They have been dueling without boats and without salt water in their faces for nearly three years. Instead of the customary helmsmen and bowmen, the combatants in the 33rd America’s Cup have been the lawyers and public-relations specialists pushing the opposing agendas of the team owners Larry Ellison of BMW Oracle Racing and Alinghi’s Ernesto Bertarelli, who said this week that he would forfeit the Cup if he lost his latest court battle.
via www.nytimes.com
This article is depressing on so many levels. Putting aside the disastrous impact it is having on the Americas Cup, the image this creates of sailing is terrible.
The NY Times rarely writes about sailing but most of the few articles in the last year have been about this fiasco. Is there any other sport, that just before its pinnacle event,two of the leaders of the sport would be so embroiled in a vicious court battle that even if the event does take place, it will have no credibility?
You are correct. It truly has tarnished the once glorious Cup.
Here is a suggestion for them… two boats, identical in every way…have at it boys.
Let the wind, sea and good sailing provide the winner.
No contest should ever be setteled in a court of law.
Arrggghh!
Make it a round-the-world race, and have the lawyers crew the boats.
I was going to write a comment but it got so long I turned it into a post at http://propercourse.blogspot.com/2010/01/rip-americas-cup-and-good-riddance.html
In All Quiet on the Western Front, one of the more memorable scenes was the WWI soldiers fantasizing about what would happen to war if, instead of sending off their countries’ boys and young men to die in the trenches, the leaders of the countries were to fight it out hand-to-hand.
Replace kaisers and prime ministers and presidents with lawyers, and you have a viable solution here.
That is sad that something fun gets ruined by the politics.