1) Excited for the Euro 2016 final on Sunday? People coming round to watch, eh? Got some dips in have you? Well before the game, fire up the overhead projector and treat your guests to a brief history of Euro finals. Here’s the very first final, when the USSR beat Yugoslavia 2-1, and you might recognise a friend of ours doing the voice over. The 1976 final wasn’t just about a cheeky wee penalty either: it featured a stirring comeback from the West Germans after going 2-0 down, equalising with just two minutes left. Of course if you prefer, and you can speak the lingo, here’s a Russian-dubbed documentary on that tournament. Some talking heads take you through the 1984 final (in French), which of course featured a goalkeeping clusterballs that would make Joe Hart blush. Enjoyed that Icelandic commentator going hoo-ha this year? Maybe we can interest you in his Danish counterpart enjoying things in 1992, as well. Plus Richard Moller Nielsen, Peter Schmeichel and Brian Laudrup discuss what went down. Think Germans would be blasé about winning things? Not if their celebrations upon returning from winning Euro 1996 are anything to go by.
Or, if you’d prefer something pithier, here’s every goal from every final up to 2012.
2) The Tour de France is under way: here is what it looks like from the road, and here is professionalism personified in the commentary box.
3) So Kevin Durant is moving to the Golden State Warriors and not everyone is happy about it. One of the NBA’s most prolific scorers quickly became a hero at Oklahoma State Thunder after building a reputation for putting fans first, and even playing a lead role in the movie Thunderstruck. But his defection to the Warriors has caused a range of reactions: ceremonial burning, ceremonial shooting and burning, his face ripped down from the stadium, grown men ranting (really ranting) and children crying.
4) A Nascar pile-up at Daytona. Remember the Nascar fight a couple of weeks ago? Well here it is in reverse set to jazz music, which is an oddly mesmerising combination. Drivers do get preeeeeetty heated and luckily their radio is recorded for our pleasure. Contains many, many swears.
5) After that Simone Zaza penalty it is only fair to point out that the epic stutter-shocker was first devised by Neymar. In more positive set-piece news, the world of cheeky free-kicks has a new addition (though this scoop and this headed assist take some beating). And here’s a pile-driver and a crossbar clipper for good measure.
6) Jamie Vardy, move aside: what happens when the Iceland story meets Disney.
Highlights from last week’s blog
1) Enjoy this slice of grade-A surrealism: a gymnast takes on an orangutan in a ‘hang time’ contest. We have so, so many questions.
2) Horse: first. Loads of other horses: waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back.
3) Sure, Marcus Willis played and was treated like a competition winner when he faced Roger Federer at Wimbledon, but this was solid.
5) Set aside a little under two hours to watch ‘A Sunday In Hell’, the 1976 film about the Paris-Roubaix cycle race, featuring Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck.
Spotters’ badges: GrahamClayton, YorkerBouncer, SurrealMadridII, AgainstModernFootie
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