FESTIVE SEASON

FESTIVE SEASON

It's the Festive Season so I've been a bit slack with my blogging but I'm sure you don't mind. I will definitely be putting in more effort after the Christmas/New Years bonanza is over! In the meantime some highlights over the last week or so have been:

• Shane Watson finally breaking the Aussie Century Hoodoo. How lucky was he though, getting dropped on 99. It was a sitter as well he made an absolute meal of it! Well done though even though I'm not a fan of Watson.
• Chelsea have totally ruined any chance of kicking away in the Premiership. They have had plenty of chances to do so but now find themselves in a tug of war with Manchester United and Arsenal.
• Willie Mason is still struggling to find an NRL team to play for! Sorry Willie no one wants an absolute moron in their football club.
• This Monday morning should be a cracker when the NFL plays their last regular season matches. So many teams have a chance to make the playoffs. With all of the matches on the same day it could come down to the last minute of any game to catch the last spot in the playoffs. I love these days it's so exciting, especially if the team you support is involved!
• The tennis is looming and since I'm from Australia all the big name players are coming down under. You will definitely be reading more about the tennis in the weeks to come. Maybe even some photos from my time at the Medibank International
• College Football Bowl Season is well under way. I can't wait for Alabama v Texas BCS Matchup and also Tebows last ever College game for Florida. It will be an emotional day with Tebow leaving and Coach Meyer stepping down. I somehow don't think the Gators will be losing this one!

Hope you all enjoy your holiday break and I'll be back in a week. Cheers!

NBA's Christmas Day Special Recap

WHAT A DAY

Monster performances, big upsets and crowds out of control were the order of the day in the NBA on Christmas day.

First of all it was Miami vs New York. The city that never sleeps witnessed one of the best players in the NBA tear up Madison Square Garden on a day they wanted to celebrate with their team. Dwyane Wade was sensational! On 11-21 shooting Wade played the ultimate Grinch. 30 points, 4 steals, 5 assists, 9 rebounds. Nice statline if you ask me. A 93-87 win gave Miami fans something to celebrate on Christmas Day.

PHOTO: http://mystictongue3.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/dwyane-wade-7-med1.jpg

Next up a monster Eastern Conference matchup as the Orlando Magic hosted the Boston Celtics. The match was tarnished by the loss of Paul Pierce to an injury which may sideline him upto two weeks. The Magic were odds on favourites for the clash but Rajon Rondo wasn't told that as he ripped up the Magic. Rondo finished with 17 points, 8 assists, 13 rebounds and 8 turnovers. Nearly a quadrouble double. Crazy game by the Celtics point guard who stepped up with Pierce out of the game. First big upset of the night.

PHOTO: http://strotty.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/rondo.jpg

Second match of the ABC double header was the Lakers vs Cavaliers blockbuster. It was no blockbuster though. The Cavs dominated throughout the match. Mo Williams had a standout game with 28 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. He alone carried the Cavs to victory. Kobe Bryant didn't have one of his best games shooting 11-32 but had 8 assists and 9 rebounds and was fighting to the death. I thought he was a little hard done by in some of his takes to the rim. He was nailed a couple of times with no calls coming his way! He had every right to be mad at the refs. I thought the Lakers fans went way over the top when they started throwing the fingers out on the court. It's Christmas, a little class maybe L.A. Cavs win 102-87.

PHOTO: http://chriswillemse.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/mo_williams.jpg

Fourth game of the day was Phoenix vs LA Clippers. Not much of a matchup here and the Suns certainly took care of business and gave their starters plenty of rest in the second half. A bit of fun for the bench guys on Christmas day. A well rounded team effort from the Suns saw them demolish the Clips 124-93. Notable performances from Amare Stoudamire with 26 points and 9 rebounds, and Jared Dudley had 18 points on 4-5 threes. Dudley is playing out of his skin this season, he is shooting 50% from the three point line this year averaging 9 points off the bench. He is a key part of the Suns success this season. I always liked this kid from Boston College and I hope he continues to shine at the Suns. A highlight of the match was Grant Hills half court buzzer beater.

PHOTO: http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0eSW1QW7HB9Ii/x250.jpg

The last game of the day was my favourite game. Blazers vs Nuggets in Rip City, or should I say Brandon Roy vs Carmelo Anthony? It was the best delayed Christmas present downunder ever! Roys performance was amazing, especially considering he missed the Spurs match a couple of days before hand with a shoulder injury. There were no signs of that as he took over the match having 25 points in the first half. He finished with 41 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds. The Nuggets had no answer for the much smaller Blazers. Losing Chauncey Billups at half time could have been the reason for their crumble but there is no way that accounts for the losses the Blazers have. It was sad to see some of their best players sitting the pine with injuries, Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw, Nicolas Batum, Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. Carmelo's 32 points and 9 rebounds was not enough to get the Nuggets home. Blazers eventual winners 107-96.

