Bruton Breaks Hearts of 36ers and a NRL Finals System change? Have your say!

HATS OFF


CRAZY is the word which describes last nights NBL clash between the New Zealand Breakers and the Adelaide 36ers. It was a tale of two halves. NZ went out to a monster lead at the half time break after some good performances from Rick Rickert and Thomas Abercrombie. However the second half was a complete turnaround. Adelaide brought the deficit back to be in front at three quarter time at the end of the third. A twenty point turnaround in 10 minutes of basketball. That's amazing! Adam Ballinger and John Gilchrist leading the way with 15 and 25 points respectively! The fourth quarter was great to watch, lead changes, poor decisions, big shots and huge dunks. The last couple of minutes were unbelievable. Cj Bruton was having an absolute shocker and wasn't using his teammates at all in the last quarter. However he would steal the limelight with a huge three on the buzzer to send the game into overtime! This was only due to import Cortez Groves missing a point blank layup and Brad Hill missing a free throw at the death. In overtime it was all New Zealand, whom picked up their defensive intensity and got some key stops. NZ eventual winners 99-91.

Some key findings out of the game were:

• Cj Bruton was pretty damn bad, at one stage 0/8 three pointers and just not using his teammates. Stepped it up though when it really mattered, even if it was with 4 seconds to go!


• Thomas Abercrombie and Brad Hill are youngsters that have no fear. Abercrombie has some serious jumping ability and NZ use it to their advantage with some quality alley-oops thrown for him! Brad Hill was big time and has some great driving ability and hit some nice jump shots. I'm glad he has come back strong since breaking his arm.


• Cortez Groves, American import for Adelaide, was hopeless yet again. I think it's time to say goodbye. That open layup at the end of the game and some stupid decisions in overtime may have cost them the game!

PHOTO: http://www.basketball.org.nz/_r/uploads/2009/09/343059-edit.jpg

WAT A JOKE

The new NRL finals system they want to use is a complete joke and does not give teams finishing higher than others any advantage. Refer to the picture of the Skala system for a better explanation. I just don't understand how they can justify a team coming third not getting home ground advantage against the 6th team. I agree with neutral venues in the latter half of the finals series but there has to be some sort of consolation for finishing in the top four. I understand more crowds will flock in to larger venues and more revenue made through merchandise and ticket sales, but a rugby league club wants to succeed and if that is using their home ground to an advantage, tough luck. The league today is tough, so many teams are fighting for top eight positions. This year the 4th team played the 8th in the grand final. I like the AFL system the best and I think it would be a great system for the NRL to introduce! What do you think? Have Your Say!

SOURCE: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/the-nrl-finals-revolution/story-e6frexnr-1225792226869

Game, Set, Ice Agassi and the Hawks Swoop On The Taipans

OH AGASSI WHAT HAVE YOU DONE

I could not believe my eyes when reading yesterdays paper. The Wollongong Mercurys headline "Agassi admits to crystal meth use" sent shivers down my spine. Andre Agassi, one of the world's best tennis players in his time and a role model to many aspiring tennis players, is now frowned upon! His lies and deception had left the tennis world scratching their heads! What about all the people who idolised you Andre? Did you ever think of them when you were snorting the line? Life can be hard but I'm sure you didn't have to resort to drugs, especially when you knew the ramifications! Today you have to wonder how many of the current or past sports stars were/are involved with drugs. Lets hope no one else decides to come out and tell the world they were on drugs when conquering the world.

PHOTO: http://hottennisplayers.com.au/tennis_hotties_pics/andre_agassi_02a.jpg

HAWKS SWOOP ON TAIPANS

The Wollongong Hawks are flying! 5 Wins, 1 Loss, and the hawks nest has become a fortress over the last few weeks. Can this continue? Well I am thinking NO! I hope they can keep it up, but the fact that a majority of their games have been played at home shows they have not been tested on the road. Having these first handful of games at home though, will help the hawks when they go on the road. A great team chemistry is needed when travelling and these wins would have built a environment that everyone wants to play in! I'll be keeping a tab on them as I'm loving McKee (19 points 7 assists), I think he could be a favourite to win the MVP award if the Hawks keep this up! Hawks won 77-67.

PHOTO: http://nbl.com.au/index.php?id=15&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=14208&tx_ttnews[backPid]=4&cHash=f5829bbb56

Boston beat LeBron in NBA Opener!

