The sporting media is generally noted for their double edged attitude towards sports practitioners. The virtues of a sportsman or sportswoman could be extolled to the high heavens with all the adjectives one can think of much as a little indiscretion on his part could send him to the cleaners by the same praise singers.

The English media seem to lead in this aspect of journalism and the way national football skipper John Terry of Chelsea fame has been on the spotlight for reportedly having an affair with  a colleague footballer’s former girl friend is typical.

If this had happened in my part of the world, it would have been no news because even President Atta Mills has openly questioned the media for making noise about a cabinet minister’s flirtation with a young female secretary. ”Is it the first time a minister has travelled abroad with his girl friend?”, President Mills queried the media at a public function at Government House.

What tickles me about this whole John Terry affair is the contrasting attitude of the two Italian coaches closely in touch with Terry’s football career. England manager Fabio Capello believes Terry’s personal problems are his own and has relieved him of the England captaincy. The Italian has an eye on the World Cup and obviously wants to avoid any tension in camp since Wayne Bridge whose former girl friend in the centre of the controversy, is a key member of the England squad.

Capello is a real disciplinarian and principled. He has promised to talk with the dismissed captain apparently to explain his action in detail knowing very well what the honour of England captaincy means to Terry.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti on the other hand doesn’t seem to see what all the fuss is about. He is actually surprised to see so much interest about someone’s private life.  The invasion of press photographers at the club’s training obviously trailing John Terry amazes him.

Exhibiting some humour he said “with helicopters hovering above the team at training everyday”, maybe he “would soon have to use a megaphone”.

This lighthearted remark about the media is in sharp contrast with the one by Arsene Wenger who hit at the press for misquoting remarks he made after Arsenal’s defeat by Chelsea. Hear him “You take one word of my press conference to turn it around every time”.

Wenger was reported to have expressed misgivings about the loss to Chelsea which remarks brought a sharp response from Chelsea’s German skipper Michael Ballack that “football is not possession of the ball and playing a nice pass, football is about winning and that’s what we did”. This is quite an interesting rigmarole and as someone put it, the sporting media can make or mar. Their sword cuts both ways and sports practitioners and managers must learn to live it.

Meanwhile, it is my fervent hope that this John Terry saga will not escalate to anything nasty to disturb the high morale in the camp of England for the World Cup. The Three Lions always add some special spice to the World Cup and I would love to see them making their presence felt in South Africa in June.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.

FROM MY ARCHIVES

Feb 10th 1999: Juventus manager Marcello Lippi has offered his resignation after the reigning Italian champions crashed to a 4-2. Defeat to Parma which ended any hopes they had of a third consecutive title.