Andy Murray won the tennis. Yes, he did. He won it. Well done, old chap. Good, ho. And all that. You’re jolly good at tennis.
Britons are excited about this fact. Because Tim Henman didn’t really impress, did he? But now Andy has. And, my goodness, are we excited?!
You know who else is excited? David Cameron. O yes. He is very excited about Andy winning the tennis.
“O, Andy. I worship the ground you walk on. What fantastic tennis you play. I love your tennis playing abilities.”
“Wow. Thanks David.”
“You know what Andy? I’m going to give you a knighthood. I want to give you a knighthood. My goodness, you sooo need one of those. I’d go so far as to say that there is no-one as deserving as you, Lord Andy.”
Ok, so I have paraphrased a little here. But the direct quote from the news reports seems to be that he said, “there is no-one as deserving” as Andy Murray for a knighthood.
I’m just going to take a step outside of this madness and ask what the heck is going on here?
Honestly, now?! No-one as deserving?! For a knighthood?!
Whilst not undermining what has been achieved, we need to contextualise here. He’s playing a sport that he’s clearly very good at. And getting paid for it. Yes. Millions of pounds. He’s loaded. He made money by winning Wimbledon. Lots and lots of it.
It wasn’t a charity mission. He wasn’t playing tennis to win the Tibetans their independence. He didn’t donate his funds to an orphanage in India or use the occasion to highlight the problem of deforestation in the Amazon.
In fact, for people who get to the top in sports like that, there’s often a large amount of self-focussed living. You play sport, you go to other countries to train better, your relationships suffer. Your attention is on yourself and improving in your sport. It is not a charitable way to make a living.
No-one more deserving?
Like doctors? Teachers? Firemen? I saw a documentary the other day about firemen who work in the Amazon and that shit was serious. They work relentlessly, hours and hours for days to put out forest fires and stop people getting injured or losing their land. Um. Ambulance men and women. They’re pretty high up there for me. They work tirelessly, often for low pay and never get any recognition for their work.
Is Andy Murray really more deserving than these people? Good on him for winning Wimbledon but let’s not get carried away here. He’s good at a sport and he won a competition to be the best in it.
Keep your knickers on, Dave.
lazylauramaisey 
Posted by valeriedavies on July 9, 2013 at 04:37
Just what I felt… I thought it was pathetic, as though the honours list is a honey pot for rich successful sportsmen…
Actually, it always brasses me off, both here and there – the really deserving people get the lowest medals and the rich, famous and powerful get the biggies…
Posted by lazylauramaisey on July 9, 2013 at 18:08
Urgh. Where to start with this? There is so much wrong with this system.
Posted by Alex Jones on July 9, 2013 at 12:29
Laura, you should get one of those awards the Queen hands out for services to blogging. I agree about Dave keeping his pants on, which can be challenging for a UK politician these days.
Posted by lazylauramaisey on July 9, 2013 at 18:09
Maybe a knighthood? A knighthood for me? Is there anyone more deserving?
Posted by Alex Jones on July 9, 2013 at 21:31
You are more deserving than any banker 🙂
Posted by lazylauramaisey on July 11, 2013 at 08:39
I’ll keep an eye on the post for that knighthood….
Posted by Maggie O'C on July 10, 2013 at 22:58
Love this. I read it yesterday and forgot to comment but told the story at lunch. We couldn’t remember his name…Andy Mills? Andy Hill?
If it was just Sir Andy that would have been much easier fer us, we ‘mericans can be a bit slow.
Posted by lazylauramaisey on July 11, 2013 at 08:45
So I’ve heard…. It’s Andy Murray but all those words are a bit much to be remembering. Even for us highly intelligent Brits (we are, honestly…). Why not just call him Lord Protector Tennis God Of All Things And Beings?