After Atalanta

I've been accumulating thoughts about the WWC as I watch--just haven't gotten a chance to get it down. So I saw--last week--Equatorial Guinea's first game of the tournament. Kudos to the commentators on ESPN for actually mentioning the allegations that several players for the team are men. I have heard other media outlets (NPR's Only a Game, for example) also talk about it. So that's good. Alas one of the ESPN guys, after noting in the pre-game commentary that two of the three accused players were not playing this tournament, urged us all to put that all aside to think about the soccer. There were other interesting moments in that pre-game; and they seem to involve Brandi Chastain. First, on the shallower and more catty side of things, what's up with the hair? Someone needs to start a blog that deconstructs all of the Chastain's hair-dos this tournament. During this pre-game: several French braids ending in a long ponytail. She looked like a high school soft...

A new and very interesting photography exhibit opened in Paris last week. " Hijab in Sports " is being organized by photographer Maryam Amouzgar who has been documenting Muslim women in sports for over a decade. The exhibit is in Paris but sponsored by Iran's House of Culture and will end later this week. So if you happen to be in Paris, check it out. Hopefully it will be well received and perhaps shown in other cities.