FANCY DANS AND FAIRYTALES

I'm a newcomer to this blogging lark, so where do you start?

In the absence of any other ideas at this moment, I'll write about what I'm doing right now - and that is listening to John Beattie's Sport Nation on BBC Radio Scotland.
(Stick with it - I'll get back to shinty in a minute...)


The fantastic Frank Bruno has just been interviewed by Annie McGuire and, as ever, Big Frank was great value. Talking about Scottish boxer Rick Burns' world title defence later today, Frank opined that the media and public should give more respect to sports people wot is humble and hard working like Ricky Burns, and give less attention to the more attention-seeking, arrogant types that seem to have the media enthralled right now.
We agree, Frank.
Consider the inflated egos, with pay packets almost as big, on display across our TV screens seven days a week as the top football leagues continue their fairytale existence. To me, though, it is all a massive exercise in smoke and mirrors. The business model is just not sustainable in the present financial climate.
It's an illusion.
The situation at Rangers is influenced by many factors, but one aspect is now becoming clear. Obscenely inflated wages for any player - particularly the journeyman pro employed by the Scottish and most English clubs recently - cannot be supported any longer. More pertinently, it cannot be morally justified when supporters are losing jobs, having hours and working benefits slashed and finding life increasingly tough.
Professional football at the top level is kidding itself, and it cannot continue the way it is going, in my humble opinion. And where are the opportunities for local youngsters, who are the future of football?
The national media remains, though, completely infatuated by football. To some extent this reflects the obsession of many of their readers, viewers, listeners and twitterers, but this unhealthy media fascination can stifle latent interest in other sports, simply through lack of exposure.
Shinty is a great example. To my mind, there is no more exciting sport. It is fast and uncompromising. It has a tradition the equal of any sport, it is played against scenic backdrops the like of which our tourism agencies should be falling over themselves to exploit.
But, above all - it is real sport.
It is genuinely amateur, which is something to be valued. Any notions of semi-professionalism should be dropped. Look at the boorach Scottish rugby got itself into as it fumbled its way into the professional era. It's getting there, but it has taken far too long and a lot grassroots clubs and supporters were disillusioned along the way.
So, forget your fancy-dan Suarez, Torres, Ballotelli et al.
Think more about real, dedicated, loyal sportsmen who also manage to work full time and yet perform at the top level week-in, week-out right here in our own back yard. 
Shinty -if you haven't seen a game for a while or have yet to partake of the joys of blood and snotters at the Meadows, the Eilan, Mossfield, Tighnabruaich or the Dell - find a match and get down there.

Did someone mention Messi? ...alright, alright...I'll give you that one (snorts).