Guardian Snubs Ronaldo

For a couple of years I have been closely following the career of my countryman, Cristiano Ronaldo, not only because I regard him as the most astonishing, aesthetically satisfying athlete I have ever had occasion to study but because of the drama of his emerging into greatness before a foreign and xenophobic soccer public that could not have been more reluctant to recognize it and that continues to find excuses to deny or belittle it. It is a drama which his finally winning the Fifa World Player of the Year award has obviously not brought to a close. For example, all day Tuesday I found not a whisper of his triumph ont he Web site of Manchester United’s hometown newspaper, The Guardian. Had I simply come too late – had the story already been taken down? I searched their archives. Nothing. Had the entire British press boycotted the story? I turned to the London Telegraph’s Web site and found that it had set up an entire category of CR stories to link to, including of course the latest on the award. So what could explain the Guardian’s snub?

The Frustration of the Adult Soccer Fan

The child who is a soccer fan may, after an inspiring game, grab his ball, run outside and play at being an athletic god like Cristiano Ronaldo. The adult fan has no such ready outlet for his inspiration. After the game, he usually has no choice but to face the fact that it has altered nothing in his own life. This may account for the popularity of golf among soccer fans over thirty. After watching Tiger Woods, even a middle-aged man can go out on the links and feel inspired to improve his handicap.