Do you trust the sports you watch?
Welcome to Uzondu in Liberia, Rebekah in Oregon, James in Ohio and Zoli in Budapest. They've all just signed for the Daily Email. As I always say, please make them feel at home... at least until you get to know them.
Steve in the US has just suggested a discussion about who girls look up to, off the back of Lindsey Lohan getting herself into hot water again. Let him know...
Here's today's stories...
QUIET IN THE STUDIO PLEASE
Let's start with a message from Derek.... 'Perhaps you could look into getting mice and keyboards for the studio computers with buttons that don't click quite so loudly!' You're not the first to mention this Derek. We will look into getting quieter kit.
ARE THERE ANY SPORTS YOU TRUST?
The impact of a doping scandal in cycling has diminished with the relentless stream of riders found to be cheating over the past few years. None the less when the favourite in one of the biggest sporting events in the world, wins two days in a row in spectacular fashion and then , it still has the ability to shock. Or shock me at least.
I was one of the million or so people who turned out to watch the Tour de France in London. It was a beautiful day and as amazing a sporting event as I've seen. I even cheered Vinokourov through Hyde Park as he sped past - clearly going faster than the fast majority of riders. It was impressive. A lot less impressive now a test has found evidence of someone else's blood in his body.
There are many more examples of the trust between a sport and its fans being challenged. The Italian and Germany match-fixing in football, the multiple cheats in athletics, cricketer Shane Warne taking a banned diuretic, Dodo, a former Brazilian international, has just been given a 120-day suspension for doping. I could go on.
Sports fans tend to react in two ways. One brings back memories of the legendary Mail and Guardian headline in South Africa when their cricket captain Hansie Cronje was found to have fixed games. 'F*** You Hansie' it put in huge letters across its front page. I remember watching one of the game's he manipulated. It was gripping and I felt used when it came out the only thing was a fake. The headline rung true for me.
Others shrug their shoulders and say 'well they're all at it.' Shane Warne didn't spin the ball better for taking a diuretic, the cyclings are still amazing athletes regardless of what they're taking.
And if not that attitude, fans at least find the sport so compelling that they can't help themselves. Think about the Newcastle FC fans who heard a secret recording of a senior figure at the club mocking how they spend 50 quid on a replica shirt and sayingwhat bad value it was. First game of the season, and their stadium was full of fans wearing new shirts. They loved the team more than that minded the club abusing their trust.
So does trust matter in sport? And which sports do you trust?
DOES LIBYA DESERVE IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH THE EU?
So the Bulgarian nurses and the Libyan government is about to see relations with the EU improve considerably. Whether those two events should be related .
Sorry that's turned out a little longer than planned. Garlands all round to those of you who made it this far.
Speak to you later.
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