Sport | Buzz Chronicles

“Mastering the basics” is a long-standing pillar of cricket coaching. I want to challenge the idea because I think removing it will lead to more effective cricketers.

Welcome to my TED talk.

Most of us have been brought up that nailing the basics equals success. I remember being a kid reading and re-rereading my coaching manual, knowing it contained all the answers. The idea is simple and intuitive: the basics provide a template.

Copy what works. No need to reinvent the wheel. Play straight. Sure, there is some natural variation but the basics are always at the core. They are the spelling and grammar of cricket.

We can see this at the highest level. TV commentators criticise technical flaws (against a template) in every player. When they fail we see this as the cause. When they succeed we see the player as finding a way to compensate in spite of this basic error.

We also see it when coaching. We use the basics template to tell players how to bat, bowl and field. If they get it wrong, they need to identify and correct their errors through hard work. You can add flair, but not until these basics are firmly in place and the flaws ironed out.

Tottenham Hotspur
@SpursOfficial

Tanguy Ndombele doing Tanguy Ndombele things.

𝗔 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱:

I'll take that, thank you.

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

No nonsense.

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

Megs!

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

See ya 👋

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

Michael L Bonic
@BonicMichael

The U.S.-China Rivalry

The US and China are the 2 greatest rivals in the 21st century. It’s American democracy vs Chinese socialism at the level of Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon Men’s Final. Who’s the better player? American democracy or Chinese socialism?

2/Probably no people have scrutinized American democracy more than China has, the world’s oldest civilization. “American exceptionalism” is under Beijing’s microscope. American democracy has catapulted the US into becoming the world’s greatest superpower in less than 200 years.

3/China, whose momentum will overtake the US in GDP by mid-century, has the same drive as Nadal (who proclaimed Federer was “the greatest player in the history [of tennis]") going against Federer at Wimbledon Final in 2008. Ever cautious, patient and wise, China respects its

4/opponent (as did Nadal) for its achievements. In order to better the US Beijing knows it must be more competitive, up its game and improve its skills. The US-China rivalry is one wherein “iron sharpens iron”. Yet whereas Beijing views American democracy thru an objective,

5/ideologically unbiased lens, the same can’t be said of US Congress, many of whom fear/think China wants to “take over the world” (to wit SoS Mike Pompeo) to “spread communism”. Having 5,000 years of culture, including Confucianism, China has the clearer and more objective view

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𝙆𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝 ⚽️💻🎙📻...
@ketchell

Dear Steve, I wrote you but still ain't callin',
I left my cell, my pager, and my home phone at the bottom,
I sent two letters back in autumn, you must not-a got 'em,
There probably was a problem at the training ground or somethin'...

Sometimes I scribble addresses too sloppy when I jot 'em,
But anyways, fuck it, what's been up, man. How's Lee Charnley?
Bet he wants you to quit, with that contract they have to honour,
I bought your book for my daughter, you’re a great author,
Next I’ll buy her Sweeper!

I read about Joelinton too I'm sorry,
You ain’t the first manager to have player who didn’t want him,
I know you probably hear this everyday, but I'm your biggest fan,
I even sung your name when we won away at West Ham,

I got a room full of your posters and your pictures man,
I like the shit you did with false 10s too, that shit was fat,
Anyways, I hope you get this man, hit me back,
Just to chat, truly yours, your biggest fan
This is John Carver

Dear Steve, you still ain't called or wrote, I hope you have a chance,
I ain't mad, I just think it's fucked up you don't answer written media,
If you didn't wanna talk to me outside the training ground,
You didn't have to, but you coulda signed an autograph for Steve Stone,

Marine Football Club
@MarineAFC

Over 5,000 virtual match tickets sold! Thank you all involved especially the kind supporters of @SpursOfficial 🙌

Time to give our virtual ticket holders a match preview of our team and tactics! Don't tell anybody!

Goalkeeper - Mr. Thomas from No. 25 - Good positioning & never unsighted.

Full-backs - the Jones brothers from No. 23 - Always give the opposition a roasting. Different gravy.

Centre-backs - the Phillips family from No. 29 - Coordinated, good teamwork & never leave any gaps between them.

Left winger - Mr. Speed from No. 11 - Speed by name. Speed by reputation.

Anubhav Chatterjee
@anubhav__tweets

#FafduPlesis retires from Test cricket

Here's a thread on my most memorable test inning of Faf that came in his debut test match itself and happens to be one of the best ever innings played on Test match debut.
He made 110* off 376 deliveries and secured a draw for SA !

It was the 2nd Test of the 2012/13 series between South Africa & Australia and the latter had posted an improbable target of 430 for the visitors to chase in the 4th inn.

SA’s start was a disastrous one. Skipper Graeme Smith departed for a duck in the 1st over. Hashim Amla, Alviro Petersen and Jacques Rudolph didn’t muster much between them, leaving the visitors reeling at 45-4. All this with 29 overs left on day 4.

In walked du Plessis, joining de Villiers in one of the most fascinating blockathons in modern-day cricket. The latter took an uncharacteristically defensive approach,consuming 220 deliveries for his 33. The fall of AB's wicket did not deter du Plessis though.

He was then joined by Kallis, who himself was battling with a hamstring strain. Together they took South Africa to tea with 5 wickets still intact.

jacob sweetman
@sweetman_jacob

(Sorry, long, rambling, unthought-out thread here) I've lost count of the amount of times I have been proud to call myself an Unioner, and of their commitment to direct, and often local action instead of parrotting nebulous and often ultimately meaningless phrases.

I know personally people at the club who take very seriously their commitment to eradicating racism from the club, as well as from football itself. But I have seen and heard racism in the stands, as well as on the way to and from games too many times before.

