Sam Borden
@SamBorden
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Emmy- & Murrow-winning global sports correspondent @ESPN; former foreign sports correspondent @nytimes; Like golf, soccer, poker, stories. [email protected]
On the road ...
Joined September 2009
20 years ago this week, Jeff Wilkins became the NFL's last barefoot kicker. But a few months back when I called Wilkins about it, he said, "I’ve been waiting a long time to tell someone this: . “I wasn't barefoot.”. So, a🧵. About feet. And how maybe history got it wrong. (1/14)
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BREAKING: The World Cup is coming back to the United States. The U.S.-led North American bid wins the right to host the 2026 World Cup, beating Morocco on the first ballot.
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Van Jones on CNN: "You have people putting children to bed tonight who are afraid of breakfast." Remarkable, and true.
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BREAKING: Jurgen Klinsmann has been fired as head coach of the U.S. National Team. No word on replacement, though Bruce Arena is likely.
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I never thought I'd say this: Brazilian fans are leaving, before halftime, of a World Cup semifinal in their home country. It's stunning.
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This is a real institutional concern. Have heard @TaylorTwellman and others talk about it and it's legit.
@SamBorden Stop making kids PAY to play.
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NEW: US Soccer has been aware of - and victims of - Canada's persistent attempts to spy on closed trainings for years, sources tell ESPN, detailing numerous specific instances as well as the reason why they attempted to deal with it behind the scenes.
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BREAKING: Sunil Gulati will NOT run for another term as US Soccer president, tells @ESPN it's "time for someone new in the job.".
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Here is a story about a person who literally every person I've spoken to says is the happiest, most beloved person they know: The NBA's BFG (Big, Friendly Giant) @BobanMarjanovic.
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Trinity Rodman on what she remembers from her game-winning goal: "I kind of blacked out. That's the best moment in my career. The last thing I remember is Crystal playing it, and then I was just like, 'Ahhhhhhhhh. !!'".
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Alphonso Davies, whose Liberian parents fled a civil war, who was born in a refugee camp in Ghana, who went to school in Edmonton, who came up through Vancouver's youth academy, who stars for Bayern Munich, scores Canada's first-ever goal in the World Cup. Soccer is the best.
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Just reached Jurgen Klinsmann by phone: "Yes, I watched, but I don't want to give any comments right now. It wouldn't be right.".
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NEW: The Copa America will very likely be in the USA in 2024, multiple sources tell ESPN, as conversations between Concacaf & Conmebol have advanced considerably. Still a few potential obstacles but this is on the doorstep. Big games ahead for #USMNT.
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Walker Zimmerman believes the biggest thing his younger Olympic teammates will take away is appreciation for representing the USA -- something he said has begun to slip in the US men's player pool. Raw candor from the veteran in the mixed zone.
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Andy and Jan Burcham made the promise to Rod and Paula Bramblett that none of us ever thinks we'll have to keep. But they did. Read the story here, and see the trailer for the amazing @CollegeGameDay piece that will air this Saturday.
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They’re colleagues, sure, but @TaylorTwellman and @IanDarke are absolutely killing it tonight. They’re saying exactly what anyone who has followed this @USMNT is thinking with regard to the players, tonight’s performance, the coaching hire and Berhalter’s approach. Great work. 👏.
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Steve McMichael is desperately fighting to stay alive so he can see his way into the @ProFootballHOF. His battle, and the way his wife & daughter & former @ChicagoBears teammates have supported him, is a love story I'm honored to tell. #MongoMcMichael.
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Who's the most beloved player in the NBA? @BobanMarjanovic, no doubt. (Just ask @SHAQ or @tobias31 or @mcuban or @luka7doncic, among others) .It was a real joy to spend time with someone who has the kind of positive energy that is absolutely contagious.
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NEW: Brian McBride will not return as general manager of #USMNT, sources tell ESPN. McBride is out after two years in the position.
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All right so I spent a weekend with the #Yankees and found out about the unknown secret to their recent success: a pet turtle. (Who’s pretty adorable, btw.).
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Be careful: There are A LOT of headlines out there saying the rape case against Cristiano Ronaldo was "quietly dropped," implying it's over. The accuser's attorney, however, tells @ESPN that's just not true; they've just moved the case to federal court.
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BREAKING: The money at the center of the FIFA investigation is much closer to Sepp Blatter than it first seemed http://t.co/BPEQWGGSTv.
