Expectations

For the 132 years that the New York Yacht Club held the America’s Cup, it was widely suspected that the first skipper that failed to defend would have his head mounted in the place where the trophy once rested. This theory failed the litmus test when Australia II defeated Dennis Conner's Liberty in 1983, but metaphorically speaking, was not that far off.

A recent news story conjured images of what may happen to the British Sailing Team if they fail to live up to expectations during the 2012 Olympics. For the last two Games, the Brits have out-medaled the closest team by nearly a 2 to 1 margin. Now with the Olympics coming to London, will the pressure to perform be a positive energy or a negative?

So what was the news story mentioned above? Nothing really, just how a construction project near the site for the sailing events unearthed an ancient burial pit containing 45 severed skulls together with a tangle of torsos, arms and legs. Of course, a similar result would not occur for those British sailors failing to Medal in 2012, but metaphorically speaking, may not be that far off.