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The Sunday Papers: Some of the week’s best sportswriting

Featuring Marina Hyde on Oscar Pistorius, Spailpín Fánach on Joe Brolly and an elaborate tribute to Michael Jordan as he turns 50.

1. Writing for the New Yorker, James Srowiecki looks at the recent dilemma faced by the New York Jets in the form of their inept quarterback.

“After a farcical 2012 season, in which the New York Jets invented ever new ways to lose games (thus the “butt fumble”), the team’s general manager, offensive coördinator, and quarterback coach are all gone. Yet Mark Sanchez, the starting quarterback, remains. He has played poorly for two seasons in a row, and has now thrown more interceptions in his career than touchdowns. But the Jets have invested an enormous amount of energy and money in Sanchez, and, assuming that no one will trade for him, they are contracted to pay him $8.25 million next year, whether he plays or not. So figuring out what to do with Sanchez will be trickier than you might think.”

2. As Michael Jordan turns 50, Wright Thompson assesses the ramifications of his physical decline.

“I … I always thought I would die young,” he says, leaning up to rap his knuckles on the rich, dark wood of his desk.

He has kept this fact a secret from most people. A fatalist obsession didn’t go with his public image and, well, it’s sort of strange. His mother would get angry with him when he’d talk to her about it. He just could never imagine being old. He seemed too powerful, too young, and death was more likely than a slow decline. The universe might take him, but it would not permit him to suffer the graceless loss and failure of aging. A tragic flaw could undo him but never anything as common as bad knees or failing eyesight.”

3. The Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel highlights the surprising lack of newspaper interest following Paolo Di Canio’s recent departure as Swindon boss.

“Di Canio did make a brief appearance on one back page, but only in the context of what his resignation meant for Sam Allardyce at West Ham United. It was a West Ham story, really. Allardyce’s future has been under scrutiny of late, West Ham’s form has nosedived and there has been no offer of a new contract when his present one expires at the end of the season. Di Canio was always a favourite at Upton Park and the link is an obvious one.”

4. Spailpín Fánach examines the divisive figure of Joe Brolly, and claims he is “misunderstood”.

“Brolly is different too in his attitude to the game on which expounds. Hook and Dunphy claim to be great lovers of the game, and make much of having seen an exceptional display by a brontosaurus at stand-off half/the hole behind the front two back in old God’s time, and it’s a perpetual disappointment to both men that none of these modern Jessies can fill that brontosaurus’s admittedly enormous boots.”

5. Not much sportswriting in it per se, but we think you’ll agree that this piece on Michael Jordan’s 50 SI covers is worth a look.

6. In light of their recent poor form, Miguel Delaney asks why are Arsenal falling behind?

“The point of all this is for all the talk of the stadium debt forcing decline, Wenger has maintained success despite having to manage money prudently in the past.

In fact, the 2006 move to the Emirates has coincided with a few other advantages that weren’t available to the manager before. Arsenal have moved high up the money list and pay some of the highest wages in the sporting world – certainly enough to consistently achieve Champions League qualification.”

7. Countless column inches have been devoted to the Oscar Pistorius case of late, but The Guardian’s Marina Hyde has written one of the definitive articles on this much-discussed story.

“The Oscar Pistorius case has been called a tragedy for South Africa, for sport, for disability rights … but what about the victim and her family? To parts of the media, she is just hot.”

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