The Eyes Have It
‘ACCORDING to the official Chelsea website, Sebastian Coe is a fan of the club.
|
| Appealing for leniency |
But surely that cannot have any bearing on his call for Rio Ferdinands eight-month ban for missing a drugs test to be upheld.
The Express says that on the morn of Ferdinands appeal, the former athlete and former Tory MP thinks the ban was right.
My gut view is that the ban was probably proportionate, says Coe. Missing or failing to take a drugs test is a doping offence.
Meanwhile, the Sun hears that Ferdinand is hopeful that his ban will be reduced on appeal.
He tells the papers Shaun Curtis that he has never taken drugs. No way, drug-taking is just stupid, says the player.
So I stared hard into his eyes and asked him: Have you ever taken drugs? writes Curtis.
Ferdinands stared straight back and without a flicker of his eye, rapped: Never.
I warned him that if he ever had, it would come out. Someone, somewhere would tell the story.
Perhaps Curtis is right. But he should stare into a mirror and thus his own eyes and ask himself why, if Ferdinand has never been accused to taking drugs, are you asking him if he has?
And if he has taken drugs, why do you think it would come out, given the players inability to be tested and therefore proof to be found?
Elsewhere, away from footballs gutter, Michael Owen scored a goal last night. Take that! says the headline in the Mail. Owen and Beckham answer critics and England lift for 2004.
The Beckham is Day-vid Beckham, and he also scored a goal last night, a 30-yard free kick for Real Madrid, so confounding his, er, critics.
And if you know who any of those critics are, please let us know, since weve been labouring under the impression that Beckham has done no wrong and is universally loved in Spain, England and everywhere else.
As for Owen, well, he has been struggling to score in the proverbial brothel, so news of his two goals is indeed a fillip to his club (Liverpool beat Portsmouth 3-0) and his country.
Of course, one decent performance doesnt really change things, something Claudio Ranieri is mindful of as his side prepare for the seasons run-in.
Whether he wins anything or not this term, the Mirror says that the Chelsea manager with the voice of an Italian Del Boy is on his way out.
His replacement will be one Ottmar Hitzfeld, a German and the current manager of Bayern Munich.
At the moment I want to see out my contract at Bayern which runs until 2005, says Hitzfeld.
Which in football speak means pretty much nothing, especially for a man whose side have just crashed out of the Champions League.
Although if we really want to know the truth, we should stare hard into his eyes and then ask him. And if Paul McKennas not available for the job, best get Shaun Curtis…’
Posted: 18th, March 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
