Aryna Sabalenka has responded strongly to comments made by her first-round opponent Teodora Kostovic at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships, with the Belarusian also coming under criticism from some fans for her own reaction to the situation. The World No. 1 spoke after her win over McCartney Kessler secured her place in the third round.
Before their opening-round clash on Monday, Kostovic had expressed confidence ahead of the match, saying she wanted to “see if Sabalenka can deal with my power” and backing herself to cause an upset. However, the Belarusian proved too strong on the day, winning 6-2, 6-3.
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Following the match, Aryna Sabalenka was asked again in her post-match press conference about Kostovic’s pre-match remarks and gave a firm response:
“I think it was more like she was trying to trick herself and she was just trying to boost that self belief that she actually didn’t have. Sometimes you have to really fake it til you make it. Sometimes you have to stay grounded and be real and work with what you have.”
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“So for me that message was a bit.. I would understand if it would be reasonable. But like I went in the match and was like… ‘Which power was she talking about?’ Sometimes it works if you actually have that self belief. If you’re just trying to fake it and you don’t actually believe in it, it’s not gonna work,” she added.
Fans were quick to take to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize Aryna Sabalenka, with one user writing:
“She is World no 1. She should be empowering female players and giving them confidence and instead – she is making fun of them calling them fake. What a shame. Worst No. 1.”
“Damn!!!! 💔💔 this’s so bad from her.. a leader, a number 1; you should be motivating the rising stars, the young players not spitting venomous savage on them, this’s absolutely disappointing message from a supposed-to-be professional idol,” another wrote.
“Oh Aryna give us a breakkkk woman you won you’re World No. 1. RELAX, ….SHE’S 18. Literally let the kid be … it’s not that deep,” one account posted.
“Narcissistic Projection right here,” another added.
“Rybakina has to be a new number one. She would never say such stupid and arrogant to other tennis players,” one fan commented.
Aryna Sabalenka set to face off against Jelena Ostapenko in Wimbledon 2026 3R
Aryna Sabalenka pictured at Wimbledon 2026 | Image Source: Getty
Aryna Sabalenka has advanced to the third round of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships after defeating Teodora Kostovic and McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6(9). She is now set to face Jelena Ostapenko in the next round, with the Latvian coming in off solid wins over Harriet Dart and Antonia Ruzic.
If Sabalenka gets past Ostapenko, she could face Naomi Osaka in the fourth round, followed by a potential quarterfinal clash with Karolina Muchova. Jessica Pegula may await her in the semifinals, while Elena Rybakina or defending champion Iga Swiatek could emerge as possible final opponents.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts to a call during Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series vs Philadelphia 76ers, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The Boston Celtics will send star forward Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for veteran Paul George in a blockbuster NBA trade, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Boston will also receive two first-round draft picks and two second-round picks in the deal.
The news emerged on the first full day of the NBA’s free agency negotiating period, but days after reports that Brown had been mentioned as part of a trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo — who was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat.
The 29-year-old Brown reached the playoffs in each of his 10 seasons in Boston, including six appearances in the Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals appearances.
He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in 2025-26 as the Celtics claimed the second seed in the Eastern Conference, but they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the 76ers.
His outstanding play saw the Celtics defy predictions they would tread water with Jayson Tatum sidelined as he recovered from an Achilles injury.
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Belgium’s Youri Tielemans (8) celebrates after scoring during the World Cup Round of 32 match against Senegal. (AP Photo)
Belgium produced one of the greatest escapes of the FIFA World Cup 2026, overturning a two-goal deficit with three late goals — including the latest goal in World Cup history — to beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time and storm into the Round of 16 on Wednesday.Just moments away from elimination, the Red Devils mounted an extraordinary fightback, with substitute Romelu Lukaku igniting the comeback before Youri Tielemans struck twice, including a dramatic penalty deep into stoppage time of extra time to send Belgium through.The victory also marked only the second time in the last 11 FIFA World Cups that a team trailing by two or more goals in a knockout match recovered to advance. Ironically, Belgium were responsible for the other such comeback too, when they rallied from 2-0 down to beat Japan 3-2 in the 2018 Round of 16.
