Talent: The great paradox.

Paradox in that it exists and equally it is something of a myth.

Back in 2004, Ricky Williams, the American football player, left the Miami Dolphins after a third strike for smoking weed and disappeared. He’d had a notable career besides, but this was the capper: He said goodbye to his coach from Hawaii and vanished off the face of the Earth.

I was like, I want to be the guy who finds him. My memory is a little foggy here, but I think I got Ricky’s email address from the godfather of one of Esquire’s editors. It was an AOL account, I remember. I wrote Ricky and asked him if he’d talk to me if I found him.

He replied! And he said if I found him, he would tell me everything. AMAZING. But first—finding him. There were reports that he’d been in Italy, Fiji, Japan, and, most recently, Australia. A guy who’d felt trapped was now making the most of his freedom. Ricky was on THE MOVE.

I asked Peter, my editor, if I could go searching for Ricky. I didn’t really think I would find him. But I figured I’d get some crazy travel out of it, giving chase. That’s what I was calling the story in my head: “Chasing Ricky.” I imagined I’d always be one step behind.

Peter asked me what I thought my chances were. My brain calculated, “Less than one tenth of one percent.” My mouth said, “50-50.” I don’t like to think I was lying so much as my brain and mouth had been in disagreement. Anyway, a coin toss was good enough for Peter: Go.

THREAD: Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)

Global car sales shrank by ~14% in 2020
* Sales of electric cars grew ~50% (from a very low level)
* Sales of SUVs declined ~10%, but share of sales went from 39% to 42%

→ What about emissions from SUVs?

1/

https://t.co/WBN3Lup2hU

Emissions from SUVs are estimated to have seen a slight increase of 0.5% in 2020, despite global emissions down ~7%.

"Despite the effects of the pandemic on overall car use, SUVs consumed more oil last year than they did in 2019"

2/

"Oil consumption from SUVs reached 5.5 million barrels per day in 2020"

"Remarkably, we estimate that the increase in the overall SUV fleet in 2020 cancelled out the declines in oil consumption by SUVs that resulted from Covid-related lockdown measures"

3/

"SUV emissions are comparable to those of the entire maritime industry, including international shipping"

"Emissions from SUVs have nearly tripled over the past decade"

4/

"we estimate that the reduction in oil demand from the increased share of electric vehicles in the overall car market in 2020 – around 40,000 barrels a day – was completely cancelled out by the growth in SUV sales over the same period."

5/

If you are a 90s kid, you’ve seen everything in Indian cricket. Start & End of SRT, Match-fixing, some embarrassing displays in England & Australia, some individual heroics & some deserving team wins. You’ve seen Dravid grind it out, you’ve also seen 81 all out (1/n)

If you are a 90s kid, you are mentally tough. You expect your team to put up a fight, more often than not, you ended up in disappointment. You’ve digested everything. You’ve laughed & cried. Sometimes both at same time (remember Perth ‘08). Too much depends on Tendulkar you’d say

Now you are in your late 20s early 30s. You see your team travelling to Australia. Kohli is leaving early after embarrassing Adelaide loss. Injuries are in bucketful. Covid restrictions mean they have to struggle for an XI. You write off your team mentally before Boxing Day Test

Rahane is captain now. He’s known for his silent aggression & counterattacking play. Pujara, Ashwin, Bumrah stand up with him, they create magic. India win Boxing Day test convincingly to shun off 4-0 critics (you loved this as a 90s kid, dont you). Yes, Gill is born!

1-1 & its Sydney. Media tries to play games. You’ve seen this before. But this is new India! They are determined. Bowlers get us back in the game & well, India tries to win, later save the match. Enough has been documented on Vihari & Ashwin. Stuff of legends! Momentum: India

How Pep changed it to combat Alexander Arnold whilst breathing life into City’s attack 1/

Pep mentioned in his post match interview that he changed the formation at half time in part to combat the threat from Liverpool’s full backs. In a quiet first half Alexander Arnold looked like Liverpool’s main attacking weapon. Both full backs stayed wide and were given space 2/

Alexander Arnold set up a headed chance for Mane in the 25th min. Zinchenko challenges Salah for Henderson’s cross field pass. He can only head it on to Alexander Arnold who’s in space. No one else has picked him up and Zinchenko has a problem 3/

He beats Zinchenko with a nice bit of skill and crosses for Mane to head over 4/

City’s set up had left Alexander Arnold free. Sterling was playing way too far up the pitch to mark him and despite Gundogan playing in a left 8 role he was more often than not dealing with the threat centrally. When Henderson plays the pass we can see their postions 5/

This is the biggest story in World #Sport at the moment

The way the narrative is starting to play out is so reminiscent of the #Trump election - It's a scary template!

Regulated media V's Unregulated Media competing to tell the story 🤯#Boxing #Tribal

For any #boxing / #sport fan with no previous knowledge of these characters, we should be sceptical of simplistic caricatures that are served up by Online Fans OR stenographers masquerading as journalists!

There's a lot of sh*t out there! 🤳💻

Research & Critical thinking! 🤔

If we accept the @panorama programme #boxingandthemob then we have a situation whereby #OrganisedCrime has not only infiltrated BUT is dominating a Global/Professional Sport!

If that's the case, what's to stop these forces taking over #Football OR other major Sport next?

#MTK

Another question would be;

If #OrganisedCrime has taken a controlling interest in professional sport, how come the #SportsMedia #Promotors #Sponsors #Athletes #Management #Fans have done little to call it out? 💸🔁

@BTSportBoxing @SkySportsBoxing @DAZNBoxing
#MAGA #MTK #Media

And why are there so many Boxers/Trainers/Fans online dismissing this story as some kind of #WitchHunt against #Kinahan ?

- "Stop being a hater"
- "No criminal convictions"
- "Good for the sport"
- "The boxers love him"
- "Look at all the investment he's making in sport/charity"