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.@stefondiggs was real about his last year in Minnesota: "I was in a very, very dark place." Going to Buffalo, though, was the change he needed to become arguably the NFL's best receiver. "I see a family," he says of #BillsMafia, "more than a fanbase.".
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Just to put a fine point on it: Messi's agreed-upon exit fee is $825 million. The annual revenue of THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS is reportedly around $600 million.
A reminder that soccer is, by far, the number one sport in the world:
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UPDATE: The attorney for the woman accusing Cristiano Ronaldo of rape says that while the state court civil case against was dropped, their federal case IS STILL ACTIVE. "We basically just switched venues but the claims remain," the attorney told @ESPN.
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Have you received emails from non-soccer fans who are suddenly "really into the World Cup?" Have you gotten a text casually asking "what's the deal" with this #USMNT? . I have. If you have too, feel free to share this letter I composed ahead of today's game w the Netherlands.
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BREAKING: Russia fined 150,000 euros & given suspended disqualification for fan violence; if any further probs, will be DQ'd from #EURO2016.
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So . Bryson wants to reinvent golf as we know it AND, by the way, maybe also live forever. Literal life goals. (cc: @KVanValkenburg)
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BREAKING: Swiss police, acting on behalf of US, currently arresting many top FIFA officials at Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich. Story @nytimes.
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Very classy: Ronaldo puts jersey back on and Nani runs over and puts captain's armband back on his arm. He'll lift this trophy, no doubt.
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Also: NO symptoms. And still has none. The value of social distancing is in keeping people who don’t know if they are infected from infecting those who are most at-risk. It’s not about you avoiding infection; it’s about keeping you from unknowingly infecting others.
Christian Wood of the Pistons tests positive for coronavirus 6-7 days after playing Rudy Gobert. NBA player with no symptoms is getting tested while people in actual medical facilities can’t get tests.
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This is a story of faith. And running. And what we do when everyone we love in the world is telling us one thing . but we're pretty sure God is telling us the exact opposite. @tabletmag @JTAnews @jdforward @JoshMalina @JewishSportsNet @JewishSharp .
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And there it is, as expected: FIFA Congress approves fast-track plan for awarding 2026 World Cup hosting rights. US-led bid clear favorite.
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Quick news from #uswnt training: Sophia Smith is training and available tomorrow. Jaedyn Shaw however is OUT for tomorrow. Still training on her own due to a muscle strain.
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Iran coach Carlos Queiroz, complimenting the rise of talent and tactics from the #usmnt, wades into the biggest linguistic debate in the world: “I can say it like this: They jumped from soccer to football.”.
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He's a magnificent scorer, I know, but that dummy from Lukaku -- at that point in the game, with that scoreline -- is outrageous. The ability to not lunge at the ball, to not try and do it himself is just an unreal piece of savvy. Really, really amazing.
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BREAKING: Swiss attorney general bringing charges of "criminal mismanagement" and "misappropriation" against Sepp Blatter.
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BREAKING: Sunil Gulati, US Soccer pres, says USA will vote for Prince Ali in #FIFA election. Canada Soccer Assoc. also supporting Prince Ali.
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OK, first some background: Barefoot kicking was totally a thing! Tony Franklin was the first guy to go naked from the ankle down in 1979, and through the next decade there were a bunch of kickers (plus some punters) who eschewed shoes. God, the 80s were weird. (2/14)
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Emma Hayes, asked if she wants Spain in the final: "I don't care. I want a drink.".(h/t to @HenryBushnell for the question).#USWNT.
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The final player-fan Thunderclap. Thanks, Iceland. You were great.
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Before #Wemby, there was another French big man who was supposed to make an impact on the NBA. Now, two decades after being a punchline, a victim of THAT dunk & a man battling crippling depression, Frederic Weis has found his way back to . a happy ending?
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Croatian coach on whether penalty was legit: "It's ridiculous. If we continue in this way, we will have a circus.".
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They were going to a game they'd always remember. They ended up in a tragedy that a city can never forget.
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"If this boy can find the light - this boy whose own body has turned against him - how can any of us ever look away?" .On the incredible Mo Gaba and the lives he changed: from @Lj_era8 to @TreyMancini or @WWERomanReigns, @GovLarryHogan to @JeremyConn1057.
