One Year Ago on The Run of Play

Five seconds of prophecy: Light posting at best through the weekend. Everything will be back in order soon. In the meantime, why not enjoy these top favorites from the last time your Far Side desk calendar put the word “February” next to a picture of mutually aggravating bears.

• Portrait of Iker Casillas
  “Iker Casillas is the most comforting player in football, because, playing the most terrifying role, he’s better than anyone else at escaping when he’s out of position, in trouble and alone.”
• The Old, Weird Everywhere
  How Bristol Rovers came to use an old American suicide ballad as their club song.
• Breaking Down the Barclays Premier League Email Autoreply System, Part One
  A “No to Game 39” petition elicits some interesting responses from the automated email systems of Premier League clubs.
• Breaking Down the Barclays Premier League Email Autoreply System, Part Two
  In which I am challenged to a duel by the automated email system of Arsenal.
• Breaking Down the Barclays Premier League Email Autoreply System, Part Three
  Pistols at dawn with the Arsenal email autoreply system.