2022 .. in review - The 12 sporting events of the year, according to me! Not the 12 days of Christmas. Part two.
As stated previously, there are numerous ways to peel an onion, and this is my own take on a 2022 sporting review. July through December.
Did someone say, "better late than never"?
You can read part one here. (January through June)
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If you have doubts, listen to your readers and be inspired by those that matter the most. So, here we are: "NOT The 12 Days of Christmas, but The 12 Events of Sport in 2022." Thank you, BS.
July 2022.
July was a quiet month here at SpeakingNick. It had me travelling between the United Kingdom and Europe, and there was also some U.S. visa issues - thanks to an unintended overstay in 2021. All in all, it was a pretty chaotic month, which meant I was away from the keyboard for extended periods of time.
Anyway, excuses aside, there was plenty of quality sport happening.
Not surprisingly, there was more golf from St Andrews (Scotland) - the 150th Open Championship.
Cameron Smith, the Australian with the lengthening mullet, fired a final round of 64 to beat a gallant Cameron Young by a solitary shot. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Rory McIlroy not being able to produce a Sunday finish. McIlroy hit all 18 greens in regulation, and only managed to shoot 70, an opportunity missed by the Northern Irishman.
I wrote this article on Smith after his Open Victory.
Smith is a unique character in the closeted world of top-tier professional golf. The self-effacing Queenslander absolutely comes “from a land down under” “where men drink beer” and try not to chunder! Smith offered this when asked ‘how many beers the claret jug might hold.’ “I'm going to guess two, two cans of beer." "I'll probably have about 20 Claret Jugs tonight."
Wimbledon, where the All-England championships are played, but where else you ask! They start in June, and end in July.
That’s tennis, played on a lawn by male and female players decked out in machine-washed whites. This is at the behest of the Pimms-swilling mafia that runs this archaic tournament. It only rates a mention here because of a piece I wrote on Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.
Nick Kyrgios could not resist adding some colour to Wimbledon’s closing ceremony, casually, or blatantly, slipping Mr. Knight’s (of Nike) coloured cap on, keeping him firmly on the periphery of the utterly staid aforementioned establishment. Presumably, just where he prefers it.
Similar to Augusta in golf, it seems Wimbledon treats its players with contempt.
And, finally … I hope you enjoy this reread.
Graham Lloyd and Dexter Fitton happen to be former Lancashire teammates and lifelong friends. We enjoyed a great evening together, reminiscing, laughing, and crying—the crying being a result of the laughing. We could have been anywhere; it wouldn’t have mattered. Thanks to the Hare and Hounds in Bamford, Rochdale.
August 2022.
The arrival of August drew me back to Australia!
Why does the term "Down Under" cause me such derision? Australian citizenship has so far eluded me, and yet it causes me near-panic attacks, particularly when spoken with an American accent. I just need to overcome this. Don't you think? Right!?
Anyway, August in Australia can be a month of false hope for those who have been shivering through a Victorian winter. August 31 should officially signal the end of winter. It’s rarely the case, though!
Instead, “She promises the world, and delivers an atlas.” Spring can be as forthcoming as a politician’s apology.
It is true; I do have a crush on Boston and its sporting teams. So, I’m compelled to lead with this: "Bill Russell’s No. 6 Joins Rare Class of Retired Jersey Numbers."
Russell played with the Celtics from 1956 to 1969. He won a staggering 11 NBA championships, the most in history for any player for a single franchise. He was also a 5-time MVP, a 12-time All-Star, and a 3-time All-Star Game MVP, all in a 13-year career. Extraordinary.
Only three players had their jersey numbers retired leaguewide. Russell is the most recent.
Russell endured more than just stardom in Boston. As an African-American at this time, he was regularly subjected to impartial behaviour, and as a result, he became an active advocate for social reform and spoke openly about civil rights issues. In his last two years with the Celtics, he combined coaching with playing, becoming the first African-American to coach in the NBA.
It’s only fitting to turn to “The Boston Globe” to read their coverage of the NBA retiring Bill Russell’s #6 jersey. This is by the Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach.
The rest of August was spent shivering in Geelong, where the Geelong Cats were purring along in pursuit of another Australian Football League (AFL) premiership. I posted a couple of speculative pieces on Joel Selwood, their captain, and the brilliantly named Patrick Dangerfield. The Cats went on to win the Premiership in 2022, thanks to my commentary!
Lastly. Thank God it’s Friday (TGIF) was born in August. Mostly for my own nostalgic trip down memory lane, but also to share some sporting memories with you, the reader. Its been a lot of fun, and I look forward to it continuing in 2023. Here is my favourite, “Thank god it's Friday ... ON THE ROAD AGAIN with David “Bumble” Lloyd.
