Roar Guru
Joined October 2010
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There was no hearing or semblance of trial, but there was swift summary judgment: Israel Folau, a star member of the Australian rugby team, had been banished.
Should it matter this much? A wealthy, successful individual expressed fury at the most popular object of vitriol in any sport.
Even before the single ball was kicked at the FIFA World Cup in Russia, there were threats, promises and suggestions from various governments about how best to cope with Vladimir Putin and his designated fiendish circle of authoritarians.
Juraj Vrdoljak of Telesport was convinced. “I think half the population didn’t show up to work on the morning after the win against England.”
They have been falling like ninepins at one of the most unpredictable World Cups in generations. Even before the kick-off in the tournament, Italy’s absence was conspicuous.
“Disappointing is the word. Empty is the other word.” Mile Jedenak, Jun 26, 2018.
What limits opinions? Especially by sportspeople, who are often confused for geniuses of the mind and ambassadors of tact outside their very limited field of endeavour.
There was an audacity about it, carried out with amateurish callowness.
Novak Djokovic, on returning to competitive tennis at the Australian Open, caused something of a stir that a revolt in the game was brewing.
Being a moralist in the Olympics doesn’t carry you very far. Turn one way and there are enterprising drug cheats, turn the other and there are wads of cash in envelopes.
Australia chose a rather roundabout, and dangerous, way of getting to the finals of the FIFA World Cup.
The cricket punter will be delighted by this result. Those favouring the status quo and sides with long stretches of dominance will not.
“The growth, popularity and success of football in Australia today is absolutely a reflection of [Les Murray’s] passion and advocacy for the game he loved.” – SBS statement, Jul 31, 2017
“Every round on the bag, hold the dream. Don’t lose sight of what we set out to do ten years ago. Hold the dream.”
“It is also a story of deceit and lies, of institutional defensiveness defeating truth and justice. It is evidence of a culture of denial within South Yorkshire Police.” Anne Burkett, BBC, Apr 27, 2016.
A strong tone of temperance has characterised discussions about Australian cricket of late.
It defies the belief of recent memory. Not even the Sheikh of Tweak, Shane Warne, managed such feats on the dry, square-turning pitches on the subcontinent.
It seemed an unnecessarily grand gesture, but the English Premier League discovered last week that Manchester United had appointed its own counterterrorism manager.
The pain is hard to take. Chapecoense was the biggest source of happiness in the city. Many in the town are crying.
“Get the game back in the dressing room and in time, like those before them, the elite of Australian cricket will be capable of a high performance in a purer sense.” – Mike Coward, Fox Sports, Nov 17, 2016.
Thanks for your remarks, Vas. Well stated and I fear that, as brilliant as Indian cricketers can be – deft, remarkable stunning strokers of the ball – Dravid had a quality otherwise lacking in the overall team. Flashiness is a fine quality, provided you have the capital and deep pockets to back it up…
Missing the Wall: The legacy of Rahul Dravid
The new design is apparently made to ensure that strangulation is avoided. Nor, it seems, are there any previous recorded instances of it. Thanks, Nathan, for the note on ‘snoods’.
FIFA moves: Headscarves and technology