Belgium looked destined for a shock exit after Senegal dominated much of the contest.Habib Diarra opened the scoring in the 25th minute before Ismaila Sarr doubled Senegal’s advantage six minutes into the second half with one of the goals of the tournament. Sarr controlled Moussa Niakhate’s long pass with a brilliant first touch before calmly beating veteran goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to make it 2-0.Courtois then kept Belgium alive with a string of crucial saves as Senegal threatened to put the contest beyond doubt.Belgium’s revival finally began in the 86th minute when all-time leading scorer Romelu Lukaku, introduced from the bench, pulled one back.Just three minutes later, Youri Tielemans fired home the equaliser in the 89th minute to stun Senegal and force extra time.With a penalty shootout only seconds away, Tielemans was brought down inside the box in the dying moments of extra time. Following a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot.The Belgian midfielder calmly converted in the fifth minute of stoppage time in extra time, scoring the latest goal in FIFA World Cup history and completing one of the competition’s most remarkable knockout comebacks.
Senegal left heartbroken after VAR drama
Senegal’s players were left devastated after seeing victory slip away in dramatic fashion.Coach Pape Thiaw chose not to criticise the decisive penalty decision.“I do not want to interpret the decision. We all have different interpretations when it comes to awarding a penalty,” Thiaw said. “I’d rather not comment, not interpreting the referee’s decision,” he said.The Senegal players surrounded the referee after the award, with defender Pathe Ciss even lying on top of the penalty spot in protest before eventually moving aside for the kick.Reflecting on the collapse, Thiaw admitted Belgium capitalised when it mattered most.“It is a cruel loss, as we were good in the game. We had the advantage. We were leading 2-0. However a football match is not an 85-minute one. Belgium came back, and we were not able to deal with that … We must congratulate Belgium as they progress,” he said.He also explained his team’s reaction to the decisive VAR call.“Well, when the penalty was awarded, we had our own interpretation. We believed that there was no penalty. The players tried to challenge the decision. It’s their right. And, then the penalty was taken. And, this is why we were eliminated,” he added.
Jun 6, 2026; College Park, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream guard Te-Hina Paopao (2) dribbles against Washington Mystics guard Georgia Amoore (8) at Gateway Center at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
It’s probably a good thing the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics had a few days off. They both needed the recovery time.
They’ll be back in action when they meet Thursday night in Washington.
The Dream (12-7) are looking for a turnaround. They hadn’t lost back-to-back games this season until dropping three straight on their West Coast — with Saturday’s 105-90 loss at Seattle the most recent setback.
“It’s still early in the season, so these are the types of things you want to experience early so you can learn from them so when it gets to playoff time, it’s not too late,” said Dream guard Allisha Gray.
The Mystics (9-9) lost two in a row before Sunday’s 124-123 four-overtime survival against visiting Portland, which tied the WNBA record for most overtimes in a game.
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“I’ve never experienced this,” Mystics coach Sydney Johnson said. “Love the resiliency. … I thought our Mystics were outstanding just in terms of never quitting. It’s easy to get discouraged. They didn’t.”
Four Washington players logged 47 or more minutes in the Portland game.
Despite the grueling nature of the Mystics’ most recent game, Johnson believes there will be long-term benefits for his players.
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“You can put a lot in the memory bank and add to the experience that they’re having,” Johnson said. “That’s going to add to the film work and court sessions.”
Part of the growth for the Mystics might have been seen in Michaela Onyenwere, who has played 14 games in her first season with Washington. She scored 30 points in 49 minutes against Portland.
The Mystics might be short-handed after starting guard Georgia Amoore left Sunday’s game with a right knee ailment. She played only 12 minutes and is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game. Top scorer Sonia Citron (18.6 ppg), who poured in 32 points in 53 minutes against the Fire, also is questionable with a sore right knee.
Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard is coming off a 27-point outburst versus Seattle. Gray eclipsed the 4,500-point mark for her career in that game.
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The Dream defeated visiting Washington 109-77 on June 6 with five players — led by Howard’s 19 points — scoring in double figures. The visit from the Dream marks the second game in a four-game homestand for Washington.
Belgium staged an extraordinary second-half comeback to eliminate Senegal 3-2 in an epic Round of 32 encounter in Seattle, advancing to the last 16 after Youri Tielemans’ coolly converted penalty in extra time. The Diables Rouges erased a two-goal deficit in a remarkable turnaround that sends them through despite Senegal’s dominant first-half display.
Steve Nelson takes up the role of managing director of Serco Leisure today (1 July 2026), following 18 years with the company where he has progressed through many roles, most recently director of leisure.
Serco Leisure operates more than 55 facilities in the UK, including the national sports centres at Lilleshall, Bisham Abbey, Stoke Mandeville Stadium – the birthplace of the Paralympic movement – and Alexander Stadium, a venue which will stage the European Athletics Championships in August this year.
Speaking on his appointment, Nelson says: “It is a privilege to lead an organisation I know so well and care deeply about. I believe that my appointment also reflects our commitment to developing and supporting internal talent, creating opportunities for our people to grow, thrive and reach their full potential within Serco.
