Susan Hated Literature

I am not, in general, an overly optimistic person. Especially where Irish sport is concerned. Hopeful, always, but confident that we’ll win? Rarely.

And this isn’t a new thing. Back in the heady days of Italia ‘90 when the entire country was caught up in football-fever I can remember being asked if I though we’d win our next match. Against Italy. I answered confidently, telling my uncle that we hadn’t a hope. My mathematical prowess tells me that for the world cup in 1990 I was all of 11. Eleven years of age and already I was a cynical little git who knew we couldn’t win.

And yet for some reason I have a good feeling about tonight’s match. I may be proven wrong. France may run riot. Eoin Reddan may have a mare of a game. Ronan O’Gara may continue with the terrible kicks. The pack may continue to stand around waving their hands in the air instead of getting stuck into rucks. But if that happens I will simply accept the slagging at my optimism, because I’m confident that the Irish team has enough talent to win this match. I’m not predicting a bonus point win, although that would be nice, but I think we’ll “get it done”.

I may deluded and crazy. Given the recent performances there is no real reason to forecast an Irish victory. And France need to win. If they lose they are out. If we lose there is still the vaguest of chances we can progress, depending on our Argentina match. But for the hosts, for France! to go out at the pool stage. Well, there are upsets and then there are upsets.

Wouldn’t it be nice though?

Maybe it is because I’ve gotten used to the rugby crowd performing well, and even winning major competitions. And maybe it is misplaced because we can only judge ourselves against the other Six Nations teams. But for once, I’m remaining hopeful. I remaining positive. I may be deluded and irrational but isn’t that what sport is all about?

And any supporters in France are being asked to head down to the team hotel (Sofitel Porte de Sevres, 8-12 Rue Louis Armand, 75015, Paris) and show your support before they leave for the stadium.

It is a bit chilly out this morning. But sunny so far, so its all good, plus, I suppose it is really and truly Autumn now, so I can’t complain.

I know, I know, talking about the weather, not exactly a gripping start to a post, and after I’ve been a tad lackadaisical about updating, but what do you expect? Do you really want me to moan about the RWC again? I can. It’d be easy. After all we did almost lose against Georgia. And as Roy Keane might say, all credit to Georgia, but, at the end of the day, we did win. And that is what is important. Never mind the shocking display. Never mind the lack of skills on display. Never mind that if it hadn’t been for Leamy getting under that ball they would have scored another try.

And now, now we have Eddie O’Sullivan dropping Stringer in favour of Reddan. Georgian Murphy out of the 22, Duffy on the bench. Trimble in for Hickie. I’m not sure I want to watch the game on Friday.

But you know what, I’m staying optimistic. Or deluded. Either way that good feeling I had before the RWC began, it is still here, and I’m sticking with it. Clinging desperately may be slightly more accurate, but whatever.

And of course the rumours are floating around about trouble in the camp. So dilemma. Do I repeat them and feed what may just be lies? Of course not. Because if the rumours of bust-ups at training are true then at least it shows some bit of passion. And while I don’t believe that it has gone totally Saipan on us, rumours of Geordan Murphy walking out may just breathe a bit of life back into the team.

Or maybe I really am totally deluded.

In other news have you heard the story about the body found on a Kerry beach, and taken away in a hearse? You know, the one that turned out to be a fish.

The world is a funny funny place sometimes.

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Today’s post title was supplied by Karl Richardson and he was referring to those Saipan-style rumours.

Remember when I mention Tom Cruise in relation to brain lesions (it wasn’t all that long ago), well, I came across this article in the Guardian (via In Fact. Ah) where they talk about the relationship between beliefs and lesions.

In people suffering from prosopagnosia, for example, parts of the brain are damaged so that the person can no longer recognise faces. In the Cotard delusion, people believe they are dead. Fregoli delusion is the belief that the sufferer is constantly being followed around by people in disguise. Capgras’ delusion, named after its discoverer, the French psychiatrist Jean Marie Joseph Capgras, is a belief that someone emotionally close has been replaced by an identical impostor.
Until recently, these conditions were regarded as psychiatric problems. But closer study reveals that, in the case of Capgras’ delusion for example, a significant proportion of sufferers had lesions in their brain, typically in the right hemisphere.”

But apart from that, the article also points out how beliefs can be created, and manipulated. Especially in times of stress.

The stress of the terror attacks on the US in 2001 changed the way many Americans viewed the world, and Taylor argues that it left the population open to tricks of belief manipulation. A recent survey, for example, found that more than half of Americans thought Iraqis were involved in the attacks, despite the fact that nobody had come out and said it.