12:06-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
His second period in charge began on the 9th January 2011 after the ill-fated reign of the fantastic Roy Hodgson (yes, the fantastic). Two losses later, Dalglish admitted he had a challenge on his hands. However, whether it was Dalglish's technical skill or the aura he possess within the walls of Anfield, there was an upsurge in results. Towards the end of January he dispensed with the best part of £60million to buy the brilliant Luis Suarez and "big Andy", this would soon become the legacy of his second spell as Liverpool manager. The summer before the following season would ultimately prove to be the start of the demise for Mr Dalglish.
Signing Craig Bellamy from Manchester City was a masterstroke; something for which Kenny should be applauded for, what followed was a mitigated disaster. Much like Martin O'Neil, the man from Glasgow seemed obsessed in buying over-priced British talent in the forms of Charlie Adam, Jordon Henderson and the abject Stuart Downing.
This season has been nothing short of disaster. Before Liverpool fans start to mention the Carling Cup "triumph", does a club which you will all tell me is great, want to be associated with winning the Mickey mouse cup, the answer should be unanimously "no". The highlight of a miserable season was to reach the FA Cup final, however as in accordance with the rest of the season, Liverpool turned in a horrendous first half performance which ultimately cost them the cup.
The Premier League campaign was nothing short of dire. To only finish above Fulham on goal difference is a travesty for a club of Liverpool's stature. Coupled with finishing below arch rivals Everton ensures a dreadful season. 37 points behind the eventual champions, shocking. So, what is the reason behind this failure?
Many of Liverpool's delusional fans will quote lady luck as the reason; yes you did hit the woodwork an inordinate amount of times, but shouldn't £100million of attacking talent be able to avoid three inches of metal? In fact it was Kenny Dalglish's old-fashioned tactics and lack of ability to change his methods. His insistence on playing Jordon Henderson over Maxi Rodriguez and Dirk Kuyt, the kick and chase tactic to an out of sorts Andy Carroll, or his favourite, give the ball to Suarez and ask him to score from anywhere. Tactical genius.
Stuart Downing deserves his own paragraph. Bought to add pace, attacking flair and ultimately provide assists for Liverpool's new strike force, Downing did none of the above. No goals and no assists to boot, he has been the butt of many a joke. My only qualm with Roy Hodgson's Euro 2012 squad would be Downing's inclusion, inexplicable.
Kenny's worst performance, however, was off the field. His handling of Suarez gate was atrocious. Without wishing to dig up details of the past, the atrocious nature of which he approached and handled the media throughout are reason enough for Liverpool's American owners to have disposed of the King. Go and enjoy retirement, Kenny.]]>Football's Underclasstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.15172602012-05-15T07:17:48-04:002012-07-15T05:12:09-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
What must be considered though is the distinct underclass that is slowly developing within Football's elite. Yesterday I wrote about the obnoxious Joey Barton and how he is a disgrace to the sport, today I wish to moot about two newly crowned Premier League champions. Samir Nasri and Carlos Tevez are both, to put it simply, mercenaries. Solely driven by money, both have migrated to club's wishing to dispense with hundreds of thousands for them to ply their trade. For Tevez it was from West Ham to Manchester United and then across the city to the blue half. Nasri managed to wangle a move away from Arsenal under the guise of "wanting to win silverware"; he ended up at City with fellow mercenary, Tevez. Little surprise was it that both individuals followed the oil money of the richest club in the world. However, we can forgive both for wanting more money; it is the natural instinct of most to seek promotion and a higher salary. What is unacceptable is the way in which both have belittled their former clubs in the days following City's first Premier League crown for forty-four years.
On City's open-top bus parade around the City Tevez took it upon himself to further extenuate his "bad boy" image (following his golf course histrionics in Argentina) by branding a sign saying "RIP Fergie". The epitome of disrespect to the best manager in the World. How Tevez could think that it was acceptable to brandish such a banner is beyond me, and then to dare suggest he was unaware of what he was holding, a tool if ever I saw one. For all Tevez's qualities the Premier League would be a happier place without him and his portly body, maybe he can find employment in the golfing world.
