The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham news and links for Tuesday, March 8

Good morning and happy tuesday, hoddlers. Question: Is Matt Doherty now the best player in Europe?

While everyone else was watching the Matt Doherty resurgence on Monday, your hoddler-in-chief had his attention firmly fixed on a competition roughly 4,469 miles (that’s 7,192 kilometers) west of London.

On Sunday, 49 competitors and their canine companions began the great Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska.

The race begins in the city of Anchorage and concludes several days and 975 miles (1,569 kilometers) later in the western town of Nome. The competitor, otherwise known as the “musher”, leads a team of up to 16 dogs through various checkpoints through the Alaskan wilderness in one of the state’s most iconic events.

It is a gruelling competition that lasts several days. And with the conditions faced, it is not uncommon to witness canine fatalities. More than 150 dogs reportedly have died during the race since 1973. though there were no dog fatalities during 2020 (the year with the most recent information).

The race consists of 22 checkpoints, and mushers have the choice to either set up camp or carry on in the challenging Alaskan conditions.

This year’s edition is still in its early stages. Ryan Redington from the town of Knik currently leads the pack after three days. Five-time champion Dallas Seavey is currently second, but he and much of the rest of the competition are a full checkpoint behind Redington.

If your hoddler-in-chief knew the implications of this, he could perhaps make a prediction on how the rest of the competition could unfold.

According to the Iditarod’s information page, Redington has set up camp at Rohn, which marks the transition point where mushers enter the flatlands and into dropping temperatures. The actual checkpoint is a cabin built in the 1930s, where we could assume Redington spent the night.

Redington’s lead dogs are Ghost, Spirit and Henry.

Seaver and most of the other competitors are currently at Rainy Pass, which marks the highest point of the Iditarod.

If the checkpoints are to be believed, then Redington is three days and 188 miles into this competition. Last year’s winner, Seavey, finished in seven days and 18 hours. But that looks to be the anomaly, as most winners in modern history completed the race in eight or nine days.

So it appears we will have to check back into this competition next week. Will Redington hold off the competition, or will Seaver claim another title?

Fitzie’s track of the day: A good day (to fight the system), by Shungudzo

And now for your links:

Tottenham freeze season ticket prices for 2022-23 season

Lady Gaga announces concert dates at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Scotland’s World Cup playoff semifinal versus Ukraine postponed

Fifa will allow foreign Russian players to break their contracts

New York Jets owner reportedly interested in buying Chelsea

West Brom to host Portsmouth at training ground as League One side prepare for away fixtures