I’m not much of a sport-watcher but I like how it can bring people together — as viewers or players — and be an olive branch between people who normally may not connect. I think branches like these are the best.

Sport has an acknowledged power to unite people, to offer a bridge between cultures that typically conflict — or perhaps its real power is to offer a distraction from the clashes that alienate us from each other day-to-day. On the other hand, I also find it really disturbing how much money goes into an event like the current World Cup, particularly in host countries where inequality and poverty run deep. Continue →