The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur news and links for Friday, May 7

Hi, everyone!

Let’s start the day with a very profound quote.

Ramble of the Day

The wonderful thing about following football is just about everyone has their own spin on it, meaning there are so many things just waiting for you to catch up and find them. The latest member of the football universe I’m playing catch up on is El Chiringuito de Jugones, a Spanish football debate show. The concept of a sports debate show is hardly revolutionary, but El Chiringuito really makes unique content. It almost doesn’t matter if you don’t understand Spanish for the clip below, because there’s plenty to enjoy.

The aesthetic choices are incredible here — starting the segment with a close-up on a giant screen showing a picture of Eden Hazard smiling while host Josep Pedrarol sits in the dark for a few seconds before he spends eight seconds rubbing his hands together before speaking is an amazing way to open this up. The dramatic pauses and the sound effects were perfect companions.

The biggest choice worth talking about here, though, is that El Chiringuito dedicated two and a half minutes of time to a picture of Hazard smiling. It is the definition of extra, and the meeting point of ridiculous and hilarious. I’ve spent enough time following this sport to know that people will be genuinely upset by that picture of Hazard, but it is just a lot to put that much emotional investment in it. That seems to be the point of El Chiringuito’s segment, though. One can only hope the audience doesn’t take the whole thing too seriously, because it can just be entertaining. Also — I wonder what Sandra was about to do.

tl;dr: Here’s a hilarious and ridiculous clip from Spanish football debate show El Chiringuito where they spent two and half minutes on a picture of Eden Hazard smiling after Real Madrid was eliminated from the Champions League.

Stay informed, read this: Jean-Jacques Taylor on the Baltimore Ravens’ Odafe Oweh’s choice to use his given first name, and how names are attached to identity for The Undefeated

Links of the Day

Several female footballers in Argentina accused a coach with one of the youth national teams of sexual harassment and bullying.

Pfizer will donate COVID-19 vaccines to athletes and staff at this summer’s Olympic Games.

FIFA will introduce concussion spotters during the 2022 World Cup.

Singer Ed Sheeran will sponsor Ipswich’s shirts next season.

A longer read: Stephanie Yang on the NWSL’s missed opportunity on transparency after opting not to reveal details on an investigation into a racial profiling incident for All for XI