PHOTO: http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/05/large_broy.jpg

Great day of NBA, I hope you all got the chance to witness some of these special performances. Which match was your favourite?

Sporting Chokes Over The Last Few Years

MY TOP SPORTING CHOKE MEMORIES

In the light of yesterdays monster MELTDOWN by the Chicago Bulls I have added two of my favourite sporting choke moments. If you think of any that you would like to include feel free to comment!

Firstly I must let you know what happened yesterday in the Bulls/Sacramento match. The Chicago Bulls hosted the Kings yesterday. The Kings were down by an unbelievable 35 points and rallied back to pull off an amazing win. I could not believe it, I was watching it on the internet at work and was gobsmacked by how a talented team could only conjure up 10 points in the final quarter. Especially at your home court with some lethal scoring options on the floor. It just doesn't make any sense. It is the biggest rally since the Utah Jazz rallied from a 36 point deficit to beat Denver on November 27, 1996. With 8:50 left in the third quarter the Bulls were up 79-44. They had held the Kings to 44 points through more than a half of a basketball match, how does a team just collapse like that.

Ask Tyreke Evans, rookie from Memphis tore up the Bulls defense in the third and fourth quarter. He finished the game with 23 points and 8 rebounds. The 102-98 final scoreline left Bulls fan shocked and horrified while Kings fans were also in disbelief but absolutely loved the rally. I can't stand the people who are bagging Vinnie Del Negro, Bulls coach, it wasn't his fault. You have to look at the players on the court, Vinnie called timeouts when necessary, his team just couldn't score. There were a few shot clock violations, double dribbles and travels during the comeback. These are things the players need to fix not the coach. Now you know what happened yesterday here are some other choking moments in sport. Hard to top that one though. 

One of my favourite chokes was by Tony Romo and the Cowboys against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL playoffs. On January 6th 2006 the Dallas Cowboys were down 21-20 with 1:19 left on the clock.

The cowboys only inches from the line are denied by the Seahawks. This allows Dallas to set up for the field goal. One simple kick over those big yellow posts. Romo has to catch it though and set it for the kicker(Martin Gramatica).

The ball is snapped, Seahawks fans, players, owners all have their hearts in their mouths, Romo FUMBLES.

Everything becomes a blur from there as Romo picks the ball up and tries to get over the goal line. It looks as if he is going to get over but the Seahawks special team bring him down inches from the goal line. The Seattle fans and players go mad and the Dallas players are left to wonder what if Romo caught the snap. He will always be remembered as the man who dropped the snap.

We’re taking it back to the 2000 Western Conference Finals between the LA Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers, the greatest meltdown in game 7 history.

After losing the two previous games , unable to clinch the series against the Blazers the Lake Show were living up their reputation previously earned in seasons prior. CHOKERS!


10 minutes to go and one of the greatest casts ever assembled were about to win their third straight against a young Laker team that just couldn’t seem to get over the hump. Up 15? Game 7? They aren’t losing this. We’re talking about veteran ballers like Scottie Pippen, Detlef Schrempf, Steve Smith, Arvydas Sabonis, Damon Stoudamire, a young but hungry Rasheed Wallace( I’m talking about RASHEED “I’m gonna get this ball and shove it down your throat after I pull a post move and break your ankles” WALLACE, not RASHEED “I can play in the post if I want to but I’d rather jack up threes” WALLACE), Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon, Brian Grant and a young Bonzi Wells. They’ve been through wars. This was just another battle.


Someone forgot to tell the Lakers.


The comeback began after two free throws by Bonzi Wells made it 75-60 with 10:28 remaining. O'Neal started it with his first basket of the second half and later added a free throw.


Brian Shaw makes a 3-pointer (yes Brian Shaw, more on this cat later).


Bryant and O'Neal made foul shots to get the deficit down to single digits.


Hmmmmmm....


Robert Horry buries a 3-pointer.

Kobe Bryant jumper: It’s good! Down 3.


Brian Shaw ties it at 75-75 with another 3-pointer!!( Yes I swear I’m talking bout the same Brian Shaw you’re thinking about. I can’t believe it either. I’m thinking Dr Buss better buy Brian a new Benz after the game, just a small token of his appreciation for putting some life back into the Lakers. Just a Benz, ohhh and maybe sign him up for a few more years after the 2000 season even though he can’t play and can barely run anymore. Just give the guy a couple of million so he can tell stories in the locker room. Keep him there for motivational/entertainment purposes. Great investment. SERIOUSLY I was thinking this. Just keep him. He’s your lucky charm for the next few years.


