Predictably unpredictable memories
If there is anything we can conclude from the last four weeks it is that sport is still the ultimate form of entertainment when it comes to unexpected outcomes. Despite the attempts of wealthy owners, doping cheats and charlatans the final outcome still comes down to the smallest of margins that separate the best from the rest on the pitch, court or track.
One of the quotes I share with students of the Master in Sport Management at the Johan Cruyff Institute is that of US playwright, Neil Pickering: “Sport is the only entertainment where, no matter how many times you go back, you never know the ending.” After writing the April edition of Chapter 14, Tiger Woods did indeed complete a remarkable comeback to claim his fifth US Masters Green Jacket, 11 years after his last Major title at the age of 43. Fans and journalists around the world were making comparisons with other heroic sporting acts including Muhammad Ali, Niki Lauda, Monica Seles, Greg LeMond and Mario Lemieux (of the Pittsburgh Penguins) to name a few.
Whatever you may think of golf and Tiger Woods, fans will be talking about his performance at Augusta National on 14th April 2019 for a long time. This week Woods will be making his first appearance since the US Masters at Bethpage in the PGA Championship. On a very different golf course and different conditions it would be a miracle if Woods could pull-off another unexpected win.
A week ago football fans were predicting the finalists of the UEFA Champions League. The ‘logical’ finalists were FC Barcelona and AFC Ajax. Both teams had an advantage from the first leg of the semi-final and destiny in their own hands, or so we thought. In the space of 24 hours two of the biggest surprises unfolded that resulted in a final between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur on 1st June in the Stadio Metropolitano, Madrid.
In two completely different matches the element of surprise and unpredictable twists and turns were beyond the imagination of most viewers. Again, fans will remember exactly where they were the moment Liverpool scored their fourth goal or when Luca Moura completed his hat-trick. For the record, I was in the Arizona Grill Lounge in Toronto, Canada amongst a plethora of TV screens and amazed Canadian sports fans who stopped talking about the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers in the play-offs for a few minutes. Explaining the away goal rule to non-football fans is still a challenge!
Only a few days later the Raptors experienced their own ecstasy when Kawhi Leonard launched a buzzer-beater in the dying seconds of the seventh and final play-off match to win 92-90. Toronto advances to face the Milwaukee Bucks in the East finals. It would be the first-ever Finals appearance for the Raptors, while the Bucks would be making their first NBA Finals since 1974. Who says sport is dull?
Today, Formula 1 confirmed the return of Grand Prix racing to Zandvoort in the Netherlands in 2020. No doubt the rise of Max Verstappen helped secure a return after 35 years absence. My first Grand Prix experience took place at Zandvoort on 29th August 1976 watching the late James Hunt in his McLaren-Ford beat Clay Regazonni in a Ferrari. This was also the year Niki Lauda was seriously injured in a crash at the Nürburgring and still returned to challenge Hunt for the title. This season triggered my passion for F1 which was fulfilled by BBC2’s Grand Prix coverage and the famous Fleetwood Mac number “The Chain”. Times have changed but there is no avoiding the fact that even in 1976 it was the unpredictable nature of ‘life and death’ sport that attracted millions of fans.
As we enter a new era of technological wizardry, it should never be forgotten that passion, engagement and memories that last a lifetime are only created when athletes and teams are allowed to push the limits of sporting performance. Anything that levels the playing field will simply not stand the tests of time and we run the risk of alienating a generation of fans who will never be able to cherish those golden memories.