Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Wayne Rooney and The Unanswerable Question

I note from the report of David Bond in the Daily Telegraph that the Schlosshotel Buhlerhohe has gone to enormous lengths to welcome the England team - "Inside the hotel, posters of each of the 24 players .....have been hung on the walls to make them feel at home." The sports page are such consoling repositories of unconscious humour. And, on the very same page, there is an interview with Watt (What?) Nicoll, a "motivational guru" who confides that he has asked Wayne Rooney the same question he asks all players - "Do you want to be a winner, a champion, a hero or a legend?" I have been trying to answer this for myself but can't, there are too many hidden variables and ambiguities. As unanswerable questions go, it is up there with the one asked me by an editor years ago. He was trying to poach me for some new newspaper that never happened - "How much do you need?" Let your mind dwell on that for a while.

3 comments:

  1. On the other hand, one question is answered. The Sun, on the evidence of the Wayne Rooney scissor kick, confidently asserts that 'There Is A God'. Phew - good to have that one settled.
    Claud Harvester

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  2. I think Mr Appleyard should tell us what his reply was to the putative editor.

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  3. Naturally, I replied: "Er...um...er, I'll need to get back to you on that."

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