Some will say the recent Dougie Whyte-Zac Purton war of words is great for the sport- that it spices things up and how the competition is good for racing.
Competition is great for any sport. But slanging matches? Hmmm.
Good for who? It’s all a bit like getting others to fight your battles and standing on the sidelines and watching.
(Source: HKJC)
Before he changed his name to Muhammed Ali, a young Cassius Clay was “The Louisville Lip” with his poems, his mantra of “I am the Greatest” and all his antics for the press. It was great fun watching him taunt his opponents in and out of the ring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXbY-CrxO9M
Cassius Clay was a showman- and a great one. He also was and still is, a great role model at a time when the battered image of boxing needed a role model.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OezriPEepZs
The key thing was the respect Cassius Clay/Muhammed Ali had for his opponents after his fights- Sonny Liston, the great Joe Frazier and every other fighter he fought.
(Source: Boxing Memories)
Sadly, Don King would come along and turn the sport into a circus, and use Tyson as his personal monkey and the sport has never recovered.
(Source: Saddo Boxing)
Listening today to Zac Purton being interviewed by Shane Anderson on RSN was disappointing in that it was way too much information. The tap was turned and the usual verbiage came rushing out with no closure in sight.
Some might say he’s arrogant, but I like Zac Purton very much. He’s got a great sense of humor, he listens and is not one of those many fair-weathered “friends” one meets in Hong Kong.
I admire him tremendously as a jockey, but this interview showed some weird “science” bubbling to the surface.
With Douglas Whyte extremely effective at rankling his competitors as he did with Brett Prebble and using his spider and fly psychological tactics again, it looks as if another one has got caught in his web.
(Source: Stacking Books)
We all have short fuses from time to time and the interview with Zac Purton in the Sydney Daily Telegraph yesterday said it all, but to repeat it again- and more- was a dose of second-hand news.
This is also the problem with some in the racing media: They flog a dead horse to death and turn all the players into whinging drama queens.
(Source: Technorati)
It’s like that entire Lady Gai/Singo saga that went on longer than Gone With The Wind.
And, frankly, my dear, I didn’t give a damn.
(Source: Cartoonist)
By the same token, Dougie Whyte’s end of the season rant about Zac’s “chirps” and “putting his hand inside a beehive” etc was unfortunate which is tough to write about one of your best mates.
Perhaps it was said in the heat of the moment or after the high of riding his 100th winner of the season, but with thirteen consecutive jockey championships in his CV, it was an uncharacteristic faux pas best left for bar talk with very good mates.
(Source: HKJC)
It will be used and re-used like what became Fingerpointingate, a childish bit of nonsense that still surfaces today.
Who said what first? Who fucking cares? It’s about who is big enough to put their hand out- and not into a beehive- and get back to the business of riding winners.
(Source: SCMP)
The average local punter in Hong Kong won’t give two nervous tics about any of this sling slanging stuff. It doesn’t help them win- and which is the one thing that matters to them.
(Source: SOD Ahead)
If this were a war of words between Canto-pop superstars Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai, now that would be news in Hong Kong. Two jockeys carrying on? Eh.
(Source: Xinhua Net)
As a good friend pointed out, look at the respect shown between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic after the former’s three set win over the number one seed in the far greater stage of Wimbledon.
(Source: Standard)
That was a class act by both athletes- and class is a key word needed in horse racing and which can be brought to the sport by two great riders who should be seen as champions on and off the track.
Imagine Frankie Dettori running to the media about losing his job with Godolphin and having a right old whinge. But he didn’t. Why?
Frankie Dettori is a class act- always has been, always will be and which is why the good breaks come his way like his new job.
(Source: Arabian Business)
He is the benchmark of what a champion jockey should be and why many will always respect the man and forgive his human foibles.
(Source: Guardian)
Same with the respect one has for Michael Kinane, Gai Waterhouse, Bart Cummings and the late Henry Cecil.
(Source: BBC)
Let’s hope we see Dougie Whyte and Zac Purton join this elite group and make us all proud of them and this sport we all love.
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