The best sports writing from the past week (or so).
WIMBLEDON
No predictions, they could all be wrong by the time you read this. Instead:
Player with a problem 1) Rafael Nadal. His loss to Dustin Brown was almost predicatable. Is this career end-game? Or time to sack uncle Toni and get a new coach?
Player with a problem 2) Nick Kyrgios. You can be the next superstar, but nobody likes a tanker.
Country with a problem: Spain is in meltdown.
Programme with a problem: Wimbledon 2day. Somebody thought a revamp was a good idea. Nobody else, from the Mail to the FT, agreed. Format scrapped. Life goes back to normal.
Which player could Roger Federer possibly be in awe of?
CRICKET
The Ashes are nearly here. Can it ever be as good as 2005 again? Mark Wood might be England’s hero. Meanwhile the Aussies aren’t here to make friends. And no-one will ever have a call up like David Steele in 1975.
England’s T20 Blast is just a bit silly.
There’s a problem with pink balls. Really.
FOOTBALL
Apparently Raheem Sterling is worth it after all.
When football became middle class.
Anelka as a player-manager. In India. What could possibly go wrong?
Who actually buys the players?
Nigel Pearson, how we will miss you.
Is the no9 Chelsea shirt jinxed? Falcao will hope not.
FIFA
The US wants to get on with the whole extradition process. Fifa seems to think it’s cleaning house regardless, and makes lame excuses about Russia / Qatar. And poor old Sepp didn’t go to the final.
WOMENS’ WORLD CUP
The US have saved America from a sour year of sport.
Laura Bassett = Paul Gascoigne (minus the alcoholism, we hope). Is this a tipping point for the women’s game in the UK?
GOLF
McIlroy’s year has just done down the pan.
Scandal alert: what the hell is Phil Mickelson allegedly up to? And, given his previous, why the silence?
Trump loves golf. Golf doesn’t love Trump back.
Golf stars need say nothing.
If golf is a long walk ruined, what the hell is footgolf?
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
NFL stars love marijuana – who knew?
ATHLETICS
What’s wrong with Usain Bolt?
OLYMPICS
The Olympics should be free to air – otherwise, what’s the point?
F1
The US might want to control F1, but let’s hope the farce of 2005 is never repeated.
That’s it for this week – see you next Tuesday.
Leave a Reply