The Top five times ‘good’ did not triumph over ‘evil’
Roar Pro By Andrew Jones, 11 Jul 2008 Andrew Jones is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Allan Border, Arsenal, Ian Botham, Liverpool, Rafael Nadal, Randwick, Roger Federer, Wimbledon
This column started as a list of sportspeople united by some feature other than competence. Now it has gone small-c catholic in a silent tribute to next week’s World Youth Day at Randwick Racecourse, which itself rockets to Number One in the list of Top 5 Excuses For Cancellation of Race 4.
In the canon of this broader sporting church, here is my The Top five times ‘good’ did not triumph over ‘evil’.
1. Nadal v. Federer, Wimbledon 2008 (c)
Tennis pundits who suggested this was the greatest tennis match of all time were presumably also upset that the Death Star was vandalised by local youths just when its architectural bravery was becoming apparent (this analogy assumes ‘local’ includes Tatooine). Sure, Nadal can play, was gracious in victory and personally thanked me for motivating him with last week’s remark about frantic Iberian bum-picking, but I am unashamedly a Federer fan and was disappointed he didn’t win. Give me Borg beating McEnroe any day.
2. Australia v. Iran, 1997
If Nadal v. Federer is this week’s captain, it is Kim Hughes to this disaster’s Allan Border. From the high, just days earlier, of Johns and Darren Albert stealing the ARL Grand Final, to the low of the MCG net-snipping fiasco and Iran’s 2 late goals, this was as bad as it gets.
3. Arsenal v Liverpool, final day, 1988-89 season
Tony Adams, George Graham and most of all Michael Thomas. His last-minute goal sucked the mojo out of Liverpool (the 1989-90 title an aberration) and it remains missing to this day.
4. Thomson c. Miller b. Botham, MCG 1982
At one end of the virtue scale, 1982 was the year of Sterling, Kenny, Grothe, Ella and Cronin, plus Neil Hunt and Paul Taylor. At other end it was the year of Ian Botham, Chris Tavare and Geoff Miller. When Tavare fumbled the thick edge from Thommo’s hopeful waft we thought God was punishing him for his tedious batting. However no deity worth his salt would reward Botham’s pies and Miller’s wristband restricted offspin with a second-chance catch broke a 10-year-old’s heart.
5. Italy v. Australia, FIFA World Cup 2006
The only redeeming feature of this match was that I didn’t watch it. Stuck on a plane mid-Pacific, I remember clearly the Aussie pilot’s announcement that it was “Good news! It is still nil-all with only a few minutes to play”. In that zone of vivid thought between waking and sleep, my mind bet everything it owned that an azure-shirted match-fixer would take a dive in the area. And so, goddammit, it proved.
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In addition to being a sports nuffy, Andrew Jones is a co-founder of local business ratings website Customer Underground - check it out at customerunderground.com.
- Explore:
- Allan Border, Arsenal, Ian Botham, Liverpool, Rafael Nadal, Randwick, Roger Federer, Wimbledon
July 11th 2008 @ 2:27pm
Harry said | July 11th 2008 @ 2:27pm | Report comment
If it had been anyone – anyone – but Goran I would have been gutted for rafter in 01, however if ever a bloke deserved a win and in those circumstances it was this guy, an eccentric and likeable fella. As Andrew Jones said above, the real shame was Rafter not beating Sampras the year before!
July 11th 2008 @ 8:35pm
cosmos forever said | July 11th 2008 @ 8:35pm | Report comment
5. Floyd Landis 2006 Tour (though in the end Oscar P got his title, but alas all too late)
4. NBL v Canberra Cannons (taking the licence off a league legend that ends up in Singapore via the Hunter – shame)
3. Australian Cricket team v just about anyone (pure evil those blokes)
2. Organised international sports bodies (FIFA, UCI, IOC etc etc) v athletes who just want to get on and play
1. Video Ref v Raiders (any time, any game – evil always wins over our poor green machine)
No chip on the shoulder about the ‘administration v our local teams’ here
July 11th 2008 @ 9:09pm
Dublin Dave said | July 11th 2008 @ 9:09pm | Report comment
Hmm. Nobody’s mentioned underarm bowling yet. Come on, Kiwis. That one must still be hurting.
