I know a thing or two about a thing or two, but neither of those things happens to be sports. I boxed, back in the day. But even that was out of a kind of obligation to my body; something to keep my thoughts on their toes and my fears in their place - a kind of catharsis via cardio. Boxing is a lonely sport, too. Each bout is an exercise in standing alone punching at nothing but brick walls - brick walls with mean thoughts and clenched fists of their own. All of which is to say that I’ve never felt a part of the collective fervour that accompanies the football match or game of rugby. I’ve never found myself woven into the social, historic, or emotional tapestry of any team competition. I did, however, catch a good portion of both the Olympics and the Paralympics this year...
