My first novel, Ogygia, is officially published!
Unlike World Cup tickets, it’s fairly priced. So support me instead of the criminals at FIFA.
Available in print here: https://t.co/3Ox0MpijPW
Or ebook through all major vendors.
This is the year when the game of two halves became the game of four quarters. And the greatest sport and event was damaged for fistfuls of dollars. Hydration breaks ruin the game’s flow and frustrates fans and viewers. If hydration breaks were solely about player welfare then they would be linked to the temperature in the stadia. It’s a nonsense having a three-minute break in an air-conditioned arena.
Fifa should long ago have established a working party of coaches, sports scientists, national team doctors and Fifpro to agree a set temperature at kickoff, say 25C, which triggers the breaks. That would prove the breaks were for player welfare. At the moment, and to nobody’s surprise, it is widely accepted that these breaks are for US TV to accommodate commercials. Big bucks for the small screen.
Fifa should have thought more about the effect on games and to fan (and viewer) experience when negotiating. Coaches’ desire for a mid-half tactical time-out masquerading as a drinks stop should be resisted anyway. Games have been played for 150 years without needing such intervention. Coaches can shout instructions. And who says that 22 mins and 67 mins is when a coach needs to intervene anyway. It’s nonsense. It’s about money.
Respected and sane footballing voices from Virgil van Dijk to Mauricio Pochettino have spoken out against the breaks. Fifa should listen to them not appear only to listen to the rustle of dollar bills. It’s important that there is resistance to this from all over. Because if we tolerate this, our TV games could be next. BBC can’t do ads, ITV says it won’t follow its US counterparts. But it has been discussed by TV people. It’ll come one day. #FIFAWorldCup.
It's fitting that, out of everything, the one thing FIFA regrets at this World Cup is accidentally giving away 60 free tickets, which they've now cancelled and are demanding be paid for in full.
Cromwell's last letter to Henry VIII, written in the Tower before his execution. Scribbled at the bottom: 'Most gracious prince, I cry for mercy mercy mercy'. Goosebumps.
the american left needs to get serious. we don’t need to destroy the one ring. the one ring is here to stay. we need to wield isildurs bane for socially progressive purposes. equitable access to the one ring can be a uniting cause for the left.
Iran didn't count on our secret weapon: the free market. Right now, millions of Strait startups are working around the clock to completely change the way we think about narrow waterways.
One thing the Republican Party does better than any other institution in the world is give prissy little prep school nerds the chance to cosplay as Tough Guys in a 100% safe environment.