Post-olympic stress disorder!

Greetings Armchair sports fans!

The absence of London 2012 has left many of us with a sporting vacuum that is near impossible to replace.

We all knew that it'd come to an end however much we wished it could just go on forever. But here we find ourselves over two weeks since the flame was extinguished struggling to find our place in the sporting world.

If you are starting to feel the same way as me then you could be suffering from POSD; post-Olympic stress disorder. And there are some tell-tell signs.

Do you find yourself inadvertently doing the mo-bot at the most inappropriate times? Growing your side-burns long? Wondering what Boris Johnson is doing day to day? Or perhaps you just miss the mannish looks of Claire Balding (probably not the last one?).

'Fancy a skinny dip?'

But don't fret as luckily we have the perfect anti-dote.

Should you be suffering POSD symptoms then don't consult your physician, take multiple liberal doses of the Premier league to cure all your ailments!

Funny how it takes an event such as London 2012 to distract us from the new football season, something we are usually counting down to from the end of May or whenever England are knocked our from bi-annual international tournaments.

We even had the pleasure of a 3 week European championship to tide us through the summer this time and yet still the new season and all it entails hasn't captivated us like so many before.

Perhaps its due to the phenomenal end from the last one, maybe it just cannot get better than what has gone before?

Alas just like and old flame that drifts back into your life almost unannounced - so to can our love of football be instantly rekindled. The first blow of the whistle, a swerving 30-yarder, the clumsy late challenge, a goalkeeping howler and my personal fave a bit of side-line managerial red mist!

'The Premiership is back you blind muppet!'

If you haven't yet caught the fever of this current football season its probably stands to reason that you're either anti-football or possibly a Villa fan? Or even more likely both as the current Aston Villa squad stands.

Of all the managers on the merry-go-round this summer Paul Lambert seemingly got off at the wrong time or perhaps got so dizzy he lost his bearings? Even a fit Darren Bent can't tuck them away if the rest of the team can't get the ball up to him?

Another manager leaving a fluid, organised and polished team to greener (perhaps) pasture is Brendan Rodgers. Naturally the lure of the Kop makes a bit more sense this time but having seen his old mob win the first 2, score 8 and concede 0 and look downright Barcelona-esq in the process he to might be thinking he's got the rough end of the stick?

Let's all cool our collective heels, its still early doors but if I were Lambert or Hughes at the moment I'd be getting a little nervous already.

Moving on from managers...but still on the subject of moving - what of the personnel changes within the league. Van Persie, Sigurdsson, Rodwell, Podolski? Forget all of them for the moment as within the space of 3 games Eden Hazard has shown why he was coveted by so many.

All the sceptics wheeled out the same arguements before the season began; the French league isn't as strong, he's not big enough for the Premiership, tricky quick footed players get found out soon enough...humble pie the lot of you!

If the bloke can get El Nino scoring goals (albeit offside ones) then surely he's got to have some future.

'This league is easy Nando - don't see what all the fuss is?'

Di Matteo must be pinching himself before he goes to sleep at night. FA Cup and Champions League winners after only months in charge, top of the league, a squad full of stars and possibly a mickey-mouse European Super Cup to come?

We'll no doubt take a little look at the Paralympics in our own backyard but football will be tough to knock off the back pages, unless any more of the Royal family decide to get their kit off and jump in the pool. And let's face it...if it's anyone other that Kate or Pippa then I'd still rather watch the footy!

Goodnight sports fans!

  

London's legacy

Greetings Armchair sportsfans!

If you're like me at all you've probably hardly left the now flattened cushions of your couch for the past 16 days!

From all the pomp and ceremony of the opening to the celebrated Britain of its close, London 2012 has left us feeling all rightly chuffed about ourselves. Only England winning a world cup (which'll never happen) I cannot see anything on the sporting or cultural landscape even close to eclipsing it.

Not even deliberately not-trying shuttle cocks, masculine shot putting drug cheats or official moaning Italians couldn't ruin these great games.