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1. Please read this, on Antoine Griezmann's sister, who gives harrowing detail about being trapped in the Bataclan:
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I covered Croatia-Brazil on Friday, ran to my apartment, went to DOH & took a flight to the USA that landed a few hours ago. When I turned on my phone, I couldn’t believe the messages: Grant was a force; a progressive, smart, sharp thinker with an incredible eye for story. (1/4).
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Others felt similarly. Paul McFadden was NFC Rookie of the Year in 1984 kicking barefoot! But like all fads, barefoot kicking soon began to fade. I mean, if Zubaz pants couldn’t last forever, what chance did walking-around-barefoot-in-frozen-ice-and-snow really have? (4/14)
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There is a lot of (tremendous) Super Bowl coverage out there, but I hope you’ll take time to read this story about a soccer player who vanished.
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FWIW, Gulati was very measured, thoughtful in comments. Acknowledged that while voters might well re-elect him, public perception/support was very strong that change was needed. And he accepted that. Whatever you think of him otherwise, that's classy.
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What is the value of saying (almost) nothing? Lionel Messi is the superstar of silence.
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Also worth noting that Gulati did a lot - a lot - of good for soccer in this country. Obviously hard for many to see past last WCQ, but revenue, women's leagues, int'l respect, MLS, 94WC -- he was involved in every big development here over last 30 years. Can't be forgotten.
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If this all sounds absurd, well, it was: There was literally no science behind kicking barefoot. It was simply a group of dudes deciding that it made more sense to kick with their little piggies free to go to the market. “My foot felt faster,” Mike Lansford said.(3/14).
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If you have kids and have ever had the, "What if something were to happen to both of us?" conversation with your partner, this story . well, this story is about what happens when something does.
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A moment of silence at the rally in our village on the outskirts of Paris. Le Marseillaise followed. And I wept a bit http://t.co/ES9pExxhlO.
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I enjoyed everything about this.
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The French anthem, sung together, was beautiful. Hard not to tear up. And I did.
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Haji Wright's first call after hearing he made the World Cup roster? His mother. They both started crying. "It just felt great to share the moment with her." How does he feel to be on the team? "It's a dream for me.".
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What is the biggest part of 7-foot-4 Boban Marjanvoic? His heart. With thanks to @mcuban, @tobias31, @luka7doncic and many more, here's the written version of our story on the NBA's most beloved player and friendliest giant: @BobanMarjanovic.
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Andrej Kramaric, asked if Herdman's comments about how Canada was going to "F--- Croatia" motivated the Croatian players: "We demonstrated who F'd whom.". (Should note, the interpreter hesitated -- only slightly -- when delivering that. Kudos to her.).
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He was on his way to the English Premier League. And then he was gone. The story of Emiliano Sala. #Longform #longreads.
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By 1990, Rich Karlis and Mike Lansford were the only barefoot kickers left in the league. When both retired at the end of that season, it seemed like barefoot kicking in the NFL was done … until Wilkins came along 12 years later. Suddenly, a new era was afoot. (Sorry.).[5/14].
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Wilkins's argument was persuasive, but I needed another opinion. So I went to the world's foremost savant on NFL kicking: Justin Tucker, obviously. I earnestly asked for his thoughts. His initial response was a lot of laughing. Like, A LOT of laughing. (11/14)
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BREAKING: Swiss police search and seize data from Sepp Blatter's office as part of criminal investigation.
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I feel like this VAR bit could catch on. From now on, whenever I say something stupid to my wife, I'm going to run out of the room, come back, make a rectangle signal with my hands and then just say the opposite. Feels bulletproof.
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US Soccer has released the independent report conducted by Alston & Bird on the alleged domestic violence incident from 1992 involving Gregg Berhalter, as well as the Reyna family's interactions with Berhalter and the federation last year. Some thoughts as I read . 🧵.
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Gregg Berhalter's review is still ongoing. Berhalter has said he hopes to return. That is not impossible, but with fallout from the Reyna situation, sources say that is increasingly less likely.
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ICYMI: The voice of @AuburnFootball and his wife made the promise that no one ever thinks they'll have to keep . until they do. This Thanksgiving, I'll be thinking quite a bit about the Burchams & Brambletts. See more on Saturday's @CollegeGameDay.
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The booing & disturbances during the other team's anthem is one of the things that makes it hardest for neutrals to ever support England. I just don't get it -- in what world does it make a person feel better about themselves to shout down another man's moment of national pride?.
