No grand thoughts this week – just 10 bits of quality writing to make you feel smarter.
“People are celebrating Olympic champion winners, but we are sitting crazy and replacing their urine.” Amazing quote in a NYTimes story of how dozens of Olympians could be barred from Rio after 2008 blood samples have been retested. And there’s more to come.
NFL careers are short. No wonder many are preparing for a life after football at business school. (FT, free)
A wonderful interview with Ben Stokes, England’s most explosive cricketer. (Guardian)
STATS! An interesting look at how run rates change across a T20 innings. (DW)
Controversial cheap moves in sumo and hundreds of years of greatness compared – it can only by FiveThirtyEight.
If you thought Sir Alex Ferguson was tough on the media, check out the NBA’s Gregg Popovich. The problem is, he isn’t just slapping down journalists. He is doing the fans – the ultimate paymasters – a disservice. (The big lead)
Michael Schumacher’s epic 1996 Spanish GP win wouldn’t have happened today. The race underlined just how brilliant he was in brutally wet conditions. (BBC)
It’s not great writing, but it’s an interesting insight. Steven Gerrard in the Telegraph points out that Liverpool’s Europa Cup final is more than just about silverware – the trajectory of the club is hugely dependent on the result. However, his argument is slightly undermined by the fact that he admits that the Champion’s League win in 2005 didn’t spark into something more long-lasting. Anyway, a good insider’s account.
Great long read: one scientist’s quixotic quest to propel a runner past the two-hour barrier. (NYTimes)
If ever there was a football club to feel sorry for, it was Newcastle United. Relegated – again – and with an owner who seems as stupid as he is rich, the club is set to miss out on the big Premier League bonanza of the next few years. What’s next? The BBC takes stock.
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