The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Friday, September 10

Hey, everyone!

At the top of today’s Hoddle (and I believe for the first time) is midfielder Tang Jiali.

Ramble of the Day

I have decided today’s ramble has a theme, and today’s theme is MLS and MLS adjacent people going to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Following my own train of thought, I’ll start with the more recent example. DC United’s new head coach Hernán Losada posted a wholesome video about his latest trip to the DMV, believing passing the written test was enough to get him a driver’s license. He corrects himself in the next Instagram story, and the vibe from the first to the second story is hilarious.

I love that he said he learned “all these crazy rules in Virginia,” and I don’t blame him because driving rules can be weird. It definitely requires studying — the few hours Losada took were clearly fine for him — but ir reminded me that NBC once documented Victoria Beckham’s trip to the California DMV. It was in Victoria Beckham: Coming to America, an hour-long special filmed in the early days of David Beckham’s spell with the LA Galaxy.

I’ve actually never seen the special, but I stumbled upon this clip years ago and it made me laugh. My favorite part is Beckham asking if she can retake the photo for her learner’s permit, to which the woman working there replied so matter-of-factly, “This is the DMV.” (Sudden tone changes really work for me in humor.)

Beckham’s trip to the DMV is obviously very silly, and the very straightforward explanation is that the special was part spoof. (I queued the above clip to start just at the DMV visit, but there’s more silliness from Coming to America if you’re interested.) It is probably the opposite of Losada’s, though that is clearly by design.

tl;dr: DC United head coach Hernán Losada did an Instagram story thinking he got his driver’s license when he didn’t, which reminded me of the time Victoria Beckham went to the DMV on a part spoof special.

Stay informed, read this: Sylvia Obell profiles tennis player Venus Williams on her approach to life, from advocating for equal pay to her off the court work and interests for Cosmopolitan

Links of the Day

West Brom issued a lifetime ban to a fan after he racially abused Romaine Sawyers on social media.

Lyon’s Jérôme Boateng was found guilty of premeditated bodily harm on his ex-partner.

The USWNT’s Christen Press is taking a break from the sport to focus on her mental health.

Brentford signed Mathias Jørgensen on a free.

A longer read: Rob Dawson on the mental health struggles academy players face after being released by their clubs for ESPN