Sport gives us an opportunity to see people at the greatest moments of their lives, but also at their sometimes-tragic worstOne of sport’s many affirming beauties is its intimacy: we get to see people experience the most ecstatic and most mortifying moments of their lives, live. Yes, they’re seeking fulfilment and validation in the wrong places and yes, this is your super soaraway Joy of Six about to volunteer an unsolicited self-help tip but, immeasurably wise though The Awakened Family is – if you’re a parent or a person, read it – how many titles, belts or majors has Dr Shefali Tsabary won? Exactly. Continue reading...
The Scot was dominant in the 1990s and the seven-time world champion was immune to pressure in a unique wayYou may have seen the famous clip of Diego Maradona’s warm-up routine, from the second leg of Napoli’s Uefa Cup semi-final against Bayern Munich in 1989: the one where he is like a Marvel superhero with a football. It is not just that Maradona pogos up and down with the ball seemingly glued to his head. Or that he effortlessly juggles the ball on his knees while jogging – before upping the ante by then bouncing it repeatedly off alternate shoulders. It is that the greatest player of all time is doing all this, and many other nonchalant tricks and flicks,...
Six-times world champion is happier than he has ever been and perhaps the least we owe him is to accept him on his own termsPerhaps it was fitting that it should end on a miscue. Maybe this is just the imagination playing trick shots but for a snooker player widely acclaimed as the greatest of all time, Ronnie O’Sullivan does seem to miscue quite a lot? Certainly more than you’d expect from your average preternatural, life-affirming, once-in-a-generation talent.There was one against Mark Williams at the 2016 Masters that cost him the frame. One against Ali Carter at the Crucible in 2018 that cost him the match. In fact, there are compilations on YouTube: the horrible scrape of the cue, the...
This week’s roundup also features rowdy homecoming parades, Retrospective Punishment and more teammates tussling1) There will be no action at the Crucible this month, with the World Snooker Championship scheduled to take place at an unspecified date later this year. Judd Trump will have to wait to defend the title he won in 2019, beating four-time champion John Higgins. It’s 35 years since that final frame between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis (10 since a rematch). And 30 since Stephen Hendry won the first title of seven by beating Jimmy White in 1990. He won his fifth by beating Nigel Bond in 1995. Twenty years ago, it was Mark Williams claiming his first title, beating a Welsh compatriot Matthew Stevens....
From Australia’s sandpaper storm to some impressive popularity contests, via José Mourinho and worm denial5 January: “We have money for sardines and I’m thinking lobster. I will do my best to try and bring in the best players. I will look to the lobsters and sea bass, but if not we must buy sardines. But sometimes the sardines can win games” – Perhaps, Carlos Carvalhal, but they couldn’t keep Swansea in the Premier League. Related: The alternative sport review of 2018, from Kanté’s curry to Salah’s statue Haters gonna say I didn’t mean it https://t.co/HjZg57U6Cx Continue reading...