The end of this year's World Cup competition left many fans without emotional resources. Some were left staring at TVs and hiring someone to periodically yell “goooooooooal”. ... The score of the Germany-Brazil semi-final match caused a lot of confusion. When it reached 7-0, I was chatting with a friend on Facebook. “How’s the game?” he wrote. I responded,  “Pretty good; Germany is ahead by a touchdown.” I’m not really sure what the over/under was on the game …. And as the sports calendar progresses, we move from the World Cup, in which many countries around the world participate, to this fall’s World Series, in which athletes from  many of the United States play

Authorities are on the lookout for the Brazilian World Cup Soccer team, believed to be missing. The men who showed up for this week’s loss to Germany are presumed to be imposters. It has been extremely difficult to track their whereabouts. Initial efforts have produced the Holy Grail and the grave of Jimmy Hoffa, but failed in pinning down the athletes’ location. … The drama in the new movie, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” is cut short after the humans win when the ape army is attacked by a simian strand of mange.

England’s Queen Elizabeth, a fan of the hit TV show, visited the set of the “Game of Thrones” in Northern Ireland recently. After her visit, Prince Charles complained bitterly to his mom that never gets to play. Hey; he should be thankful her favorite show isn’t “Breaking Bad”. She might let him play that. … Apparently 39 individuals cashed in on bets that Uruguay soccer player Luis Suarez would bite someone during the World Cup. He bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during their match.  American baseball fans say Suarez was frustrated with the general lack of action in soccer.

General Motors has recalled all its cars. "We decided it would just be simpler," CEO Mary Barra said after a series of recalls on new manufactures. The U.S. government is considering combating Sunni militants in Iraq by giving each of them a new G.M. automobile, sort of an automotive version of the I.E.D. (improvised explosive device). ...  I have always been put off at the thought of running a marathon. An event in which the first guy who tried it died just never struck me as a good idea.