Weghorst, Mbappe & some Dunkirk spirit
KOCHI: Two spectacular comebacks from the Qatar World Cup capture the spirit of 2022 for me: the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, and France in the final. Both against the eventual champs — Messi’s Argentina.
In the quarterfinals clash, Argentina had gotten off to a 2-0 lead, courtesy Lionel Messi and Nahuel Molina. The Dutch, however, clawed back into the game with a goal by the towering Wout Weghorst in the 83rd minute. In the 10th minute of stoppage time just seconds left the 1.97m-tall centre-forward struck again.
Boy, oh, boy! What a match it was. And what a fight by Wout as someone who came into football adamantly going “against the wish of his parents”, he has served the sport well.
Born into a well-off family, Wout’s parents wanted him to join the family business rather than chasing an “impossible dream”. Wout found little encouragement in his budding days.
“Countless well-meaning people urged me to give up football,” he once said in an interview. “They told me, ‘Forget football you are not good enough.’”
Wout proved doubters wrong. And his heroics shall be remembered by the sporting world for long.
The other performance that has already gone down as one of the most exciting comebacks in sports history was the French resurrection attempt against Argentina in the grand finale.
Kylian Mbappe’s hat trick went in vain as the match went into a penalty shootout, and La Albiceleste conquered the final glory with ease.
However, his gritty fight after 80 minutes of sheer domination by Messi & Co was a reminder that ‘It isn’t over until it’s over’.
‘It isn’t over until it’s over’: that’s the spirit the never give up spirit I seek to carry forward from 2022 to the New Year.
The dictionary defines the phrase as: “The final outcome cannot be assumed or determined until a given situation, event, etc., is completely finished.”
The phrase was popularised by American baseball legend Yogi Berra when he said “it ain’t over till it’s over” about his team’s comeback in the 1973 National League.
Many of the Yankee star’s quotes are today known as ‘Berra-isms’, or bizarre statements that seem bereft of logic, but offer some food for thought.
Here are a few gems:
- “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
- “You can observe a lot by just watching.”
- “It’s like déja vu all over again.”
- “No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.”
- “The game is 90 per cent mental, and the other half is physical.”
Some Berra-isms come under what is called tautology “the saying of the same thing twice over in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style”.
Old-school English teachers and editors insist on taut or “concise and controlled’’ prose. The use of unnecessary words is a cardinal sin, they would maintain.
Here is an example: “I woke up at 6am in the morning.” Chop that ‘in the morning’ to keep it taut. Get the drift?
“At that moment in time” is another example. “In time” can be mercilessly culled. The same applies to ‘in advance’ when it comes to warnings, and ‘future’ in the case of plans.
Tautology, however, has another relevance, when viewed in the logic sense: “a statement that is true by necessity or by virtue of its logical form”.
‘It isn’t over until it’s over’ is a classic example.
Mark Twain sums it up tautly in his autobiography: “I do not find that the repetition of an important word a few times say, three or four times in a paragraph troubles my ear if clearness of meaning is best secured thereby. But tautological repetition which has no justifying object, but merely exposes the fact that the writer’s balance at the vocabulary bank has run short and that he is too lazy to replenish it from the thesaurus that is another matter. It makes me feel like calling the writer to account.”
Okay, time for me to step out and soak in the festive spirit that is making a comeback after two years of pandemic ennui. Wish you a spirited week ahead!
Enter into the spirit: “To show one’s interest in enjoying a social event by actively participating in its activities, dressing appropriately, etc.”
In good spirits: “Feeling happy or cheerful; in a good mood.”
A kindred spirit: “A person who shares several fundamental beliefs, ideas, convictions, sentiments, attitudes, or interests with oneself.”
Lose (one’s) spirit: “To lose one’s vigour, energy, hope, or resolve; to become resigned or complacent.”
Spirit away: “To take, sneak, or carry someone or something away in a mysterious, secretive, or furtive manner.”
Out of spirits: “In an irritable, dejected, or unhappy mood; feeling despondent or discouraged.”
The spirit is willing, but the body/flesh is weak: “One has the desire or intention to change or do something beneficial, but lacks the resolve or motivation to do it.”
Be with (one) in spirit: “To offer some form of moral support to a gathering or undertaking where one is not able to be physically present. The phrase is typically used to let one know that the person in question wants to be present though they cannot.”
The spirit of the age: “The ideals, beliefs, styles, ideologies, etc., of a specific period of time.”
Fighting spirit: “A passion or zeal for doing something, even in the face of challenges.”
The moving spirit: “A person who is the catalyst or founder of an organisation, movement, etc.”
Guiding spirit: “Someone who is influential or an inspiration to others.”
Free spirit: “Someone who does not conform to social norms or expectations.”
The Dunkirk spirit: “An attitude of strength, determination, and camaraderie during a difficult and adverse time or situation. Refers to the evacuation of allied troops from Dunkirk, France, carried out by several civilian boats during World War II.”