LIFE at the top ain't easy. Just ask Dale Butler.

While he may see things differently, it could be argued that in the space of just a few days our genial Sports Minister has tumbled from hero to villain.

As Bermuda's national football team handed their World Cup opponents from Montserrat a 13-0 shellacking at the National Sports Centre on Sunday, there was nobody more prominent among the cheering crowd than the beaming Butler.

Meshach Wade, Damon Ming and John Barry Nusum might have been the on-field heroes, but off the pitch it was the tomahawk/banner waving, self-acclaimed Gombey Warrior, who led the celebrations.

Before a ball had been kicked, he entertained the capacity grandstand crowd, jogging along the touchline, banner and tomahawk in hand, raising the spirit of spectators and leading a chorus of vocal support.

It was an uplifting display of national pride. And his enthusiasm rubbed off.

Rarely have we witnessed such an animated crowd at an international football match, their joy heightened by every goal that rained past the visiting goalkeeper.

Bermuda ended up with a record victory ? albeit against a team rock bottom in the FIFA rankings ? but what made the occasion even more memorable was the wonderful atmosphere that prevailed throughout the entire 90 minutes.

And for that, the ebullient Butler can take much of the credit.

Sadly, however, when our next international 'showpiece', the CARIFTA Games, arrives at the Sports Centre next month, the Minister may as well leave his tomahawk and banner at home. That's likely where most of the crowd will be.

Who on earth's going to come out to watch a so-called national athletics team void of our best athletes?

Why would anybody want to support an organisation which brazenly discriminates against our most promising youngsters?

That's the message sent out by Bermuda Track and Field Association this week as they confirmed their decision not to select those athletes who want to compete at the Games simply because they refused, until this time, to train under the national coach.

Even more astonishing was the fact that Butler publicly supported their stance.

While the Minister should have been insisting that Bermuda field its best athletes at all costs, he instead chose to side with an administration whose history documents one crisis after another.

What he should have been doing is threatening to withdraw all Government funds allocated to the BTFA, in effect forcing them to put Bermuda first instead of their own selfish interests.

Make no mistake, when news of the decision spreads across the Caribbean, Bermuda will become the laughing stock of the CARIFTA family.

Visiting nations will be chuckling all the way to the podium.

The BTFA have long been a embarrassment to themselves, now Butler is effectively allowing them to embarrass the entire country.

The young athletes put forward by Mid Island Striders along with Flora Duffy, perhaps the most exceptional young female runner we've witnessed in Bermuda for more than two decades, have been cast aside by the governing body for no other reason than to justify their own self-serving policies.

Don't be fooled into believing the BTFA are following international guidelines. They're not.

And don't for a moment believe that the way they're conducting business is reflective of the way it's done by our Caribbean neighbours.

Most of those countries competing at CARIFTA haven't even thought about finalising their squads yet. And when they do you can be assured they'll be picking the absolutely best athletes available, either by way of trials or other pre-Games meets open to all competitors, and whether they train with the national coach or not.

As hosts, Bermuda are in real danger of wallowing near the bottom of the medal table simply because we won't field our best team.

And we're in danger of putting on a show that nobody wants to watch.

Will family and friends of those athletes overlooked be among the crowd? Hardly.

Will anybody want to watch a national team which doesn't represent Bermuda at its best? Unlikely.

Isn't the host nation supposed to make every effort to be represented in every single event?

The CARIFTA Games, much like the World Cup campaign, should be an occasion striving to bring Bermuda together.

Instead, it's splitting us apart.

The ball, Mr. Minister, is in your court.