The politically and emotionally charged term ''terrorism'' comes from the French terrorisme, which means terror, great fear and dread, and is related to the Latin verb terrere, to frighten.
The dust has hardly settled after the controversial BothaSBW fight and already organisers have asked the dubious South African boxer to step into a New Zealand ring once again.
It's time to get the court shoes out from the back of the closet, go for a few runs, and dust off the skirt that thousands of women will be wearing as the netball season gets under way.
The NZRU has laid its cards on the table and unveiled six ambitious goals in a ''Towards 2016'' document which reveals a changing rugby landscape.
Will it be a case of third time lucky for the Highlanders as they face the Chiefs in Hamilton tomorrow night?
The latest drama to hit Australian sport is the controversial suspension of cricketers Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, James Pattinson and Usman Khawaja for the third test against India.
Are we seeing the end of an era for New Zealand softball at Rosedale Park? Gone are the days of world domination for the Black Sox which came to a screeching halt in 2009, when Australia's Steelers took over as world champion.
Women's rugby had Melodie Robinson, tennis had Anna Kournikova (and still has Maria Sharapova), motor racing has Danica Patrick, and mixed martial arts now has a new champion for women keen to enter the cage, with Ronda Rousey defending her UFC title recently.
The relationship between culture and performance in sport is a fickle thing.
We're only in the second month of the new year and already evidence of systemic corruption in high-profile sports has hogged the headlines.
Another Waitangi Day has passed and, for some, it was yet another day at work, a holiday, an opportunity to reflect on our nation's history, or a day to debate race relations and what it means to be a New Zealander.
Gillies Kaka and Rocky Khan will be experiencing the Wellington sevens tournament this weekend as the newest members of the New Zealand team.
Last week, I was inspired by Jody Foster's plea during her Golden Globe acceptance speech for us to realise how precious a thing is privacy.
The confession box has been rather busy this week. Lance Armstrong confessed to doping during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, and Jodie Foster confessed to being gay as part of her acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes.
It is the exception rather than the rule for professional athletes to juggle the transition from player to coach, as Ryan Nelsen has with the recent announcement that he will be the head coach of Toronto FC, in America's Major League Soccer, while still contracted to Queen's Park Rangers as a player.
Last week, I talked about a new year being all about untapped potential. But I wonder if 2013 could be considered a bit of a sporting anti-climax after the frenzy caused by the Rugby World Cup in 2011, and celebrations associated with the London Olympics in 2012.
What is potential and when do we know we have it? This profound question came to me while watching the movie Boy on Christmas Day, after overindulging on festive food yet again.
How do you fairly slice up the traditional pudding (which hasn't increased in size since last season) even though there are more eager guests around the table awaiting their portion?
The interaction between Black Caps coach Mike Hesson and recently dumped captain Ross Taylor must have been like watching a recipient of an unwanted Christmas gift straining to make all the right noises of appreciation until enough time had passed for it to be exchanged.
While couch potatoes and armchair critics endlessly debate the reasons why the All Blacks lost to England, the outcome of the curtain-closer between the Black Ferns and the England women's team hardly caused a ripple.