'O Sir, you are old'

The Way We See Sport, The Way We See Life

In the wake of the release of 'Original Sin', a book by Jake Tapper and Alex
Thompson detailing the deterioration of President Biden between 2020 and 2024,
Nathan and Chris explore the one opponent no sportsperson can defeat - age.
This episode looks at three sporting icons who, arguably, pushed on too long beyond the peak of their powers. Michael Schumacher was the all-conquering motor racing champion, but his return to Formula 1 was somewhat underwhelming. Muhammad Ali was a boxing icon, but the later fights of his career may well have done him untold damage. Matt Busby turned Manchester United into the most glamorous football club in the country, but his decision to remain involved with the club after his tenure as manager ended cast a shadow over the work of his successors.

Each of these stories reveals something slightly different about the cruelty of the
aging process, the impact it can have on an individual’s legacy, and the damage it
can do to institutions if it is not properly acknowledged and understood. In 2020,
Biden was the man who defeated Trump. By 2024, his unwillingness to accept the
limitations of his age created the conditions for his opponent’s return. This episode of 'The Way We See Sport, The Way We See Life' seeks to understand how and why this happened.