Weekly Hit & Miss

Every Monday we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.

HIT – Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton’s 94th Grand Prix win secured a record-equalling seventh world title to put him level with Michael Schumacher and underlined his status as one of the greatest motor racing drivers of all time.

Hamilton was sixth in the rain-affected race in Turkey after five laps and needed to keep his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas within an eight-point margin to secure the title with three races to go. The fact that Hamilton lapped the Finn later in the race confirmed quite how superb a driver he is.

While the plaudits were fully justified, Hamilton used his victory to speak out about his ambitions to make a positive change in the world.

“There’s still another race we’ve yet to win. This year I've been driven not just by my desire to win on the track, but by a desire to help push our sport, and our world to become more diverse and inclusive. I promise you I am not going to stop fighting for change.

“We have a long way to go but I will continue to push for equality within our sport, and within the greater world we live in. Equalling Michael Schumacher's record puts a spotlight on me that I know won't be here forever. So, while you're here, paying attention, I want to ask everyone to do their part in helping to create a more equal world.

“Let's be more accepting and kinder to each other. Let's make it so that opportunity is not something that is dependent on background or skin colour.”

Earlier this year, Hamilton launched a new initiative to help motorsport inspire more opportunities for young black students and eventually improve diversity in Formula One.

With his platform and success, Hamilton has pledged to work with partners to engage black communities and provide a tangible programme for greater diversity and opportunity.

It speaks volumes that Hamilton was thinking of others and the challenges they face at the time of his greatest glory and hints that his journey has only just begun.

MISS – Daily Mail Online

We’ve already written about the great work Manchester United and England striker Marcus Rashford is doing to support hungry children during the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

His campaigning has prompted government u-turns and was awarded an MBE in recognition of the great work he continues to do.

But the Daily Mail came in for widespread criticism after running a story on its website headlined: ‘What a result! Campaigning football star Marcus Rashford has bought five luxury homes worth more than ￡2million.’

The article reported how Rashford has “ploughed an estimated ￡1.5million into three houses” in Wilmslow, Cheshire and bought a house and flat in Macclesfield, over the past three months.’ It also said that he has “splashed out” on a Cheshire golf course.

Rashford had to take to Twitter himself to explain his actions, even though there is no tangible link between his success as a footballer and the income that provides him with the campaigning work he does to help others.

“Ok, so let’s address this. I’m 23. I came from little. I need to protect not just my future but my family’s too. To do that I made a decision at the beg of 2020 to start investing more in property. Please don’t run stories like this alongside refs to ‘campaigning’.”

Former England captain Gary Lineker was also moved to comment, suggesting, not unreasonably, that the story may be the start of negativity directed towards Rashford by some sections of the media.

“Here they go. This is how they start. Subtle to begin with, but it will grow. It’s what they do.”

Last year Raheem Sterling compared MailOnline articles’ differing coverage of white and black players as he accused the media of fuelling “racism and aggressive behaviour” and this latest sorry episode suggests much more needs to be done.