Readers of contentions may imagine that all I think about, all day long, is world affairs. Actually, while I study foreign policy and military history for a living, they’re not my only passions. Behind my ostensibly “serious” exterior lurks the soul of a wannabe sportswriter that occasionally breaks out. For the latest outbreak, check out this essay. I find, by the way, that my infrequent forays into sports commentary occasion more reader response than my more sober writings. Perhaps I’m in the wrong profession. Wonder if there’s a Council on Football Relations somewhere that might be looking for a senior fellow?