The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur news and links for Friday, July 10

Hello, all.

I’d like to gauge interest for a new Spotify playlist, which will be about our feelings regarding Tottenham (and José Mourinho) presently, or if there’s interest in renaming the Poch Out playlist from earlier this season. I’ll set one up for Monday if you’re all in, but in the meantime I’ll attempt to provide you with a distraction if you’re looking for one.

Ramble of the Day

Back in mid-June, one of the few Tottenham players you can’t be mad at for recent form Troy Parrott shared something that excited him. He got the back of his gold iPhone engraved and personalized to him.

Young Troy and the designer really went for it. The biggest part of the design is a fairly strange picture of Parrott — there’s not a single person who would look normal engraved onto the back of an iPhone. I respect the choice to include both the Ireland and Spurs crests, though the weird tear/separation in the middle of his shirt is a choice. I am also fine with the choice of including the initials and the number, but I fear he’ll need a new phone the second he switches clubs. (For his sake, I hope it isn’t that soon, but maybe he doesn’t care.)

Now, I will be a bit harsh but I can’t stand anything with a cheesy quote on it, and the same goes for Apple Chancery. Maybe you’re looking for a pick me up, though, and Parrott’s back of phone quote is providing a bit of inspiration while Tottenham make your life worse than you really needed them to: “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.”

Never mind. I don’t that quote helped much.

tl;dr: Troy Parrott got the back of his gold iPhone engraved, and I’m not a fan.

Stay informed, read this: Lindsay Gibbs on the conflict between WNBA players and a U.S. senator who co-owns the Atlanta Dream over shows of solidarity of the Black Lives Matter movement, and how the owner/senator is using her players for Power Plays

Links of the Day

Nashville was withdrawn from the MLS is Back tournament after several players tested positive for COVID-19.

The remaining Champions League round of 16 matches will be played at home stadiums.

San Jose Earthquakes’ Danny Hoesen said he was racially abused on social media recently.

Real Betis hired Manuel Pellegrini as the team’s new manager.

AC Milan partnered with Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s entertainment agency.

A longer read: Suzanne Wrack on Lesotho’s Kick4Life FC, the first top flight club to equally invest in its men’s and women’s teams for The Guardian