View From The Bridge

Without question, 2020 has produced one of the strangest, yet entertaining years of world football. Liverpool won the Premier League title for the first time in 30 years, Bayern Munich marched through the Champions League unbeaten, and new contenders to the Ballon\"dor blossomed in the form of Robert Lewandoski and Erling Haaland. In fact, there were so many incredible individual and team successes in 2020, it made picking a "Team of the Year" almost impossible. Although you may not agree with my choices initially, each of the players on this list has undoubtedly performed in two key areas: a major contribution to team success or incredible individual achievements.   GK - Manuel Neuer  The German legend once again proved that despite his absence from the top of European football since 2013, he is undoubtedly one of the most capable keepers on the planet. Putting in major performances in both the Bundesliga and Champions League campaigns with 21 clean sheets in 44 appeara...

World Rugby and the NFL have produced some of the most colossal athletes on the planet. Men who can sprint faster than any football player but can also run through a brick wall if they choose to do so. Instead, most rugby and NFL stars run through opposing players, creating some of the greatest head to head collisions that all of sport has to offer. Now, although this may be thrilling for the fans and even a spectacle for other players to watch, it can be potentially life-threatening to the players involved.  As these are contact sports, the risk of a concussion is obviously increased due to the sport's nature. A human being will become concussed when absorbing over 60G's. However, a common head-to-head contact on either a rugby or American football field reaches over 100G's. In the UK over 1,200 rugby players were diagnosed with a concussion in 2019, and in the NFL over 214 concussions were diagnosed, with a further third not being reported. This is what is known as collat...

The 2020 summer transfer window will forever be known as the year R oman Abramovich opened his wallet to most of Europe, offering big contracts to young stars such as Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and Hakim Ziyech. These additions alongside the young talent that Chelsea has already cultivated (besides Kepa Arrizabalaga of course) have provided Frank Lampard with a super-team that its fans believe could bring them back to the top of both the Premier League and Europe. Although it is still early in the season, the signings combined performance has left something to be desired, both by the fans and Abramovich's wallet; which is now £222 million lighter.  The phrase "super-team" is a phrase that is thrown around a lot in modern sport, but on paper, Chelsea definitely qualifies. They have both quality and depth at almost every position on the pitch and paired with a great coach in Frank Lampard means that they definitely look good on a lineup sheet and coming out of the tunnel. Ho...

In the last decade, Mercedes has dominated the Formula One scene with a blend of fast drivers and an unbeatable car which has turned a once thrilling race weekend into a glorified 2-hour parade. In 2020, this story has largely stayed the same but the end of this season brought about a very interesting question concerning Mercedes's immediate future. With both drivers beginning to consider retirement, the need for young new drivers to compete with youthful lineups at Ferrari and Red Bull, is something Mercedes need to start thinking about. In addition, with Hamilton's contract still under negotiation and Bottas confined to a one-year deal, this leaves Mercedes with a lot of options moving forward; all of which look to include George Russell.  As a former F2 World Champion combined with solid performances over the past 2 seasons, George Russell has established himself as a member of the Formula One grid lineup for the foreseeable future. However, his performance for Mercedes in t...

In late 2020, boxing has become something of a laughing stock. Once what was one of the most prestigious and entertaining sports that promoters had to offer, has now turned into a media circus that is only motivated by paychecks in their pocket. Now with one of the biggest fights of the millennia coming in 2021, where Anthony Joshua will face Tyson Fury to unite the heavyweight division for the first time in history, it is hard to see the death of boxing happening anytime soon. Well, that's at least how most people see it. However, past this bout, the lack of potential contenders for the heavyweight crown quickly reduces itself to zero. Combine this with social media influencers and former sports stars fighting each other with no less skill than kids in a playground, and you can start to see why this once loved pastime is quickly becoming the laughing stock of modern sport.  Boxing's origins can be traced all the way back to the Ancient Greeks when it was introduced into the An...

