Why winning isn’t everything
20 Feb 2013
MARK KEOHANE, in his Business Day Sport Monthly column, says we live in a miracle country and it’s time we started appreciating the miracle of sport.
Sport is entertainment and it is also about effort. A fixation with just the result is going to lead to a lot of heartache.
It wasn’t that long ago when South Africa wasn’t allowed to compete internationally. Familiarity breeds contempt and irrationally so.
Feel good about the joy of indulging in the performance of South Africans, who are among the best ever produced in their respective codes.
We put huge pressure on our performers to produce every time, but the fans and the media have as much of a responsibility in their performance post match.
We also need to grow up and show some perspective to the effort of the individual or team and give credit to the quality of the opposition. There are times when they just are better and they actually win and we actually lose.
For those who are inspired to live in this country only when South Africa wins, take some responsibility for your own emotions. Similarly, don’t blame a poor SA performance for your depression. No player is losing deliberately and no national player should be subjected to the hate and vitriol published on Twitter.
It sickens me that people can actually feel a justification in the abuse and believe they are owed something by the player and that the player has a responsibility to ensure their happiness. The abuse is disgusting and can never be justified. There is so much to applaud and there is a generation of South African performer that is the best ever produced in this country. What a privilege it is to watch them at their peak.
Look beyond the need for a winning result and imagine South Africa being in sporting isolation. It is pathetic how fans think players are there to instil nationalism. Go do that yourself and start enjoying the sport and keep perspective.
There is life the next day and sport always gives your team or the individual a chance to get it right or to flop.
It is an honour to play for one’s country, but it is not a crime to lose and supporters need to take their insecurity and deal with it.
In the days of isolation we never played anyone and never lost. So we allowed ourselves to believe we were the best in everything. The reality is we are not the best in all things sport and that does not deserve the crassness I read on Twitter.
I get irritated with a lot of our sports media coverage, especially in newsprint. It is always all or nothing, as if every win defines the miracle of this country and defeat brings the possibility of doom. Inspire me with a solution instead of repeating what I saw on television 24 hours earlier and what I have read on the Internet a day earlier.
The media is more guilty than the fans in the buzz and the blowout. I have been as guilty as anyone at times of my career so I certainly don’t preach from a pedestal of purity, but rather from a place of apology.
The daily sports media though need to get a grip and invest in some perspective.
An example was the Proteas ODI series defeat against New Zealand. The Proteas did not play well but the game was apparently in crisis after the series defeat and the euphoria of being the best Test team in the world a few days earlier was an afterthought.
The hysteria was excessive, just like the condemnation and ridicule of New Zealand’s tour only a few days earlier. Appreciate the players and the fact that it’s not you out there on days when all is failing save the potency of the opponent.
There’s an added spice when you know you are watching a performer unrivalled in their field and at the peak of their performance.
The South African bowling attack gives me that sense of awe. Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis evoke a similar emotion and Graeme Smith is just never going to get the reward for his effort. No other Test captain in the history of the game has achieved as much.
Smith, having gone past 100 Test matches as captain, still has his doubters. Give him a break. There is a serious projection of insecurity and delusion among many of the South African fans in the way they react to the players.
A guy like Smith must be judged on how he plays and not for how his gum chewing may irk you. It is massive what he has achieved yet there are so many who burden him with not wearing enough flags on his T-shirt and not being proudly South African.
This is sport. Nationalism looks after itself and it can’t be all taken from the player’s performance. We owe the player the simple courtesy of a dignified interaction that does not start with an attack on his mother’s hair colour and outright abuse.
Grow up you trolls or inspire with your cleverness.
Oh, and one last thing, why the obsession with having to feel the need to retire great players at the start of a season because they are supposedly blocking the path of a 21-year-old?
Give the more mature form players the necessary respect. They’ve earned the right through performance to a bit of loyalty. Our rugby players offer the promise of silverware in Super Rugby but the enjoyment must also be in the performance.
