As the new NFL season closes in and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick still refuses to stand for the national anthem, solutions from both interested and disinterested parties have rushed forth, at times with the desperation of a Hail Mary. Some say that the 49ers should demand that Kaepernick stand, or else take steps to dock the pay of the player…
As Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart nears a loan move to Serie A side Torino, the game in his home country sighs and prepares to wish him a muted farewell. Muted not only because Hart’s goalkeeping exploits at the European Championships helped England to an early exit, when the limp wrists he showed against Wales remained limp and…
Sweden might have a well-deserved reputation in both men’s and women’s football for a resolutely defensive style of play. On the men’s side the strictly organised, reactive system which became a hallmark of Lars Lagerbäck’s tenure barely shifted under his successor Erik Hamrén, and was certainly in full force as they struggled to qualify for Euro 2016 before departing in…
Some call it an equestrian sport with ancient roots in the writings of Xenophon, others call it horsey prancing. Either way dressage – from a French term which vaguely means ‘training’ – certainly proves a novelty when it comes around every four years during the Olympics. The aim of dressage is to enhance the natural athleticism of a horse, by…
What is the meaning of the colour green? It is the colour of springtime, of fresh grasses and unripe fruits. Did you know that in nature, green pigments indicate chlorophyll, the chemical of photosynthesis, by which plants turn sunlight into fuel? Fittingly green is the colour of environmental activists worldwide. It stands for ‘go’ when you’re stuck at traffic lights or other…
After hours of intense and occasionally preposterous speculation, in the end it was neither Pelé nor Bebeto, Gustavo Kuerten, Marta, or hoops star Hortência who got to light the Olympic cauldron. The latter three all took part in the Rio 2016 opening ceremony, but the final task instead fell to Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima. As the average Brazilian struggles in the face…
Brazil has enjoyed success both on and in the water at past Olympics. With six gold, three silver, and eight bronze, sailing has been their most successful Olympic event, while with one gold, four silver, and eight bronze, swimming is not far behind in terms of the haul of medals. But Rio 2016 is a home Olympics, and quite naturally Brazil…
When Brazilian football legend Pelé declined to light the Olympic cauldron at Friday’s opening ceremony in Rio, citing ill health after muscle pains and hip surgery earlier in the year, Brazilian officials found themselves in a tight spot. The lighting of the cauldron is a defining moment for any Olympics, with the task previously falling to such icons as Cathy…
With a meat-based nickname, a belly that protrudes far beyond the confines of his belt, a face that is kind of funny looking, and a background which is playfully working class, what is there not to love about Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston? The happy-go-lucky golfer – the son of a bus driver and dinner lady, who together ensured that he made each and…
How long is an era? A geological era can last for hundreds of millions of years, and even in common parlance the term is usually reserved for the sort of seismic shifts in politics and culture which come about but once every handful of decades. Not so in World Wrestling Entertainment, where we are already in our third ‘new era’…
