Of underdogs and over-achievers

StatsI’m no fan of sports statistics, mainly because too much stock is placed in them and they excite the bores among us. Paralysis by analysis and all that.

This is why I was thrilled to come across this piece by former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons, a writer who doesn’t take himself too seriously. In looking at what has made England so successful under Eddie Jones, he takes the line that stats and science and sport speak are overrated. What got England firing was Jones’ back-to-basics philosophy.

The anecdotes alone make it worth the time.

As Iceland have so emphatically proven, everyone loves an underdog (except if you’re an England footie fan).

No-hoper Marcus Willis was taken to heart this week with his zero-to-hero story. One week he was charging French kids £30 for tennis lessons, the next he was pocketing £50 000 and squaring off against Roger Federer.

Sport’s capacity for such Disney moments is endless and the New York Times’ Christopher Clarey captured the mood with this first class read on the world No 772’s unlikely joy ride. Willis is already back in Nowhereville, but how many of us can say we’ve lobbed against arguably the greatest tennis player of them all?

Kevin Van Valkenburg is a senior writer at ESPN. This is a first class interview with him on his approach to writing and the mechanics behind his style.  I’d recommend it to aspirant sport writers and even anyone who wants to know how to craft a compelling storyline.

He’s also a long form writer and that’s something sadly lacking in the local market. Now that Business Day Sport Monthly has shut down, there is no place to find meaty sport reads. This is beyond depressing.

How does Google come up with its smart ideas? Here’s how, as this insight explains.

It clearly helps that Google fosters an environment for creative thinking, but this piece dives into how the process works and how Google gets the best out of its people. Smart stuff.