A Week Of Sporting Controversy - Ronaldo, Chambers and The Open Golf

Sepp Blatter made a comment earlier this week that Christiano Ronaldo is locked in slavery because Manchester United won't sell him to Real Madrid and what is worse is that Ronaldo agreed with him. This is the same Sepp Blatter that in November 2006 was made an honorary member of Real Madrid, a conflict of interest if ever I saw one, and this is the same Ronaldo that has refused to apologise for his comment despite renegotiating his contract only last year signing up for a further four years and a weekly wage of about 120,ooo pounds. He also lives in a 4m pound house, has ordered a Bugatti car at a further 835,000 and is about to close a sponsorship deal with Nike worth 23 million. Ever since the Bosman ruling players have had the upper hand meaning they can move on a free transfer at the end of their contracts and this has led to a spiralling of player wages. After Ronaldo's antics at the last World Cup, his performances for Manchester United last season went a long way to winning over the neutral supporter but it now seems even his own supporters are now questioning their loyalty. Blatter & Ronaldo would do well to remember Michel Platini's comment that "slaves never earned a wage" and that these players earn in a month what some of us will be lucky to earn between now & retiring!

This week also saw Dwayne Chambers lose his appeal against an Olympic ban. Chambers was found guilty of taking steroids in 2003 and despite now being clean & still Britain's fastest he won't be going to Beijing. This has to be the right decision, if he'd gone & won a medal how many of us would've taken him seriously or been proud of his achievement, and how would the rest of that relay team felt who were stripped of their European medals last time around?

This weekend is the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and the big debate is whether the championship has been devalued without Tiger Woods competing. According to a recent poll in The Guardian newspaper 62.7% felt that it would be. However there is bound to be more drama and excitement with plenty of twists and turns without him and from a betting point of view the field is wide open with even the favourite at the start of the tournament being out at 12-1. The defending champion is Padraig Harrington who won with Tiger Woods in the field so I'm sure who ever wins this year will not feel it's any less an achievement without Tiger being there and I'm sure the $1.5m will help! Only a drop in viewing figures for the TV networks or a drop in visitors at Royal Birkdale will aid the cynics point but I for one will be watching with interest.