Was that Morgan Campbell talking Messi, Pro Wrestling and The World Cup Final on CBC’s Commotion? Of Course it Was…

First, an update:

Making a subtle change to the way I use this website.

If you know me, then you know my work appears in a lot of places. To the extent that I have fans, it’s tough for them to keep track of what I’m doing because sometimes I’m writing for CBC, and other times I’m calling fights on DAZN, and still others I’m co-hosting talks with brilliant local authors like I. Augustus Durham. It’s hectic, but it’s a living.

It’s also a tough way to build a community, so in the coming weeks I’ll start re-sharing my work here, just to keep current and future website subscribers updated, and to lend some sorely-needed structure and continuity to my professional life.

Now, to answer everyone’s first question:

No, I’m not a soccer expert.

As a journalist, I’ve put my time in for sure. Twenty summers ago the Toronto Star sent me to Miami, where Romario, the aging Brazilian superstar, had just signed with a local A-League team in a quest to rack up 1000 career goals. The next two years, still at the Star, I covered Toronto FC’s first steps as a new MLS franchise. The boss essentially saddled me with that beat as my punishment for being the youngest person in the department, but I had fun. My run as a soccer writer coincided with the dawn of Major League Soccer’s David Beckham Era, and we had a budget back then — preseason camps in South Carolina and a couple of trips to LA, all on the company.

What a time.

But yes, that was a generation ago. Print outlets don’t always have fly-beat-reporters-to-the-west-coast money, and I don’t deal with soccer much unless my friends from CBC’s Commotion call. Then I fire up my hottest takes and let them fly for audiences on the radio, on YouTube, and wherever folks give away podcasts for free.

So Monday morning I took the go train to CBC HQ to chop it up with some actual soccer experts — Matt Amha, the culture critic; Shireen Ahmed, my fav quasi co-worker; El Amin Abdelmahmoud, Commotion’s host. Convo lasted half an hour, plus stoppage time, and I strongly recommend that everybody click this link and let the whole segment play.

But it’s also 2026, and every writer, comedian, influencer and TV host you can think of is living in a C.R.E.A.M. economy.

Clips Rule Everything Around Me.

So embedded below, and teed up to the time stamp, is my riff on Donald Trump’s meddling in the USA-Belgium match, and the depressing lesson we’re all about to learn from the caper.

(SUBSCRIBERS READING VIA EMAIL CLICK HERE)

From there, if you have spent any time on the Internet this decade, you know the drill. Watch the video, enjoy the conversation, then like and subscribe.

To Commotion and to this site, too.

It’s about to get busier around here.

— If you liked this post and want to read more, please click the “subscribe button” below. And if you *really* liked it and want to buy my book, visit the BUY MY BOOK page to explore your options.