Golf would relish a Tiger Woods renaissance, which the 14-times major champion, against all odds, reckons is still plausibleMuch has changed in Tiger Woods since his years of dominance were ended by drama and injury but his mindset is one thing that remains. In Dubai on Wednesday, as he prepared for the rarity of a second tournament in as many weeks, he insisted he has no intention of becoming a ceremonial golfer.The 14-times major champion is also not of a mind for quiet reflection. “I try not to go down that path because I like to consider myself a player and a guy that is playing out here and competing,” he said. “I know I’ve been away from it for...
This week marks the deadline for the next round of MLS expansion bids. But many cities are questioning whether clubs should use public fundsAlderman Samuel Moore represents Ward Four in St Louis - one of the poorest areas of the city. During a committee meeting last Thursday he held up photographs of dilapidated housing in his local area and announced: “This is what I live every day”. Moore and other aldermen were considering a request by a group called SC STL that hopes to bring Major League Soccer to the Missouri city. The request? SC STL wants the city and its taxpayers to approve $60m of public funding (an initial request for $80m was rejected) for a new stadium that...
From an unfortunate nighttime visit in Miami to Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson, half a dozen moments the league would rather forgetSuper Bowl drunkenness has a long history, back to before the big game was even called the Super Bowl. In the debut game, Packers v Chiefs in 1967, Green Bay’s Max McGee decided to go out drinking the night before the game. He was a seldom used, 34-year old receiver who had only caught four passes all season and believed his team wouldn’t need him the next day. After meeting two flight attendants at the hotel bar and with the city of Los Angeles before them, McGee headed out into the night and didn’t return until 6.30am and remained...
In the face of the lavish salaries in the Chinese Super League, MLS clubs might have to pump the brakes on ageing stars. But that could prove to be a blessingA giant is rising in the east, intent on disrupting world football’s consensus. The Chinese Super League, with its many cash-rich clubs owned by various billionaires, has been rampaging through recent transfer windows, prying away star players from the old guard in Europe.And it’s happened quickly: Oscar, Axel Witsel, John Obi Mikel, Carlos Tevez, Ramires, Alex Teixeira, Jackson Martinez and others have moved to China recently for outlandish transfer fees, many of which have dwarfed the financial standards set in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A. Related: US...
After the uncertainty of the Klinsmann era, the sight of players being played in their best positions was a welcome oneWith all the drama and (often unfortunate) symbolism of the regime change at the USMNT, coupled with the urgency with which the US needs to find results, the game against Serbia was freighted with way more sense of expectation than it could ever be reasonably expected to bear. And that’s before we even contemplate the rhetoric around national identity from Tim Howard, or the comments on American ideals from Michael Bradley. Related: Bruce Arena's return to USMNT ends in goalless draw with Serbia Continue reading...