September 2022.
There’s a famous song in Australia that celebrates the month of September.
It happens to be about football, the Australian version (AFL), and nothing else matters at this time of the year; AFL is king. Yes, I know, there was another pretty popular song with September in the title. Like you, I prefer this one as well.
It was Mike Brady who belted out “One day in September”
It’s about, “putting in” and, “working real hard.” “Pleasing the crowd, when they’re unforgiving—polite way of saying, “booing.” He sings about, “coming a long way, from the beginning.” And, “there’s easier ways of making a living.” Trust funds come to mind!
“Cause there's one day in September
We want to remember
There isn't any doubting
We'll be in the shouting
Football's such a part of this whole town
And we know that you won't let us down”
It is such a Melbourne centric narrative. “All roads lead to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) on that last Saturday in September.” And, “we know that you won't let us down.” Which means, politely, “make sure you win.”
If you prefer the Earth, Wind & Fire version, I totally understand. You can realign your acoustic equilibrium here! Thank you Maurice White.
So, after that unscheduled preamble, there was a last day in September 2022. It was the 24th, and the Geelong Cats faced off against the Sydney Swans. The Cats and the Swans. If anyone can connect those two team associations, please leave an explanation in the comments below.
It was the 127th grand final of the Australian Football League (AFL). Geelong prevailed by 81 points in front of 100,024 spectators, giving the club its tenth VFL/AFL premiership. The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Isaac Smith of Geelong as the best player on the ground. This is no small feat considering both teams field 22 players—that’s for the non-AFL readers.
I was in Geelong the night of the 24th; it was a unique experience. In honour of the premiership victory, police cars turned off their sirens for the night, a welcome relief in these parts.
It seemed everybody who had a car and was able to drive was hooning through the city streets, honking their horns, with flags flying proudly. A special night was enjoyed by everyone.
That’s all she wrote for September. And we expect to be there again this year. I actually barrack for the Tigers. Work that out if you can!
October 2022.
For the record, Dusty Baker is a favourite son of this channel. And, for those not familiar, before you reach for the remote, please let me introduce him...
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker Jr. is an American baseball manager and former outfielder and hitter who is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball.
He is 73 and has spent a lifetime living in the trenches of professional baseball. Baker has achieved pretty much everything in baseball as both a player and a manager. The only thing missing was a World Series win as a manager.
The final piece of the puzzle was found on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Houston, with the Astros taking game 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series 4-1.
Baker finally had his ring. After 2,144 managerial wins, he got the one that mattered most. Good on you, Dusty Baker. Tragicomical is no longer a descriptive of Dusty Baker.
At 73 years of age, there are bound to be people in your life, friends and family, who have passed. Baker knew this and accepted it. In that final inning, he was quiet. He thought of an old fireballer, J.R. Richard, with Ryan Pressly on the mound. It worked; Baker had his own piece of history.
I have read that baseball does not reward perfection, it rewards resilience. Apparently, it unearths the truth. And, it seems the truth about Baker is that few people in the game are as universally respected. I have a thing for Dusty Baker — so be it.
And from Dusty …
“It’s not relief,” Baker said. “It’s just sheer joy and thankfulness.”
You can find my posts on Dusty Baker here.
And, for those who want to read further on the mercurial Dusty Baker.
Faith, Dusty Baker says, is the soul of humanity. And so he believes. He believes in the perfect guitar riff and the sound of the waves crashing ashore in Kauai. Writes, Jeff Passan for ESPN
From Chelsea Janes, in The Washington Post, Astros win World Series as Dusty Baker finally manages a champion.
And, the trusted Guardian - After 2,144 wins, Dusty Baker finally gets the World Series party he deserves
November 2022.
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup took place in Australia from October to November. The usual suspects made up the identification parade: Australia, India, New Zealand, England, and everyone’s smoky, Pakistan.
The competition opener saw hosts, Australia, face off against local rival, New Zealand. The Kiwis ran the tables in Sydney, leaving their neighbours in a state of flux.
Aside from the final, the match of the tournament had to be the early-group game between India and Pakistan. The MCG was filled to almost capacity, which is no mean feat, leaving the partisan crowd to witness a roller-coaster battle between two proud foes.
India eventually prevailed, with Pakistan running the closest possible second. The game saw many twists and turns. India’s Virat Kohli timed his side’s run chase to perfection, holding his nerve, while Pakistan’s deserted them.
