Something From The Weekend: Tottenham Hotspur; Somerset; Miami Marlins

The Good, The Bad and The Odd

The Good: Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs started the season slowly but yesterday they filleted Liverpool's pretensions in memorable fashion. Kenny Dalglish has been hailed since his return to Anfield – perhaps more out of relief than anything else – but, given the money spent, the club's owners will surely soon want more. Then again, if they intend to qualify for the Champions League a little more investment might be in order. Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp is giving Tottenham's supporters what they have always craved: excitement without the nerve-jangling bother of ever actually challenging for serious trophies. Still, it's all about coming fourth these days, isn't it?

The Bad: Somerset

At some stage, pity becomes contempt. A run of defeats is one thing, losing six major competitions in three years suggests something is not quite right down at Taunton. Yesterday's beating was as bad as any they have suffered of late in that it never really looked like they were going to win. A strong batting line-up simply dissolved before Surrey's greater nerve ensured a successful chase. Somerset are a club, remember, who have never won the County Championship: when you look at the team they have now, the problem seems to be more one of approach than talent. Every season begins with optimism but realism is more productive: perhaps someone less genial, more cut-throat than Marcus Trescothick is needed as skipper.

The Odd: Miami Marlins

American sporting institutions are generally rather less set in stone than their British counterparts (with the exception of the loathsome MK Dons) – so the decision to change the baseball team's name from Florida to Miami Marlins is, to use the local parlance, no biggie. It does serve as a useful reminder, however, of when baseball teams have changed their monikers in the past. ESPN's informative website tells us that Southern California's Angels have been the Los Angeles, California and Anaheim Angels in the past before settling on Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Hmm. Better still are the Cincinnati Reds, who became the Redlegs during the McCarthyite purges of the '50s. They became the Reds again in 1960.