Tim Spiers

6 days ago | nytimes.com | Tim Spiers

Welcome to Row Z, The Athletic 's weekly column that shines a light on the bonkers side of the game. From clubs to managers, players to organisations, every Friday we'll bring you the absurdities, the greed, the contradictions, the preposterousness and the oddities of the game we all love... Singing from the same hymn sheetA tale of two differing viewpoints from Chelsea to kick us off this week.

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Tim Spiers

They were 5-1 down. Five one. And not to an average or rubbish team like Southampton (other rubbish teams are available), but to Paris Saint-Germain, the best side in France by a country chateau, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia et al. "And that closes the door on Aston Villa," said commentator Jon Champion on Amazon Prime, the UK broadcaster for the competition, after Nuno Mendes put PSG 2-0 up on the night. It was all over bar the shouting (and there was lots of that).

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Tim Spiers

Putney Bridge station in south-west London is overwhelmingly busy at 10am. What's going on? Are Fulham playing at home in the Premier League just up the road? Is there a half-price sale on matcha green tea cream frappuccino blended beverage coffees with soya milk? Nope, something different. There are police officers everywhere, but they're not armed with batons or riot shields, they're in boats and on bikes, relaxed and chatting to the public.

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Tim Spiers

Have you ever witnessed a miracle? An extraordinary and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws, and is therefore attributed to a divine agency? You know, turning water into wine, parting a sea, Leicester City winning the Premier League... that kind of thing. The Athletic and 31,150 others witnessed first-hand a genuinely astonishing occurrence at the Amex Stadium on Saturday... Leicester City scored a football goal. Next thing, the blind will see and the lame will walk.

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Tim Spiers

You get two long, thin, canoe-type structures, stick nine people in them and then row along the River Thames in London for 15 minutes or so. Sounds pretty basic, yes? Well, it is, but then so is running on a track for 100 metres or hitting a ball with a bat. As with all great sporting events, the beauty of the Boat Race is in its simplicity, but there is so much more to this historic race.