The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur news and links for Monday, February 8

Hi, everyone!

Above is forward Lucy Quinn, and below is the wildest tennis trophy I’ve ever seen, awarded to Ashleigh Barty for winning the Yarra Valley Classic.

Photo by Jack Thomas/Getty Images

Ramble of the Day

A very small conversation yesterday evening led me to a question: Do people really like turkey? Before I have to continue, I have to say that I asked this question out loud and my younger sister told me she likes turkey. Her response prompted me to rephrase my question, because while I realized that my opinion about turkey is a bit more layered, it’s still rooted in the same concept.

I don’t think turkey is offensive. I also don’t think it’s one of the top meats available. It has a taste, but I don’t think it makes much of an impact. I’m not even sure we’ve found a ton of great things to go with turkey, either — I can’t really call myself a massive fan of gravy, and while it works fine in a cold sandwich, it just does not make for a top tier sandwich. In the end, very few foods with turkey even enter the top tier of enjoyable foods. It’s completely inoffensive, but my evolved question is: Is turkey anything more than an inoffensive option?

I could extend the argument by wondering if turkey is simply a societal obligation in some places, like Thanksgiving in the United States. I feel, for some, this is true. I know of a few people who decided to skip turkey last Thanksgiving, a completely downsized affair for many because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, I know that’s not the case for everyone — my sister rejected my suggestion we do the same.

I think it’s worth mentioning, though, that turkey is never the favorite at Thanksgiving. There is hardly a consensus on best or most liked Thanksgiving foods, but turkey is never in the conversation. Turkey is just always there — we don’t collectively question it, but we don’t collectively have a passion for it, either.

tl;dr: Is turkey capable of being a top tier food?

Stay informed, read this: Pamela McClintock interviews actress Dominique Fishback on her career, her upcoming film Judas and the Black Messiah, and the responsibility of playing real people for The Hollywood Reporter

Links of the Day

RB Leipzig-Liverpool will be played at Puskás Arena in Budapest, as Germany will not allow Liverpool entry because of COVID-19 protocols.

Manchester United’s Lauren James and Axel Tuanzebe were racially abused on social media.

Ajax’s André Onana received a 12 month doping ban.

The president of Serie C’s Novara was arrested after police found him with a bag containing $240k and he could not explain it.

A longer read: Nick Ames interviews Pernille Harder on the 2017 Denmark women’s team strike that earned them a collective bargaining agreement and her aim to make women’s football for accessible for The Guardian