One of my top ones would be Australia beating Ireland in the 1991 World Cup quarter final with a last minute try. In the previous Five Nations Ireland had been the most attractive but least successful side, scoring more tries than the Grand Slam winners that year but finishing bottom without a win. In the quarter final they came back from being way behind to an arrogant Australian side who were cruising and showboating in the best Campese manner by snatching a lead with a great try with only a few minutes to go. Then a missed clearance kick gave Australia the platform from which Michael Lynagh scored the winner.
Australia won the cup that year through judicious use of pcyhological warfare, bullshitting the English into playing a running game which played right into the ultra defensive Aussie team’s hands. Pure evil.
Also Manchester United’s win over Bayern Munich in the 1999 European Cup final. Any win for United is a victory for Devil Worshippers but that one particularly hurt. I’ve a personal attachment to the lovely city of Munich
I also hated it any time some hairy lesbian beat the fragrant Gabriella Sabatini.
July 11th 2008 @ 10:45pm
Guy Smiley said | July 11th 2008 @ 10:45pm | Report comment
I was at Lansdowne Road when Australia snatched that last gasp win in the 1991 QF. I can still remember with perfect clarity the confused, baffled silence that fell over the ground quickly followed by utter heartache. Still I don’t think it’s a case of good losing to evil as that Wallabies team is the greatest I have ever witnessed in my life. Horan was a genius and a joy to watch, Campo was and still is a prick but just unbelievably gifted. I turned up the next week to watch them dispatch the ABs with clinical precision. Those Wallabies were one-offs.
Dublin Dave I also hail from our fair city and I have to ay I’m on the opposite side of the fence when it comes to Man Utd v Bayern. The German team was terrifically arrogant (which was part of their charm in a funny way). United were anything but and on the night they looked terrible until that last crazy three minutes. United’s arrogance stems mainly from their fans not the team itself.
One that also springs to mind is Jean van de Velde (sp?) losing the British Open at Carnoustie to no-one else but his evil mental frailties. That was horrific to watch, an obviously good, decent man mentally imploding live on TV and throwing away his chance at sporting immortality.
Danny Green losing to Anthony Mundine – surely that’s the personification of good losing to evil.
Anyone who lost to Marion Jones over the years, they will never get their time on the podium back. Cheating b*tch.
July 11th 2008 @ 11:06pm
Dublin Dave said | July 11th 2008 @ 11:06pm | Report comment
Guy,
My comments of course, as I believe are most of the comments in this thread, were tongue in cheek. Apart from the one about United. And you’re dead right. It’s their fans that turn your stomach, but I just love it, love it when somebody makes Ferguson bitch and whinge.
If I was in power for a day, I would shoot every Manchester United fan with an Irish accent. And that’s not tongue in cheek. I’m deadly serious.
July 15th 2008 @ 3:21pm
Gruffalo said | July 15th 2008 @ 3:21pm | Report comment
1. When the North Sydney Bears were lied to – “you must move to Gosford”;
2. When the North Sydney Bears were put into administration when they were actually cashed up.
3. When the North Sydney Bears were railroaded into a “merger” with Manly – then the North Sydney Leagues Club put in $10 million;
4. When John Singleton decided to drop any support for the Central Coast Bears and keep the Gosford stadium management rights – even though this was never in their agreement;
5. When the NRL decided to give any club $8 million to relocate to Gosford and has not, for 10 years, given the Central Coast Bears any chance at all.
Finally, when the likes of Gould, Hadley, Jones, Vautin etc, all well aware of what happened, sat back and did nothing to help protect an establishment club. Shame, rugby league, shame.
November 27th 2008 @ 6:31pm
Nic said | November 27th 2008 @ 6:31pm | Report comment
i think a good recent one is New Zealand winning the Rugby League World Cup in 08 after Australia DOMINATED everybody in the rounds and semis. WE WAS ROBBED I TELLS YA!!!