“Serco Leisure has achieved significant success in recent years, and I look forward to building on that momentum. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Simon Lane for the support he has given me personally and also the wider leisure business over the past five years.
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“My focus will be on continuing to deliver outstanding health and wellbeing services for our clients and communities, while driving sustainable growth and supporting our talented teams to achieve their full potential.”
Simon Bailey, managing director of Serco’s parent division says: “Steve’s appointment is a well-earned progression, reflecting both his depth of experience in the sector and his long- standing commitment to Serco.
“Having progressed from managing leisure facilities into senior leadership roles, Steve brings a strong understanding of our operations, our people, and the values that underpin our delivery of public services.”
Outgoing managing director, Simon Lane, has joined UK holiday park operator, Verdant Leisure as CEO.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero has become the youngest player since at least 1900 to homer in six straight games.
Caminero hit a 425-foot shot to left off Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo in the first inning on Wednesday night for his 24th homer of the season. The Rays star will celebrate his 23rd birthday on Sunday.
The youngest player before Caminero to homer in six straight games was Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr., who did it at the age of 23 in 1993.
The only other players since 1900 to homer in as many as five consecutive games before their 23rd birthday were San Francisco’s Jack Clark in 1978, Atlanta’s Brian McCann in 2006 and Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2018.
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Caminero becomes the first player to homer in six straight games since Rafael Devers did it for Boston in May 2024. Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber, Detroit’s Spencer Torkelson and the Chicago White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami had all homered in five straight games this season.
The only other Tampa Bay player ever to go deep in six straight games was Carlos Pena in June 2010, according to Sportradar.
Caminero has eight homers over his last six games. He began this stretch by going deep three times in a 13-2 victory over Kansas City on Thursday.
Youri Tielemans struck a 125th-minute penalty as Belgium remarkably rallied from two goals down and ultimately defeated Senegal 3-2 after extra time to keep alive their World Cup title hopes that had looked dead and buried.
Senegal’s Lamine Camara slid in on Tielemans as the ball flashed across the face of goal and conceded the spot-kick after a VAR review, with the Belgian picking out the top corner to complete an extraordinary comeback.
Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr had given Senegal a deserved 2-0 lead and they looked to be cruising through to the last 16 before Belgium netted twice in the final four minutes through Romelu Lukaku and Tielemans to force extra time.
Youri Tielemans led Belgium to a dramatic victory (Reuters)
It was cruel on Senegal, who controlled much of the 90 minutes and also struck the woodwork twice, but could not see out the game.
They became the fourth African side to bow out in a narrow defeat in the last 32 after South Africa, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and will wonder how they managed to let this one slip away.
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They were inches away from the lead early on when Ismail Jakobs’ cross from the left was only parried by Thibaut Courtois, but a stretching Sarr could only steer the loose ball onto the post.
When the African side did break the deadlock in the 25th minute it was no surprise. Sadio Mane’s cross was headed goalwards by Sarr, but his effort came off the post again. This time the loose ball fell kindly for Diarra, and he side-footed home from seven yards.
Senegal were cruising at 2-0 up (Getty)
Maxim De Cuyper forced an excellent save from Senegal goalkeeper Mory Diaw with a shot that looked to be heading into the top corner as Belgium trailed at the break.
Belgium brought on Lukaku for the ineffective Charles De Ketelaere at half-time, but were soon 2-0 down. A stunning long pass from Moussa Niakhate was brilliantly controlled on the chest of Sarr, who held off two defenders before thundering the ball into the net.
Belgium struggled to create clear-cut chances until the final five minutes, and almost out of nowhere turned the game on its head by netting twice in three minutes.
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First Lukaku turned the ball in at the near post from Thomas Meunier’s low cross and Leandro Trossard’s ball into the box from deep was headed into the net by Tielemans after a terrible decision from Diaw to come off his line.
Trossard and Tielemands had been involved in a heated exchange earlier in the match but it was all smiles and hugs when the equaliser went in, before Tielemans was central again in the winner – earning and converting the spot-kick.
New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge may not be able to play for his squad right now, but that doesn’t mean he’s looking away from the poor performances they’ve had of late.
Judge was straight-forward with his response to the Yankees dropping six games before their series finale against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday afternoon in the Bronx.
“Well, it’s not great,” he said after his team’s woes. “Just a little lack of focus. We just gotta dial it in. Our ultimate goal is to win a World Series. I think guys have to remember that every single day they show up here, we’re here to win a World Series.”
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees sits in the dugout before a game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, Calif., on May 29, 2026.(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Judge didn’t specifically go into what the lack of focus is, but he followed up by saying, “I think you guys see it.”