Interesting stat ? Blazers only turned the ball over twice during the 15-0 run. Talk about shooting yourself into a hole! Not one shot? Really? Not one between Sheed, Pippen Schrempf, Smith or Stoudamire?


Bryant gives the Lakers the lead for good at 81-79 with two free throws with 1:34 remaining and Wallace missed two at the other end. Bryant took advantage by pulling up for a foul-line jumper over Pippen and an 83-79 lead with 1:08 left.


After Pippen misses a 3-pointer, Bryant threw an alley-oop pass to O'Neal, who hammered it home to send the Staples Center crowd into delirium with 41 seconds remaining. I will never forget the atmosphere of the Staples Centre when Shaq threw down that lob. Absolutely nuts!
LA: Over the hump, 89-84.

Portland: Greatest meltdown in Game 7 history.


That Portland team slowly dismantled, they were never the same. The Lakers? They just went on to win 3 straight championships putting them in an elite category with Chicago and Boston as the only teams to ever 3 peat.

Ahhh yeh, they were over that hump.


Here’s a little mix of our trip down memory lane. Enjoy

Play of the Year????

WOW!

This play by the Boston Celtics is amazing. NBA.com didn't give it dunk of the night. Crazy if you ask me. The whole play is outstanding. I bet Derek Fisher from the Lakers is loving Corey Brewer get some back. Enjoy!

 

  

Have Your Say On Who Should Be AFL's Player Of The Decade

AFL PLAYER OF THE DECADE?

The AFL are about to announce a shortlist of ten players whom they consider to be the best players in the 2000's. Well here is my shortlist and my reasons why:

1. 
   
   Michael Voss: Look no further then the triple premiership winning captain. He was the rock in the Lions team which guided them to the three premierships(2001-2003). A stand out peformance of Vossys career was against Collingwood in the 2002 grandfinal. Don't get me wrong he had a gun team, a few of the players will feature in my top ten, but I feel he has done more than enough to be the AFL player of the decade. Voss will be remembered for his skill, courage and leadership. He captained the All Australian team from 2002-2003.
   PHOTO: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ffximage/2007/07/11/voss,0.jpg
   
   
   
   

2. Chris Judd: Judd would have to be my second best of the decade. He is one of the most talented footballers I've ever seen play. An absolute magician with the ball and so hard to bring down. I've never seen a guy break so many tackles, keep upright and put the ball on a dime for a forward like Judd does. At only 26 years of age it is fair to say Judd has some of his best years ahead of him. Which is very scary for opposing defenders. In 2005 Judd won the Norm Smith medal in the loss to Sydney. A year later Judd was captain of the 2006 West Coast premiership team. Chris won the Brownlow medal in 2004 and was runner up this year. He has been named an All Australian four times in his career, captaining the 2008 team. What a star! He is going to be hard to push off the top spot when they announce the player.
   PHOTO: http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2008/03/20/footy13_gallery__600x397.jpg
   

3. Adam Goodes: This man is a legend in Sydney, he has been for the last decade which makes him such a strong candidate to take this out. Goodes holds a place in AFL History by being a dual Brownlow medallist 2003 and 2006, a premiership player and a member of the Indigenous Team of the Century. He always polls strongly in the Brownlow voting and is by far one of the main reasons Sydney wins games. A player of his calibre does not come around every year let alone a decade. The duels he and Judd have had over the years has been what fans pay to see, and boy do they get their moneys worth.
   PHOTO: http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5251838,00.jpg
   

4. Simon Black: I really don't think there has been a more consistent player of this decade than Simon Black. How many years has Black been right up there in the Brownlow voting? He is one of the most hardworking and skillful football players the AFL has seen in years. In 2002 he was rewarded with his hard work by winning the Brownlow Medal. A year later Black was named the Norm Smith Medallist. At the age of 24 Simon Black was a star in the making. After an injury in 2005 Black was back to his usual self and was so close in 2007 and 2008 when he polled second in the Brownlow voting. Can his consistency over the last 10 years make him the player of the decade? I can't see why not!
   PHOTO: http://images.triplem.com.au/2009/05/12/183514/afl-feature-lead-simon-black.jpg
   

5. Gary Ablett: Has there been a bigger star than Gary Ablett Jnr over the last few years. People may say he wasn't dominant over the whole decade, but noone really has been. Many of the players that will be named have had great patches over a five or six year period. This can be said for Ablett Jnr, however his five year period is one that will be remembered for many many years. Gary is a dual premiership winner (2007-2009), much to his relief he was finally named Brownlow Medallist in 2009, he has set a record by winning the Leigh Matthews trophy as the AFL Player Associations MVP three times (2007-2009), and has been named in the All Australian Team three times. Gary Ablett Jnr has been living in his fathers shadow for years, it is safe to say he has stepped out of that and created his own. At only 25 years of age, what is left for Ablett Jnr to accomplish? Player of the decade, maybe?
   PHOTO: http://halfbackflanker.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/ablett_ga.jpg
   

