Batten down the hatches, folks, for the ‘mantrum’ is well and truly in town.
That’s right, handsomely-paid sport stars have spent the weekend spitting the dummy, in protest at things not quite going their way.
From football to tennis, a recent spate of incidents has led to questions being asked about such poor behaviour; and more pertinently, where power lies in terms of clubs and events being able to control players who decide to throw a hissy fit.
Take the US Open tennis, where Daniil Medvedev crashed out to Benjamin Bonzi on Sunday night. At the end of his match, he spent several minutes smashing up his racket like a three-year-old deprived of his ‘blankie’. It was not a great look.
Not content with giving it a few whacks, he continued, unabated, until it resembled a mangled masterpiece, concocted by Picasso.
Daniil Medvedev reacts after winning a break point in the fifth set against Benjamin Bonzi
However, Medvedev smashed up his racket after losing and going out of the US Open
Medvedev has been furious with the umpire following an incident in which a photographer had come on to the court
Now there was, of course, context to his egregious behaviour. The player was clearly furious at losing his encounter, which was stopped for an astonishing six minutes in the final set thanks to a photographer stepping on to the court.
Medvedev could perhaps be forgiven for feeling aggrieved that Bonzi was given a second ‘first-serve’ by the umpire as a result.
What he didn’t need to do was whip up a storm inside the court, berating the umpire, geeing up the fans, revelling in a lengthy period of noise and disruption. Sometimes, in tennis, you don’t get it all your own way, but is that an excuse to completely lose it on the court?
Man United midfielder Bruno Fernandes felt he was due an apology from the referee
Up next, there was footballer Bruno Fernandes, who criticised referee Chris Kavanagh for bumping into him before he skied a penalty for Manchester United against Fulham in the English Premier League.
Fernandes admitted he was upset Kavanagh failed to apologise for disrupting his routine, but fans were quick to react to this on social media, calling the player ‘petulant’ and ‘pathetic’.
‘I was upset,’ Fernandes said afterwards. ‘It upset me because the referee didn’t apologise. That is what triggered me in that moment, but that’s not the excuse for missing the penalty.’
Opting for a more sit and sulk routine was Hamza Igamane, who decided he was suddenly ‘injured’ during Rangers’ 1-1 draw with St Mirren.
In an interview with Sky Sports after the Premiership clash on Sunday, Ibrox manager Russell Martin said the player refused his request to come on in the second half. Despite looking fine in the warm-up at half time.
Martin — who himself is under fire for a poor start to Rangers’ season — can be forgiven for perhaps shaking his head in disbelief.
Hamza Igamane told boss Russell Martin he couldn’t go on as a substitute against St Mirren
‘I turned around to him at 60 minutes and Hamza told me he’s injured,’ revealed the Rangers boss.
‘He wouldn’t be on the bench if he wasn’t fit. But Hamza told me the injury happened during the warm-up. I obviously need to trust him, but we’ll see. He said he had a sore quad and couldn’t come on.
‘The issue is that the window is still open and there are people with one eye out and one eye in. We need the window to shut.’
Igamane has been the subject of a failed loan bid from Lille and continues to be linked with a move away from Ibrox. But while he’s still a Rangers player, he should remember this: they pay his wages.
Tommy Fleetwood’s victory was roundly hailed as a triumph for one of sport’s good guys
Those throwing tantrums could do worse than take leaf out of Tommy Fleetwood’s book, the golfer who won his first PGA Tour title at the 164th time of asking on Sunday night.
Afterwards, he spoke of the importance of being a good person. ‘My dad always told me be a good person first, a golfer second,’ revealed Fleetwood. ‘It’s the advice I would give my children.’
Indeed. A top bloke and a player who never, ever gave up — and who was rightly acclaimed across the sporting world from LeBron James to Tiger Woods. A truly class act. Others take note.