Reaching the NBA is tough. In fact, ‘tough’ couldn’t be more of an understatement. It’s almost statistically impossible. When Adam Silver steps up on the podium on draft night, only 60 athletes from around the world will be selected for an NBA roster. This means over 4000 eligible college athletes must watch their NBA career crash and burn in front of them and what remains only provides two options, Europe or the G-League.     Now I think we can all agree, neither of these options comes anywhere close to the exposure and stardom that the NBA provides. In fact, even of the 60 selected players, only 3-4 will go on to have long successful professional careers. Others will either spend their career as the backup’s backup due to lack of physicality or will try and break the record for the most high-fives in a single season (currently held by Jared Dudley). With little opportunity to prove themselves and frustration building, it’s easy to see why college players often move on. But t...

When I sat down to write this article, the obvious big names came to mind. Pep Guardiola. Phil Jackson. Sir Alex Ferguson. Ron Dennis. Hall of Fame-worthy names that have managed some of the biggest names in the sporting world. But I know what you’re thinking. Not that controversial right? But then I started thinking back to questions that my old lecturers in university would ask me.    “What is the coach’s job?” “What roles and responsibilities do they fulfill?”  “What is the difference between a good coach and a great coach?”    Let’s break it down. Fundamentally, a coach’s job is to manage and teach an athlete to help them reach their next level of performance. This could be anything from teaching a kid his first step-over to helping Premier League players understand a new counter-attacking concept. Within their role as a coach, their job is not just limited to screaming on a side-line on Saturdays and drawing up plays on their whiteboards. In fact, at any le...

Something the world has taught me in my short time as an adolescent is that bigger is always better. Not only can this be identified in everyday social situations, but it can unfortunately also be found in today’s sporting landscape. Bigger athletes. Faster athletes. Heavier weights. The introduction of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs has given team coaches and athletes to push their bodies past the limit of their capabilities and into a field of performance that can only be defined as supernatural. Now for the majority of sport governing bodies, the use of performance-enhancing drugs is strictly illegal and there are usually harsh penalties for athletes who are caught whilst using them. But with the interest in live sport fading and athletes beginning to reach the fringes of what is physiologically possible, do the use of performance-enhancing drugs have a place in saving sports' future?     My first reaction was no. Of course not. Athletes are some of...

We live in a physical world. Ever since the dawn of civilization, the man with the biggest stick has won the biggest cave. But today, the man with the most money makes the biggest decisions, often changing the sporting landscape as we know it. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not just limited to team owners and oil tycoons but due to overpaid salaries and huge sponsorship deals, some athletes are now in the driver's seat and are making major sport-altering decisions. The result: the creation of super teams that dominate a sport for up to decades at a time, killing both the sports popularity and future legacy in the process.  But first, let's talk about the upsides. Increases in funding have allowed sports teams across the globe to push the very boundaries of human anatomy and create technology that only years ago was considered a myth. Sports stadiums that used to hold hundreds now hold thousands, allowing anyone the chance to see their heroes in the flesh. Social media has cr...

The NBA has hosted some of the greatest athletes not just in basketball but in all of sport. Athletes who have given everything to leave the greatest legacy possible and have left their mark on the game of basketball. However, it doesn't matter who you ask, everyone will always have a different list of players for a different number of reasons; each more controversial than the last. So in that spirit, here is mine:  1. LeBron James  LeBron James has met the criteria in order to be called the Greatest of All Time. His combination of Longevity, Success, and Legacy alongside an ability to play anywhere on the court and be effective has earned him the title has the GOAT.  2. Michael Jordan  As a longtime Jordan fanatic, it was hard to place MJ at number 2 on the list. He will forever be the heart and soul of the NBA and every basketball fanatic knows what he did for the game of basketball.  3. Kobe Bryant  Despite several career-damaging injuries and numerous s...

