Welcome to this week’s Sideline Eye.
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I have always been pretty quick to jump on the poor behaviour of Australia’s young male tennis stars and they have never left me short of ammunition.
This week I am on the other side and defending Nick Kyrgios.
I do not know if there has been any positive developments in his attitude or behaviour, but he was persecuted at this year’s French Open.
In his first round match, Kyrgios was issued a code violation for yelling “towel” at a ball boy and gesturing towards it emphatically.
While it was not a good look, it hardly warranted a violation.
Kyrgios then swore in his third round loss to Frenchman Richard Gasquet and was also fined $6200.
To put it in context, Scotsman Andy Murray was clearly heard dropping the F word on five or six occasions in each of his first two matches and his fine was $2000 less.
Hardly anything has been made of the World No 2 and his continued antics.
I know Kyrgios has a history of bad behaviour which is well documented, but these incidents at the French Open are a sure sign of double standards.
I am all for penalising poor behaviour, but it must be on an even basis for all players.
Last week at the Rome Masters tournament, World No 1 and media favourite Novak Djokovic pushed away the chair umpire’s arm but inexplicably escaped punishment.
I do not condone Kyrgios’ behaviour in any way, but surely these incidents by the top players in the world were worse than over aggressively calling for a towel?
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Who would be a football manager?
Louis van Gaal was sacked as Manchester United manager two days after leading his side to FA Cup glory.
It is the first trophy the Red Devils have won since Sir Alex Ferguson retired three years ago.
It is expected Jose Mourinho will take over as manager this week, despite being sacked himself mid-way through the season just gone.
United failed to qualify for the very lucrative Champions League which is believed to be the main reason van Gaal was relieved of his duties.
Just goes to show how much money is driving the top football leagues these days.
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As a Sharks supporter, I have not often had the chance to enjoy looking down on the rest of the NRL supporters which is why I am enjoying this season immensely.
A mate sent me the picture below which I wanted to share.
It clearly depicts my feelings towards the current ladder.
Enjoy!