Rule Britannia?
June 26th, 2014
01:25 PM ET

Can a knight and a duchess rule the waves?

The America's Cup has existed since 1851 and not once has Britain won it in the intervening years. But is that about to change?

The British challenger for the event's next running in 2017 is certainly the strongest, the one that has all the right ingredients for success.

For one it has royal approval from Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. She's probably the most famous person on the planet right now, certainly the most photographed, and to have her present for the official Cup challenge launch of Ben Ainslie Racing was an unbelievable coup.

But her role doesn't stop there. She's a keen sailor herself and, rather than just being a face of the team, she wants to have a hands-on role as well. FULL POST

Posted by ,
Filed under:  Sailing
How the U.S. learned to love soccer
USA fans in Chicago watch their team's World Cup game against Portugal.
June 26th, 2014
10:35 AM ET

How the U.S. learned to love soccer

As an England football fan, I’m well used to the national mood swings that ebb and flow with the fortunes of my country’s team at major tournaments. For a youthful supporter in 1990 and 1996, glorious semi-final runs have defined my recollections of those entire summers.

Equally, the catastrophic capitulation to Germany in 2010 and numerous penalty shootout fiascos are recalled much less fondly.

Either way, something I had usually taken for granted was that every few years I could expect the England team to compete on a major international stage and - for a few weeks - it felt like the whole country was in it together.

Win or lose and whether the failure was triumphant or abject, there was always something comforting about the collective, patriotic experience.

Having moved to the United States a couple of years ago, it quickly struck me that American sports fans have never experienced anything like it. FULL POST

Posted by ,
Filed under:  Football • World Sport Analysis