Andy Murray

Andy Murray lost his semi final yesterday. There's been a lot of comment on this and him in the last couple of weeks while everyone pretends to enjoy tennis during Wimbledon. He gets a lot of negative comments due to his perceived arrogance, there are others about how he's another nearly man of british sport. But there are quite a lot of people who don't like him and I'm not certain why.

We can lose the Scottish/British thing out of the way first, tennis players compete under Britain, so while he is a Scot, he's also British. It is possible to be both, although some seem to think, and not just in relation to this, that you can only be English and British, not Scottish or Welsh and British. Although there does seem at times to be more of an issue with Scotland, which is slightly detached and always has been with a separate legal system and possibly a stronger sense of Scottish nationality, but it's still a United Kingdom.

I don't think it has anything to do with the Anyone but England comment a few years ago either, that was another joke, and most people aren't that sensitive. There are hundreds of comments made about the Scots and sport by the English, which everyone apart from a few idiots ignore. It's got nothing to do with hm being Scottish apart from in a few sad minds. So why is one of our most successful individual sportsmen slagged so much. No Grand Slams but 17 career titles to back that idea up.

People moan about his arrogance, but sportsmen are arrogant, and a few of those commenting back some footballers, some of whom are the most arrogant people walking around. Arrogance is ok to a point, and I don't think he oversteps it, and he does tend to praise opponents in defeat although it can get ignored by people whose agenda it does not fit. There is an issue with what seems to be a dryer than some people get sense of humour in his possession, and he can be a sarky and moody bugger but that's apparently forgivable in others. I don't get it, he isn't Tim Henman which seems to offend some of the more pompous tennis set, but that can't be it either. We tend to celebrate others who don't quite hit the heights, although Murray may yet, and that may change peoples minds.

What it could simply be is we can't see yet if he's a plucky loser or a winner, and some can't make up their minds about him on that basis. But I still find it a bit strange. 

Scottish Football

I think everyone and their monkey has commented on the state of Scottish Football after last thursday, but I won't let that stop me. If you're unaware, 3 teams playing in Europe from Scotland that night, 3 teams lost. Why are we so shit? Money talks now in football, it's taken the game away from the fans. It was a working class sport, now you have to support a team, it's "trendy" to do so, and it's killing the game, especially in England. They may win in Europe, and co uld this year, but long term? How far apart can you take the players and keep the game running. I'm getting distant from the game, I support Aberdeen and will watch when they're on guaranteed, but seeing an English premiership game on a Sunday does not interest me that much anymore.

But getting back to the original point, Scottish teams in Europe. The song should go "We're shit, and we know we are". Celtic claim to be a big team still, so do Rangers. Only in past reputations, which are being destroyed. No Scottish team seems to know how to play against a half decent team, who can keep the ball down and actually play, Italian 3rd division level. Football is about Money now, and we don't pay English League 2 levels, but that isn't the main reason. The main reason in my view is that no-one plays the game anymore, not like they used to. Hell, even when I was a wean 20 something years ago we played in the street, doesn't happen now. Tell me the last time you saw a group of kids playing in your local park, just for fun. I can't remember. Players get rich off the game, and the kids want to get that money, but don't want to put in the effort. Too many people now think that they should be able to be famous, just for being famous - see Big Brother, or Kate Price/Jordan. The attitude is I'm owed by the world, I'm brilliant and you can't see it. Talent may out eventually, but it's getting hidden by the idiots going on X-Factor with no talent but being "wacky" and becoming known.

I've gone well off where I started here, but will leave it in. One last point, why do people buy into these things, that Jordan (person not country) is actually worth watching or listening to. Is that what you want from the world. I don't.