Judge, who has been on the injured list with a rib injury, believes getting that elusive 28th world championship for the franchise should be enough motivation to right the ship.
“That should motivate you every single day you step on that field, no matter what happens, no matter what happens the day before,” he added. “I got a job to do. We’ve got an important sign when you walk out on the field. It’s the last sign you see before you’re out there: it says ‘do your job.’ Guys are here to do their job.”
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Judge’s pre-game speech didn’t result in snapping that losing streak on Wednesday. They fell to Detroit 6-2 in 11 innings, where four runs were scored in the top of the 11th by the Tigers.
The Yankees have dropped seven straight and eight of their last 10 games to fall three games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the lead in the AL East.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees reacts after being ejected in the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass., on June 28, 2026.(Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
Yes, the Yankees remain in clear playoff position, sitting atop the American League Wild Card standings despite the skid. But, while the AL has been mediocre this season, it’s still a tight race as other teams are starting to get right.
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New York could certainly use their captain back on the field, but there’s no timetable for his return and he didn’t have anything positive to say about his rehab in terms of putting the pinstripes back on soon.
“You know how it goes around here — guys can feel good, feel bad, but you’ve got to wait on images,” Judge said about his rib. The Yankees said when he was diagnosed with the injury that they would get additional imaging done roughly four-to-six weeks later.
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, who is injured, runs drills in the outfield before a baseball game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, Thursday, July 31, 2025, in New York.(AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
“There’s no need to talk about this now,” Judge said. “I know it’s an important topic and a big issue, but I want to give you guys the full story.”
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The story right now for the Yankees is a bleak one, but there’s a lot of season left to play. Perhaps the All-Star break, which begins July 13, could be a good reset as they look to get back to their winning ways.
Earlier this year the world’s top-ranked Scotsman, top-ranked lefty and best-golfer-who-moonlights-as-a-shinty-player joined me on the practice tee to run through his warmup routine. He revealed a thing or two about how he sees the world in the process.
Here’s what I learned from Robert MacIntyre on the latest episode of Warming Up.
Watch below, or read on . . . or better yet, do both!
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1. The gym isn’t his enemy anymore
“When I first came out I was against it all,” MacIntyre says as he begins his session. “I was like, I’m not doing that. I’m young enough. But I had a few injuries, lower back, like most golfers, and I think that came from, one, not being strong enough to withstand the speed and the travel, and two, when I’m getting on the range I can just peg it up with the driver, I sometimes do that when I’m back home in the simulator, no warmup — and then that’s when I do get myself injured.”
MacIntyre says he and his team noticed that his scoring average was going up in morning rounds and figured that was due in part to his body struggling to wake up. They’ve reversed that with a more diligent pre-round routine.
“Warming up’s been important,” he adds somewhat reluctantly.
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I think that’s a decent tagline for the show.
2. He has a “wedge chart”
MacIntyre starts with his 60-degree and varies his specific wedge warmup but with the same goal — to dial in specific wedge feels.
“I’ve got a chart of how far I hit my wedges. So, like, a 9 o’clock feel, which normally goes 99 yards, give or take,” he says.
What does a 9 o’clock feel mean? MacIntyre takes his lead arm back until it’s parallel with the ground — like the hand hitting nine on a clock — “and then it’s full speed ahead.”
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3. He likes using the simulator to “reset”
MacIntyre’s home base is Scotland — more on that in a minute — but that doesn’t mean he’s grinding on the range in all manner of windy linksland conditions. Instead, he prefers the calm of the simulator when he’s home.
“My technique gets off with like, after [a] week playing in the wind,” MacIntyre says. “I know the tendencies, I’m going to get ahead of it, I’m gonna trap it, so I feel like the simulator is great for resetting, no wind no interference, flat surface and I can just work on technique.”
4. Still, flighting his wedges low is second nature
You can take Bob out of Scottish wind but you can’t take the Scottish wind out of Bob, or something like that.
“I’ve grown up in the wind, so it’s fairly easy,” MacIntyre says of keeping his wedges low in the wind. “Open up [my stance] a little bit. Your body will open up naturally. The ball goes back [in my stance] and then I just swing it, just drive through it.
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“Something I’ve not got a problem doing is hitting it low.”
What’s interesting is that MacIntyre says those two things are related; the more time he spends playing in the wind the more he gets leaning forward and the further back the ball goes in his stance — hence the need for a reset.
5. He needs a different routine than Tiger Woods
When Tiger Woods turned pro he moved to Isleworth, an Orlando-area club, and the rest was history. As for MacIntyre?
