Good afternoon.
Certain conditions lack that essential wow factor. Depression like dementia, is one of those conditions that just sort of only nearly exists in the consciousness of far too many people.
Of course, it’s easier to identify with something you can see. Probably why the RSPCA do such continuously brisk business. You can see from the ribs sticking out and the beaten look in its eyes that a dog has been abused.
Yet Granddad forgetting your daughter’s name is probably just down to him being overtired. Your brother’s reluctance to go to work is down to his bone idol gene which you first spotted when he was about fifteen.
Christoper Hitchens I mention for obvious reasons today to highlight that cancer is visable. One of the most wonderful polemicists and orators of my lifetime physically reduced to a speechless, balding wreck.
The shuffling and the dull thud you can now hear is me jumping on the depression bandwagon. Nothing duller of course than the woes of others so I’ll spare you the details. But this is why I’m running this. I’ve seen the look on the faces of my own family members who simply do not get it. The lethargy and blackness cannot be communicated. And when you’re next spotted in your ‘usual’ great form, it’s as if this somehow weakens your case…
Trying to convey the tangible nature of depression to anyone who hasn’t experienced it is neither straightforward or rewarding. Trying to explain how utterly miserable and cut off from absolutely everything in your life you feel is like trying to get someone to replicate a great work of art by describing it over the phone. ‘Err… It’s an oil painting of a bird with long black hair, a moody sort but with just the hint of a smile.’
Two recent tragedies triggered by depression to hit football have been well documented. In the instance of Dale Roberts, it was pretty obvious that his wife cheating on him with then Rushden & Diamonds team mate Paul Terry caused him kill himself. Gary Speed’s trigger to end his life has yet to be revealed.
Stan Collymore was unable to broadcast recently. There will be some who will struggle to sympathize. I mean no one was asking him to do a 12 hour split shift on minimum wage in particularly grueling working conditions. How ‘depressed’ would you have to be to find yourself unable to blather on about football for a couple of hours? If you read this far and are asking that class of question then you won’t find the answer reading the remainder of this page.
Depression Alliance UK strike me as decent folk. And Stan has stepped up and galvanized a quite staggering array of footballers and football related organizations into donating money cannot buy prizes to a truly incredible raffle to help DA UK.
Full details are HERE and the prizes include Sporting Bet offering Corporate Hospitality at White Hart Lane and Jermaine Defoe has donating a match worn shirt. There are PFA Awards tickets, Soccer AM tickets and much much more.
It’s a fiver to be in it.
Defoe has not only thrown in his shirt he’s also thrown in the towel! He’s given up the fight for a starting place.
Hitchens was never left speechless and he wasnt balding, he was bald
He had esophageal cancer Frank.
Read McEwan’s account of his final days. He was lucid, active and far from speechless until the end.
Bickering over a corpse wasn’t really where I saw this going. Curious he made no contribution to Fry & Dawkins’ program… perhaps his condition was ‘up and down’?
Just read about Hitchens’ death in the Bangkok Post, in which they described him as ”wavy haired’ which is clearly a pre-chemo reference.
He was one of those people who I could not always agree with, but for me, his greatest quality was that if he thought he was wrong, he was not afraid to change his mind. That is a very rare quality nowadays.
In view of the comment posted by a “A different Scott” about the point of using a blog to talk about “these things”, we might also ask, what’s the point of having a mind if you can’t change it?
@frontwheel 2
Maybe they might learn to be more compassionate.
Sorry Frontwheel: Dodgy SE ASIAN Internet cafe posted before I hit the send button. My post was not meant to imply you were lacking in compassion.
We are in our best ever PL position at this stage of the season with a game in hand, and with the team spirit the best it’s been for some time. We’ve got it all to do and all to play for; The FA cup and League double is still a possibility however unlikely.
Step forward Jermain Defoe who, rather than talk to Redknapp about it, has gone to the press to complain about his lack of his starts, and just as he did during the CL last season, threatened to leave. Defoe isn’t a Yiddo, he is in it solely for himself and couldn’t give a shit about Spurs.
