1. “That was because Ronaldo played like a winger – but he did so in the centre of the pitch, which made him infinitely more dangerous. He played like every attack had a 10-second deadline and the Brazilian would explode into life with no warning for defenders.”
Ronaldo is 40 and a week old today and The Guardian’s Rob Smyth paid tribute to the great Brazilian’s legacy.
2. “The player we see now, as Rust Cohle might put it, is like somebody’s memory of a great quarterback — and that memory is fading. Sunday’s version of Aaron Rodgers has been around for almost a full calendar year. He’s no longer just in a slump. He’s not injured. He’s not in some brand-new system. For a player as great as Rodgers, this kind of extended struggle is just … weird.”
Danny Kelly of The Ringer.com looks at the problems surrounding Aaron Rodgers.
3. “People who were respected in football had me down as good management material,” recalls Crerand. “I had a never-say-die attitude, I always put the team first and I was popular with the other players. But I just didn’t have what it takes to become a good manager.”
“He learnt that very quickly.”
As Manchester United took on Northampton, Andy Mitten asked one recognisable face at the club’s TV station why he never made it as a manager.
4. “Napoleon Dynamite. That’s what the Sonics players call him. The kid is big but not ready. Not emotionally, not physically. He never talks in practice or team meetings. “You had to pry two words out of him,” recalls Dwight Daub, the Seattle strength coach. It doesn’t help that Swift’s youngest teammate, point guard Luke Ridnour, is four years his senior. McMillan, famously disdainful of rookies, ignores Swift. The fan base wonders if the team is cursed or just stupid.”
For Sports Illustrated, Chris Ballard tells the tale of Robert Swift, ‘a millionaire at 18 and junkie at 27′.
5. “…maybe – and probably closest to the truth – I just didn’t think it mattered. Prediction: neither did you!”
Cathal Dennehy tries to separate the ‘inspiration porn’ from the sporting contest in the Paralympics for Independent.ie.
6. “When Wenger arrived with his French lilt and sophisticated ideas he came into an environment with a deep mistrust when it came to the possibility that a foreigner could succeed in England.”
With Arsenal celebrating 20 years of the Wenger era, Amy Lawrence looks back on a time when the appointment was truly remarkable.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
