ABSTRACT
The British press with its tradition of “parliamentary sketches” is exemplary. By contrast, in Europe the genre is almost unknown in the generally humorless continental press. Only rarely in the world’s quality press is there a rubric in which the political events of the day are subjected to critical distance in which irony, satire and even a tinge of cynicism shade the tinted spectacles. The “genius” of great sporting performers lies in their athleticism, not in their literacy. But there was a time in the history of journalism when the sports writers were entranced by champions who spoke prose. World Champion heavy weight boxer, Gene Tunney, could quote from Shakespeare by heart, and was, in turn, quoted gratefully by the press. In sports the equivalent of the gossip columnists saw about being famous-for-being-famous is brilliant-for-being-erratic-and-unintentionally-funny. The “genius” of great sporting performers lies in their athleticism, not in their literacy.
