Friendly, chatty – is this the real Alex Ferguson?
Atlanta (CNN) - "Good interview." Alex Ferguson shakes my hand. "Good interview, son," he says again, patting me on the back. Alex Ferguson is my dad!
Could that be the same Alex Ferguson who can freeze a journalist at a hundred paces with his curt replies and icy stare? The same man whose infamous "hairdryer" blasts of discontent can turn superstar footballers into quivering schoolboys? The same Alex Ferguson who signaled the end of David Beckham's Manchester United career with a much-publicized kick of a boot that gave Becks an eyebrow parting that certainly wasn't a fashion statement?
Money can't buy you love, or titles
London, England (CNN) - Players win games, teams win championships. Manchester City, who have spent over $100 million this summer already, evidently think if they get enough star players, they will win enough games to lift the English title at the end of the season.
The Premier League club, bankrolled by billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour, has made the biggest splash in the summer transfer market, bringing in Yaya Toure, David Silva, Jerome Boateng and Aleksandar Kolarov. They are also closing in on Mario Balotelli. However, as impressive as these signings are, will they gel into a unit that can fight for the Premier League title? I personally don’t think so.
Was Schumacher's return a big mistake?
The alarm bells will no doubt be ringing loud and clear in Michael Schumacher’s helmet after another disappointing display in qualifying for his home grand prix.
Eleventh fastest would have simply been unacceptable for Schumacher in the past, but it is now becoming the norm.
Since his return to the racetrack for the 2010 season after a three-year hiatus, Schumacher has looked a shadow of his former seven-time world champion self and it's beginning to look like a big mistake.
Louis won't be a one major wonder
London, England (CNN) – Let’s get one thing straight: Louis Oosthuizen thoroughly deserved to win the British Open.
And those of us fortunate enough to experience the warmth of his reception from the fans as he paraded the replica Claret Jug were left in no doubt that over the week his blend of outstanding golf talent, endearing modesty and impressive mental strength had won over pretty much everyone around St. Andrews.
Opportunist Contador learns that winning isn't everything
(CNN) - Arcane ideals of sportsmanship often seem out of time in a modern world of professional sport in which doping, match-fixing, handballs and controversies over referees, umpires and technology long ago clouded the Corinthian spirit to which purists still cling.
Given that cycling has long been tarnished by allegations over doping - arguably the most cynical and premeditated way in which a competitor can seek to gain an advantage over a rival - casual followers of the sport might have assumed that a sense of fair play had gone the way of the penny farthing.
Old Lady gains her revenge on golf's elite
St. Andrews, Scotland (CNN) - One of the reasons why the Old Course hasn’t undergone any dramatic changes over the centuries is that the wind determines how hard the course will play.
And on Friday it became unplayable, forcing Open Championship organisers to suspend the tournament for about an hour. But even when the field returned the course was giving nothing up by way of birdies because the wind was the Old Lady's defense and the barriers were up.
McIlroy is special but Tiger could spoil his party
St. Andrews, Scotland (CNN) - When I saw Rory McIlroy win the low amateur, or silver medal, at his first Open Championship at Carnoustie a couple of years ago I was told he was a special talent.
So I have watched his progress quite closely. Since then I have joined him for a Living Golf show in his home town of Holywood, Northern Ireland, to explore how he came to be so good.
British Open title really is up for grabs
St. Andrews, Scotland (CNN) - There is pretty much only one thing you can guarantee ahead of the Open Championship at St. Andrews: it is going to be windy and cold, and will rain at times.
As for who is going to win from the field of 156, it’s been a while since I have covered a British Open and thought that no-one really stands out.
The best and worst of South Africa 2010
Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) - Now the sun has set on the first World Cup to be held in Africa, I'd like to share my abiding memories of a month spent following football's showpiece around the "Rainbow Nation."
From the highs of hospitable South Africans, the inconspicuous but much-hyped violent crime and the on-pitch artistry of Germany and Spain, to the lows of vuvuzela noise, lack of video technology and abysmal showings by heavyweights such as France and England, this tournament had it all...
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Armchair Diaries: Good Cup, Bad Cup
Editor’s note: CNN's Hong Kong Operations Supervisor Matthew Booth watched every match of the World Cup on television in the wee small hours of the night from a cruel South-East Asian time zone. At the time of writing he is still married, still employed and not noticeably crazier than he was at the beginning.
Hong Kong (CNN) - It’s finally over. The Spaniards have paraded their new shiny trophy around the stadium.
Across the globe, people have jumped into canals and fountains, weeping men are already regretting reckless tattoos, gushing women are naming their new babies Iniesta, and children are dreaming of the day when they might lift the famous old trophy themselves. Millions of inches of copy are rampaging across printing machines for thousands of publications worldwide, and I am at the end of my road.