Bafana, in African soccer’s big bi-annual one, were brave and belligerent in a tournament I hoped they could win but never quite had the conviction to believe it was possible. They lost in the quarter-finals on penalties, which was a cruel yet also a dignified exit for the hosts. Dignified in it allowed us to dream of what could have been without confronting the reality of what would most likely have been had they advanced to the semi-final or final.
Bafana played with passion and the support of a nation was a boost, but there are limitations to the current side and the desire to associate with success should also not be confused with the expectation that if they don’t win a tournament they have failed.
Equally our Super Rugby teams.
– This article first appeared in the March issue of Business Day Sport Monthly, which is distributed FREE with the newspaper on the second last Friday of every month.
1,128 Comments
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21 Feb 2013, 15:48 pm
Oscar looking like someone’s just nicked his new Maclaren.
21 Feb 2013, 15:49 pm
Everybody is waering white. But Chillie and Werner have pink shorts
Not going to give away game plan.
Same old
21 Feb 2013, 15:50 pm
@Angostura:
yoh what a post!
hahaha had no clue that’s where the name came from.
ps: i still don’t have thr vaguest idea who u are
21 Feb 2013, 15:50 pm
@Atlas-1002: Have they got “Liefling” playing in the background?
21 Feb 2013, 15:51 pm
@Atlas-1002:
You mean we don’t have one?
Did Surfountain run out?
Did Fouche twist his ankle?
21 Feb 2013, 15:57 pm
wp till i die & dolus dildus..
1.54pm GMT
— Barry Bateman
(@barrybateman)
February 21, 2013
#OscarPistorius Nel on his own
version it’s dolus eventualis. We say
dolus directus – it was planned. BB
1.53pm GMT
— David Smith
(@SmithInAfrica)
February 21, 2013
Nel: “He fired four shots, not one
shot. The only reason you fire four
shots is to kill. On his own version,
he’s bound to be convicted.”
21 Feb 2013, 16:01 pm
@Transformation-1006:
Dolus dildus?
21 Feb 2013, 16:03 pm
Nel opening whoopass.
21 Feb 2013, 16:04 pm
@WP-Forever-1007: dolus forever
21 Feb 2013, 16:05 pm
11am-4pm?
These legal dudes need to hardenthefuckup.
21 Feb 2013, 16:06 pm
2.00pm GMT
— Alex Crawford
(@AlexCrawfordSky)
February 21, 2013
#oscarpistorius Pros: Defence say
row with soccer player was never
taken seriously (where he
threatened to break his legs)
— Karyn Maughan
(@karynmaughan)
February 21, 2013
Nel: this isn’t just a case where we
have idlethreats. We have a dead
woman. #OscarPistorius @encanews
— David Smith
(@SmithInAfrica)
February 21, 2013
Nel: “He is prone to violence. What
else is threats and murder?” One
person in court can give us account
but he elected for affidavit.
1.57pm GMT
Nel turns to the restaurant firearm
incident. The real issue there is that he
asked someone else to take the blame.
That is the person we’re dealing with,
says Nel.
21 Feb 2013, 16:10 pm
Nice seeing Victor in the mix
Even if he is wearing plakkies
21 Feb 2013, 16:11 pm
@Transformation-1011:
And this little beaut
Why would an internationally-known athlete run, asks Nel rhetorically. Why would an internationally-known athlete handle a firearm in public?
21 Feb 2013, 16:12 pm
@Atlas-1012:
Is he honing our attack?
21 Feb 2013, 16:12 pm
Morne hasn’t miss one yet
This damn phone
Cheers
21 Feb 2013, 16:16 pm
@Atlas-1012:
How deep is he standing at first receiver?
21 Feb 2013, 16:20 pm
@WP-Forever-1016:
Fukkoff.
Any super rugby team would kill to have an ex bok coach like him on the mix.
