1. “Bolt’s new goal, he says, is to dominate until 2016 and “do a three-peat, which has never been done before”. But that can probably be achieved without mining new depths in the 100m; by running into the 9.7s rather than 9.5s.
In a sense, Bolt is also an unwitting victim of the idiocy of others. The positive drugs tests for Tyson Gay and, to a lesser extent, Asafa Powell, means he has fewer rivals who can scare him into driving his body harder.”
2. There was no eulogy. The pastor only said a few words. But he didn’t go on long. Soon, everybody had left the church and headed down the road to Dick and Darlene’s place in Iron Station. Kenny hugged Dick’s son Chad.
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“I’m so sorry,” Kenny said.
“Aw, come on, man,” Chad told him. “Seventy-one years. That’s pretty good.” Kenny thought Chad sounded a lot like his father.
3. “For all the appreciation of skill and metronomic possession-hoarding, football is still a sucker for pace in any form – searing, lightning, blistering and explosive pace (often “to burn”); bags of pace or pace in abundance; and the curious concepts of real or genuine pace, suggesting that some players might be carrying counterfeit (or perhaps deceptive) pace. This perpetual motion has forced the football media to consult their thesauruses to find more nuanced ways of describing how a player propelled himself from A to B before he troubled Row Z.”
4. “Well, the celebrity who’s uncomfortable with fame is an easy cliché at this point, but with Donovan it goes deeper than that. He seems quietly paranoid, not just about the attention he receives for being so talented, but about his talent, too. His whole career he’s been haunted by some basic doubt or allergy he’s felt toward his career itself, which makes him more interesting than he’s sometimes given credit for: How many great athletes just decide to take four months off? On Wednesday, after his two-goal performance led the U.S. to a 3-1 win over Honduras in the Gold Cup semifinals, he was asked how much he’s been enjoying soccer since the sabbatical ended. He’s been playing brilliantly pretty much since his return. He replied, “As much as I ever have,” which you could take in two ways.”
5. “Although it hardly seemed possible at the time, the death of John Joe was the beginning of the end of Cavan’s pre-eminence in Gaelic football.
“They were the reigning All-Ireland champions when he died, having won the All-Ireland in his absence earlier that year, but they haven’t won the title since his death. Indeed, until last Saturday’s victory over London, Cavan hadn’t won a championship match at Croke Park since the 1952 final victory over Meath.”
6. “Feeling disposable is often an unendurable feeling for the modern footballer. It’s said that Rooney has felt unloved at United at times, that the trojan work he provided in his formative years hasn’t been fully appreciated by those who matter most. It is clear that his relationship with Alex Ferguson was never quite perfect. What is unclear is who is to blame for it. While many United supporters view Ferguson with nothing less than adoration, there are some questions that can asked about his handling of Rooney. Throughout the years Rooney has often been deployed as United’s saviour, a plug to fill gaps that have opened because reinforcements weren’t purchased. He has played both forward roles, as an advanced midfielder and a left midfielder. Even when used in his right role, he regularly provided an effort of two men, a product of the street-player spirit that elevated him to early stardom.”
Usain Bolt, Cavan GAA and Wayne Rooney: some of the week’s best sportswriting
1. “Bolt’s new goal, he says, is to dominate until 2016 and “do a three-peat, which has never been done before”. But that can probably be achieved without mining new depths in the 100m; by running into the 9.7s rather than 9.5s.
In a sense, Bolt is also an unwitting victim of the idiocy of others. The positive drugs tests for Tyson Gay and, to a lesser extent, Asafa Powell, means he has fewer rivals who can scare him into driving his body harder.”
Despite Usain Bolt being only 26, Sean Ingle speculates as to whether he has already reached his peak.
2. There was no eulogy. The pastor only said a few words. But he didn’t go on long. Soon, everybody had left the church and headed down the road to Dick and Darlene’s place in Iron Station. Kenny hugged Dick’s son Chad.
“I’m so sorry,” Kenny said.
“Aw, come on, man,” Chad told him. “Seventy-one years. That’s pretty good.” Kenny thought Chad sounded a lot like his father.
SB Nation’s Jeremy Markovich looks at the tragic death of race car driver Dick Trickle.
The Football Clichés blog provides an insightful examination of the language of movement in football.
4. “Well, the celebrity who’s uncomfortable with fame is an easy cliché at this point, but with Donovan it goes deeper than that. He seems quietly paranoid, not just about the attention he receives for being so talented, but about his talent, too. His whole career he’s been haunted by some basic doubt or allergy he’s felt toward his career itself, which makes him more interesting than he’s sometimes given credit for: How many great athletes just decide to take four months off? On Wednesday, after his two-goal performance led the U.S. to a 3-1 win over Honduras in the Gold Cup semifinals, he was asked how much he’s been enjoying soccer since the sabbatical ended. He’s been playing brilliantly pretty much since his return. He replied, “As much as I ever have,” which you could take in two ways.”
Grantland’s extensive piece on Landon Donovan reveals the US international to be a fascinating individual.
5. “Although it hardly seemed possible at the time, the death of John Joe was the beginning of the end of Cavan’s pre-eminence in Gaelic football.
“They were the reigning All-Ireland champions when he died, having won the All-Ireland in his absence earlier that year, but they haven’t won the title since his death. Indeed, until last Saturday’s victory over London, Cavan hadn’t won a championship match at Croke Park since the 1952 final victory over Meath.”
Arthur Sullivan recalls the history of Cavan GAA ahead of their game with Kerry this weekend.
6. “Feeling disposable is often an unendurable feeling for the modern footballer. It’s said that Rooney has felt unloved at United at times, that the trojan work he provided in his formative years hasn’t been fully appreciated by those who matter most. It is clear that his relationship with Alex Ferguson was never quite perfect. What is unclear is who is to blame for it. While many United supporters view Ferguson with nothing less than adoration, there are some questions that can asked about his handling of Rooney. Throughout the years Rooney has often been deployed as United’s saviour, a plug to fill gaps that have opened because reinforcements weren’t purchased. He has played both forward roles, as an advanced midfielder and a left midfielder. Even when used in his right role, he regularly provided an effort of two men, a product of the street-player spirit that elevated him to early stardom.”
Stretford-End.com takes an intelligent, informed look at the Wayne Rooney saga.
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