HATS OFF

Kudos must be given to Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics who after a blistering start by the Cavs pulled themselves back and dominated the rest of the match. Pierce hit some big shots towards the end of the match to keep his team in front. He does it every year in big games! Kevin Garnett produced a double-double(13 points and 10 rebounds) including a big basket over Shaq in the final minutes. Celtics looked strong apart from their opening quarter. They are going to be tough to beat this year, so many go to guys on offence and their defence is like a wall and swallows any loose ball up! LeBron James was the shining light on the Cavs team. He was the only real contributor on the team, without him they would be Eastern Conference minnows! His 38 points and 8 assists were the only reason they were in the game. One of his highlights was a huge block on Rajon Rondo. I couldn't believe how high he was. King James could have taken a bite out of the rim. Check out the video from this link. http://www.nba.com/video/games/cavaliers/2009/10/27/0020900001_bos_cle_play1.nba/

PHOTO: http://www.eteamz.com/Penick/images/celtics-dunkadelic-3.jpg

LINK: NBA.COM

MY BEEF

Why do teams believe Shaq is going to be their saviour! He is pathetic, slow and past his time! It's time to give someone else a go 'Diesel'! The one reason I don't understand why the Cavs bought him was the fact he is is just as slow and dopey as Zydrunas Ilgauskas! So now there are two of them, go figure that one out! I felt the Cavs made too much of an effort to get him the ball when the game was on the line! He is just a big lump of nothing clogging up LeBrons driving room! GET OUT OF HIS WAY! As for LeBron, as well as he played I felt he passed the ball way too much in that final quarter! A few of them turnovers when his players either weren't ready for it or they just can't catch the ball. I think the Cavs may not be as good as last year, especially if they keep playing Shaq!

PHOTO: http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/34863/shaq_puzzeled_donuts.jpg

Number One Draft Pick Goes Down Again, NBA Starts Tommorrow With Nice Double Header on One HD!

YOU ARE KIDDING

For the second time in three years the number one draft pick in the NBA has gone down injured before the season has even begun. I couldn't wait to see how Blake Griffin went in front of a big Los Angeles crowd tomorrow. Opening night at the Staples Center would have been a great place to show every body he was the worthy number one pick! Instead he will be watching from the sidelines for up to 6 weeks. How disappointing for the 20 year old, who would have been waiting for this all off season. Not only is it disappointing for Griffin but also for the Clippers, who were looking forward to the start of the season having everyone healthy and ready to go. Last year they were plagued by injury and were looking to improve on their 19 win season. Lets hope Blake gets back on the court as soon as possible so we can see some of his high flying action!
PHOTO:http://areyouinthatmoodyet.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/blakegriffin1.jpg

NBA KICKS OFF TOMORROW ON 'ONE HD'

Is everyone looking forward to the NBA tomorrow? I can't wait to watch the double header on ONE HD. Cleveland vs Boston then the two Los Angeles teams going toe to toe! The first game should be a cracker. I'm predicting these two teams will eventually fight out the Eastern Conference along with Orlando. It will be interesting to see the new tactics of both teams with new additions to their rosters. The Los Angeles game should be entertaining with loads of points scored. It's Hollywood right? Time to entertain the riches! Here is a link to the schedule for NBA games on TV in Australia. There are so many more than previous years, lets hope as the season goes on they start broadcasting more! http://www.nba.com/schedules/international_nba_tv_schedule.html

LOGO: http://cdn.cbsi.com.au/story_media/339295691/one-hd_1.jpg

Aussies Win Thriller in India, 4th Quarter Bonanza in the NBL and the Yankees are Through to the World Series

HATS OFF

Kudos must be given to the Aussie cricket team for getting the job done in the first One Day International over in India. Playing in India is one tough assignment, let alone winning over there. It seemed as though Australia were cruising to victory posting a total of 292 runs, whilst dismissing Sehwag and Tendulkar early. However a seventh wicket partnership between Harbhajan Singh and Kumar gave the Indian crowd something to sing and dance about. Boy can they do that! After a woeful over from Shane Watson the Indians only needed 9 runs off the last over. Enter Peter Siddle! Siddle delivers a great ball to Singh who takes a swing misses everything and gets clean bowled! You beauty! Great efforts by Michael Hussey with the bat contributing 73 off 54 balls and Nathan Hauritz with the ball bowling 9 overs for a wicket and 34 runs conceded. Hopefully the Aussies can build on this win and take out the series!
PHOTO: http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/article166160.ece


