With the World Cup over, all that’s left to be revealed is whether Holland’s Arjen Robben will be made an honorary Italian for his diving prowess or if Russia can blow more money in four years’ time than the $51 billion it spent on the Sochi Olympics. As the Brazilians bid farewell to the remaining…
Selfies and the misnomer of spectator sport
A couple of months ago, German cyclist Marcel Kittel slumped exhausted to the road after winning the Dublin stage of the Giro d’Italia. As he sat on the ground grimacing, Irish cycling enthusiast David McCarthy jumped in with his camera. “Kittel collapsed after the line today so instead of giving him a hand up I…
A word, Ms Coulter
I’ve held off writing about Ann Coulter’s attack on soccer in the hope that ignoring her would make her go away. Then she had a second crack at it. In Ms Coulter’s world, soccer is a liberal conspiracy that promotes individual underachievement and doesn’t have anywhere near enough bloodletting. It’s groundbreaking because, while FIFA has…
At last, a new Lleyton Hewitt emerges
This story contains predictions of the next Aussie tennis legend. Please touch timber before reading. For 18 years, Lleyton Hewitt has almost single handedly held Australian tennis together with his scrambling court play, never-say-die intensity and impassioned ‘C’mon’s. There have been encouraging cameos from the likes of Matthew Ebden, James Duckworth, Peter Luczak and Chris…
Who’ll take home the best World Cup hair award?
As David Beckham prepared for his recent Amazon travel documentary, wife Posh asked him what he was going to do with his hair in all that humidity. The countless exotic critters that could curtail hubby’s life — from Brazilian wandering spiders to poison dart frogs — seemed the least of her concern. Her greatest fear…
WORLD EXCLUSIVE! Luis Suarez’s statement to FIFA
I wish to complain about the conditions I had to endure in my team’s match against Italy at Natal on Tuesday. Not to mince my words but the lack of condiments on the sideline was nothing short of disgraceful. In my experience, which is considerable, football players taste like chicken. They require a great deal…
Minnows upset the World Cup apple cart
Let’s call them the Generation Y of the World Cup. They’re the teams that don’t know their place and have scant regard for the football hierarchy. Coming into the tournament, they were largely there to make up the numbers, evolve their skills and learn from the experience. Except they never got the memo. So, these…
Tim Cahill exits the World Cup stage
The headline said it all. “Australia Just Scored the Goal of the World Cup. Yes, Australia.” Until a few hours ago, it was hard to imagine anyone beating Robin van Persie’s flying Dutchman effort for goal of the tournament. And then Tim Cahill did this. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Just a…
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