Ref: Pixabay
There is a myth out there in the sporting world that games are meant to be beautiful spectacles full of skill and scores. A joy to watch as the best athletes compete at the highest level to win a match.
This is complete and utter bollocks.
For all the times i have heard a commentator saying that the match is grim to watch or low scoring i can point out ten where the drama made up for it. This is true in soccer but more so in higher scoring sports like rugby or hurling. A match where it comes down to sheer will and determination as the team fights with every last drop of energy to get over that line.
In hurling it is often said that the team wanted it more in the end. That they made those extra runs and put in those extra blocks to win the game. For me that is just as entertaining as a high scoring free for all.
My favorite national team player is James McClean. Not because he is particularly good but because he will give it everything, every time. Some of his tackles have the same effect on the crowd as a goal. When you see him line up a player from a long way out and only eyes for the contact. We all know it's coming and when you hear that crack as he scythes down the opposition player the whole team gets a lift. He will run up and down that sideline all day until his legs give out.
Rugby is a great sport for low scoring but tough affairs. When the match is decided after 80 minutes by a penalty, you know that the teams have been defending their try line to the dying breathe. When you see tackle after tackle, bodies flung towards the attackers with no regard for personal safety it is enthralling and exciting in equal measures. It's not always about getting the try but sometimes about stopping one from being gotten.
A game doesn't always have to be pretty. Sometimes it can be tough, tight, vicious, enthusiastic, controversial, exciting, enthralling or even just even. We have a lot of variety to enjoy in the sporting world and skills are just one part of the game.