“[…] Without being required so to do, non-track athletes (discus and hammer throwers and shot putters) also tend to turn in an anticlockwise direction. And it’s not just athletics. Many other sporting events also move from left to right, particularly those involving racing along a circuit. “[…] Physiology has its say. …
Read More »Early Bird: By the sweat of Cepep’s brow, we shall eat zaboca… or maybe not!
Planting fruit trees is a great idea. And even better, on public property—if there is buy-in from the community. Former agriculture minister Clarence Rambharat’s hands were probably too full, we now guess, for him to provide direction on that issue. And the new man in there? Well, we’ll have to …
Read More »Early Bird: Are today’s fathers leavers of mothers or authors of gospels? And still mum on the subject of sex?
As a father of two unmarried daughters, Bobby spends a lot of time thinking about their future. His own marriage is almost 40 years old already, his daughters rather less. And, despite the evidence of a steadily growing divorce rate, his faith in the institution remains unshaken. The seemingly clear …
Read More »Early Bird: TTFA reset? A horse of a different colour or will things still be Browne?
Keith Look Loy is not pleased with certain developments in the TTFA. We know that because he wrote it in a recent comment here on Wired868. Quoted excerpt from TTFA technical director Anton Corneal: “[…] So as far as a technical committee, it will be an advisory committee that I …
Read More »Early Bird: Oh for the good old days; we’re running scared and hurting with the herd….
“Doh leh ’im shoot! Doh leh ’im shoot!” Panic in the voice but no crowd scatters. He does shoot. And scores. The shooting shout had come from a goalkeeper. We are not, you see, in one of the so-called hot spots where, to quote Singing Sandra, the ‘heroes are Renegades, …
Read More »Early Bird: Ranking the best: Champions League or World Cup? Maradona, Messi or Pelé?
“World Cup isn’t relevant anymore,” a 30-year-old sports editor colleague told me a few years ago. “[Uefa] Champions League is the most important event in football; it’s what everybody wants to see—where all the top players are.” That’s Bobby, pronouncing, now that the Qatar 2022 groups have been more or …
Read More »Early Bird: Sobers sightings; a grateful graduate seeks to give the great Sir Garry his due
March 2022. The Apex Second Test in Barbados. Garfield St Aubrun Sobers sat, as he has long sat, beside his queen atop the Kensington pavilion, monarch of all he surveyed. But frail-, fragile-, feeble-looking even. I felt for him. I feared for him. Through my mind flashed an image of …
Read More »Early Bird: Absence of malice, presence of mind and our women’s false sense of security
Fo’daymorning. There are three of them, walking side-by-side. From 30 or 40 yards away as I stride southwards along my street, I see them going west towards the park. I pay no particular attention. My mind is far. Moments before leaving home at 5.30am, I saw an overnight WhatsApp question: …
Read More »Early Bird: Covid, Blaxx, our glee and why we walk on mornings
At 5.15am on this day the Lord has made, Marie Howe’s name tops my inbox. She’s a poet, a completely unfamiliar name. Below hers is Bobby’s. He’s my vaccinated bosom pal with whom I take my fo’daymorning walks. ‘M2 was a secondary contact,’ his brief email says, ‘and now I …
Read More »Early Bird: Lyricsing in Parliament; how Rodney Charles’ Mia Mottley remark resurrected Explainer
“Have you seen the ad everybody on Facebook seems to be talking about?” “Yuh want to spoil my morning!” Bobby grumbled, making a long face behind his mask. “Too early to be talking about Facebook, bro! And anyway, I’m not on Facebook! “And I want to talk about serious business. …
Read More »Early Bird: Caribbean cricket’s reality check; today’s WI can’t afford to change a team that didn’t lose
Its impact on the Third Apex Test against England starting on Thursday in Grenada isn’t guaranteed to be significant. Nor is its impact guaranteed to be obvious when the West Indies next take the field in the Netherlands in May. But there appears to be a shift in selectoral policy …
Read More »Early Bird: Football’s human face; the lowdown on Garrincha and Pelé from a picoplat
In my life, there are two men—your mind’s in the gutter, wretch!—whose knowledge of football is encyclopaedic. One is Wired868 Editor Lasana Liburd. From him, I got an unsolicited lecturette on Marcelo Bielsa’s family history. In five minutes, I learned more about the just fired Leeds coach than I know …
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