Can you remember what hooked you on your favourite sport? Or, if you’re like me and like nearly every discipline on the planet, what flicked the switch in the various codes?
Here are just a few examples applicable in this corner. For American Football, it was eventually sitting through a first Super Bowl about eight years ago. An Ashes Test being the live sport on a Christmas day did for Cricket while one viewing of Michael Van Gerwen in front of a Darts board was more than enough to leave me salivating for more.
Formula One has been a much more recent addition to the repertoire. Indeed, the facts are that (a) for a long time I couldn’t see the sport in it because it appeared outcomes had more to do with technology than the skill of the drivers (b) the Netflix documentary series F1 Drive To Survive put me right on that score and (c) a spicy rivalry makes anything more delectable.
Think about it, Manchester United-Arsenal in the Ferguson/Wenger era, Leinster-Munster in rugby, Gerwyn Price-Gary Anderson from the world of darts. Cue Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to spark up affairs on the grid.
Not all that long ago, it appeared there was no love lost between Hamilton and his closest challenger at the time, Nico Rosberg. The latter is a character who has always intrigued and infuriated this observer in equal measure. Not only because of his narky nature but owing to the fact he retired too young as well. Something which is becoming all too prevalent in GAA as well. As evidenced by Galway’s Aidan Harte (33), and the Dublin duo of Paul Mannion (28) and Kevin McMannomon (34) and Kilkenny hurler Colin Fennelly (32).
Certainly in three out of the four cases, the individual concerned had plenty more to offer. It’s worth remembering that Colm O’Rourke was 38 by the time the blue bandage was hung up. That at a time when our games were more open, physical, manly and all the better for it. In so many ways the sports stars of today have it so much easier than those greats who went before them.
The career of top level sports people is truncated enough as it is without them exiting stage early. There will be plenty of time to do whatever it is they want to when their sporting days are over. The antidote to Rosberg ducking out early, mind you, is to see the likes of Valtari Bottas and the admittedly soon to retire Kimi Raikkenan racing away well into what would be considered their senior sporting years.
As stated earlier in this piece and previously, the Netflix show really showed me a different side to the super speedy fare. Yes the technology plays a big part in matters but what to me was a surprising amount of the outcomes still depend on human skill and/or error. But before we go there, let’s talk rivalries again. In the fast lane, during my lifetime, that has meant Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill up against Michael Schumacher and, most recently and pertinently for this offering, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
It was clear from watching the documentary that the latter named pair are considerably ahead of the rest of their contemporaries but if recent developments are anything to go by there’s no love lost between the two. A case of familiarity undoubtedly nurturing a bit of contempt. The thing is, though, the best in any sport – or business for that matter – push boundaries or often cross them.
Think of Neil Back putting his hand into a scrum illegally against Munster, Thierry Henry giving France a ‘hand’ past Ireland, or the Mayo footballers going down to warm up in front of Hill 16 before Dublin came out. All supposedly wrong, all worked and yes, all things we would expect of and appluad our own were the boot on the other foot.
Lewis and Max have certainly pushed each others buttons lately. In some cases literally. But for a newly converted fan like this one or if F1 were trying to attract a new fanbase, they couldn’t have two better sales people, and their devilish competitivness makes it even more enthralling for us lucky viewers.
In the last few weeks both have pushed the boundaries, though you’d have to say Verstappen has got the rough end of the stick from the Stewards lately. Deservedly? If you ask me it’s been six of one and half a dozen. There are a few hairpin bends to be got around yet as well.
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