These five players are my favourites for the position and one of them I feel thourougly deserves it. However there are others that could push them off the pedestal. Players such as:

• Matthew Lloyd
• Johnathan Brown
• James Hird
• Nathan Buckley
• Ben Cousins
• Jason Akermanis
• Dean Cox
• Matthew Pavlich
• Nick Riewoldt

Jason Kidd Aims Up To Aussie David Anderson

ANDERSON STANDS TALL IN NBA

David Anderson was in the spotlight when the Mavericks hosted the Rockets on Saturday. It was fun seeing an Aussie taking a stance against an American even if it was Jason Kidd who is two feet shorter than Anderson. It didn't seem like much but Anderson didn't back down and walked right up to Kidd before there were some pushes and shoves between the two teams. While the referees were soughting things out the replay was shown. Kidd is seen to take a run up and shoulder charge Anderson. Anderson seemed to be just going to set a pick on Kidd but Kidd took it in his own hands. Is Kidd kidding, excuse the pun! You can't do that in a game of basketball, maybe he thought the Aussies love their league and AFL that he might show David that he could cut it down in OZ. Good on you Anderson! Way to represent Australia.

Sport Across The Weekend

HATS OFF

Kudos must be given to Jobe Watson for taking out the honourary role of being the Essendon Bombers captain for 2010. Watson is one of the most hard working midfielders in the AFL and thoroughly deserves this promotion. I'm sure Matthew Lloyd will see Watson as a great player to lead the Bombers into the next decade. Good luck Watson! 

The Adelaide 36ers must be congratulated for putting behind their 4th quarter demons and taking out two big names in the NBL this week. Firstly they took on the red hot Gold Coast Blaze at the Distinctive Homes Dome. The 36ers were up by more than 20 at half time before the Blaze made one of their reknowned comebacks to pull the game within three points. With still three minutes to go the 36ers could have collapsed as they have been doing over the last month but they dug deep and kept the Blaze at bay. This broke the Blaze run of a five game winning streak. This must have given Adelaide some confidence as they went to Perth on Saturday night and beat up the Wildcats. Not many teams go to 'the Jungle' and beat Perth by a convincing 12 points. With Matt Burston coming back into the lineup and firing on all cylinders Adelaide may pose a threat late in the competition. On the other hand, Perth haven't been playing too great at the moment and with three games in the next week it could be do or die for the boys from the west. 

I don't know whether or not to include the Breakers in my Hats Off section because they are so inconsistent. I want to congratulate them for their win in Melbourne and keeping the Tigers at the bottom of the ladder, but at the same time want to have a go at them for being appalling at home against the Crocs. Their offense is so hot and cold, and when it is cold it is ice cold! They self destructed in the second half and let the Crocs run all over them. The Breakers defense has a lot to work on if they are to be strong contenders for the title they were once considered favourites for. Maybe JR can give us a little insight into what is going on with the club? Do you think the Breakers need another import? I wonder are the Kiwis allowed to bring in an import with Rillie still there? I still believe Rillie has what it takes and if he gets hot in a game it could be all over for the opposition! Even Bruton has had enough of losing at home and in an article on stuff.co.nz, CJ said "It's disappointing to lose three in a row at home, and that part is frustrating. Every team has to play well at home. You've got to be able to do the job. Right now we don't seem to get the job done when we need to. All the rules that we have just go out the window."

MY BEEF

I'm really disappointed in the Aussie Cricket Team of late. I don't like their attitude towards their opposition or the umpires. If they were fair dinkum about their cricket they would have pounded the West Indies in every one of those Test Matches. Instead of this happening they were more interested in getting in the face of their opposition or arguing with the umpires. Three players in one test match from the Australian team have been fined(Haddin, Johnson and Watson). There is no doubt about it the Aussies are a force in Test Cricket but they have a lot to prove after a dismal series against the Caribbean side. Shane Watson's antics after he took the Chris Gayle wicket was unnecessary, I mean the bloke took the Aussies for a century in the first innings in unbelievable fashion. I don't think he was prancing around in your face when he whacked you a few times, was he Watson? Ricky Ponting has called a team meeting in the light of his teams fines and behaviour on the field. Ponting stated "It's one of my responsibilities as the captain to make sure that guys aren't overstepping the mark. This week when we get down to Melbourne as a group together it will happen in our first team meeting, we will go over some of the events of this week." Get your act together Aussies, and let the cricket do the talking! Check out Watsons behaviour below. I like what Chris Gayle said "Shane is that sort of person - I didn't expect anything better." After his first innnings blunder in the field, Gayle took control of the match and played a superb test match as captain. It seems he has his team all fired up and loving their cricket. After the series is over it's fair to say the West Indies certainly weren't here for a holiday. 
PHOTO: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/stunning-even-by-chris-gayles-standard/story-e6frf9if-1225811537740 
PHOTO: http://www.cricinfo.com/ausvwi09/content/current/story/440336.html

 

 

Lachlan Kicking Himself After $25000 Blunder

$25000 PRESENT RETURNED!

