MARCH 22, 2006

That nasty Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso had a new way to celebrate victory in Formula 1 in Bahrain when he did a curious hip-twirling move on the podium. This caused much excitement in Spain where reports have claimed he was imitating the character of The Grinch from the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". No-one has explained why Alonso would have a particular affinity with this cranky green, cave-dwelling creature with a heart that was famously "two sizes too small".

There are however other interpretations of Alonso's actions with the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals objecting because it believed that Alonso was pretending to be a bullfighter. In an open letter Indian MP Maneka Gandhi has claimed that bullfighting is "barbaric and no longer acceptable by any humane standards. Even in Spain, awareness is growing fast, and some towns have already banned this crude, cruel and cowardly spectacle."