COLD TURKEY

I am suffering from cold turkey. Not, I hasten to add, because I have stopped taking heroin, but because this summer's sportsfest has ended.

Recent entertainment has included the European football championships, Wimbledon, the Tour de France, and finally the Olympics. Not only were these great sporting events, but they were on the television during both the day and the evening. For a lot of that time I found myself watching. And now that they're over, I find that I am experiencing huge withdrawal symptoms. Riding my bike and reliving some of the great moments is the sporting equivalent of methadone; but it's not quite the same as the real thing.

Still, the Vuelta a Espana starts on Saturday. Maybe I'll be able to get through to the end of August without having to check into a clinic.

Walter Blotscher