The best-read posts and the most-overlooked posts of the year. (In other words — what you read and what I’m still attached to even though you didn’t read it, so in the spirit of the holidays, please give it another chance!)
BEST-READ (not counting the 2014 medal projections and all related posts, which destroy all, and not counting 2012’s Single-Digit Soccer: Flunk the 2-3-1?, which still gets traffic)
5. Women’s soccer: Show me the money: Building off Allison McCann’s piece on NWSL salaries and her ill-timed piece on Tyresö.
4. Wrong time to suspend Hope Solo: If nothing else, I confused people who think I wish nothing but ill on the USA’s controversial keeper.
3. Washington Spirit vs. FC Kansas City: Goal rush: An early game for the Spirit and an atypical game in retrospect, rolling over the eventual champions with a first-half surge instead of waiting until Minute 90something to conjure up an unlikely result.
2. Single-Digit Soccer: Give U10 travel the boot: This will be one of the big issues in my book.
1. Remembering Dan Borislow: Once the shock of the news passed, I wrote a remembrance of the former WPS magicJack owner that I hope captured his complexities.
(Hey — no pro/rel posts!)
MOST OVERLOOKED
MLS, USA and Canada 2022: One vision: A few offbeat suggestions for soccer’s future along with a couple of current trends. And Peter Wilt as FIFA president.
NWSL: Spirit, Breakers and the end of reality: One of the craziest women’s soccer games of the year.
An offbeat proposal for NWSL 2015: Solving the scheduling dilemma.
MLS: Time to quit playing hardball: Written nine months before the CBA talks really got underway.
UFC, MLS, markets and monopolies: Why the MLS lawsuit is a bad precedent for the fighters now suing the UFC.
Why I prefer the Olympics to the World Cup: Really. Includes a good John Oliver clip.
College athlete unions, paying players and unasked questions: Not just picking a fight with Jay Bilas.
‘Enduring Spirit’ epilogue: Thoughts from Diana Matheson: Hey, she was nice enough to respond to my postseason questions. Read them!
U.S. Open Cup: Top 14 teams and upset history: See the spreadsheet!
Break up the Olympics: Let all four U.S. bid cities host the Games.
War on Nonrevenue Sports returns: USOC gearing up: Has anyone noticed that sports other than football and basketball are endangered on college campuses?
STUFF I WROTE ELSEWHERE
A little knowledge on the USA TODAY layoffs: Essentially a pointed rebuttal to some guy who thought he knew what was going on.
Weird Al-related question: Lamest claims to fame: In which I point out my strange connections to everyone from Kim Basinger to George Will to Ben Folds.
Why we believe utter crap: Political scientist Brendan Nyhan has figured it out.
Leon Sebring Dure III: 1931-2014: My father’s life as a Marine, designated hitter opponent, survivor, and man who showed his love for the world with a sense of responsibility.
In defense of the Spin Doctors: Seriously.
Farewell to Landon Donovan: My memories of covering the legend.
Most Essential Simpsons Episodes of the Last 5 Seasons: Written to coincide with the marathon.
More from me at OZY.
In the New Year, expect a lot of Single-Digit Soccer and the start of the 2016 medal projections. Can’t wait.
Duresport.com 