This article was originally published on September 20th, 2019.
Here is this week's dose of “5-Point Friday”. A weekly round-up of the sports news and stories that I find most interesting and enjoyable.
Tennis news that is disappointing -
The Hong Kong Tennis Open, due to start on 5 October, has been postponed because of ongoing protests. Tournament organizers have said that they would be better placed to have a "smooth running tournament...[at a] later time". Hong Kong has for months been rocked by increasingly violent protests, triggered by an extradition bill.
Soccer news that I am following -
Italian soccer journalist Luciano Passirani has been banned from appearing on Italian television station TopCalcio24. After aiming a racist comment at Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku (@RomeluLukaku9) on air, stating "If you go one-on-one with him he will murder you... The only way to come up against him is maybe giving him 10 bananas to eat..."
Lukaku has recently been subjected to monkey chants by Cagliari fans when he scored a penalty for his side in a 2-1 victory. Afterward, he would say that the abuse showed the game was "going backwards".
What I have been listening to -
Sam Flood's interview with NHL Executive Suite podcast. Flood discusses his role as executive producer and president of production for NBC Sports. While offering an interesting perspective on how new technology is and could be integrated into sports broadcasts.
Uplifting sports story I have been following -
This summer Italian soccer team Roma has been using its social media to help find missing children. The Serie A team partnered with charities National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Telefono Azzurro, Missing People, and Missing Child Kenya. The campaign has proven to be a success after it has helped find a fifth missing child.
Motorsport routine I have been learning about -
Pit stops are some of the most fascinating, and often some of the most glossed over, parts of any motorsport. That’s because while they’re essential to any race that goes past a tank of fuel or a full charge, they don’t take much time to do. Each motorsport has its own unique pit routines that are different across all different types of motorsports. NASCAR does a 12-second pit stop with a five-person over-the-wall crew, a manual jack on the car, and two tire changers—one for the front, one for the back. Formula One stops hover around two to three seconds, with several crew members on each wheel to make the stop into a crowded blur.
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Jonathan