There’s no way he’ll be allowed to leave in this window (unless we have a striker or two already lined up), but at the end of the season we should get rid whilst he still has value.
he wants to play in the euros most likely,which means he has to play regular apparently,you might see a few deals pushed through you necessarily wouldn’t because of the summer tournament,pav should be nailed on for a move,i’m amazed he didn’t want to go in the the summer
If that’s the sole reason, he’s thicker than I thought he was. England will probably play 4 games in the summer, and Defoe isn’t guaranteed to play any of them, even if he does make the squad.
He is, and has been, a big part of the squad this season. Chances are that Adebayor and VdV won’t be fit for every game. We’ve got the FA cup coming up and good chance of pushing for our best PL finish. Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that?
that is true,doesn’t he want to play in the CL next year or even a slim chance of winning the league this season if everything went perfect,surely we are going to be contenders for the FA cup,i am expecting wembley
maybe the geordies have tapped him up or something
:sleeping:
How strange that you were consistently slagging the bloke off before this current quote-and you have now seized the opportunity to slag him off because he’s fed up of sitting on the bench instead of playing? Defoe had done more than enough to warrant a start V Stoke, yet was benched, whereas VDV who was anonymous throughout the game managed to escape your vitriol for some obscure reason? It’s clear that VDV is the preferred choice, despite how well Defoe plays and so it’s understandable he’s unsettled given the circumstances!
I have love/hate feelings about JD. But this season i think hes been treated a little harsh. In fact he deserves to start with Ade for a run of games. VDV without doubting his quality has blown hot/cold.With Pav next to useless this is the way to go.
I have too disagree there Tmwnn Defoe scores we win easy his reward Hammys back sit and watch. What would you do have a quite word with Harry or do what Van does tell Harry via the media he wants to stay on the pitch and not be subbed or benched. He has also stated Harry should be England’s manager when Levey said he his committed too Spurs. Here is a thought every time we play 4411 we struggle too pass the ball and need half time to get going with changes. Poor Lennon could have helped us win Van done nothing to justify staying on the pitch. All Defoe wants is to play when he scores if he don’t score then he cant complain if he is benched. The problem is Harry needs someone too tell him Van has not scored for weeks and has dodge hamstrings Defoe does more than just score he helps out in defence. Would Van have scored the goal Defoe scored when Ady flicked the ball too hin 40 yards out no. There is no doubt he is a fine players but one who cant get 100 percent fit and for a lot of the game he his bean carried. When we play 442 Ady scores or makes one or two goals the one person i would leave out from time to time is Ekotto Friedel Walker King Gallas Bale Lennon Van Parker Modric Defoe Ady we would have attacking wing backs and extra scoring in attack.
VdV > Defoe. :daumen:
No, that’s where you’re totally and utterly wrong. It’s not a question of who’s the better player, it’s a question of consistency and fairness when commenting. Defoe this season has done all that’s been asked yet is dropped, whereas VDV as brilliant as he is, plays regardless.You have never once given Defoe any credit for trying to turn his game around, yet his appetite and graft have clearly improved, and it’s no wonder he’s thought “What’s the point, if when I’m given a chance and taken it, I’m still benched?” Whether VDV is a better player isn’t the point, the point is we’re possibly losing a class act and allowing his rival to enter into the last year of his contract-that’s dangerous and not in the clubs interest!
games are going to be coming thick and fast now,goody goody and people want a winter break,idiots
one of the reasons english football is so popular is because everybody else stops,uefa haven’t worked that one out yet,idiots
I see that our game isn’t listed on liveonline, I’m hoping that will change soon.
http://www.hahasport.com
Scrap that, it’s listed now. :-D
phew :whistle:
crikey i was worried about that as there are so many scum kick offs around us,liveonline rarely lets me down but it should be up by now
You’ve got over twenty four hours yet!