- Saturday 25 May 2013
- My Account
- Logout
- Register
- Login
- News
-
Voices
-
Find by writer
- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
- Rebecca Armstrong
- Memphis Barker
- Terence Blacker
- Chris Blackhurst
- David Blanchflower
- Archie Bland
- Ian Burrell
- Andrew Buncombe
- Ben Chu
- Patrick Cockburn
- Laura Davis
- Mary Dejevsky
- Grace Dent
- Robert Fisk
- Andrew Grice
- Stefano Hatfield
- Philip Hensher
- Ian Herbert
- Howard Jacobson
- Ellen E Jones
- Alice Jones
- Owen Jones
- Simon Kelner
- Dominic Lawson
- Donald Macintyre
- Lisa Markwell
- Comment
- Campaigns
- Debate
- Editorials
- Letters
- IV Drip
- Archive
- Our Voices
- Commentators
- Columnists
- Democracy 2015
- IV Drip Archive
-
Find by writer
- Sport
- Tech
- Life
- Property
- Arts & Ents
- Travel
- Money
- IndyBest
- Blogs
- Student
Thursday 9 August 2012
Deborah Ross: An unforgettable display of Commentatoritis!
It's a rum business when, having previously expressed no interest in sport, I now find I not only have serious things to say about equestrian matters – for example, I think all penalty shoot-outs should definitely involve horses from hereon in – but have come down with that form of Olympic fever known in the medical literature (BMJ, XVI) as Olympic Commentaritis. This is not a deadly condition, but it is massively inconvenient as you can't do even the simplest things without whooping joyously and then exploding with excitement. I first realised I'd caught Olympic Commentaritis the other morning, while putting on my socks. "Come on, come on, come on!" I found myself saying, as the tension mounted.
"Keep the pressure up! You have to believe you can do this. Oh, yes! Marvellous! This has to be full marks!" And it carried on when I saw my neighbour, Sue, putting out her recycling. "Some beautiful movements in that routine," I told her. "A wonderful display!"
"On no," said Sue, "what is it this time?" Olympic Commentaritis, I said, She sympathised, she said, but was glad I had at least recovered from my recent bout of ShadesOfGreyitis when I begged every passer-by to call me "baby girl" and whip my "nooni" before flying me to the south of France on a private jet. That was embarrassing, I confirmed, particularly as I had no takers.
Still, I added, at least I can now whoop and explode with excitement all by myself, and Sue not only nodded sagely at this, but queried: "Is it very catching? Will you breathe in my face?"
My favourite name of the games is that of the young Liverpudlian athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson. I love saying her name for the sheer joy of feeling it roll off the tongue and, because I wish to carry on saying it, I have decided to rename my dog Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
So, if you should pass my house, you will not only hear me commentating on putting the kettle on – "An awkward little manoeuvre, brilliantly executed!" – but will also hear me saying: "Sit, Katarina Johnson-Thompson". And: "Does Katarina Johnson-Thompson want a belly rub? I bet Katarina Johnson-Thompson does". So far today, if you are interested, Katarina Johnson-Thompson has barked at a bush, chased a squirrel up a tree, drunk from the toilet, and been humped by a massive Golden Retriever called Max. "What a great morning," Katarina Johnson-Thompson would have told Clare Balding, had Katarina Johnson-Thompson been asked.
If you could be a great Olympian, what sport would you choose? I had thought about this but it wasn't until I saw the triathlon that I knew, and immediately called my own brother. "Jon," I said, "if we start training now I'm sure we'll be ready for Rio." He said: "Clear off. I'm in a meeting. Don't bother me again." After that, I slumped at the kitchen table, wept a little, and ate peanut butter straight from the jar. Depression, I think, brought on by realising my Olympic dream was over.
Still, it has not affected Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who is happily dozing on the sofa, as I would be if I'd been shagged before elevenses, or had even attracted one taker. Oh well, I've told myself, I gave it 150 per cent, but just didn't have it on the night. Cripes, look at that! I've got Olympic Loseritis As Told To Sharron Davies now...
-
Voices in Danger: Pakistan faces urgent calls to address violence against the press
Jim Armitage -
This week's big questions: How best to react to Woolwich? Has Miliband got what it takes? And is Stephen King right about ebooks?
Ian Rankin -
What, let gays get married? We must be bonkers
Mark Steel -
The Daily Cartoon
-
Woolwich attack: The EDL will seek to exploit this evil crime for their own evil ends
Jamie Lewis
Get your summer started with British Military Fitness
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Visit York
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Making reading fun for kids
Nook is donating eReaders to volunteers at high-need schools and participating in exclusive events throughout the campaign.
Introducing the 'Get Reading' campaign
Get the latest on The Evening Standard's campaign to get London's children reading.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Deborah Ross
-
If you ask me...six weeks to get a beach body? My simple plan will work faster than that
-
Top of the crops: Michael Bolton on critics, crooning and why the mullet had to go
-
If you ask me...there are some other people who could hand you back some cash, Iain Duncan Smith
-
Forget about ‘ethical’ labels for clothes. We need ‘unethical’ ones
Related Articles
Get the best in opinion from Independent Voices, straight to your inbox every Thursday lunchtime.
Subscribe
Amol Rajan
A weekly update from the Editor
Day In a Page
Johnny Marr talks relationships and reunions
In pictures: After the flood
Death becomes her: A very modern mortician
School of chop: Learning the art of butchery
The man who's eaten everywhere
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?