One final word on Joey Barton, his Twitter feed states that he is basking in the Portuguese sunshine, do us a favour, Joey, stay there.]]>Ditch the Deviltag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.15140912012-05-14T07:12:03-04:002012-07-14T05:12:04-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
Yesterday Barton added to a long list of common assaults, in fact if we are to look at it from a black and white point of view, he added to his unfortunate list three times. First he elbowed Carlos Tevez (worse things could have happened), but following this discrepancy he proceeded to knee an unaware Sergio Aguero in the leg and then attempt to head-butt Manchester City's talisman, Vincent Kompany.
Each incident in itself could have led to a prison sentence if it had happened on a street - what a guy.
To mention just a couple of Barton's long line of misdemeanours, he stubbed out a cigar in the eye of City youth team player, Jamie Tandy. As if this wasn't enough a couple of months later he proceeded to leave Ousmane Dabo needing a good degree of dental surgery. Why oh why is Joey Barton still allowed anywhere near a football pitch? He is, in short, a bully.
Mr Barton's wife recently gave birth to a daughter, most say that the birth of a child leads them to making differences to their life; they make sacrifices and ultimately try to avoid their bad habits of old.
Apparently this isn't for Joey - when his daughter is old enough to understand the nature of his thuggery and asks "Daddy, why did you do that?" what will he answer? Surely he will be so embarrassed that his daughter is, in her own childlike manner, questioning his morality.
Joey Barton should not be allowed another chance to grace a football pitch. There is no place for behaviour like his on a football pitch, or indeed off a football pitch. He is a common thug that deserves another stint behind bars - maybe he will be able to make proper sense of his favourite philosophers then.]]>Usain Bolt - The New Anna Kournikova?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.14785702012-05-06T19:00:00-04:002012-07-06T05:12:07-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
Anna Kournikova was notorious for the flaunting of her body and became the pin-up girl of tennis. Fortunately for Anna her distinct lack of talent in the playing sense was more than made up for in other areas. She has made millions from her good looks - fair play to the lass. Such was her fame in the early 2000s that a computer virus was named after her, perhaps this was a better achievement than any of her tennis exploits?
Moving to the fastest man in the world, the man's a hero, right? If we are to look objectively at the charismatic Jamaican we all would acknowledge that he is the finest sprinter to have ever graced our planet. We would also note that he has been a phenomenal ambassador for his sport. Yet, he is a barely credible actor and a woeful rap artist.
Many of you will have seen Bolt fronting Virgin's advertising campaigns; he is mimicking Richard Branson with his dyed hair and beard. If you are not wooed by Virgin's less than tactful marketing then at least you will find it hard to suppress a giggle at Usain Bolt's quite frankly ridiculous appearance. Only Djbril Cisse can pull off that type of blonde facial hair, period.
If the Virgin advert wasn't bad enough, then his latest single, Faster Than Lightning certainly is. Music fans out there - try not to faint. Some of the lyrics include:
- 'I need to go faster, I need to work harder, I need to keep driving to the finish.'
- 'No matter who you are, no matter what you're doing, you're not gonna catch me, you're not gonna beat me.'
- 'When I hit the top speed I turn on the afterburner.'
Sheer hilarity, wouldn't you agree?
I pray that Usain Bolt is smart enough, or indeed his management are, that he doesn't tarnish his image as the greatest athlete of all time by such superficial ideas. Fortunately, however, he has at least brought something to the world of sport.]]>Roy's First Dilemmatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.14770582012-05-04T08:51:13-04:002012-07-04T05:12:04-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/ Goalkeepers (three must be selected):
When selecting goalkeepers for a major tournament one would really rather be in Germany's shoes, but unfortunately we are not. Our only world-class protagonist in this position is Joe Hart, a man who must remain fit for the duration of the championships if we are to have but a chance to win. As a Cambridge boy I would suggest taking John Ruddy as #2 after a fine season with Norwich. As for the third, take your pick from a decidedly average bunch, Carson, Green, Stockdale etc etc.
Centre Halves:
One has to assume that Ferdinand will agree to go despite having to grace the same area as John Terry (something most would find irksome). Increasingly confident performances in Europe from Gary Cahill at Chelsea would likely mean he will be on the plane. The left-footed balance that Joleon Lescott adds also assures him of a place on the plane.
