IN THE GREEN CORNER …
In a 2021 study, 1,700 people were asked which animal they could beat in an unarmed fight. The results were alarming, with 9% of men believing they could conquer both an elephant (who regularly uproot trees to eat their leaves) and a gorilla (who have, on average, about six times more upper-body strength than the average human). Football Daily is not in the business (or any business, come to think of it) on how many men out of 100 would actually survive an unarmed scrap against an elephant or a gorilla, but this tea-timely email has been pondering if it really would be nine. But whether you’re signing up for a fight-to-the-death tussle against a wild animal or casually attempting to boot a stray football (first time) back over the playground wall in front of your partner, their parents and a small crowd of expectant teenagers, what people think they can do versus what they can actually do doesn’t always match up. Confidence is essential in elite sport, we’re told, but – just like those four pint glasses Football Daily dropped on the pub floor after refusing the offer of a tray – it also remains an incredibly fragile and dangerous commodity.
