Following last week's much-criticised behaviour in cheating Ireland out of World Cup qualification, Thierry Henry is now embarking on the inevitable media offensive to limit any damage done to his hand... sorry, brand.
Today the BBC carries highlights of an interview Henry conducted with the French media.
Asked, possibly with some priming, whether he had considered retiring following the universal condemnation of his cheating, Henry replied:
"Oh yes. Friday, when it all went too far, I was very worked up."But fear not basketball fans, Henry isn't going to be hanging up his cross court pass any time soon.
"Despite everything that has just happened and the fact that I felt let down, I will not let my country down."
(Apart from reducing France's very presence in the World Cup to a single moment of cheating, that is.)
It's a textbook "sympathy please" piece, run in the aftermath of a reputation sinking scandal. How many times have we seen: "I thought about suicide reveals reality TV star", "I nearly drank myself to death says disgraced 80s pop star", "My infidelity cost me my friends and family, reveals shamed MP"... you get the picture, and so did Henry's PR team.
I liked his claim for victim status with all those horrible people having failed to support his cheating. And there I was thinking the Irish were the victims. Silly me.
Posted by: Geoff | Nov 24, 2009 at 01:47