The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Tuesday, January 11

Hi, all!

Apparently this is the last of the content with Son Heung-min and Tom Holland, and this one features Zendaya!

Ramble of the Day

I recently found out that singer-actor Tyrese Gibson built a usable replica of Benihana is his backyard. It’s not news — he did a YouTube video revealing Gibsihana in 2014. It is a very legit replica, incredibly detail oriented and clearly the result of time and effort. It is wild, but I honestly respect it. (Gibson put this house on the market last year, so if you have a spare $2.9 million, Gibsihana could be yours.)

It begs the question: Which chain restaurant would you set up in your backyard, assuming you had a backyard big enough for one? (We can also assume food and labor costs are not going to be an issue here — you’re rich enough to afford it.)

After some thinking, I’m going with Bluestone Lane. I think the main perk of having a restaurant in your backyard is that it can add a significant amount of ease into your life, and the one time I’d like to put in as little effort as possible is breakfast. I’ve had enough food and drink at Bluestone Lane to be happy enough to visit frequently, and the menu is diverse enough that I could probably eat lunch there, too.

Like Gibson, people I like would have an invitation to visit my backyard Bluestone Lane. (For what it’s worth, I am opting not to incorporate my own name into the chain’s name. I don’t think I could get as good a name as Gibsihana.) It would be a different vibe from Gibsihana, but my vibe as an entertainer is more low key than Gibson’s. It’s probably so low key that I’m opting for convenience in a backyard restaurant instead of an experience. The other chain restaurants I considered are ones I visit for convenience and taste, not for experience.

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way — I have no doubt Gibsihana is a good time (or was a good time, since the home is on the market). I just love the idea of quickly grabbing a decent meal or some coffee.

tl;dr: Tyrese Gibson has a Benihana in his backyard, so I’d love to talk about which chain restaurant you’d set up in your backyard.

Stay informed, read this: Jeré Longman on Christine Grant, an advocate for women in sport during the Title IX era who died last month aged 85 for The New York Times

Links of the Day

FIFA’s ethics committee opened an investigation into sexual abuse in Gabonese football.

Several clubs reportedly asked the EFL to investigate Liverpool over the COVID-19 cases that led to the postponement of the team’s Carabao Cup tie against Arsenal.

Five people were arrested at Millwall-Crystal Palace over the weekend, including one Millwall supporter for alleged discriminatory abuse.

The Kansas City Current acquired Lynn Williams in a trade from the North Carolina Courage.

A court ruled that Manchester City cannot be held responsible for abuse suffered by victims of ex-academy coach Barry Bennell.

Barcelona’s women’s team will play in front of supporters at the Camp Nou for the first time when it hosts Real Madrid in the Champions League in March.

Barcelona’s men’s team registered Ferran Torres after Samuel Umtiti agreed to a pay cut.

A longer listen: MJ Acosta-Ruiz and Lindsay Czarniak interview the USWNT’s Becky Sauerbrunn on her accomplishments and changes needed in the women’s game for the On Her Turf podcast