Some words from the game's protagonists:
Indian captain, Rohit Sharma said, “I have no voice left.” “No matter what situation, you’ve got to believe you can pull through, and that partnership changed the game for us.” Rohit was referring to the Kohli - Hardik Pandya partnership. He went on to say, ““The way we won is more pleasing for us, the way we came back. Hats off to Virat. It has to be not one of his best, but the best innings he has played for India.”
Kohli added, “It’s a surreal atmosphere. I honestly have no words, I have no idea how that happened.
"Hardik kept telling me to believe we can stay till the end. I’m lost for words. When Shaheen bowled from the pavilion end, I told Hardik we have to take him down. The calculation was simple. Nawaz had one over to bowl, so if I could take Haris down, they would panic. Instinctively I saw it, told myself to stay still. The one at long-on was unexpected, back of a length slower ball. The fine leg one, I just threw my bat at it.”
From here, Pakistan almost careered into the abyss, only to come back with a rollicking finish to the tournament, scraping into the semi-finals, and then, accounting for a diminishing New Zealand, they booked a finals berth with England.
Conversely, India ran out of steam and was well beaten by England in the other semi-final. Here’s my preview of the semi-finals.
All roads led back to the MCG, with England and Pakistan facing off against each other, much as in the 1992 World Cup final.
This time it was England who emerged victorious in a meandering game that never really caught fire. England’s Sam Curran was named the Player of the Match and also the Player of the Tournament.
I found this headline in the Manchester Evening News; When is the T20 World Cup final? England vs Pakistan UK start time and how to watch for free on TV - and the journalist was, Will Freeman!
That’s Manchester for you!
Ben Stokes grabs the headline in the Guardian report. Redemption for Stokes as England edge past Pakistan to win T20 World Cup final
December 2022.
The beautiful game. The greatest game. The world game.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was held in Qatar; that’s correct, the 22nd iteration of this storied competition was played in the Middle East in November and December! Hard to believe? You bet.
It’s commonplace for controversy to be in the same sentence as FIFA. By definition, FIFA translates to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the international organisation that controls the sport of football (soccer). Control is the keyword here!
Personally, I was transfixed by the Netflix documentary, "FIFA Uncovered." The subtitle nailed the descriptive: "From power struggles to global politics, an exploration of FIFA reveals the organisation's checkered history—and what it takes to host a World Cup."
What does it take to host a World Cup in Qatar? Of course, money, and the state of Qatar has an endless supply.
The decision to grant Qatar the 22nd World Cup was met with universal opposition.
Human rights groups lobbied against the country’s violations relating to the treatment of women, migrant workers, lesbians, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, and journalists.
Accusations of sportswashing, bribery, and corruption flowed freely before and during the tournament.
Bickering wasn’t just confined to the host nation, FIFA played their part also.
FIFA moved swiftly and without warning to silence a pre-agreed World Cup armband campaign. The simple message was "One Love."
Seven European teams had planned to highlight inclusivity on soccer’s biggest stage.
The teams - to name a few; Germany, England, the Netherlands and Belgium - would wear the armbands, and FIFA would look the other way, then quietly fine them later for breaking its uniform rules.
“Fatma Samoura, FIFA’s second-ranking executive, told the federations their armbands would not only be against the tournament’s uniform regulations but also considered a provocation toward Qatar, the tournament host, and other Islamic nations and African countries. They would not be allowed, Samoura said. The Europeans were stunned.”
You can read the full article here, it’s illuminating
The FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, added the final fuel to the flames in his pre-tournament speech.
“Today I have very strong feelings, today I feel Qatari, today I feel Arab, today I feel African, today I feel gay, today I feel disabled, today I feel a migrant worker,” he said, before adding, “Of course, I am not Qatari, I am not an Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, I am not disabled. But I feel like it, because I know what it means to be discriminated, to be bullied.”
Make of that what you will!
Read Jonathan Wilson’s full account here.
Oh, and there was some damn good football played as well.
England had their chances—1966 seems like a lifetime ago—only to be thwarted by one of their old enemies, France. Germany made a surprising early exit. Brazil played with the panache you would expect, and in my opinion, they were probably the best team on view. Croatia always punches above its weight, and Morocco emerged as a genuine long-term contender.
But, all that being said, fate eventually played its part.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi rounded out his stellar career with the trophy that had so far eluded him. The Jules Remit Trophy.
Argentina had won the 2022 World Cup, and they couldn’t give a damn about it being in Qatar!
And that's all she wrote.
As always, thank you for being here. And if you’ve enjoyed the read, please share it with your friends.
