The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur news and links for Wednesday, April 7

Hey, everyone!

I guess it’s rebrand season in the football world. Here’s the latest from the NWSL, where Sky Blue FC changed its name and look to NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Ramble of the Day

My younger sister and I struck up a conversation on plane food yesterday. She has slightly more interesting takes on this than I do, but the two of us established long ago that she doesn’t actually mind eating horrible food. (That’s a ramble for another time, though.)

What inspired this conversation is the news that JetBlue is partnering with Dig, a New York-based restaurant group. I’ve eaten there a bunch of times, and it’s the perfect type of food for a plane — you can mix simple proteins, vegetables, and carbs however you like, though I’m sure the options will be limited on a plane. Dig’s a place I go to when I want a no-fuss but high quality meal, which seems like a really good fit for a meal on an airplane. (I have also privately advocated for restaurants and well-regarded chefs to work with airlines for half decent plane food.)

I still remain slightly skeptical, though. It’s really down to the fact that I have a deep distrust of plane food. I don’t go looking for good meals on planes — cromulent is really what I aim for, but only because I’m trying to manage my own expectations. I would most certainly be up for trying Dig’s offerings on a JetBlue flight (whenever I get back on a plane), but I’d most certainly have to manage my expectations. I know Dig is good, but I also know plane food is bad. I think bad is the favorite to win that battle.

I couldn’t tell you if anyone will ever give me good food on an airplane. However, it is almost comforting to know that, in a span of 13 months where we’ve all thought of big and small things we miss about normal life, there is one thing I don’t mind missing out on.

tl;dr: JetBlue’s new partnership with Dig, a New York-based restaurant group, is probably a great way to make plane food better, but I remain skeptical.

Stay informed, read this: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Hollywood’s need to combat stereotyping of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for The Hollywood Reporter

Links of the Day

Bayern’s Serge Gnabry tested positive for COVID-19.

Hertha Berlin fired goalkeeper coach Zsolt Petry after he made anti-gay and anti-migrant comments.

The EFL handed Coventry, Luton, and Cardiff transfer embargoes for breaching financial rules.

UEFA suspended Sparta Prague’s Ondřej Kúdela for the first leg of the team’s Europa League tie against Arsenal after he racially abused Rangers’ Glen Kamara.

A longer read: Fabrizio Romano interviews Hertha Berlin sporting director Arne Friedrich on the transition from being a player and putting passion at the center of his philosophy for the Guardian