1) Kobe Bryant’s death shocked the sporting world. A highlights package here can barely do his talents justice but here’s a sample. We start with a young Bryant excelling for Lower Merion High School in their triumphant 1996 season, and a quick montage of his top 10 high school plays can be enjoyed here. Next stop was the Charlotte Hornets, where he didn’t play, but would repeatedly shine before his long, gilded career with the LA Lakers took off. In 2000 he bossed game four of the NBA finals after Shaquille O’Neal had been fouled out. Here’s his duel with Allen Iversen the following year as the Lakers saw off the Philadelphia 76ers to retain their crown. Kobe and Shaq were in full flow again a year later as the Lakers made it three titles in a row. His 81-point performance against the Raptors in 2006 merits many viewings. And here he is wowing a global audience at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. His garlanded career extended beyond the court of course, with his short film, Dear Basketball, winning an Academy Award in 2018.

2) It’s the 49ers v the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday. San Francisco lead the head-to-head 7-6 and have five Super Bowls to Kansas City’s one. But what a trip that one was, back in 1970, thanks to a take, spin and dash from Otis Taylor – lent even more gravitas by Martin Sheen’s narration. It more than made up for their defeat in Super Bowl I, where they were seen off by Green Bay.

The 49ers fended off the Bengals for their first championship in 1982, going 20-0 up and almost being reeled in, before securing a Joe Montana-inspired 26-21 victory – which owed no small part to Dan Bunz’s stunningly timed “Stop”. Super Bowl XIX saw Montana face off against another golden arm of the 80s – Miami’s Dan Marino. Once again the 49ers came out on top, as they did in 1989, 1990 and then their first of the post-Montana era in 1995, with former understudy Steve Young stepping into the breach to supply a stunning six touchdown passes.

They wouldn’t get another chance on the big stage until 2013, the “Harbaugh Bowl”, that saw San Francisco’s Jim in a coaching face off against his brother John, at the helm of Baltimore Ravens. The 49ers that day featured Colin Kaepernick, who was unable to prevent defeat but whose showreel from the day includes him giving it some serious heels for a superb touchdown.

Elsewhere – the best plays in Super Bowl history, one from every game, plus each game’s longest play.

3) Ott Tanak didn’t get off to the best start in his World Rally title defence as he crashed in dramatic fashion in Monte Carlo Rally. Thankfully he was unhurt, as was his co-driver Martin Jarveoja.

4) Completely normal behaviour here from Stuart Baxter, using one of his HBK players as a human punchbag back in the day.

5) We welcome the Six Nations back into our lives this weekend, after the thrills and spills of the World Cup (and the Saracens saga). It begins with the champions Wales hosting Italy, who have avoided defeat in Cardiff only once, in 2006’s 18-18 draw. France v England is always one to stir the blood: check out some 1950 footage of Les Bleus edging out England 6-3 on a football pitch at Colombes. Here’s France inaugurating the Stade de France in 1998 with a 24-17 win, while of fonder more recent vintage for England fans is the championship-clincher in Paris in 2016. And if it’s old-school Ireland v Scotland you want, here’s Ireland winning in muddy Dublin in 1939 and Scotland triumphing 20-6 there in 1962.

6) This week’s football absurdities: to get booked once in a passage of play might be considered unlucky; to get booked twice … Garforth Town’s Alex Lowe earns back-to-back yellows. Elsewhere on the non-league pyramid, are these acrobatics from Hemel Hempstead goalkeeper Sam Beasant. Over-caution or sarcasm? You decide. Meanwhile, this goalkeeper had a lucky reprieve from a passing animal, while another old mind-games favourite is back.

Our favourites from below the line last week

1) Lionel Messi, aged 16, playing in the Spanish third division.

2) Evel Knievel, the greatest hits.

3) Getting techy with the 10 pins.

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