I have always shied away from acknowledging it. I've accentuated the positives, I've said it comes only from a small minority (which is also true), all because I don't want my own romantic image of the club to be tarnished, and I don't want to be guilty through association.

Or, to be honest, to endanger my privileged position of being able to write about the club I adore in the city I love.

When it happens it is a reflection of a broader racism in Germany, and in football, but that is no excuse for my inaction, for my sitting on my hands and hoping the problem goes away, so I can just go back to hailing them as a rebellious club from a rebellious city.

Sara Danner Dukic
@saradannerdukic

Anyone with children in schools, please read this (thread

Let’s start with the sub head:
“The coronavirus gospel of ‘within six feet for more than 15 minutes’ wasn’t enough—and the NFL had the data to prove it.”

The Cincinnati Public School board just voted that 3 feet of social distancing (aka NO DISTANCING) is enough at one of our high schools. Where did they get they data to back this up? No idea. Definitely not from the

Back to the NFL, and the linked article:
“The guidance was that someone had been exposed to the virus if they had been within six feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes.

It was drilled into everyone for so long it became coronavirus gospel. But that wasn’t proving true during the NFL’s outbreaks.”

Mike Meltser
@MikeMeltser

THREAD

Can we talk a little bit about what Cal McNair is about to do to the NFL, and the leverage owners have had over players for roughly 100 years?

I would be FASCINATED to know what the NFL league office and other owners are thinking about the Watson/Texans standoff

Every 8-10 years, the owners and players negotiate multi-billion dollar CBA agreements, where the owners are trying (and succeeding) to maintain leverage over players through the salary cap, franchise tag, penalties over holdouts, etc. etc.

if a 25 year old QB forces his way out of an NFL team, it's a Crossing the Rubicon moment. It's never happened before in NFL history, and it would be almost solely due to Cal McNair's inability to properly run an NFL franchise

if the Texans trade Deshaun Watson, it sets a major precedent. I don't expect it to happen often, but if it happens once, it will happen again with another young QB

The Texans already screwed the rest of the NFL by allowing Bill O'Brien to make the incredibly impulsive Laremy Tunsil trade, getting hammered in the contract negotiation, and completely re-setting the market for left tackles in the league, which other teams now have to deal with

Daniel Abrahams
@DanAbrahams77

A (long) thread on why Andrew is correct but ultimately incorrect…

Andrew is correct at the neurological level. The cognitive and ecological explanations of the brain and behaviour are completely different. Saying you’re an eclectic coach at this level is like saying you

Many coaches advocate for picking and choosing methods from a variety of theoretical camps, on the premise that which is best \u2018depends\u2019 on the player, the coach, etc and you want the biggest toolkit you can get.

I think this is an error, which I will now attempt to defend
— Andrew D Wilson (@PsychScientists) November 27, 2020

believe the earth is round and flat. It’s simply not possible.

You CANNOT say that in one activity you are helping players build representations/memory (cognitive) and in another activity you’re helping players attune to specifying information in the environment (ecological).

No matter how much we scream eclecticism, at the neurological level Andrew is correct. But after this Andrew is incorrect.

He is basing his critique of an ‘it depends’ stance at a neurological ‘representations vs information’ level (see his thread). But this isn’t the level that

‘it depends’ functions (in a coaching context). ‘It depends’ exists at the behavioural level (certainly not the neurological level). ‘It depends’ relates to decision making around individual and group differences, as well as context. Coaching, by and large, is about helping

people manage and change behaviour – how a coach does this will ‘depend’ on a number of individual, group and contextual factors. That is the most important level of coaching and we don’t have to go to the neurological level to deliver efficaciously and effectively

ExpectedChelsea
@ExpectedChelsea

A thread on Thomas Tuchel - As described by himself and those who have worked with him.

This should be helpful to those who are unfamiliar with his methods and will hopefully help clear a few misconceptions.

Tuchel on his style of play — Creating a fundamental framework within which all players operate while also giving them the freedom to come up with their own solutions.

Tuchel on youth development — Young players need to face obstacles and come up with solutions to truly develop as players. Not everything should be taught or handed out on a silver platter.

Tuchel on his training methods — Repetition alone is not enough for players to become better. They need to face a series of different challenges and solve the accompanying problems. Thinking for oneself is very important.

Tuchel on managing players — At a club like PSG or Chelsea, you're likely to see some of the most promising attackers on the planet. Instead of remote-controlling them on the pitch, it is better to give them a basic framework followed by freedom.

Seth Meyers
@sethmeyers

Watching this play sent me down a memory hole that gave me goosebumps as well as a pang of guilt. Let me explain. A THREAD!

Exactly a decade ago today, Marshawn Lynch caused a Beast Quake.

One of the most memorable runs in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/VBb8Lc0yGW
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 8, 2021

In 2011, I was hosting the ESPYs. Marshawn’s run was nominated for Best Play, an award that was voted on by fans online. It was considered a front runner if not a lock.

Two days before the show, we're all watching the US/Brazil game in the Women’s World Cup. In the 122 minute Abby Wambach scored a header from a brilliant cross via Megan Rapinoe. I asked ESPN’s estimable producer, the late, great Maura Mandt if we could add it to the nominees.

The best thing about the ESPYs is, unlike other award shows that take themselves too seriously, there is a “fuck it, why not” attitude so Maura just made it happen. Maura was great at making things happen. Want another example?

One of the highlights of the ESPYs is the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. When my son Ashe was born Maura gifted him this fake ESPY for BEST CHILD NAMED ASHE. I am confident this is the only ESPY anyone related to me will ever win.