Ronwen Williams can pinpoint when his life changed for ever. In 2002, the future South Africa captain was a 10-year-old from Gelvandale, a notorious suburb of Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, when his cousin was shot dead while working as a security guard.
“He was killed around the corner from where we were playing in the street,” Williams says. “The next thing you know, my cousin was being rushed to hospital. The area was filled with gangsterism, alcohol and drug abuse.”
Thanks to the guidance of his football-obsessed family, however, Williams was able to escape. He was spotted playing for the local side Shatterprufe Rovers and moved to SuperSport United’s academy in Pretoria two years after h…
It’s Norway and then everyone else. That’s how Group A will shake out, even with hosts New Zealand trying to defend home territory from two European foes and a debutant from Asia. The runaway favorites to win the group are the Nordic, who will be one of the countries making the journey from the northern tip of Earth all the way south for the global showcase. This is the first FIFA Women’s World Cup where there’s guaranteed to be only two teams advancing from every group, as the tournament expanded from 24 to 32 teams for this edition, just in time for their male counterparts to also grow from 32 to 48 teams. Who else has a shot in Group A? The increase in eight female teams making their way to Australia and New Zealand means three teams are most likely fighting for one spot to a…
The following is excerpted from the team chapters of the always-excellent Football Outsiders Almanac. Buy the PDF for $12.50 or order the printed book from Amazon. AFC East New York Jets: With Marty Mornhinweg and his West Coast Offense now in New York, that could mean good things for Mike Goodson. Regardless of system, expecting consistent production from either Santonio Holmes or Kellen Winslow, Jr., is foolhardy, so the Jets may wind up throwing a bunch of short passes to the running backs. Over the last three seasons, LeSean McCoy has caught 180 passes in just 42 games while playing under Mornhinweg. Last year, Shonn Greene led all Jets backs with 19 catches, but a healthy Goodson—who is a better receiver than Chris Ivory—could easily double that number. The offense won't b…
Ah, it’s that time of year, when the golfers playing in the U.S. Open complain about how hard the golf course is. Last year, golfers called Oakmont “ brutal.” The year before, they slammed the greens at Chambers Bay. This year, the shaggy fescue at Erin Hills in Wisconsin is the problem. Kevin Na took time out of his round on Sunday to gripe on camera about the bushy grass beyond the rough.
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Soccer! Football! The Beautiful Game! OL’ NETTY! Yes, it’s time again for 31 contending nations (plus England) to gather together for the World Cup. Now, soccer people (very much to be confused with pod people) will remind you that the World Cup is the most popular sporting event in the world. Of course, that’s just another indication of how awful the world’s taste is. The world loves soccer, Avatar, McDonald’s, and Psy. If the world were a friend of yours, you’d make a wanking motion any time he tried to push a movie on you. Now I am like most insufferable Americans in that I am only occasionally interested in soccer and am annoyed by soccer fans constantly expressing passion for their sport. Watching soccer is like watching 11 Justin Biebers play 11 Justin Biebers…
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Eric Mangini has confirmed the report by Pro Football Talk via Terrell Owens' congratulatory Twitter message that Quinn will start this Sunday against the Vikings. Welcome to the new journalism. [ Cleveland Plain Dealer] …
The Vancouver Olympics were an impressive display of Canadian pride and ambition, culminating in the most dominating hometown performance in the history of the Winter Games. You know who else liked dominating the Olympics, don't you? HITLER! We missed this gem of a column by Gil LeBreton in Sunday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram, but it's worth revisiting thanks to this amazingly well-crafted lede: After a spirited torch relay ignited pride in every corner of the country, the Olympic Games began and quickly galvanized the nation. Flags were everywhere. The country's national symbol hung from windows and was worn on nearly everyone's clothing. Fervent crowds cheered every victory by the host nation. But enough about the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Wow. Just … wow. He…
data-mm-id=”_9bpjd6lhk”>If it's up to Chris Webber, LeBron James' reign at the top of his respective team's scoring list should come to end to ensure a fourth championship ring.Speaking with the eponymous host of The Dan Patrick Show, the five-time NBA All-Star turned Turner Sports analyst opined that the Los Angeles Lakers' best chances of victory come not from being paced by James. Rather, Webber believes Anthony Davis should be the straw that stirs the yellow and purple drink. "It's been 17, 18 years, nine Finals, all the things that he's done. I've said all preseason that if I were LeBron, I'd tried to get AD the MVP," Webber said. "If AD gets the MVP, that means AD is doing all types of incredible things, and you would tend to…
data-mm-id=”_rrj40u4qu”>En route to clinching the first overall seed in the AFC, with one week left in the season, the Baltimore Ravens experienced a scare when Mark Ingram went down with a non-contact injury. After an MRI today, it was revealed Ingram suffered a calf strain. While the hope is he will return for the playoffs, the news comes with major negative ramifications. So much so, the Super Bowl now hinges on Ingram's calf. Even if Ingram is ready for the Ravens' first playoff game, playing at the level he has been is just as realistic as re-injuring the calf. Calf strains have a history of lingering, and if Ingram is not at full strength, Baltimore cannot be the favorites to come out of the AFC.Ingram's impact on this team exceeds his 1,018 rushing yards and 15…
data-mm-id=”_m9voqy8oz”>There are few owners in the history of sports who had a closer relationship with a player than Robert Kraft built with Tom Brady over their 20-year partnership in New England. Family parties, summer BBQs, evening galas; these two were family more than co-workers. So, it really should come as no surprise that Kraft went all out to thank Brady for his time as a Patriot, taking out a full-page ad in the Tampa Bay Times and authoring a heartfelt note that's sure to pull on Brady's heartstrings. The @Patriots took out a full-page ad in today’s @TB_Times honoring and thanking @TomBrady “To the Buccaneers fans and Tampa Bay community — take care of him. You got a great one.”Classy gesture. #GOAT pic.twitter.com/r6VeBN7etG— Mark Katch…