On sport
Why I really watch
It’s that time of year again, the few weeks of June/July where I somehow end up watching lots of sport on TV. This year there’s also the football World Cup to fill our screens and newspaper headlines. I wouldn’t describe myself as an avid watcher of sport for the most part. I find football matches boring for the most part, but during a World Cup it’s different. There’s drama, shock defeats (or wins, depending which team you support), gossip. The difference between a tournament and a sporting season is of course the truncated time span. How nice that everything can get wrapped up in a matter of weeks, not months!
A highlight of this time of year is Wimbledon. A fortnight of tennis which actually happens to take place about twenty minutes walk from my flat. In the good old days when you had to apply for Wimbledon tickets via the post, I managed to get tickets most years. It was a bit of a process - post them a stamped self-addressed envelope and they would then send you an application form that you filled out and then posted back. This was the era of Federer, Nadal, Murray, the Williams sisters, and I’ve seen them all play. Now it’s a lot easier to apply for Wimbledon tickets, and they are still very strict about how the ballot works to avoid ticket touts, but now that you can just fill out a quick online form, a lot more people apply I presume. The fun thing is that you can still go and queue to try and get in, or head along after work when ticket holders start to leave - they let people pass on their tickets when they go so while you won’t get on Centre Court to see a big star, you can often get in to sit on the hill and soak up the atmosphere. There’s no Alcaraz this year (my current favourite) but after the drama of this year’s French Open, who knows what might happen?
While the chances of British success at Wimbledon are slim to none, for those who want to feel patriotic, there’s not just the football. The British Grand Prix is, as usual, on the first weekend of July. My brother goes every year with his girlfriend and their massive tent (literally bigger than some London flats). It costs a small fortune and you could go for a week all inclusive in a European beach resort for less, but Silverstone is something else. Not just motorsport but a festival vibe. With Lewis Hamilton having been the podium for the last two races, plus George Russell and current champion Lando Norris flying the flag, it should be a good one this year.
It’s the stories that bring me back to these sports. The drama! Watching Hamilton win his first grand prix in years last weekend, after months of speculation that he’s way too old/past his best/should step aside for the newer generation, was extra sweet. When he stood on a podium with two drivers whose combined ages were less than his, it not only proved that age is just a number but also showed just how idolised he is amongst these new drivers who were babies when Hamilton took his first GP win. In tennis, it’s about who can take on the big names. We want to see a shock defeat, an epic three or five set battle that goes on for hours, perhaps some drama where someone wears a slightly darker colour than the regulation tennis whites.
Outside of the sport itself, there are all the other factors that play a part. Will it rain during Wimbledon? Probably. How will Americans cope with the sudden influx of foreigners after spending the past couple of years trying to kick them all out? Most big sports like to make out that they’re apolitical, despite many being run by dubious characters, mostly men with millions in the bank, so it can often feel as though there’s a scandal somewhere waiting to be uncovered. Would I love England to win the World Cup? Sure. But I’d be just as happy with a final that has some red card drama and a penalty shoot-out.