Penrith Panthers fullback Lachlan Coote must be kicking himself this morning. He will probably be kicking himself for the next year or two. A few months back Coote received some fan mail, one of the letters included a scratchie. Who wins on a  scratchie? I know I've never won big on a scratchie and I've been through a few in my time. So what do you do in this situation? Scratch it for the fun of it or write back to the fan returning the scratchie? Well poor Lauchie went with the return to sender option. Only a couple of weeks ago Coote received another letter from the fan thanking him for returning the scratchie. He also told him that it was a winner worth $25000. How would you be feeling? I would be so so mad at myself but at the same time would have to be thinking that something good is bound to happen to me next year. Anything like this ever happened to you?

The Daily Telegraph is right, "Lachlan: Don't despair. Your good deed goes an even longer way for rugby league during a week like this."

PHOTO: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/lachlans-lottery-costs-him-25k/story-e6freye0-1225811898556

Big Dunks of 2009 Requested By You!

ATHLETICISM AT IT'S FINEST

I've been speaking to a few of my friends and fellow bloggers and they'd like to see some of their favourite dunks of 09 on my blog. So here goes guys and girls enjoy!

 

Iverson's Version Of Sliding On Defence

SLIDING AWAY

Rodney Stuckey completely makes a fool out of Allen Iverson. What a move! Maybe he shouldn't have come out of retirement.

Thurston Considers Code Switching

THURSTON A WALLABY?

Johnathan Thurston has rocked the NRL this morning with a statement that will have the ARU licking their lips. I consider Thurston to be the world's best rugby league player so it would be devastating for the NRL to lose a player of his calibre. He puts bums on seats and is a key player in the NRL's marketing campaign. Thurston this morning said "I could easily see myself being a Wallaby". I'm guessing David Gallop is shitting himself right about now. Rugby Union have so much more money then the NRL. Right now Johnno could be playing in the Japanese League for $1.1 million a season. How can the NRL compete with that? The new Melbourne Super 15 team will be sending out a blank cheque! Any chance to lure a new face to the code that has the potential to be a superstar.

The problem with this situation is that Thurston's two good mates Mark Gasnier and Sonny Bill Willams have both left to go and play Union. This will not work in the NRL's favour as I'm sure they will be trying to convince him to join them. They will tell him of the perks of such great money, the travelling, and the chance to show your skill on the World stage more often than the Kangaroos ever do. What ever decision Thurston makes I will follow, but I really hope he stays with League. The NRL needs him, if only they had the money to keep him here. They are losing to many big name players. In a couple of years there will be none left!

Corey Brewer Leads The Fast Break

MONSTER JAM!

  

Just this morning a friend was over my place and asked me if I had seen the Corey Brewer dunk on Fisher. I hadn't seen it and I love Corey Brewer's game. He was awesome at Florida and helped them win the National Title. This dunk is so so awesome, try and pause it when he gets to his peak. He is so high, Fisher is eating his balls! Enjoy, if you know of any other big dunks that's recently happened let me know and I'll get them up on the site.

 

 

Is This The End For Tiger Woods?

TIGER WOODS: HAVE YOUR SAY

The Tiger Woods saga has to be the biggest story in sport over the last decade. I know people have had enough of Tiger in the news and so have I, but I'm wondering if Tiger will be able to fight through this and be as good as he once was. I personally believe Tiger will come back even stronger than what he was before. Individual sport requires the strongest mental stability because there is no-one there to support you(I even think sometimes caddies are there for decoration) and when things are looking south it is just you and your club. You have no teammates to pick up your slack if you aren't playing well or to give you a pep talk at half time. The fairways and greens don't talk to you, they are your biggest enemy. This is why he is the greatest. He has the mental toughness to conquer any golf course and every golfer is looking over their shoulder for Tiger when they are in the lead. I really hope he isn't out of the game for too long. Golf does need Tiger Woods and I'm sure Tiger needs Golf. He has lost some big name sponsors in Gatorade(Tiger Drink) and Gillette pulled the pin over the weekend(not airing any advertisements with Tiger in them). Today Tiger Woods was considered "no longer the right rep" by Accenture. This is the first major sponsor to cut ties altogether. There are still many companies who are staying on board such as EA Sports, Tag Heuer and Nike Inc. 