Last night the Perth Wildcats played host to the Melbourne Tigers in the NBL. What an awesome game this turned out to be. Well the first and last quarters anyway. The game started at a frantic pace with both teams trading baskets and not much defense being played by either side. The second and third quarters of this match are not worth writing about let alone sitting there watching it. It was atrocious! There were horrible turnovers, poor ball handling, bad decisions and I have never seen a game with that many air balls! However something must have been in the water at three quarter time because it turned out to be a thriller. Big ups must be given to Kevin Lisch or as the commentator called him D-lisch! He was outstanding in the fourth quarter, he has lightning speed and doesn't have too bad a jump shot. This is twice now he has made big plays in games this year. Well worth the dollars the Wildcats are putting up. Kudos must also be given to the Tigers as their shooting display in the last was unreal. Big shot after big shot to keep themselves in that game showed they are a team to be worried about when big Chris Anstey comes back. Lets hope the entertainment in that last quarter continues throughout the NBL season! Perth won the match 93-90.
PHOTO: http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0aTx3sj1bbeUW/610x.jpg


The New York Yankees have taken out the the American League series and will now play the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. This mornings game against the LA Angels had it all. There was great pitching early by the Angels, a fightback by the Yankees and some costly errors by LA in the eighth inning. I don't know if anyone saw the two errors made but they were unforgivable in the circumstances of the match. One of them was made by the pitcher, Scott Kazmir, who picked the ball up after it had been hit to him and threw the ball over the head of first baseman Morales. This allowed the Yankees to go up 4-2. How the pressure mounts! During the season it would have been a routine play, but today when you're in the spotlight and every throw matters, things like this happen. Can anyone else think of other times you may have been watching a sport and a blunder may have cost their team or themselves the match? Can't wait for the World Series, Go New York!
PHOTO: http://www.rankopedia.com/CandidatePix/29870.gif

Codes Go To War, Hawks Keep Winning and Poor Monaghan!

CODE WAR

If Australia are to hold the World Cup, the big three codes will go to war! Soccer, Rugby League and AFL will be fighting for turf space to play their games. Soccer Australia are proposing for a one month winter layoff for the League and AFL. There is no chance of the rival codes giving in to such nonsense. If this occurs then Soccer Australia is going to be given a tremendous kick in the backside! Australia's World Cup success in 2006 helped ignite the A-League and junior development sky rocketed. Imagine the boost if we host the Cup!. The opportunities it will create not only for Soccer but for our country will be endless! The problem for the other codes is that the Government are going to push for the Cup to be held here!

The problem with this proposal is, how can you stop a professional sport midway through the season for four weeks? Athletes are hitting their peak around this time of the year! It would be very hard for the players to have a four week layoff without competition. I don't think I could have a month off and then get straight back into it. There are many problems with the proposal and I could go on an on an on. We definitely haven't heard the last of this! I hope the NRL and AFL hold firm and don't let Soccer and the government run all over them.

PCITURE: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b8/Football_(soccer)_in_Australia.png

HATS OFF

The Wollongong Hawks were extremely close to not participating in the 2009/2010 competition. The Wollongong community pushed and pushed to get their beloved team back in the NBL. Finally all the hard work payed off and a buyer came to the table at the last second! The Hawks are now sitting pretty at the top of the ladder and are proving to be no pushover. Wollongong started the year off with a bang, winning the pre season tournament in Darwin. They have carried that form into the first five games of the year, showing the league that it was no fluke! Last night Tywain McKee's 21 points helped Wollongong smash the Crocs 99-77. He is proving to be a great find for the Hawks. It's great to see a NSW team doing so well since the Sydney Kings are gone. Let's hope they continue their success and the crowds keep flocking in.

PHOTO: http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/multimedia/images/full/587457.jpg

POOR MONAGHAN

On an end of season trip to Vegas, Joel Monaghan from the Canberra Raiders was involved in a credit card scam, being robbed of $20000. He also on his way back to his room was pick pocketed $1000. Poor bloke! I just love his quote "But it won't take away from a great trip". Got to love that! You just have to wonder if it really was a credit card scam or was Joel that blind drunk that he was taking the money out himself! Monaghan doesn't have much luck on end of season trips, last time he went to Cancun and there was a hurricane!

PHOTO: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/joel-monaghan-in-20k-las-vegas-sting/story-e6frfgbo-1225790150929

Has Tim Sheens Gone Too Far, The Four Nations Collide and Who Will Win The Cox Plate?