Breaking: England charged by UEFA over laser pointer by fan during Kane's penalty, plus disturbance duringnational anthems
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Becky Sauerbrunn, whose mistake led to Spain’s goal, on Megan Rapinoe, who scored both #USWNT goals: “She’s not going to have to buy a drink for the rest of the time. I’ll take care of whatever she needs.”.
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Can't make this up, actual scene witnessed in hallway of hotel:.Soccer official 1: "Como estas?".Soccer official 2: "Nervioso.".
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"This is a story about a terrible accident and the unfairness of life and the ineffable compassion of friends and that spindly, ever-spreading spider web of emotion that we all bring to our own interpretations of family." .
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How does one of the biggest failures in sports ever find success again? . #longform #longreads #darko #NBA
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Just watching back some clips from yesterday’s #MLSCup and full credit to @DiegoChara21 — seconds after NYC’s first goal, disappointed as he might have been, Chara saw the fans throwing objects and didn’t hesitate to go right over and call for it to stop. Classy, classy man.
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So, some personal news: I'm moving to ESPN, and couldn't be more excited about it.
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Interested in more in-depth analysis of, uh, feet? Want to get really granular about pre-wrap? Or dive deep into the endless abyss of lunacy that was the 1980s? Read my whole story about Jeff Wilkins and the-barefoot-kicker-who-wasn’t right here: (14/14)
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Neymar is out of control, but if you think Layun standing on his ankle was an accident, you’re nuts.
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A quick thread for #USMNT fans: 8 years ago, Jurgen Klinsmann told me there was no chance his team could win the World Cup in Brazil. It was in an interview for the NYT, made some waves & a lot of fans (& even some players) were unhappy. Klins felt it important to be honest (1/7)
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A pandemic. Protests. Loneliness. Gio Reyna grew up fast during his first season with @BlackYellow. "I've heard athletes speak about mental health issues," he says. "Now I understand why." .Today on @espn, our profile of a teenage star who feels far older.
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If Chris Wallace, at any point, says "Bigly Bigly Bigly, can't you see / sometimes your words just hypnotize me" it would be simply bliss.
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BREAKING: One of the arrested FIFA officials is Alfredo Hawit, Concacaf president.
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On this Masters weekend, a deep dive into a golfer who is one of the most candid, honest athletes I’ve ever met: @JustinThomas34. You’re going to be hearing from him.
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But still, who doesn’t love a good podiatry mystery, right? So, skeptical as I was, I went to Youngstown, Ohio - where Wilkins lives - to hear him out. When we sat down, I went "Last Dance" style and literally showed him the photo on an iPad. “I see toes there!” I said. (7/14).
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We talked more. He explained that he kicked with a shoe on for basically his entire career, save for the first 7 games in 2002. Why change then? He was going through a slump, he said, and needed to try something. Remember, kickers are (usually) pretty strange. (9/14).
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Picture of plainclothes Swiss police showing documents to FIFA hotel clerk: http://t.co/LVV8Ai9hxt.
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Irony that the Mexican referee, Marco Rodriguez, is nicknamed Dracula and he did not see Suarez's alleged bite.
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He was ready for this. “You do see toes,” he said. “BUT LOOK AT ALL THAT TAPE.” This was his argument. There was so much tape wrapped around his foot (save for his toes) that it’s as if he’s wearing a shoe. “Therefore,” he concluded, “I am saying it was not barefoot.” (8/14).
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Look. What. Happened. Jermaine Jones with a shot better than Ronaldo. 1-1.
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In truth, Wilkins distinctly remembers NOT wanting to be fully barefoot. His slump was due to a glitch, he said, where the spikes on his cleat would drag on the ground as he swung his leg. The tape was a perfect compromise: thick as a shoe, but smooth on the bottom. (10/14).
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I don't fault Sterling at all -- players gotta do what they gotta do and that was close enough to give it a shot. But with two cracks -- one in real time, one on VAR -- I'm stunned he gave it. Stunned. If teams were reversed, what do you think #ENG fans would be saying? 🤔🤔🤔.
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Look, I’m no expert even if I did just do a bazillion-tweet thread about men taking off shoes. But this is how I net out:. I think he WASN’T barefoot. I think we've all been led astray. And I definitely think someone should change Wilkins’s Wikipedia page. *bangs gavel* (13/14).
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