Full Backs:
Relatively speaking we are spoilt for choice here. At right back we have Micah Richards, Glen Johnson and the superb young talent of Kyle Walker. Given Richard's versatile nature it is likely that he will be off to Poland and the Ukraine this summer, as will the more experienced Johnson. Walker's time will come however. On the left, Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines both will go, end of discussion. A half fit Cole is better than a fully fit Wayne Bridge.
Central Midfield:
In my eyes this is fairly straightforward. Gerrard, Lampard, Parker and Barry. Those of you that have the same glasses prescription as Alex Ferguson will be trying to flaunt Michael Carrick, yet without those glasses on you will realise that he has no place in an England Shirt.
* We are assuming that even the eloquent Roy will not be able to persuade the great Paul Scholes out of international retirement.
Wide Midfield:
Despite all his silly diving histrionics Ashley Young is currently the nation's best winger. Closely followed by Aaron Lennon who possesses the ability to tear average teams to smithereens. Man City's Adam Johnson is comfortably the best left-footed winger in the country and therefore must go. Finally, Mr Versatility, James Milner, will be going for exactly the above reason.
**If Stuart Downing goes ahead of Johnson to the Euros I may cry.
Strikers:
Wayne Rooney goes irrespective of his ban. The man is a genius (at least compared to the other options). Danny Welbeck must also be on the same flight given his outstanding form for the Red Devils. Despite failing to live up to his ludicrous price tag, Andy Carroll should also take the trip to add an extra dimension. The fourth space is a lottery. Do we go with the tried and tested and distinctly average Jermaine Defoe, or go for the mercurial talent of Daniel Sturridge. For me, Sturridge any day of the week.
The Squad:
Hart, Ruddy, Carson.
Terry, Ferdinand, Cahill, Lescott.
Richards, Johnson, Cole, Baines.
Gerrard, Lampard, Parker, Barry.
Young, Lennon, Johnson, Milner.
Rooney, Welbeck, Carroll, Sturridge.]]>The World's Best Individual Sporting Rivalrytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.14492992012-04-24T12:37:29-04:002012-06-24T05:12:01-04:00Freddie Clamphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/freddie-clamp/
Whenever Djokovic and Rafael step on a tennis court together one can expect fireworks. Not fireworks in the ilk of Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira nor a Roy Holloway press conference, no, just two outstanding professionals going hammer and tongue in the only way they know how. These two fine specimens are so good they need not draw attention to themselves by holding fiery or unpredictable press conferences (although Djokovic is known to possess fair wit), they let their tennis do the talking. How refreshing it is when we see two professionals let the sport do the talking. I, for one, am personally fed up at the nonsense that is said in the press, just play your bloody sport and grow up.
Many would argue that the great Roger Federer should be included as part of this rivalry, but I am afraid he is simply a cut below these two at the moment, as for Andy Murray, well... People are regularly coining the phrase "the big 4", a reference to Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray; I suggest the "big 2", the "big 3" at a push. To be part of this elusive group then you have to genuinely have the chance of winning a title when all the top players are competing, I argue that if all four of these players are playing, then Andy Murray has, at best, a minute chance of winning. One last point, why would you corrupt such tennis purity with Andy Murray? Perhaps once (if, probably not, likely never) he wins a major.
Novak and Rafa produced arguably the greatest tennis match of all time in the final of the 2012 Australian Open (highlights can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa2JPWwSqdI). It was an absolute pleasure to behold, never has there been such an incredible show of athleticism on a tennis court, never mind technical ability. It was gruelling just to watch, never mind to play, and was six of the most gripping hours of my life. Expect to see a match of similar proportions at the upcoming French Open final. I assure you that the recent encounter at Monte Carlo was just a blip from the Serbian. Djokovic was thrashed 6-3 6-1 by the Spaniard, a lot can be attributed to the death of Djokovic's late grandfather on the eve of his quarter-final.
I shall be following the progress of Djokovic and Nadal's rivalry in my blog, occasionally deviating onto other tennising matters, but mainly focusing on the best sporting rivalry in the world, one with the potential to develop into one of the greatest in history.]]>