What do you think? Is Tiger done for good or will he come back a better man/player(golfer that is!)

One Crazy Night In The EPL

UPSET NIGHT IN ENGLAND

What a night for the roughies in the EPL! How could you have picked it, let alone have dreamt of it. Chelsea drawing to Everton 3-3 at home, Tottenham losing to Wolverhampton 1-0 at home and Manchester United losing at Old Trafford to the mighty Aston Villa 1-0. If you were to have a $10 bet on these three results combined you would have collected $4875. That is out of control! I'm an Aston Villa fan and I couldn't be more happy waking up to such a result. Even Manchester City were lucky to escape a loss to Bolton away from home. Carlos Tevez again the hero for City in the 3-3 draw. I somehow don't think we will see a round like this for the rest of the season or maybe the top four are slowly coming back to the field. What do you think? I think teams like Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester City and Tottenham are closing the gap on the once dominate big four!

Jens Lehmann Taking A Piss During A Champions League Match

GREAT LAUGH

Jens Lehmann has been caught on camera taking a piss during a soccer match. Lehmann was once the German goalkeeper. This footage is hysterical. I can't believe he jumped over the advertising board, ducked down and hung a leak. It's funny because he obviously doesn't get to finish! The opposition start to get a little too close to the goal so he jumps back over and gets into position. You even can see him shake it off in his pants. This isn't just a regular soccer match, it's the Champions League! Lucky he didn't have to do a shit! Check it out below.

 

NBA News

NEWS AROUND THE NBA

Robin 'the caveman' Lopez has been rumoured to have smashed a glass door at the Phoenix practice arena. This is said to have occurred while coach Alvin Gentry was being interviewed. Gentry had to stop the interview to address Lopez. Robin was angry after losing a three on three game and stormed off the court pushing the glass door against the wall and shattering the panel. Gentry said Lopez will be fined and will pay for the door. He could buy the gym for goodness sake, what is one door going to do to his bank account. He could probably smash one every day at practice for the rest of his career!

PHOTO:http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/ballhype/story_large/2008/11/28/n223259_33276675_811.jpg

PHOTO: http://culturespill.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/0_21_caveman_0.jpg

Shawn Marion from the Dallas Mavericks came out with some bizarre comments directed at his former teammates at the Miami Heat. Marion believes his Miami team were tanking last season to improve their lottery chances. In an article on SI.com Marion said “When I first got there, they were basically tanking the season". Miami players have rejected any type of tanking to better their chances. You have to wonder though, with the team they had, should they been losing that many games last season?

PHOTO:http://lesterslegends.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/shawn-marion-dunking.jpg

PHOTO:http://www.usmilitary.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/us-army-tanks-have-digital-armor-pics.jpg

WHICH GAME ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST

NRL ROUND ONE ANNOUNCED

The Parramatta Eels will officially kick off the 2010 NRL season when they play host to the St George Illawarra Dragons. Parramatta stadium will be no doubt at capacity for the season opener. What a chance for St George to get some revenge for the position Parramatta put them in, in last years final series. The game will be the first channel nine game of the year and will be the first of a double header. The second game of the night will be the Brisbane Broncos hosting the North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp. Queensland derby's are always great to watch and most of the time they deliver a nail biter of a finish. Pencil it in folks, Friday night football will be back on the 12th March.

The next day fox sports will deliver a triple header when the Bulldogs face the Knights, Cronulla host the Storm and Penrith play Canberra. The first game will be a cracker but I'm thinking the other two are nothing to write home about. I'm hoping the Bulldogs get off to a great start to the season by thumping Newcastle. Those two teams always put on a great game. I'll never forget the comeback in Newcastle before Hazem kicked it from the sideline to win the game. Oh the memories! 

Sunday will see the rebirth of Greg Birds NRL career when he helps the Titans take on the Warriors. I wonder how Bird is going to play this season. Do you think he may cop a bit of a ribbing from the fans around the country and across the Tasman? The second Sunday fixture should be a ripper when the Rabbits take on the Roosters. Both teams have recruited new faces to their rosters. Souths have stacked their forward line while the latte boys from Bondi have added party boy Todd Carney to help rejuvenate the once successful club. Can Brian Smith weave his magic this year? 

Finally the first Monday Night Football game of the year will see the Tigers play the Sea Eagles at the SFS. When will the Tigers learn? Every year they continue to play their home games at a neutral venue! It has cost them points in the past, and they have come so close to the finals in the last few years. Maybe if they had played those few games at Leichart or Campelltown it could have been a different story. I think the Tigers will be too tough without the likes of Orford guiding Manly around the park. It could take a few weeks for them to click into gear. 