MY BEEF

Tim Sheens, you are kidding right? Two days before the big game, Mr Sheens has come out and let Benji Marshall know that a faction within the NRL club thought he was being payed too much. He also claimed that the faction did not want to resign him when Benji went looking for lucrative offers from overseas clubs. What sort of stupid ploy is this before the big match? If I was Sheens I would have kept my mouth closed! Marshall is a key player back at the Tigers, why would you want him to come home an unhappy man and asking questions to the board? Benji is a young superstar, the NRL can't keep losing such talent. I wonder when it's time to re-sign in 2011 if this story will come back to haunt the West Tigers!

PHOTO: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26248665-23214,00.html

FOUR NATIONS BEGINS

While I'm on the Rugby League topic, who do we think is going to win the Four Nations? Is the World Cup blunder going to fire up the Aussies to punish their competition or is New Zealand or England going to haunt the Aussies once again? The French are there for a holiday, the entertainment factor in their matches will be by how much they lose by! Personally I feel the Aussies are going to remember the humiliation of losing the World Cup in front of their home fans! They will rip shreds off their rivals and I think noone is going to come close over the next few weeks. If you feel otherwise or agree with what I'm saying I'd love to hear from you!

So which individuals are you looking forward to watching over the next few weeks? All the talk is about Billy Slater, Jarrod Hayne and Fui Fui Moi Moi! I think Greg Inglis is going to be awesome! Noone is capable of stopping him in any of the teams in the tournament. Are they keeping him out of the media? This kid is the biggest superstar at the tournament and not a word has been said about him! It will be interesting to see some of the talent that will be making their way over to play in the NRL next season. Sam Burgess the new singning for the Rabbitohs will be under the watchful eye of the South Sydney faithful. Will he live up to the hype surrounding him?

I can't wait to get up early and watch the boys run around this Sunday morning. Enjoy the match and I look forward to hearing what you think!

LOGO: http://www.gillette4nations.co.uk/gillette-four-nations/355

PHOTO: http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2009/03/13/1111119/128756-greg-inglish-storm.jpg

PHOTO:http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/10_04/burgessMOS2810_468x406.jpg

COX PLATE

Not long to go now before the Melbourne Cup, and arent the races getting bigger and better! What a race the Caulfield Cup turned out to be! Bart Cumming's horse Viewed getting the better of the field, showing that the Melbourne Cup win last year was no fluke. Tomorrows race should be great, so many chances running around at Mooney Valley! Anyone got an opinion on the big race? I'm going to be putting my money on 'Hearts Of Dreams'! I think it should get a gun run and finish off strong towards the finish! I'm going to quinella it with the favourite 'Whobegotyou'. Don't discount 'Vision and Power' and 'Road To Rock' as they will feature in the finish! Good luck and bet responsibly!

PHOTO: http://au.geocities.com/wscoxplate/Cox_Plate.jpg

PHOTO: http://www.racetrack.com.au/images/2008_cox_plate.jpg

Wortho Lights Up A'Town and the Coundown to the NBA

HATS OFF

Last night in Adelaide, the Melbourne Tigers fought back from the dead to convincingly beat the 36ers. If you watched the first half you would have thought that Adelaide were going to romp home! Melbourne's body language was atrocious and their defense was woeful! I just wonder what was said at half time to get the guys to come out and play so well in the second stanza. Hats Off to Al Westover (Melbourne Coach). I do however believe Mark Worthington carried the team in the second half. His play in the second half was all star like! A few triples and some quality baskets down low showed off his versatility. If teams are going to want to stop Melbourne this year look no further than locking down 'WORTHO'. Mark's 29 points along with 9 rebounds went along way to getting Melbourne's season back on track!
While we are on the same topic, kudos must be given to Foxtel for airing three live games of NBL this week. I can't remember the last time this occurred and lets hope it continues to happen. Tomorrow night the New Zealand Breakers play host to the Townsville Crocodiles which should be a beauty and then Melbourne travel to Perth to play on Sunday!