“I remember the first year out here on the PGA Tour, I was at this place in Orlando, practicing at Isleworth, but I was almost overdoing it. I was like, I’m going to go and practice, I’m going to go and practice, and then it was like, my game got worse. And I think some of it was motivation, like, why am I practicing? [In the offseason] it’s hard to be motivated because after a Ryder Cup and the Race to Dubai’s finished, you’re trying to slow down.”
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This has been a big part of MacIntyre’s story the last few years: finding what energizes him, what drains him, what helps him tick best.
“I find when I’m off at home, I like to spend time with family and friends and not touch the clubs too much unless Mike [his caddie] messages me and says, right, match at the simulator, then I’ll join up and play,” he says.
As for Woods’ routine?
“I’m not built the same as Tiger,” he says. “But look, everyone does it differently. I mean, look at Alex Noren. If I went and spent a day with Alex, my hands would be in bits the next day … for me, the biggest change in the last two years has been the mental side, and the happier I am off the golf course, I can bring that onto the golf course. So, yeah. Pretty simple.”
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6. His shot shape? Depends on the club
What’s MacIntyre’s preferred shot shape? It changes throughout the bag.
“I’m more draw-biased with the shorter clubs,” he says, holding his 9-iron. “And then more fade-biased with the longer irons.”
As for his woods?
“I’m a more neutral guy with the driver. I don’t like to shape the driver, like my stock shot would be very neutral to then allow me to maneuver it.”
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7. On the range he’s “finding zero”
Although MacIntyre has his preferred shot shapes (see above), during his pre-round range sessions he’s generally trying to hit it pretty straight.
“For me it’s all about finding zero, finding neutral on the range, and then when I go out and play I just go and play and don’t think about anything,” MacIntyre says. “But on the range I think about a little more, I try to get the club in a good spot … when I warm up I try and hit everything dead straight so that when I go on the golf course I know, well, if that’s straight [pointing to ball position], if I want to draw it, the ball goes back [in my stance], if I want to fade it, the ball goes up.
“I try and keep it as simple as I can.”
8. When he’s curving the ball, he’s thinking about one thing…
…where it’s going to finish.
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“I’m not a big technique guy … I’ve played golf long enough now, I know that to fade it the club’s got to go this way,” MacIntyre says, making an outside-to-in, left-to-right motion. “I don’t worry about how much it’s fading. Mike will always say where he wants me to finish it, he doesn’t ever tell me where to start it.
“Because I don’t even know where this thing’s going to start. As long as I put the shape on it and hit the distance.”
9. He looks at three numbers on a launch monitor
“Path, face angle, face-to-path. Those are my checkpoints,” MacIntyre says.
“Path” measures the direction the clubhead is traveling relative to the target line.
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“Face angle” measures the direction the face is pointing at impact, also relative to the target line.
And face-to-path measures the relationship between the above two numbers, which will tell you about curvature, sidespin, ball flight.
So is MacIntyre more artist or scientist?
“I would say I’m more of an artist, but I don’t back away from the science side of it,” he says. “I do like to make sure everything’s in line, make sure the clubs are right, make sure…there’s so much that goes into it now that it’s not just pitch up, play golf anymore.”
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10. “Life goes on”
It came out a few years back that MacIntyre was continuing to play other sports, particular shinty, which he describes as “field hockey without rules.” This implied that I would understand field hockey and its rules, which I do not, but I did pick up on the general sense of lawlessness involved. So why keep playing other sports when his livelihood depends on his physical well-being?
“Life goes on,” he says with a grin. “Like, this is my job. Playing other sports is my hobby.
“I remember getting asked in an interview at the Dunhill a few years ago, when it first came out, when people realized, ‘he’s still playing shinty, what’s he doing? Bit crazy.’
“But I remember the reporter, I know the exact guy, I remember his face, who said, ‘Why are you still playing shinty? And I didn’t even reply, I asked him a question, I go, ‘Well, let me ask you the question, what do you do in your spare time? You work as a reporter, what do you do Saturday, Sunday if you’re not reporting?’
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“He goes, ‘I play golf.’ I was like, ‘Exactly. Well, my job’s playing golf, so if I’m having two weeks off, what do I do in my spare time? Gotta do something.’
“At that point, I wasn’t into the gym. I wasn’t into doing things. So I was, like, ‘Well, I play shinty in my spare time, or go and do other sports, whether it’s squash, tennis, indoor football. Live my life. I don’t worry too much about the consequences. We’ll worry about that once we have to.”
That’s the Tao of MacIntyre: Live my life. Don’t worry about the consequences. Worry about that once we have to.
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