It all shapes up to be an exciting first round, I certainly can't wait. It seems so far away but I'm sure it'll be here in no time!

LeBron vs Noah and Some Pretty Fly Dance Moves By The Cavs

LEBRON ALL FIRED UP AT NOAH

On Saturday Cleveland toweled Chicago 101-87. It's not the scoreline I am here to write about. It is why the hell would Joakim Noah be talking smack to LeBron James while he was at the free throw line. It must have been something pretty offputting because James left the free throw line and proceeded to walk towards the Chicago bench where Noah was sitting. Big Z and Mo Williams had to step in to slow the man down. Noone from the Chicago bench wanted to stop what was going on. It even looks like the assistant coaches are having a chuckle in regards to what Noah is yelling out. James insisted it was "nothing personal" on nba.com. The Cavs were having that much fun they were dancing all over the court. Some of their dance moves are pretty cool and some are pretty daggy! I know which ones I'll be taking to the d-floor. Check out the standoff and the dance moves in the clip below.

You're Kidding Mr Cooper and Julius Hodge

YOU ARE KIDDING

New found Wallaby sensation, Quade Cooper, has been charged with one count of burglary by the Queensland Police. The funny story behind this is, my brother went to the Gold Coast for a bucks party and were celebrating at a pub in which Mr Cooper was at. A bunch of the party goers were dressed as the Wallabies and a few as the All Blacks. A few of the Kiwi guys performed the traditional war cry while the Wallaby impersonators sang Waltzing Matilda. During this Cooper came over to see what the fuss was all about. Some of the Kiwi blokes recognised him and chanted 4-0(series record that the All Blacks held over the Wallabies this year). He took offense to it and started to aim up. Fat chance seeing there were 25 of the party boys and only 2 of them. However they proceeded to think they were tough and Coopers mate poured a beer over the bucks head. Who do these football players think they are? Can they really take on the world? Once kicked out of the pub the boys got on with the rest of their night only to read in the papers the next morning he had been arrested. Why the hell would he be stealing anything? He would be on a great salary by the ARU and by the Reds. No brainer kiddo!

The second no brainer of the week has to go to Julius Hodge of the Melbourne Tigers. Hodge traveled to Adelaide to play the 36ers in one of the most hyped NBL games in years. If you don't know the story, check this out. The Tigers won the match in overtime much to the delight of Julius. However Hodge took it too far. He proceeded to walk over to the Brett Maher signature on the middle of the court and stomp on it. Come on, who do you think you are? What has Brett Maher ever done to you Julius? That man has been through some tough times with his family and losing a child. I had the pleasure of playing on Bretts team when he was in Sydney. He is a great guy and does not deserve any of this nonsense. Some imports think the sun shines out of their arse. Well Hodge it ain't shining out of yours! For Hodge to say that it would have been his signature on the court if he remained in Adelaide makes me sick. I love what John Rillie had to say on his blog, "Too bad the Tigers have visited the South Australian franchise twice this year already. That could have turned into a pay-per-view event." Check out the clip below to see Hodge stomp away! What a tool.

Kobe's Huge Game Winner

KOBE'S BUZZER BEATER

Yesterday Kobe Bryant again proved why he is the man when the game is on the line. I watched more than three quarters of the game but had to leave to go out to dinner with my girlfriend before the game finished. On the way to her place I checked my Facebook. The news feed was flooded with Kobe Bryant status updates. I was spewing that I missed it. When I got to her place I checked it out and it was amazing. Replays are not the same as watching it live though. You know it's going to happen! Oh well it was still awesome to see. One of my good mates friends went to the game and payed $250 for great seats. I bet they got their moneys worth. That is what you dream of seeing when you attend a live event. Check out the replay below, it's unreal!

PHOTO: http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2009/12/05/kobes_3_at_buzzer_sends_lakers_past_heat/

Spain Have One Hand On The Davis Cup

SPAIN 2 CZECH REPUBLIC 0

Spain are oh so close to winning the Davis Cup two years in a row. Early this morning Rafael Nadal took care of business against Thomas Berdych in three sets 7-5,6-0,6-2. He is just too good on clay, especially when playing for his country! Last year he was unable to partake in the final so he it looks like he is making up for lost time. On the other hand Radek Stepanek gave the Spanish fans a fright in the second rubber against David Ferrer. Ferrer was down two sets to love and pulled himself back to tie the match, two sets each. A monster third set saw the crowd help Ferrer win the crucial rubber 8-6 in the fifth set. David winning the match 1-6,2-6,6-4,6-4,8-6. Davis Cup produces so many thrilling matches. Players tend to step it up a notch for their respective countries. Spain certainly have this one in the bag. If the doubles don't get the job done I'm sure Nadal will!

