After a nice trip to Dublin, Ireland (where spotty wifi prevented a timely post from being published), here are some stories on leadership and sports that drew my attention:
- Sunil Gulati: The American FIFA Kingmaker – I’ve been critical of Sunil Gulati’s seeming naivete in the soccer world, but this article by a great journalist lays out how the U.S. may finally be a power player in FIFA.
- If You Want to Understand What’s Roiling the 2016 Election, Go to Oklahoma: A look at an electorate in a state that’s regarded as crazy conservative, yet could be won by Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. It is a good reminder that sometimes what we view as conservatism may be something else.
- Why Brooks Laich Mattered to Washington Sports: A great piece that highlights the intersection of sports fandom and cold economic realities. I enjoyed Laich’s radio hits and he was a major celeb in the DC area. Again, though, as fans we have to balance our love of an individual player with that of rooting for a team and the moves that make the team better.
Robert Hay Jr. 