PHOTO: http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/06/20/sam_worthington_narrowweb__300x476,0.jpg
LOGO: http://www.hockeyact.org.au/res/Image/Hockey%20ACT/FOX_SPORTS_HERO_HORIZ_BLUE_BG%20%282%29.jpg

HAVE YOUR SAY

The NBA is less than six days away! It feels like yesterday the Los Angeles Lakers were crowned champions! I can't wait! This season should be great. Lots of teams making trades and big name players playing for new clubs. Do we think the Lakers are going to win it all again? They certainly have put a great team together yet again. Most of the guys who played last year are back again, and the all star inclusion of Ron Artest. They are going to be extremely tough. The Cleveland Cavaliers buying Shaquille O'Neal to help King Lebron James out, is that going to work out? Personally I don't think so, but many people will disagree with me. 'Big Shaq Diesel is to slow, some of the elite big guys are too quick for him these days, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Amare Stoudamire, just to name a few! As much as I'd love to see a Kobe Bryant versus Lebron James final, I don't see it happening. I follow the Toronto Raptors. I'm hoping the acquisition of Hedo Turkoglu is going to help the team get a few more wins than last year and maybe squeeze into the playoff picture. My prediction:

• West Winners: Los Angeles Lakers
  
• East Winners: Orlando Magic

LOGO: http://ballsiest.com/sportsblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/nba1.jpg

Aussie Fans In Motor Sport Heaven, Swans to Chase Bradshaw and Have Your Say!

HATS OFF

Today, Aussie motor sports fans are waking up to the reality of two of their superstars cleaning up the race track over the weekend! Mark Webber finished first for the second time this year, letting the critics know his best drives are still to come! I'm beginning to believe! The Brazilian Grand Prix was said to have been one of the races of the year, so for Webber to shine in a brilliant race is great exposure. Lets hope this form keeps up and gets noticed! Our other champion, Casey Stoner became the first Australian to ride three Phillip Island championships in a row. Valentino Rossi stalked Casey from start to finish but the Aussie was too good and landed a 1.9 second victory! Keep it up boys!

PHOTO: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/08_02/CaseyStoner2AP_228x351.jpg

PHOTO: http://www.formula1.com/photos/teams_and_drivers/driver_profile/main/main_profile_21.jpg

Kudos must be given to the Sydney Swans for putting their hand up to bid for Daniel Bradshaw. Bradshaw left the Brisbane Lions once they signed Brendon Fevola. Nobody can argue his decision! It would have been tough for him to fit in such a stacked forward line. Whichever club he goes to, he will be the key forward! Bradshaw has been brilliant for the Lions over the years and fingers crossed the Swans pick him up instead of Carlton. The Swans are believed to be offering him $1.5 million for three years! Not a bad deal Bradshaw,snap it up! PLEASE!

LOGO: http://www.lukesegars.com/images/sydney-swans.png

PHOTO: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ffximage/2008/04/05/250_bradshaw.jpg

HAVE YOUR SAY

Over the last few rounds of the NRL, the Sydney Roosters looked a little disheartened or maybe just didn't care! However there is set to be further enquiries over the last weekend of football. The Roosters played the North Queensland Cowboys. A large sum of money was placed on the Cowboys to win by a margin of 13 plus at great odds! A bit odd dont you think? Craig Fitzgibbons last game, a chance to get off the bottom of the ladder! I think they shouldn't be checking out this game, I feel it's the couple before they should be checking. The game against the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Melbourne Storm both looked a lot worse than the Cowboys match. As much as I don't want to believe it, because i love the sport so much, I do agree with these accusations. The players were probably looking for some extra cash to go on an end of season trip with! I have my reasons to believe this and it shocked me during the time it was happening. I hope the cheats get caught and are never allowed to play the game again. In todays age gambling in sport is huge and is getting bigger every year. Lets hope it does not become a factor in sport, it would be devastating!

LOGO: http://www.league.net.au/images/sydney-roosters12.jpg

Patty Signs Contract, Stosur Crowned In Osaka, Beach Ball Controversy and Have Your Say

HATS OFF

Firstly, what a great weekend of sport for any Australian sports fan! To start with though, Patrick Mills, Australian Basketball of the Year has signed a contract with NBA franchise the Portland Trailblazers! This is great news for not only Patty and his family but for Australian basketball as a whole. Could this be the news that may give basketball in our country a kick in the backside? I certainly hope so! This year Australia will showcase their talent in the worlds biggest basketball competition through:

• David Anderson playing with the Houston Rockets
• Andrew Bogut playing with the Milwaukee Bucks
• Patrick Mills playing with the Portland Trailblazers

If Australian basketball wants to be exposed they must try and telecast the NBA games in which these guys are playing in. Give the youth of Australian basketball something to strive for! I can guarantee you though, THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN! Even though I'm glad he signed a contract, I still feel as if he entered the NBA a year or two too early! I just hope he doesn't sit the bench every game and not get a chance to shine. However this is reality and lets hope that he continues to train hard and eventually get a chance.
PHOTO: http://nohornets.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/r171300_643833.jpg


