The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur news and links for Wednesday, July 17

Hello, everyone!

Shall we talk about emptiness, and very specifically the emptiness of someone living on the American East Coast?

Ramble of the Day

It’s a Saturday, and the sun’s out. I roll over to check the time — I always do this optimistically, despite being burned far too many times. It’s 7:30a, and though most Saturdays of the year, this would be great thing, it really isn’t today.

That’s because, unlike most Saturday mornings, there’s nothing to greet me on television — nothing good, anyway. It’s fine for a little while; I can just roll away from the clock and sleep a little while longer, and then wake up in an hour, grab some breakfast, and take a shower in a relaxed manner. By the time 10a comes, though, being relaxed is quite boring — turning on some Premier League, or being in the midst of some Bundesliga is much preferred when you actually don’t have plans and have already knocked out a couple of lazy Saturdays.

Weekend mornings without football — or any sports I’m interested in — are better than no weekend mornings at all. For me, they’re just the prelude to weekend afternoons and nights, where my weekend days have their meaningful moments. Still, I realize quickly that the feeling of rolling out of bed and slowly waking up to the sights and sounds of people playing sports an ocean away is quite a nice way to fill up those weekend mornings.

Despite having years to get used to it, it’s the same song and dance every year. The first weekend after the end of the European season, most years, means I can sleep in. It also means I’m excited by the prospect, but only for so long.

It’s clear that my weekends are based on a routine, and that the routine is dictated by football, which is probably a terrible thing. It’s not like I don’t break the structure when I need to (or want to), though. Besides, it is a good way to casually go about a couple of days when you don’t really have plans.

(Look at me, trying to rationalize my life choices! Not that I need to defend them in front of this crowd whose lives have turned out similarly.)

tl;dr: Weekends can be a slog without football.

Links of the Day

Cameroon has fired Clarence Seedorf after the team unsuccessfully defended its Africa Cup of Nations title.

Players on Santos’s women’s team had to sleep in a hotel lobby ahead of its match against Iranduba.

Juventus will not be included in FIFA 20 after signing a deal with PES 2020.

David Squires addresses Daniel Sturridge, Antoine Griezmann, and Steve Bruce in his latest cartoon.

Transfer updates: Sheffield United has signed Ravel Morrison on a free; Paris Saint-Germain has signed Abdou Diallo from Borussia Dortmund; Norwich has signed Sam Byram from West Ham; Barcelona has signed Marc Cucurella from Eibar

Today’s longer read: Kieran Pender on the World Cup-winning U.S. team’s coaching staff study of the players’ menstrual cycles and performance for The Telegraph