Naturally it helps when the hosts are racking up the podium apperances along the way and Team GB surpassed perhaps even their own expectations and most definately ours. Plus it helps when the old enemies are languishing below; the French, Germans and yes for me with a tinge of gritted teeth - the Aussies!

Let's face it there's so many great memories of sucess and sadness from not just Team GB but all competing nations that its almost impossible to focus on individual greatness...but this is the Olympics and despite the ethos of Dr. Rogge et al and their spirit of the games diatribe - it is after all a competition.

In the wake of these games, only a day old now mind you, who can honestly reflect on the triumph of those not on the top step? So let's celebrate the celebrated.

For mine only two athletes personfied the true essence of what makes us all feel special about the Olympics and both did it in their very own different and opposing ways. Usain Bolt and Mo Farah became the kings of these games, one by simply destroying all those around him the other by connecting us all with humilty of life and sacrifice.

The Mo-bolt?

Usain Bolt can annoy many with his antics and prize fighter showboating but when you can do what he's done then he can probably get away with it...living legend might be a tad strong a label given who's gone before him or indeed whom may follow but for 10 or 20 seconds (depending on which event) there's no-one who lights up a track in the same way.

Mo Farah, what a guy! A quiet, humble and unasuming family man from a war-torn, impoverish background and now double Olympic champion. Not only did he give us two amazing performances of determination but also the best celebration of the games - the mo-bot was being copied everywhere, even performers and athletes at he closing ceremony. Even better than that shirt ripping, hurdling German tank after he won the discus.

Sure Phelps became the greatest ever, Hoy the greatest Britain, Ainsle the greatest sailor but much of their efforts came from previous games. Without wanting the gloss over those feats in anyway at all it was perhaps the theme of London 2012 'inspire a generation' shows exactly how those efforts are already taking shape across the Olympic family.

Missy Franklin, Katie Ledecky, Laura Trott, Ye Shiwen, Ruta Meilutyte are all names we'll be talking about in future Olympic parlance as perhaps the greatest of their time. Each of them already champions and nearly all of them already more than once in their first of many games.

Another young athlete stole British hearts four years ago in Beijing as a wee-man in tight little speedos took to the 10 metre platform. This time around he did it again as a slightly older wee-man in tight little speedos. You can't help but love the lad, with his back-pack over his shoulder almost as the apprehensive first few steps of the new school year.

To his credit he showed how much growing up such young shoulders must do when carrying the hopes and dreams of an entire nation. Although he didn't win the big one (this time) I can't recall seeing a more excited reaction to bronze, from Tom, the crowd and his team - epitomised in the joyous poolside celebration.

A teenage boys dream come true...and he won bronze too!

Clearly Great Britain had a stormer, as is typical for any host nation. But let's not forget about those who made such an event possible. No-one really enjoys the stuffiness of beuracracy and political beguiling which occurs to curry favour within the IOC. But at worst its a necessary evil that bores wonderful greatness.

In fact without the likes of Coe, Beckham, Wales' and lets face it Boris himself we wouldn't be gushing over how bloody good and perfect we've been. Plus we all need a buffon to make us all look a little less serious and uptight about everything - for that Boris is the perfect foil.

In Beijing he resembled a stunned sheep fluttering the giant flag inside the Birds Nest. During these games he's look confused from the stands, mumbled non-sensically about events, danced like you Dad at a wedding during the opening ceremony and my personal favourite been stuck hanging from a zip line.

'Errr, ummm, ba-ba...is this an Olympic event?'

Having been in the priveledged position of being so close to two different Olympics (Sydney 2000 being the other) I have no doubt what it means to those hosting, let alone the ones competing. The games bring us together, make us happier and push all our darker thoughts and worries to the periphery. And that's what makes it so special, what makes it the greatest event on earth.

So the curtain closes on London 2012 and eyes turn to Rio on four years time. Will they be able to replicate what has gone before us this past fortnight? Who cares! But no doubt we'll enjoy every moment of watching them try!

Goodbys London, goodbye sportsfans!