Words Dept.: category

Warm Bologna night Right foot volley David Platt No penalties Word reached me this week of the High IQ Haiku World Cup Project. I’ve never tried writing haiku before but this idea appealed. They’re inviting haiku relating to the forthcoming World Cup, or to World Cups past. So I went with Italia 90, the first [...]

It’s transfer deadline day today. So, what better time to note that football journalism is the one area of the profession where it remains possible to make things up completely off the top of your head and still remain in a job even after the 300th time your byline appears on something that’s complete and [...]

Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen are my favourite commentators ever. As it’s July, I’m enjoying their voiceovers on the Tour de France coverage on ITV4 almost as much as the cycling itself. Unlike many commentary double-acts, the sporting pundit (Paul) seems to do as much talking as the broadcast journalist (Phil). Put them together and something quite [...]

For some reason I got annoyed about the ITV ad break during injury time goal mess-up last night although in retrospect I’m not sure why. It actually spared me the horror of seeing Everton score. Everyone has surely suspected for a while that ITV was going to do something like that. Everything about its footy coverage is [...]

I can’t help but find the whole situation with Man City and Kaka deeply amusing, especially following today’s foot-stamping session from City chief executive Garry Cook. As a Liverpool fan, I’ve never had any particular grudge against City. In fact, the air of genial nuttiness that seems to surround the club and its fans is [...]

I notice Nike is encouraging people to “sponsor” one of the 22,850 steps they have worked out Paula Radcliffe will need to complete in order to finish the Olympic marathon, promoted via a text message-backed campaign in halfwit’s comic the Sun this week. The reason I notice this is because my dad has put his [...]

I’m thoroughly enjoying Journey to the East, Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn’s animated title sequence for the BBC’s Olympics coverage. Much better than some of the dross that’s actually taking place in Beijing – I mean, really, who wants to watch the Czech Republic win gold in shooting, let alone watch it in high definition, [...]