Over the last decade, the Premier League has been graced with some truly outstanding moments that will live in the hearts of those who saw them for years to come; from Sergio Aguero’s 93rd-minute winner against QPR to Leicester City's incredible march to the peak of topflight football. However, whilst most teams have continued to build and progress (especially those inside the 'Big Six') Arsenal have been spending most of their time stalling and underperforming in a league they have been more or less irrelevant in since 2004. Now irrelevant may be a strong word, as Arsenal have had some decent finishes within the league table since they lifted the trophy; notably finishing in 2nd a year after their title triumph in 2005 and finishing 2nd again in 2016. But as a sports person (and a highly competitive one at that), I have the understanding that if you don't win or accomplish a goal that you set out to achieve, you've failed. This of course is relative to who you are ...

Sporting analytics have become a major factor in all of the sports, with its ability to be the great equalizer in comparing past heroes with present talent. Within Formula One, one man who is quickly breaking all statistical milestones before him is a 7-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton. Spanning over a 14-year career, Hamilton ranks within the elite in most categories including pole positions (1 st ), wins (2 nd ), and championships (1 st ); finishing only behind F1 legends such as Michael Schumacher and Jack Villeneuve. So, if one was just to look at the numbers, there is no doubt that Lewis Hamilton is one of the (if not the) most dominating Formula One drivers of all time. However, if you probe a little deeper, Hamilton has never been one to battle it out at the back of the pack with the likes of Toro Rosso or Williams; scrambling for points as the runts of the field. Instead, even as a rookie, Hamilton has consistently been on the front row, competing with the best drivers the p...

We truly live in a golden age of football. World-class talent is truly worldwide, both club and world football are closer than ever, and we have the privilege to watch some of the best players to ever play dual it out on a weekly basis. The simplicity of football is what makes so loved the world over. 22 world-class athletes, competing for glory over 90 minutes by kicking a ball into a net. This formula is used for every football game; from kids in the park to athletes in a stadium. Until recently, it seemed there was no need for change, but with the introduction of technology into the modern game, people have become increasingly worried about what is fair and just, and how this impacts the outcomes of games. This is where VAR has stepped in and has slowly started to suck the soul out of this once beautiful game.  As human beings, we are all inclined to make mistakes, as everyone knows this is how people grow and learn. Adjacent to this understanding is the fact that the higher you...

Since LeBron James’s induction into the NBA in 2003, basketball has undergone a paradigm shift that has seen inside play almost totally abandoned in order to make way for an abundance of 3-point shots; made dominant by Stephen Curry and the 2016 Golden State Warriors. Even in these changing times, LeBron James has still maintained his position at the front of the pack within every MVP conversation and most NBA Championship campaigns. There is no question that LeBron James is the player of his generation and is without a doubt one of the best players to ever grace an NBA hardcourt. The real question is, who is next? No King’s reign is eternal, and it will soon be time for James to surrender his spot on the mountain top, and in the eyes of many his replacement could not be clearer; 21-year-old, Slovenian superstar, Luka Doncic.   Within their first 2 seasons in the NBA, James and Doncic are extremely comparable on paper.  As an 18-year-old rookie, James entered the league surrou...

Alongside many others, I grew up with the undivided belief that Michael Jordan is the greatest player to ever grace an NBA basketball court. His combination of speed, power, magical touch, and winning ability has put him firmly at the top of the NBA’s all-time list for the last 30 years. This longevity has enabled him to be one of the most successful and celebrated athletes of all time; even after his numerous retirements. Throughout his career, Michael Jordan set the bar so astronomically high, that many believed there would never be another as good as him and it was inconceivable that there would be anyone better. However, as of recently, only one name is starting to overtake that of the great Michael Jordan, and that is LeBron James.   Modern statistics have made it very easy for the regular sports consumer to separate one player from another and therefore then feel obligated to say which one is better than the other. Through this method, it is very hard to disagree with the fac...