Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Tabling a New Motion


Copyright ITSF 2010

In my search for a sports fix the other night I stumbled upon the Table Football World Cup on EuroSport2. Initially, I found it somewhat comical to see the fanfare surrounding the game which enjoyed a supporting role on Friends for 10 years.

Unfortunately, after a few minutes my amusement turned to annoyance when the popularity of the event actually sunk in. Televised coverage, sponsors and a packed venue – wow.

I’m curious - what do we need to do in the UK to get more people behind certain sports here, which are respected and in some cases, revered in other countries?

Tuesday, 11 January 2011

Blame It on the Rain

©Channel4.com
Last week I was one of the 2.6m people that tuned in to watch Britain’s Fattest Man on Channel 4 - a documentary about a man who weighed as much 70 stone before having a gastric bypass operation last year. I watched the documentary in a mixed state of shock and disbelief from start to finish. 

One week on and I admittedly still shudder when I think of what it would have taken for Paul Mason to grow to the size he was.  Even more interesting, is the view of some Metro readers to Mason’s situation:

Consider the possibility that Western culture is to blame, with our easily accessible, high sugar, fat and salt content and processed foods’, said one reader

At 70st, Paul explained he put on the weight because of depression – brought on by a number of reasons including losing his job’ said another.

The nation doesn’t seem to be this sympathetic when an alcoholic is using public transport as a toilet or after a drug addict has broken in to someone’s car in search of finance for their next fix, yet it could be argued that the motives are the same.

I’m often unfairly accused of being a ‘cacomorphobic’ because of my personal views on morbid obesity, but after seeing the story of  a man who is being held prisoner in his own body from his own doing, I’m sticking to my guns.