The world No 4's new Number 3 hair cut is not just a shorter style. It's a rallying call for the Scottish nation.
Now, you may well assume that as a nation we have enough major talking points; the future of wind farms, the independence debate, Simon Cowell's revelation he had private auditions with Kylie Minogue's big sister.
But let's not dismiss the importance of Andy Murray's haircut.
The world No 4's new Number 3 hair cut is not just a shorter style. It's a rallying call for the Scottish nation. It's a sign that says "I'm no longer happy to be a fringe success. I want to be Number 1." It's a sign that our collective inferiority complex is being cast aside. It's a sign that re-asserts the Braveheart motion he's prepared to go out there and battle.
Studies by the likes of Pennsylvania University have confirmed beliefs that men with severe hair cuts look more aggressive. And for Andy, that's not a bad thing. Murray has long stood accused (by the likes of Boris Becker) of being a mummy's boy. Now, the teaming up with short-cutted coach Lendl and the cutting of his soft, boyish curls is a clear sign he's clearing his head of the Judy, a metaphorical removal of the matriarchal influence.
But it's not just about showing the world he's tough. This is his own rage, rage against the dying of the light. It's the Dylan Thomas/Agassi shared position; don't wait for fate to befall; take scissors and take hair matters into your own hands and you will be strong. (For the record, Samson didn't need long hair. He needed a more understanding girl friend.)
I know what you're thinking; I'm the man who didn't surrender to male pattern baldness. And that's not to say Murray won't also get a hair transplant. It's the future for balding sportsmen. But for the moment, his Number 3 could very well help him make No 1.
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