PHOTO: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/dec/05/spain-davis-cup-final-rafael-nadal

Socceroos Tough World Cup Draw

TOUGH LUCK FOR SOCCEROOS

Early this morning the World Cup draw for 2010 was announced. At 5am ADST the Socceroos were dealt a blow to their World Cup aspirations. The pool consists of European powerhouse Germany, African sensations Ghana, and Serbia. The Aussies first match will be played on June 13th against Germany in Durban, South Africa.

In my opinion playing Germany in the first round could either do the Socceroos the world of good or could send us packing. If the boys can have a great first game, maybe even settle for a draw, that could set them up for the tournament. If they cop a beating it could smash any kind of confidence they had going into the Cup. Next stop Ghana. The Aussies have never lost to the African nation which gives the team some confidence heading into the match. However they pose a huge threat with quality players such as Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien and Inter Milan star Sulley Muntari. I think the Australian defense will frustrate the superb attack of Ghana which could leak a goal or two on the counter attack. Last but not least, Serbia. The question must be asked, are they a legitimate footballing nation? The answer is Yes! They were the surprise packet in the qualifying stages in Europe. They topped their group ahead of France and are ranked one place higher than the 20th placed Socceroos in the world rankings. Australia must respect the Serbians ability which could be the do or die game for the Socceroos. 

The fans can take some confidence in the fact Coach Verbeek is content with the draw. He was actually smiling! Lets hope he can take us to the promised land. There is one thing to look forward to if we get to the second round. If the Socceroos finish second in their pool and the English finish first, AUSTRALIA V ENGLAND in the second round! England should definitely finish first with the pool they have been dealt with (USA, Algeria and Slovenia). Wouldn't that be great to see the Aussies knock the Poms out! There would be the biggest party ever. 

The World Cup is so exciting, I can't wait! I'll be over in Europe celebrating with the rest of the world. It can't come quick enough.

Philly Seeks The Answer, Artest Admits To Drinking On The Job and 2 Minutes and 2 seconds!

IN AND OUT OF RETIREMENT

Allen Iverson has been plucked out of retirement by the Philadelphia 76ers. It has only been a week since AI announced his retirement from the league. I can't believe he is back in Philly. I wonder how the fans in Philadelphia are going to react. Cheers or Boos? He is their golden child! Surely they will embrace his return. I understand that Iverson was not going to agree to the deal unless he was made the starting point guard. At the moment that is a good option with Holiday going down injured. What about when Holiday comes back? Are they going to be able to play them both at the same time? Is Louie Williams going to lose out on this deal? Williams is an awesome energy player off the bench! These questions will be answered in the weeks to come. All in all though I think this deal is a good one for the franchise. The 76ers are struggling at the moment to string some wins together, will Iverson be the ANSWER! The ten time all star makes his debut on Monday against his former club the Denver Nuggets.
PHOTO: http://blogs.phillyburbs.com/news/intelligencer/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2008/August/Tuesday/iverson.jpg

YOU ARE KIDDING!

Ron Artest is a joke! He has now admitted to drinking on the job. Artest admits to drinking Hennessy during half time breaks when he was playing with the Bulls(1999-2002). "I kept it in my locker. I'd just walk to the liquor store(near the stadium) and get it". Why do players admit to these things and further tarnish their image. Especially in Ron Artest's case who already has a bad boy image going for him. Great role model material Ron!
PHOTO: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W7r3FCoMZI4/R0zduG-QsiI/AAAAAAAAAZk/OGBB73X8UcA/s400/IMG00069.jpg

Check this shot out by Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. Good luck beating him in HORSE!

FAIR FIGHT OR A RIGGED ONE

Two minutes and two seconds was all it took for Danny Green to stop the fight against Roy Jones Jnr at the Acer Arena last night. Unbelievable would have to be the words that came out of my mouth last night! Who would have thought this is how the fight would have ended. Thousands of people were left disappointed to see the fight not go the distance or atleast have a round finished. People probably still had a full beer in their hands. Danny Green should have shouted the place a beer or two for sticking around for that long to see two minutes worth of fight. Should people be disappointed? I mean an Australian won the title in convincing fashion. That's money well spent, right? I couldn't believe the amount of Australians hoping Green got the shit beat out of him. It doesn't make sense, there isn't many Aussie sportstars that fans want to see lose. I've placed a poll on the side for people to vote on,feel free to click away! I'm leaning towards a thrown fight by Jones Jnr but I certainly hope not. The eight count by the referee was a bit dodgy and Roy just stood there copping the punches. A boxer of his calibre would try and slow it down, maybe lean forward to grab onto Green instead of holiding his gloves up and getting the shit beat out of him!
Watch the fight below!.