Scandal in Politics and Football

Because of other commitments, I haven’t been able to write a post to this blog for the past couple of weeks. I’ve kept an eye on the news during that time though, and it’s no surprise that politics, or rather, sleaze in politics, has been the main issue being covered in newspapers, and on TV and radio. As always, commentators and journalists invent a main name for the current scandal, in this case “smear”, then add the inevitable “gate” to it, thus giving us the highly original name, “Smeargate”. Do those guys not realise that the original case in 1972/73, involving President Nixon, was named “Watergate” because it was the actual name of a place, the Watergate Hotel and Office complex. It obviously follows that it simply doesn’t make sense to keep adding “gate” to the name they concoct for any new sleaze story that emerges.

 

Of course, about two weeks ago, we had the infamous “Boozegate” here in Scotland, when two Scotland international football players were deemed to be out of order for still gargling with alcoholic beverages at Sunday lunchtime, after being in the bar from around 4.30am. They might have cleared their throats, but obviously not their minds, as their behaviour at the Scotland-Iceland match on the following Wednesday night showed. As far as I’m concerned, they should not have been named as substitutes for the game, but seeing they were, they should have sat there, looking contrite, and supporting their team mates. They chose instead to flash ‘V’ signs at the photographers, which could also be construed as being offensive gestures to every Scottish fan. Obviously, this was not done on the spur of the moment by two individuals – that would be too much of a coincidence, and as I don’t think either of them has the intellect necessary to think of carrying out those actions, I keep wondering if someone involved with the media masterminded the whole thing. In any case, the whole episode proved beyond doubt that we have a bunch of bungling idiots running the Scottish Football Association, who don’t need to be in a bar for 7 hours in order to come to some crazy decisions.

 

I’ve referred to Jade Goody before now in this blog, and after her death last month, I hoped that the media hype concerning her would have stopped by now – that she would be remembered best for the awareness of cervical cancer that her illness prompted. Not so, I’m afraid. Jack Tweed, who got married to her a few weeks before she died, has been jailed again, this time for assaulting a taxi driver. Only last Friday, he was pictured leaving a giant Cadbury’s crème egg at her graveside. It might have been her favourite treat, but she’s gone Jack. Before becoming a resident at one of the Queen’s residences, it’s reported that he also visited Madame Tussaud’s, for talks about immortalising her as a waxwork. It seems that Jade had said that she’d love to have a statue made of her, especially as it would help her sons to remember her. I don’t think they’ll bother to amble into Madame Tussaud’s every day, but I’m sure that a photo in the wallet would serve the purpose, and I somehow don’t think it would cost as much either.