My two favourite soccer journalists!

It takes a writer of Cathal Kelly's (The Toronto Star) imagination to associate a unique Spanish tradition, bullfighting, with the unique Spanish style of playing soccer, tika-taka, characterized by short passing and movement, always maintaining possession. I  look forward to his columns, because each one always presents an otherwise pedestrian report into a very short story, with glimpses into how a moment in time (90 minutes or so of sports) fits into the general consciousness.

Euro 2012: Spain beats Italy 4-0 in European Championship final

For me, John Doyle (The Globe and Mail) is the master of relating the poetry, the elegance and the majesty, the sublime in the simplicity, in sports played at the highest level. His reporting is always balanced and stays above the level of partisanship. He points out the gems and the flaws without malice. A reader of his columns cannot help but admire his literary gems, week in and week out.

Euro 2012 champions Spain in a class of their own

Beckham

I had the extreme good fortune of being in the same room as David Beckham!

I'm a huge fan, and the only way it could have been better was if Zidane had been in the same room! 

Beckham comes across as a very likeable guy without giving out the self-centered vibes that come with being the centre of attention wherever he goes.

If you weren't aware of his celebrity status, which he has honestly earned as being arguably the best playmaker and passer of his generation, and his good looks, of which he doesn't seem to be aware of, you would think he's just another guy happy to be paid to do what he loves to do anyways. He's like a Brad Pitt: good-looking to the ladies and non-threatening to the guys.

Here's an article by John Doyle in today's Globe and Mail "Everything you know about David Beckham is wrong." 

Toronto, March 6th