Champs 2017 was the embodiment of the famous Charles Dickens’ quote taken from his novel, A Tale of Two Cities – It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…. Here are my four best CHAMPS 2017 contemplations, now that the dust has settled.
1. By popular acclamation, this was one of the best Championships and one for the ages in terms of competitiveness, drama and the quality of the performances. Never in the 107-year history of our beloved CHAMPS has a school accumulated over 300 points and not emerged victorious. Can I say another KC record!
2. This Championship continues the dismal record of pollsters which in 2016 failed to predict the Brexit and Trump upsets. The pollsters before CHAMPS were all predicting a KC victory, some by as much as 65 points. In the wake of CHAMPS, the disgraced pollsters resorted to singing the praises of Calabar when in truth the “upset” was primarily due to them overhyping the margin of the KC victory in the first place as well as two tragic injuries on the KC team which robbed us of close to 30 points.
3. The controversy engineered by Calabar about Ari Rodgers, our Ugandan import was unworthy of them as his waiver to compete by ISSA was similar to many approved in the distant and recent past. In any event, the attempt to intimidate the youngster revealed all that is contemptable in the human spirit and the criticism of Ari waving the Ugandan flag after destroying the 5000m field was contemptible as well. Who among us is not proud of our country and tires of singing, in this case waving, the praises to the land of our birth!
4. Finally, for all of us of the purple clan, if we need to nurse our wounds until 2018, let us reflect on the following facts which will always triumph over the fake news that abounded post CHAMPS - Calabar is 105 years old and has won CHAMPS 27 times, once every 4 years (rounded). KC is 92 years old and has won CHAMPS 31 times, once every 3 years.
P.S. For those Calabar pundits who will uncharitably say that KC is simply a sports factory the facts are that the Calabar CSEC pass average was 53% in 2016 while KC’s 2016 CSEC average pass was 88%!
Fortis Then, Fortis Now, Fortis Forever
Hugh Reid, Class of 73