Kudos must also be given to Aussie tennis superstar, Samantha Stosur. Sam has been playing extremely well this year! All of her training and hard work has finally payed off when she won her first WTA title at the HP Open in Osaka on Sunday. She beat Francesca Schiavone 7-5 6-1. I really hope Sam takes this sort of confidence into the off season before coming back and playing in Australia. In sport, especially tennis, confidence is a major factor in the outcome of a match. In some of her earlier matches this year if she had the confidence in herself she would have won. Lets hope this title for Sam is just the beginning of something special!
PHOTO: http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200705/r146800_516715.jpg



One last 'Hats Off' has to go to the Liverpool fan which threw a beach ball onto the field only for the soccer ball to ricochet off it and into the goal! It's funny in the fact that it was Liverpool's goalie whom was fooled. The Liverpool players were furious as well as the coaching staff. Really there is no one to blame apart from your own fans! As the English Premier League draws to a close for the week, just a heads up to all the Chelsea fans, YES you did lose to Aston Villa, it wasn't a dream! Great job lads for getting the job done.
ASTON VILLA 2 CHELSEA 1.
PHOTO: http://bestchildrenparty.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ball.jpg



HAVE YOUR SAY

Karmichael Hunt will be the first player to play three codes of sport. Rugby League for the Brisbane Broncos, AFL for the new Gold Coast club and now Rugby Union for French club Biarritz. Reportedly, the rugby union contract is for six months and is worth $300000! Is this crazy? I guess not since everyone these days talks about sport like it's a business! There is something bugging me about this situation though. If I hadn't played AFL for a long time and was about to get paid one million dollars a season doing so, would I be going to play Rugby Union for six months? I don't think so and I'm sure AFL bosses aren't to happy about the situation either. I'd be on the training paddock honing my skills so I could show everyone I'm worth the money and not just doing it for a publicity stunt! I guess that's where Hunt and myself are different. What does everyone else think? HAVE YOUR SAY!
PHOTO: http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/09/28/darrenlockyer_narrowweb__300x431,0.jpg

Perth's Injury Crisis and Tomorrows Caulfield Cup!

OH NO!

Paul Rogers from the Perth Wildcats has succumbed to a possible season ending injury! Rogers, 36, has had a big offseason to get his fitness back on track after a few horror seasons since returning to the NBL. In round two, an injury placed his season in turmoil. A torn tricep could be what is going to force him to miss the season. His only chance is to play the last five games of the season so that he qualifies for the final series. As much as I enjoy watching Rogers play, maybe his time is up, and it's a chance for someone else to come in! Perth has taken the opportunity to sign Tasmanian 223 cm Sam Harris. Rob Beveridge has the luxury of signing another import if Sam doesn't make an impact in the first few weeks. I think if Perth are serious about winning a championship another import is a necessity! The downside is an Australian losing a spot in our national competition.

PHOTO: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/IYQpQaJi176/2008+2009+NBL+Portraits+Perth+Wildcats/2rLmEZewjbN/Paul+Rogers

CAULFIELD CUP DAY TOMORROW!

Only a couple of weeks away from the race that stops the nation! However the races in between such as the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate have a large impact on the field for the Melbourne Cup. Spots are up for grabs in the big race and once your're in, anyone is a chance on the day! Tomorrows race is very open. There is no standout favourite so there is plenty of value out there! I'm going to take Daffodil and hope it's too good for them on the day! Good luck punters and I hope tomorrow is a lucky day. If anyone has a hot tip feel free to post, my ears are wide open.

PHOTO: http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200810/r304200_1325604.jpg

Here is a link to this years Cup Draw! GOOD LUCK! http://www.races.com.au/2009-caulfield-cup/2009-caulfield-cup-field/

Timmy To The Rescue and Have Your Say!

