Posts by Michael Bertin

  • Joe Strummer

    Did the Clash's Joe Strummer Actually Run the Paris Marathon?

    On the eve of the release of Combat Rock, the 1982 album that would become the Clash’s biggest commercial success, tickets for shows the band had booked in England were not selling well. Manager Bernie Rhodes suggested to front man Joe Strummer that he disappear. It was a publicity stunt. Rhodes told him to go […]

  • USMNT

    We Went There: The USMNT Goes to 11 Against Panama, Wins Gold Cup

    There seems to be a bit of mythmaking or revisionism claiming that before the hiring of Jurgen Klinsmann, the U.S.’s soccer identity was that of a counterattacking team. That the Americans were often outmanned, but they had a bit of speed so they’d let the opposition into their half, then hope to hit them on […]

  • denmark

    Denmark’s Women’s Soccer Team Might Win the European Championship Because of a Coin Flip

    After an unlikely victory over France in the Women’s European Championships earlier this week, Denmark has managed to find itself in the semifinals (the team plays Norway today). That’s notable for a couple of reasons. First, Denmark has yet to win a match in the tournament. They drew two of their group games, then played […]

  • Nigeria

    So, About That 79-0 Soccer Match in Nigeria

    Third-division Nigerian soccer doesn’t often make international headlines. Third-division Nigerian soccer probably doesn’t make Nigerian headlines. That is until two matches finish 79-0 and 67-0. Then something that should have taken place in total obscurity spills out into the open. Technically it wasn’t actually even third-division Nigerian soccer, but two teams trying to gain promotion […]

  • Spain

    In Case You Were Wondering, Spain Is Definitely Not Over

    Can you win a national anthem? Brazil might have done that before the Confederations Cup final. Although, from the crowd noise, it’d be difficult to pinpoint where the anthem stopped and the game began. It was only 90 seconds until Fred scored and laid waste to any hope Spain had of weathering the early onslaught […]

  • Andrey Arshavin

    When Did It All Go Wrong for Andrey Arshavin?

    Seven appearances. Zero goals. Zero shots on target. As many yellow cards as assists (one each). All in eighty-six minutes played. That’s a joylessly appropriate number for a player who was a ghost of his former self, but 86 is not even an entire match worth of minutes. For someone who came over as his […]

  • Falcao

    The Strange Story Behind Falcao’s Blockbuster Move to Monaco

    On first glance, AS Monaco’s about €60 million transfer purchase of Radamel Falcao seems like an example of the club’s relatively new owner, Dmitry Rybolovlev, following the blueprint of soccer’s other European nouveau riche. Buy a club in a major European city, go on a spending spree, win stuff. Nobody ever claimed the plan required […]

  • Chelsea

    What Chelsea’s Europa League Win Says About the Differences Between Europe and the USA

    With a looping back-post header well into stoppage time, Branislav Ivanovic turned Benfica goalkeeper Artur into a statued spectator and gave Chelsea FC a 2-1 win in the Europa League final. The easy explanation for Americans not well versed in the various continental soccer competitions is to call it Europe’s NIT. It’s a lesser tournament […]

  • Wrigley Field

    Threats, Lies, and Videoboard: Tom Ricketts and His Wrigley Field Problem

    On the one hand it’s hard not to conjure up a little sympathy for Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts. Travel south about 15 stops down the CTA Red Line from the Addison station next to Wrigley Field and there sits another major league ballpark built for Jerry Reinsdorf with tax dollars from the kind people […]

  • Luis Suarez

    Tree Bites Man: A Brief Video History of Biting in Sports

    In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Luis Suarez somehow managed to get himself unmarked enough to flick a header past Chelsea keeper Petr Cech. It was the last touch of Sunday’s match between Liverpool and Chelsea and it brought the Reds to a 2-2 tie. At some level Chelsea only has itself to blame […]

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