When he failed to turn up for Babyshambles' end-of-year gig at the London Astoria, the crowd, who waited until 2am, rioted, and stole stage equipment.
A thoroughbred, he was also tired of hauling himself up mountain passes more suited to llamas, fed up of watching slower men steal stage wins he knew were his for the taking with just a modicum of additional help from his team, and angry he had only won one stage on Tour so far that year.
The Americans won their first team gold in 16 years, with Gabby Douglas stealing the stage as the newest star.
For a little more than four hours in between, they brought the drama of a heavyweight championship fight to Augusta National, stealing center stage and captivating a voracious gallery that never seemed to know whom to root for more.
The press had a morality tale they were looking for: wastrel women and gold diggers, living it up and stealing the stage, while the nation's football team went to pot.
Each year when I leave Glebe Cottage for Chelsea, our "hot" borders are only just showing signs of waking up, with large clumps of Euphorbia palustris and their brilliant, lime-green tufts stealing centre stage.
Only the young twigs of the dogwoods and the willows are brightly colored, so you can lop these plants right to the ground each spring when the flowers and leaves of other plants begin stealing the stage.
(Anderson Schoolboy QQ (Tuesday) After nearly stealing the stage from his Black Hippy bandmate Kendrick Lamar at Mr. Lamar's triumphant Roseland Ballroom concerts in February, the tightly wound rapper Schoolboy Q presents the drug- and depravity-filled lyrics from "Habits and Contradictions" (Top Dawg/Interscope), his second album.
(Anderson Schoolboy QQ (Thursday) After nearly stealing the stage from his Black Hippy bandmate Kendrick Lamar at Mr. Lamar's triumphant Roseland concerts in February, the tightly wound rapper Schoolboy Q presents the drug- and depravity-filled tracks from "Habits and Contradictions" (Top Dawg/Interscope), his second album.
At one point, the latter even stole the stage by pulling a blood-covered child out of harm's way while filming on location.
Meanwhile, Gordon -- youthful, handsome, articulate -- had stolen center stage from the good old boys of Nascar.