Who else but Tim Cahill? He should wear a cape! Timmy is our saviour! When in need of a goal, he steps up and finds himself in the right position at the right time! How many times has this man come to the calling of our nation? Is there anyone better than him in the football world at having such great positioning on the field? What about the rest of the team? I felt the Socceroo's were good at times but they gave Oman to much respect. Their opponents had some quality chances to put Australia in an uncompromising position. One shot was richoched off the post by goal keeper Mark Shwartzer, and an open header could have gone anywhere! The socceroo's attack became very predictable, I think many people would agree. Everything they tried was through the wings, there was no penetration through the middle of the park at all! This could be due to Vinnie Grella and Marco Bresciano not playing. All in all the BIG GAME was a bit of a let down with not many goals scored. However the Aussies will take the win and stay alive in the Asian Cup!
Australia 1-Oman 0
PHOTO: http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/05_01/TimCahill_468x635.jpg

HAVE YOUR SAY:

The Daily Telegraph over the last two days conducted a poll in regards to the Golden Point situation in Rugby League. The question asked was 'Should the NRL introduce the golden try instead of golden point so teams would throw the ball about instead of hitting up for a field goal?' The poll is still currently running, however out of 2733 votes polled, 74.57% of the votes have said YES! I lean towards yes but have argument for no aswell. Firstly it would be great for that extra ten minutes of entertainment for the fans. I am a little sick of teams going for the 40 metre prayer(field goal). However these players have endured 80 minutes of football. Do they have the energy? What do you think? Have your say!
LOGO: http://www.nrlnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/nrl-logo-for-forum.PNG

Enjoy the read and I am looking forward to hearing what you have to say!

Oman vs Australia Predictions, Poor Mark Kavanagh and the Kangaroo's are Kidding, Right?

BIG GAME TONIGHT:

Every so often I will post my opinion on a big game that may be happening on the given day or in days to come, feel free to comment and give your opinion. Tonight's BIG GAME is an Asian Cup Qualifier between the Socceroo's and Oman. The game has plenty riding on it! Australia needs to win to qualify for the Asian Cup. This could have been done previously but Verbeek insisted on not bringing his best team and underestimating the strike power that is Asian football! When the big games are on the line and they actually mean something, it's time to field the best no matter who you are playing! Friendlies such as the Holland match and when other touring teams come to Australia, or vice versa, are when youngsters should be played for some experience. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald today, Verbeek predicts that Oman are going to build a wall just outside the penalty area with 10 men behind the ball at all times. Well well, Mr Verbeek, you should be an expert at figuring this one out since you use it all the time! Australia should have no trouble breaking them down, Pim should know it all, the ins and outs of breaking down a sturdy wall. Some of your own medicine Pim! However, I believe the Socceroo's will do it tough in the first five or ten minutes and then Oman will crack. Australia will prove too strong and I think a two or three goal victory is on the cards.

PHOTO: http://www.etihadstadium.com.au/site/_content/article/00002558-leadimage.jpg
http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/pim-verbeek.jpg


UNLUCKY KAVANAGH

Mark Kavagnah was one very unlucky trainer yesterday! Two of his big name horses, Maldivian and Cats Whisker, became late withdrawals from the Spring Carnival. During trackwork Maldivian pulled up with a tear in a tendon. It was then that Kavanagh announced the spring was over for Maldivian. What a shame as Maldivian was considered a great chance in the Caulfield Cup and won't be able to defend the Cox Plate. It has been an unlucky run for Maldivian, crashing in the barriers in the 2007 Caulfield Cup and now this not even a week before the big race. This has left betting wide open and has been considered the most open Caulfield Cup in a long time, with Speed Gifted also being pulled out! Hopefully Mark can get his horses back on track as soon as possible and get them back in winning form!
PHOTO: http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/10/19/markkavanagh_narrowweb__300x333,0.jpg
http://coxplate.racingandsports.com.au/


MY BEEF

Brett White and Justin Hodges, get a hold of yourselves! Who do you guys think you are? Sports Tonight's first story was that the pair were going to put their Origin blue a side to help the team! That's the best story in sport, turn it up! I don't think Hodgo and Whitey have heard of the saying 'what happens on the field, stays on the field'! That is what Origin is all about, fighting for your state, and when the game is over shake hands and have a beer! Yes boys, one beer not ten or fifteen which will make you go and do something stupid. You're both lucky to be in the team, no one wants to hear about you guys making up, there should be no issue in the first place! There are better stories in that team, such as the Morris boys both getting picked!

Netball on Fire and the Gators snap up LSU

HATS OFF:



Over the last few days the World Netball Series was held in Manchester. The six top nations in the world competed in a revamped game. The aim of the series was to raise the profile of the sport and attract new participants and spectators. Netball, worldwide, is on the up which has allowed for this opportunity to try something new. The revamped game allows for much more excitement, energy and allows for the athletes to take their athleticism to a new level. The new rules are as follows:

• Rolling substitutes. This means substitutes while game is still in progress.
  
