SPITHILL the Ali of sailing
Ireceived a text from a bloke in Bermuda this week who is as close to the action as you get. “Don’t take seriously anything Jimmy Spithill says. It’s done purely to wind up the New Zealand media. The more you report it, the more he will say.”
I get it, Spithill is the Stephen Jones of the sailing world.
Yachting coach Ray Davies told me they just roll their eyes when Spithill’s mouth goes into overdrive.
I like and loathe Spithill all at the same time. He’s the master at putting the knife in, turning it and then digging it in even deeper.
After the comeback of all comebacks in San Francisco, Spithill was unbearable. When some questioned how Oracle suddenly became a rocket ship, Spithill’s response was top shelf.
“That’s an insult to those who made the sandwiches for this team, the families who gave up so much to allow this team of champions to produce one of the greatest comebacks in sport,” he said.
You cannot rattle Spithill. He has an answer for everything and generally those answers are designed to unsettle his opponents.
He may be an annoyingly cocky Aussie who broke our hearts four years ago, but would the America’s Cup be as much fun without Spithill mouthing off?
I take on board what the texter was saying but it’s bloody hard to ignore the Spithill jibes.
In a world where so many athletes have had their personalities drained out by media minders and corporate image makers, the Oracle skipper is a walking, talking headline.
Can I dare suggest he ranks alongside the likes of Muhammad Ali as someone who can win with words?
So while the next couple of weeks could be painful if Oracle are as formidable as expected, if we are able to beat Oracle with Spithill at the helm, think how much sweeter it will be.