Tuesday 9 September 2008

Roger Federer v Andy Murray

I suppose I ought to have been rooting for Murray last night. I went to bed instead, and woke to hear that Federer had won the US Open in style. I felt rather glad.

Federer seems like a pleasant, well-mannered, grounded sort of bloke. He has put time and money into being a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and into his own foundation for The Disadvantaged. He also likes cricket and football. Nice Roger Federer is like a lovely bun with icing on.

Murray, on the other hand, has the charm of a malignant malt loaf. His remark during the 2006 World Cup that he would be supporting 'anyone but England' did little to woo supporters south of the border (although it was a view shared by many Scots).

Like Murray, I am mainly Scottish and a quarter English. I feel most Scottish in England, and most English in Scotland, which may be the curse of all expatriates. My loyalty, though, goes to both.

Perhaps in a shrinking world it's okay to prefer the nice guy to the compatriate. What a difference that might have made to History.

8 comments:

  1. The image of a 'malignant malt loaf' will stay with me forever.

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  2. Plus, Roger has got the cuter bottom... how taking THAT into consideration might have changed the courses of history!

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  3. Rol - I'm sorry to have saddled you with that!

    Mask Girl - I think you may be on to something here. Take Goering and Mussolini; lard-arses both (I wouldn't know about Hitler's, but I suspect it had a small moustache). Attilla the Hun had a terrible bum (too much time in the saddle and the limitations of yak soap). One could go on...

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  4. A nice guy is always preferable to a malt loaf whether malignant or benign...

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  5. Ladies and gentlemen: Rodger is an ex South African and most of 'em here have cute-cute bums! Check out www.rogerfederer.com. A tennis playing saint...

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  6. Steve - Except in the bread bin?

    Virgin - I thought he was born in Basle and brought up in Műnchenstein? You Springboks can't just go naturalising any bum you fancy, you know. (Kristina Dimitrova is definitely a Scot).

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  7. Hmm, ahem - His mom is South African so where do ya think then he got those cute looks, great legs & personality from, apart from the bum?

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  8. You're right, EV! He is half South African - the bottom half, evidently (so that's what they mean by 'the Southern Hemisphere').

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