Movember !

Not particularly a current news item but since it's Movember I thought it would have some relevance (and the BBC Sports Personality of the year upon us)

So David Lloyd 'advises' Murray to smarten up his image, reckoning that getting a shave and looking more like the respectable Roger Federer will somehow have some psychological advantage over the likes of Nadal and Djokovic.

I can remember watching David Lloyd play when I was a kid.  Let's just say he wasn't the player I ever tried to emulate.  When you're a seven year old kid you have the common sense to copy the best in the game; the players that make your hairs stand on end and all that.

For the record here's David's Grand Slam record, just so we can see why he's now one of the most powerful people in British tennis infrastructure.

Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	-
French Open	1R (1968-1973)
Wimbledon	3R (1968)
US Open	1R (1969)

Murray's Deadpan response puts it so well I thought; we are all entitled to our opinion but just because you are given a platform doesn't mean anyone has to listen to you.

Murray also refers to Bjorn Borg in his response, who as I can remember donned a beard and unlike Lloyd, had not only incredible athletic and technical ability but superhuman mental strength.

So in this month of Movember and all the perspective that campaign brings to the relative importance of male image and grooming, I take my hat off to Andy Murray for his dignified refusal to smarten up and fit in with the establishment.  Sports Personality of the Year?  Bradley Wiggins might have a few words to say about that.  Now there would be an interesting doubles team.  What with Mr Wiggins talking about a sport switch for the 2016 Olympics. . .