21 Feb 2013, 16:21 pm
@WP-Forever-1016: flat. Looks like the wings will see ball just like last year. Expect Hougie to kick. But a lot of running backline
21 Feb 2013, 16:22 pm
@ 1016
Hehe
21 Feb 2013, 16:22 pm
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE
21 Feb 2013, 16:23 pm
GIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
21 Feb 2013, 16:23 pm
@gunther-1017: missed that
21 Feb 2013, 16:29 pm
Anywho
Sundowns played here on Thuesday and the soccer lines are now painted green
Why do they let soccer matches a few days before a rugby game to take place
21 Feb 2013, 16:33 pm
@Atlas-1023: the money, greedy f.cukers..
21 Feb 2013, 16:40 pm
@Transformation-1024:
Ja.
Which football team plays at your stadium?
21 Feb 2013, 16:41 pm
@Angostura-810: You thinking the way I’m thinking here
21 Feb 2013, 16:44 pm
@Atlas-1023:
Fool
21 Feb 2013, 16:45 pm
@shooter-1020:
Yes
He was at the funeral
21 Feb 2013, 16:45 pm
@Transformation-1011: The soccer player ‘threats’ were serious enough for Oscar to expect a backlash from Bachelor (which is why Oscar ran to his connections at the Hawks to sort it out….)
On that note…a man who runs to the Hawks (thefuckinghawks) because he had an altercation with Bachelor, doesn’t report explicit death threats to the cops? (He alleges to have received more than a few, hence his paranoia?) But the Hawks weren’t called about those…..
21 Feb 2013, 16:45 pm
@Atlas-1002:
1002.Atlas said:
21 Feb 2013, 15:49 pm
Not going to give away game plan.
Same old
(You just did)
21 Feb 2013, 16:47 pm
@gunther-1013:
Damn I missed Nel’s ‘comeback’…..
21 Feb 2013, 16:47 pm
@Dawn-1030:
Are you still a Bull this year?
21 Feb 2013, 16:48 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-1031:
Read the highlights page.
Wyatt Earp stuff.
21 Feb 2013, 16:48 pm
@Transformation-1003: no, transie, I did not mean to imply that you’d be able to guess my identity – nope, I’m just a “regular guy next door”-type, & thus you’d have no way of knowing who I am – but fellow students of that era lurking or blogging here might put 2 + 2 together, & I’d prefer my privacy maintained – that’s all
**
Actually ST Coleridge’s poem was NOT the source of the name, Xanadu. Although UPE was a bilingual university (with lectures 50/50 in English/Afrikaans) at the time, most of the students, especially those in the residences, were Afrikaans speaking. I can vividly remember when we had a House general meeting putting forward suggestions for a name, the person suggesting Xanadu was thinking of something much more ordinary & mundane, namely ‘Walter die Wonderman’s house, Xanadu. ‘Walter die Wonderman’ was an Afrikaans comic strip in the printed media; it was originally in English & known as ‘Mandrake the Magician’. That is the origin of Xanadu. But when the Council declined the name Xanadu, we steadfastly fought on (like frontiersmen, lol), & I immediately remembered the poem, & worked into our revised presentation to Council the cultural, poetic basis of our chosen name. That, amongst other considerations, must have persuaded them that they were needlessly concerned, & that we were not about to run a hillbilly brothel on campus.
21 Feb 2013, 16:49 pm
@gunther-1032:
This year I support Chippa United
21 Feb 2013, 17:17 pm
@gunther-1025: chiefs, pirates, maritzburg united
21 Feb 2013, 17:24 pm
@Angostura-1034: hahaha quite active imaginations you all had…were there dassies, springboks & other animals on the campus grounds when u were there still?
21 Feb 2013, 17:49 pm
dang oskido…s.hit getting real…
SA’s ‘top detective’ takes over Oscar
case
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Comment on this story
12 minutes ago
Pretoria – The national police
commissioner has appointed the
country’s “top detective” as the new
lead investigator in the Oscar Pistorius
murder case.
Pistorius faces a murder charge relating
to the shooting death of his girlfriend
Reeva Steenkamp.
