1. Given that it is also a beloved national institution in danger of extinction, you’d think the BBC would have been more sympathetic towards the classified football results.
Instead, the decision to axe the reading of the scores at 5pm on Saturdays on BBC radio has provoked a very British furore. In fact, the death of the classified results is what you might call a teachable moment in the ongoing quest to understand our weird neighbours.
Writing for the Irish Examiner, Tommy Martin on why the decision axe the reading of the scores at 5pm on Saturdays on BBC radio has provoked a very British furore.
2. If you happened to be listening to Argentinian radio on the afternoon of June 22, 1986, you were privileged to hear one of the great outbreaks of euphoria in the history of soccer. That was the day, of course, when Diego Maradona scored two of the most famous, two of the most iconic goals in the history of the World Cup, back to back, in three minutes and 49 seconds of real time.
The first of those is easily the most controversial goal of all time. We’ll talk about that. But the second, that’s the awesome goal. That’s the one where he runs through basically the entire English defense. The commentator for Radio Argentina is the legendary Victor Hugo Morales. And you can hear the exact moment when he crosses over into euphoria. He doesn’t take his shirt off—that I know of. But he stops narrating and just starts yelling “genius.” Over and over again.
And then even that gets to be too much and he starts repeating “ta.”
Genio genio genio. Ta ta ta ta ta ta.
If you’ve ever seen Diego Maradona moving with the ball, you get it.
Maradona moves with the ball like he and the ball are the only two people in the world who understand each other.
Brian Phillips’s first instalment in his series for The Ringer chronicling the most iconic goals in the history of the World Cup belongs to soccer’s most talented and destructive genius
3. The University of Nebraska Cornhuskers were playing the University of South Alabama Jaguars in their season opener three seasons back.
The type of game a college gridiron powerhouse typically selects so they can start their campaign with a guaranteed victory. Except at half-time Nebraska led by just 14-7. The offense was sputtering without Maurice Washington.
A highly-regarded sophomore running back and kick-off returner, he was suspended as he awaited trial on felony charges in a revenge porn case involving distributing a video of an underage girl being sexually assaulted.
“We’re not running the ball very well right now,” admitted head coach Scott Frost in a half-time interview on ESPN, and, lo and behold, Washington was immediately restored to the line-up for the third quarter.
The Irish Times’ Dave Hannigan on why Nebraska’s ruthless college football institution have a reputation in the US for often doing the wrong thing when it matters most
4. Where we are, on the tenth anniversary of his fall from grace, is what Lance makes of it all.
For five years now he’s had a podcast, The Move, offering listeners “a rare insider’s perspective” on the Tour de France. Two weeks ago, on the eve of the final stage to Paris, his guest was Bradley Wiggins.
No athlete in history has stored slights or born grudges like Lance and we tuned-in expecting fireworks. “Now, if I remember correctly Bradley, you said my admission was heartbreaking for the sport, and that I was a lying bastard and deserved everything I got. What about you, Bradley? What about your lies? What do you deserve?” But there was none of it.
They chatted for 20 minutes swapping pleasantries and profanities and blowing kisses at each other.
“Fascinating. Sir Bradley thank you so much.”
“Thanks for having me on.”
“You’re a legend for coming on.”
“Love the show.”
“What a personality! He’s had his ups and downs, and they’ve been well documented — not like some of our other friends in the sport — but the guy just lands on his feet, lands on his feet … And he’s so f*****g good. I mean, I could have listened to that for hours.”
The Sunday Independent’s Paul Kimmage looks at Bradley Wiggins, who has changed his tune on Lance Armstrong’s cheating
5. This one goes out to the United fan. The poor lost soul whose enjoyment of the new season lasted the 14 seconds it took Brighton to create their first clear sight of goal last Sunday. All that optimism, all that preseason good juju. All gone in the time it took Diogo Dalot to whiff on a clearance and Leandro Trossard to hit the side netting.
The United fan is not having a good moment. He wishes they could hit CTRL-Z a few hundred times and go back and start again. He’s afraid to go counting up the mistakes from the past decade for fear of discovering a new number previously beyond the imagination of mathematicians. He knows it would only encourage United to go and spend said number on a backup midfielder from AZ Alkmaar.
Malachy Clerkin explains for the Irish Times that for the Manchester United fan, the season was over after 14 seconds
