Eoin Kelly’s striking. Ronaldinho’s flicks. Brian O’Driscoll’s running with the ball in hand. Enjoy the aesthetic experience, says a Stanford professor of literature. Michael Moynihan found out how an eighteenth century philosopher explains the appeal of sport.

IN the worst case, a war with Iraq could cost the United States almost as much as the government spent in the last budget year — nearly $2 trillion, according to new projections.