The decision came after it emerged the
initial investigator, Hilton Botha, was
facing attempted murder charges.
General Riah Phiyega says Lieutenant
General Vinesh Moonoo will take over
the investigation.
Phiyega says the Pistorius case “shall
receive attention at the national level”
and Moonoo will “gather a team of
highly skilled and experience
detectives”.
She says Moonoo is the police’s “top
detective”.
21 Feb 2013, 17:50 pm
Great indictment on that fake pseudo society that think they’re big cheese untouchable who can get away with murder literally whenever they pull their bravado Rambo toys out their holsters.
Since when was this paranoid paragon of social virtue allowed to own 4 f ‘ng guns and thinking he’s John Wayne on steroids on the range whenever his prissy little over bloated ego get put out of joint.
The chick probably realized she’s already in deeper than she was willing to commit and wanted out but she’d already sown the seed of familiarity and his pathological need couldn’t handle it and that when the shitstorm erupted
21 Feb 2013, 18:11 pm
Moral of the story – if it ain’t working – walk the fk out, no run.
21 Feb 2013, 18:12 pm
If this dude walks then there’s no such thing as justice in law courts none at all.
He’s been getting away charming the universe while carrying a seething sea of intense volatility of pent up self worth insecurity and shown his true nature behind the facade of smoldering smooth operations enough times for the poor innocent angel of compassion to stay well clear of the smoldering volcano. How come nobody sent out any warning or did she honestly think her angelic attributes were sufficient to heal a damaged raw psyche of intense vulnerability?
21 Feb 2013, 18:12 pm
@Transformation-1038: Reading the summary from today, It seems as though Nel managed to pull a few points back for the state.
Still far too many discrepancies and unanswerables at this stage in OP’s version (whether his female groupies like it or not)
Magistrate also asking the right questions…re: bladder empty due to being cleared at time of death (happends often…and her shorts will confirm or deny this), OR: out of fear – again shorts will confirm this in trial, Reeva screaming out, and the argument that in the dead of night could very well have been heard, along with the obvious shots….
Along with the million other dodgy points in his statement….on which he couldn’t even be questioned as it was written…..
Give the dude bail if you must, but he’s still going to go down.
21 Feb 2013, 18:13 pm
i just hope hougie got bodyguards coz if he sent the smses that made dude lose it…he got next.
21 Feb 2013, 18:18 pm
Just turn on your heels – cut and cauterise. Unless their are animals involved, then who gets the gdam ***** cat?
21 Feb 2013, 18:23 pm
@skopdiekan-1039: In the one statement OP’s defence read out to attest to the ‘loving nature’ of the relationship, there was a clue…..
Reeva’s best friend, stated something to the effect that she would have married Oscar if he asked her even though he was ‘INTENSE’ and ‘moving fast’.
And that says more than all the declarations of love offered……
21 Feb 2013, 18:26 pm
“Oscar Pistolero”
Take a bow, Cane!
21 Feb 2013, 18:31 pm
It’s an interesting question this whole law process, I mean all they do is concoct the most pluaisble story which fits the facts and argue that – everyone knows its probably bullshit, but it fits the evidence – so what next – one has to ask just how much justice is there in the law, particularly where the skill of one’s mouthpiece is typically determined by the money in ones pocket – look at OJ guilty as, on the opposite argument is that however unlikely it seems there is the possibility of truth and you gotta somehow avoid a miscarriage of justice.
21 Feb 2013, 18:34 pm
Just like to say
When they put in the new seats at Loftus for the World cup everyting was blue
Today I saw they changed some on the east stand to represent the Madeliefie
Nice to see it back
21 Feb 2013, 18:42 pm
@Atlas-1048:
75th year anniversary of the Bulls.
They also have special jerseys they will be playing in this year.
Back to the old blue with the Barberton daisy on it
21 Feb 2013, 19:38 pm
@nortierd-1049: That daisy should never have been removed in the first place.
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