Again, I am concerned about football in America. And I'm referring to the version played with the feet and a round ball. I did not used to worry about Major League Soccer (MLS). It was a league that simmered on the American sports scene, and as a long-time fan of the game I knew that this league was second-tier, at best. Things changed in 2007.
In January of that year it was announced that one of the game's biggest names, David Beckham would be joining the LA Galaxy. Instantaneously MLS jumped up a notch on the American sports landscape. Non-football fans knew who Beckham was and even if they did not jump on the MLS bandwagon, they became familiar with the league's newest acquisition.
What happened immediately after the Galaxy signed Beckham is that television networks started adding MLS matches to the US national television schedule. ESPN and the Fox Soccer Channel upped their number of MLS matches and it no longer became a chore for an American fan to find the sport on the air.
As a former ESPN employee, I heard from former co-workers about how much Beckham/MLS coverage did for their ratings. While MLS matches did not come close to the levels of the NBA and NFL games, the coverage was a success. What happened next is what could spell trouble for MLS.
The folks at ESPN are looking at their MLS coverage as their path to a global television presence. They want to bring international football to America and, in the process, take ESPN to Europe, Asia and so on. This season ESPN has started showing live English Premier League and Spanish La Liga games. If you couple this with the coverage of the Uefa and World Cup qualifying matches, the amount we can watch has grown dramatically from the pre-Beckham era.
DirecTV, the largest satellite broadcast outlet in America, has likewise upped the ante with its coverage. DirecTV viewers can watch games on ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta. Furthermore, live Uefa matches are shown on DirecTV. You can watch not just selected matches - you can watch every match.
Let me paint the picture for you. Last week I was able to watch 10 Uefa matches - four Premier League matches - three La Liga matches-three Serie A matches and two Bundesliga matches. All live. This is over the course of seven days. I do not have time to watch them all so I record a handful and watch a few live. By Sunday evening, I am spent. I am full. My appetite has been more that satisfied. What is the one thing missing here?
MLS.
Why would I spend my time watching an inferior product when I can watch Barcelona, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid? The battle to find quality football is over in America. It is established and it is growing. The MLS is no longer just competing with the big four North American sports, it is battling the Premier League.
I am curious to see if MLS teams try even harder to acquire players like Thierry Henry and other international stars who have gone on record that they would consider a move to the US. If the NY Red Bulls had Henry, would I be more likely to watch them? Maybe, but not for long.
The thing the MLS should do in the battle for support is embrace the local fans. The Seattle Sounders have done that and the stands are packed for every home game. Other teams such as Columbus and Toronto are doing the same.
As a fan of the beautiful game, this has been a great time for me. That being said, the league that I want to see thrive, MLS, now has another major obstacle in its constant fight to remain relevant.
@Email:ppabst@thenational.ae
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
