November 04

The Kick About: Beckham Bends Rules and Laws

The appeal of having the world's best known football brand on your side is so great that it's not just leagues that are bending rules to accommodate David Beckham. A country had also gone out of its way to change regulations in order to attract him, albeit indirectly. More ».

October 28

The Kick About: Dude, Where’s My Bandwagon

My younger brother isn't very good at sports. Another year is nearly complete but the trophy case our mother had so optimistically built for him sits bare.

I flatly let him know after his most recent disappointing season that he no longer has my support. When we travel to watch him participate in whatever sport, I will be cheering for other children. The other kids are winners, and thus worthy of my investment. My own brother, not so much. I couldn't care less what kind of psychological issues this creates for him in his early teen years. He sucks.

Most of the above situation is fictional. I do have a brother who is not brilliant at team sports. But he is on a second degree black belt in karate so one day I will pay severely for this start. However, for me the aforementioned scenario is no different than threatening a sports team by withholding support, be it emotional or financial. This is where supporters and bandwagoners differentiate themselves. More ».