We always suspected that the 48 hours of bliss that we call our weekend was going to be crammed full of sporting goodness, and so it proved. As it is often said: ‘sport always delivers’.
Manchester derby
Champions Manchester City probably just want to spend the next few days in the shower, sucking their thumb in the foetal position, hoping this season will just go away. However, like Jack Nicholson in ‘The Shining’, the season keeps on hacking at their door, and there may be more horrors to come.
For about 11 blissful minutes, City’s fans probably thought a fifth straight derby victory was heading their way and with it, another few months of merciless gloating. However, United have improved over the last few weeks and eventually, City heads went down, and so have any lingering title hopes.
United were like a swarm of angry wasps, first circling and then stinging City. Over and over and over again. Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young did the worst of the damage; who would have thought that six months ago?
The Masters
Had you offered Rory McIlroy 12-under-par at Augusta this week, he would have bitten your hand off (metaphorically speaking of course).
The Northern Irishman played some excellent golf over the final two days of the Masters, but it was only enough for fourth as young Jordan Spieth claimed a first major title in fine style. The American blitzed away from the field on Thursday and Friday, and could then almost snooze his way to the title on Sunday. Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson got close from time to time but, like a school bully keeping a child at arm’s length whilst kicking them between the legs, Spieth kept beating them back.
The Chinese Grand Prix
OK, so it wasn’t the MOST exciting race of the season, but it was another victory for Lewis Hamilton on a surprisingly sunny Shanghai day. Previous Chinese Grand Prix have been staged under dark, grey skies, but the only gloom at the track was with Nico Rosberg. The German driver was once again easily beaten by Hamilton, who only upped his pace when Rosberg had the cheek to get close enough to him.
The expected challenge from Ferrari never materialised, and they will have to up their game in Bahrain next week to keep this season from being another Mercedes (and Hamilton) dominated year.
Other stuff
And the weekend also saw two great British sporting institutions: the Boat Race and the Grand National.
The Boat Race was, well… a bit dull, as Oxford romped home, but the National was much tighter. Of course, we all probably lost a lot of money on a sport most of us know NOTHING about, but it was good fun, as Many Clouds just about squeezed home.
And while we’re talking about great British sporting institutions, Bradley Wiggins had his last race with Team Sky at the weekend; he finished 18th in the Paris-Roubaix race. What a man. What a legend.
So, there you have it. Another marvellous sporting weekend…and there’s more to come next weekend, so stick around, because NOW TV will have the best of it.