  
• Each team selects a power play quarter which doubles their score for that quarter.
  
  
• Teams can also shoot from outside the semi circle which is worth two points.
  

I feel if cricket can introduce a Twenty20 spectacle, there's no reason why netball can't and be successful at the same time! Netball had such a great year in 2009, and just maybe they can incorporate some of these rules in a mini series during the 2010 season. I'm sure the fans will love it!

LOGO: http://www.worldnetballseries.com/



Did anyone see the LSU vs Florida College Football match on One HD last Friday? What a spectacle! 93129 fans. most of them wearing LSU colours, flocked to see a bunch of college kids play football. That is amazing! They aren't just kids though, they are stars of the future! The entertainment at a college game rivals that of their seniors, the NFL. The scoreline favoured the Florida Gators 13-3. This scoreline does not reflect how much the Gators dominated LSU. Tim Tebow, senior quarterback, played through post-concussion to push his team over the line with an exceptional pass to the inzone! Their defense was unreal, nothing was let through their line, limiting LSU to only 44 yards in the second half! We are talking about the number 4 ranked team in the nation being held to 44 yards at home. In Tebow Florida have a great leader, and if you were to ever mirror your leadership skills on someone look no further than Tim. Passionate, emotional, sheer drive to succeed and his motivation on and off the field shows in their results. Could this be three NCAA titles in a row for the Gators and Tebow? I am quietly confident!

PHOTO: http://lilymommy2000.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/florida-gators.jpg

Until next time take it easy!

This is a follow up on Real Deal's comment to get Tim Tebow's speech he made after the Ole Miss loss last year. Since then Florida have not lost a match and went on to win the NCAA last year, as well as starting perfect this year! Enjoy this kid is amazing!

Holden Smashes Ford, Frankie Does It Again and are the Sea Eagles Kidding?

HATS OFF

Yesterday the fans that braved the wet at Bathurst witnessed a domination by Holden. Nine out of the first ten cars which finished the race were of the Holden brand. The drivers must be commended for their spectacular efforts in the changing weather conditions throughout the race. I'm not a huge motor sports fan but Bathurst is one amazing race! It's great to see Australia have a huge motor sports event, since our country has such a huge following of the V8's. The crowds they attract are monstrous! This has not gone unnoticed, as another big event is going to be staged in Sydney. Homebush Bay, Olympic Park will play host to the new v8 event. Tickets are still on sale for the 4th-6th December event. It will be an amazing venue for such a spectacle! I'm sure Homebush Bay will host the event as well as Bathurst do year in year out! Congratulations must also be given to the eventual winners Garth Tander and Will Davison.
PHOTO: http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200710/r189439_710399.jpg

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MY BEEF

A-League coach Frank Farina has been caught drink driving yet again! What is it going to take for the Brisbane Roar to sack Farina? Meanwhile he was caught on the way to training with his son also in the car. Great example set on all fronts Frankie! It's such a good way to show your son your a piss head, let alone turning up to training session a day before the big Queensland derby drunk. What would the players be thinking? Brisbane now 6th on the ladder after yesterdays 1-0 defeat at home to the Gold Coast, need plenty of inspiration and motivation. Especially from their once Socceroos coach! They certainly aren't going to find it while you're slurring your words Mr Farina! So what's it going to be Roar officials?

PHOTO: http://www.newcastlefootball.net/home/wp-content/woo_custom/17-brisbane_roar_logo.jpg
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2005/07/01/frankfarina_wideweb__430x286.jpg


ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

The Manly Sea Eagles really are kidding themselves! Today Geoff Toovey ruled himself out of becoming the next CEO of the club taking over from ousted Grant Mayer. Thank goodness Geoff said 'no'! I mean Toovey is a Manly football God, but he is no CEO. Geoff is still running the water bottles for the first grade side! Personally I don't think Geoff would have half a brain left. I'm sure it would not be hard to find a well educated person who has a passion for rugby league. There are people out there! A perfect example of such a person is Todd Greenberg from the Canterbury Bulldogs. Over the years the Bulldogs have had their reputation tarnished by off field incidents by some of the players. Todd has cleaned out all the rubbish and helped build the club back from scratch! The Bulldogs on and off the field this year were excellent and are slowly building that reputation back up!PHOTO: http://jewishnews.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/todd-greenberg-page.jpg
http://ourfavouriteshop.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/geoff-toovey6.jpg