It’s taken 15 years for the Indian Wells tennis tournament to put a racism row behind it. With the Williams sisters ending their boycotts, the tournament was finally able to shake the memories of Serena being booed throughout the 2001 final and trophy presentation. It was a moment to celebrate. Then tournament boss Raymond Moore…
Tag: sport
Adam LaRoche and the pitfalls of father-son bonding
Baseball and babysitting. Not two words you’d expect to see in the same sentence, except: “Would you mind babysitting my brood while I go to the baseball.” But the retirement of an ageing major league baseball player last week has triggered an unlikely child care debate in the US. Chicago white sock Adam LaRoche took…
FIFA plays the victim card
You’ve got to hand it to FIFA. Soccer’s ‘governing’ body has finally admitted that World Cups have been bought with bribes. But only because there might be a buck in it. In perhaps its most brazen step to date, which is saying something, FIFA is claiming ‘victimised institution’ status and seeking restitution from the US…
Does Russian sport have a reading problem?
“What should Russian athletes do?” asked Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko. “Dance on the table? Sing a song?” Mutko was pondering aloud what Russia has to do to gain admission to the Olympic track and field competition after the world athletics body extended its ban over last year’s doping scandal. With Russia’s 2012 Eurovision entry…
Sharapova’s Cinderella story unravels
When Maria Sharapova alerted the media she was making a ‘major announcement’, most of the speculation was that she was about to retire. And she kind of was. The Cinderella story of the world’s richest sportswoman has quickly unravelled since she revealed she flunked a drug test. When the clock struck midnight, that was the…
Matildas sound the perfect Peter Allen tribute
If Peter Allen’s hit song I Go To Rio doesn’t make it back into the Top 40 this week, I’ll eat my maracas. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the celebrated ditty from the bloke who, no matter how far or how wide he roamed, still called Australia home. I’ve been thinking of a…
Aussie tennis bromance sours
It was probably only a matter of time before Australia’s tennis bad boys turned their ill-trained weapons on each other. The surprising thing is that it’s happened in the one forum where they’re supposed to be brothers in arms. The Davis Cup. A game away from going two sets down to John Isner in a…
Rio, we have a problem
First up, this week’s roll call of disaster from Rio de Janiero. With Olympics tickets selling slower than a Sunday driver, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes has told spectators not to bother buying tickets to the rowing. “Do not spend your money on this,” he says. “Go watch at the border of the lagoon, drinking your…
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