Service to the community: Eric Cantona kicks a Nazi

Kicking a Nazi 26 years ago cost Manchester United striker Eric Cantona a nine-month penalty, an €18,000 fine, and two weeks of community service.

When asked about it he says it was the best moment of his career: “It’s not every day you get to kick a fascist.”

FIFA eyes disciplinary action against Argentina, Brazil

Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi, right, Argentina’s Giovani Lo Celso, center, and Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez walk off the field as the game against Brazil is interrupted by health authorities during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at Neo Quimica Arena stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Sept.5, 2021. Argentina walked off the field Sunday after only seven minutes of its World Cup qualifier against host Brazil after health officials came onto the pitch following coronavirus concerns about three Argentina players. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Call for removal of militarist mural at Belfast football grounds

Irish resist attempt of paramilitary gang to use sport to recruit youth

Disturbing new hoarding featuring masked UVF gunmen has appeared next to the home ground of Crusaders Football Club. The mural, bearing the logos of the UVF and the paramilitary group’s “youth wing”, the YCV, appeared at the Irish League ground last month.

Behind Ronaldo’s transfer to the Premier League

Rich football oligarchs get richer: “this situation is both financially dangerous and sportingly limiting”

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo takes part in training in Lisbon, Portugal, on Aug. 30 | Pedro Nunes/Reuters

In a sudden manoeuvre described as “stunning,” Christiano Ronaldo has transferred from Juventus of the Serie A Italian League, the top tier of the Italian football league system, to Manchester United of the British Premier League. “The richest, most famous, most successful team in Italy could no longer afford its best player,” observed Rory Smith in the New York Times. Ironically this occurs a few weeks after Italy defeated England in the Euro Cup. It is now apparent that the real winner of the Euro Cup seems to be American ownership groups who dominate the Premier League. The buying and selling of highly skilled athletes as human commodities to enrich their franchises has reached record levels.

Joey Votto is circling all the right bases

Last week, Joey Votto of Toronto collected his 2,000th hit.

He became the second Canadian ever to record 2,000 hits over his MLB career, behind only Hall of Famer Larry Walker. Votto also became the second MLB player to record his 2,000th hit, 300th home run and 1,000th RBI in the same season. As Votto leads the Cincinnati Reds to a potential playoff berth amidst a second-half tear, he’s also continuing to pad his already convincing Hall of Fame case.

From The Athletic

The athlete as commodity: Elaine Thompson-Herah and the gold

Commercialization of sport rears its ugly head: Instagram and IOC block Elaine Thompson-Herah for posting videos of her own gold. The IOC says it owns intellectual property rights for footage of Games. Jamaican sprinter won triple gold in 100m, 200m and 4x400m in Tokyo.

Elaine Thompson-Herah is a four-time Olympic champion | Martin Meissner/AP

Instagram blocked Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah after the double Olympic champion shared footage of her victories in Tokyo.

Not thanks, but in spite of: How Ukraine treats its Olympians

Ukrainian sport after 30 years of independence

President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, Olympic champion Serhiy Bubka met with the athletes of the national team on the eve of the XXXII Olympic Games in Tokyo | NOC

Interview with journalist Dmitry Kovalevich*

Tony Seed: Dmitry, August 24^th is the 30^th anniversary of Ukrainian independence, which is being celebrated in different ways, it seems more in Canada than Ukraine itself. Can you give us your assessment of the situation that Ukrainian sport and athletes are facing? Perhaps you might start with the recent Olympics.

Polish Olympian auctions silver medal from Tokyo Games to raise money for boy’s surgery

Medals are not everything

Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk stands on the podium during the medal ceremony for the women’s javelin throw, at the Tokyo Olympics, on Aug. 7 | MARTIN MEISSNER/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

An Olympic athlete from Poland auctioned her silver medal from the Tokyo Games to raise money for a life-saving operation for an infant boy, and then was told by the buyer that she could keep her prize.

Woman cricketers hold three-day tournament in King City

Thirty-six cricketers participated in the 2021 Canadian National Women’s Championships, the first edition of the tournament since 2018.

The competition, featuring teams named the Maple Greens, Orange Oaks and Cedar Blues, runs Friday through Sunday, August 13-15 at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Ont. The teams played a T20 round-robin match format.

The Paraolympians