Links in Nine Dimensions

Read Dave on MLS’s isolationst foreign policy.

Read Fredorrarci on Mark Lawrenson, the football pundit most likely to defend Sweeney Todd on the grounds that “getting your hair cut used to be a contact sport.” (Also, let’s not forget his literary work. Every time I finish one of the microparagraphs of distilled conventional wisdom that fill his weekly “Lawro’s Predictions” column, I hear a tiny bell chime once within my mind. Honestly, it’s like he’s discovered some hitherto unthinkable combination of logical positivism and a mystical oneness with all things. “[Tony Pulis] could be quite attacking as he might feel his side have a chance of getting something from Fratton Park. If not, they could be quite defensive.” It’s otherworldly.)

Read Paul Virgo on Ibrahimović’s goal and the contemporary art market.

Read Richard Williams on whether football will be a casualty of the current economic crisis.

Speaking of which, Richard Whittall is making me feel guilty for selling out to the online bar stools industry.

This one isn’t massively relevant to the larger world of the sport, but I really enjoyed Notts County midfielder Gavin Strachan’s latest blog post about life in the lower leagues. Strachan’s blog for the BBC is one of the most appealing player blogs; this one ends with an account of his son at an under-eights game that really made me laugh.

Oh, yeah, and the UEFA Cup group draw is out. Doesn’t look great for Heerenveen. For some reason, this has been the fourth top story on the front page of ESPN.com all day. Does anyone know why?