LEAVE GAZZA ALONE

 POOR FORM GOLD COAST

This is the advertisement that has the Geelong football club extremely fired up. I do not blame them either. Gary Ablett Jnr has not made a decision whether he is going to stay at the Cats or ship north and play for the new Gold Coast team. What gives them the right to put him on a photo-shopped poster with him in a GC uniform? I think if Gaz takes a look at what he will look like in a Gold Coast jersey, it might put him off all together. If that's the case, that person is getting the sack!

Ablett told the Herald Sun yesterday he wouldn't be rushed into making a decision on his future."I'd walk away from this game before I'd let myself be hurried into making a decision," he said. His decision would be based on "what makes me happy and what I really want in my life".

In a statement this afternoon, Gold Coast chief executive Travis Auld said the poster was an editorial initiative of the Bulletin "It was not generated by the Gold Coast Football Club, it was not paid for by the Gold Coast Football Club and the Gold Coast Football Club was not asked to participate in its publication,’’ Auld said. That is utter BS is you ask me. As if they had nothing to do with it. The GCFC are just handing it over to other people so they don't get into trouble. 

The decision is going to be hard enough for Gaz to make, and I really hope he shows loyalty to the Geelong Football Club. There is a proud Ablett history at the GFC, it would be a shame to see a future hall of famer be lost to money. He is reported to have been offered a $1.5 million deal to go to the Gold Coast.

IS BIG RED'S CAREER IN JEOPARDY??

POINTS SYSTEM DOES NO FAVOURS TO SOME

After winning the championship with the Perth Wildcats, Luke 'Big Red' Schenscher has been dealt a massive blow before the new season has even begun.

Before each season begins, players are given points from 1-10, (10 being the best) based on their seasons play, international duties and so forth. I don't know what the formula is to get the ranking, but how on earth have they given Luke a 10. What team is going to want to use 10 of their points on Big Red when they can get a Ballinger, Redhage or Penney? Now they are legitimate 10 point players.

With teams only allowed to accrue a maximum of 70 points, Big Red could be in a bit of trouble finding a team. If he had a great season, then the ten points would have made sense. This was not the case for the 7ft Ranga. If scouts watched his finals series alone, it would put them off altogether. It would be a shame to see Schenscher out of the NBL, but I wouldn't be surprised.

There are some nice point pickups some teams could look at for the new season;

• Dusty Rychart - 8 points
• Brad Robbins - 6 points
• Damian Martin - 7 points
• Dave Gruber - 7 points
• Daniel Johnson - 6 points
• Brad Hill - 5 points
• Luke Martin - 4 points

I can't believe Luke Nevill gets a 9 point ranking. He is just as big and slow as Big Red, and hasn't played a game of professional basketball. It's like saying, if you played college basketball you are a 9/10 point player.

Good to see Matt Knight on the requested point players. It would be good for the NBL to have a couple of the young stars back in the country.

Free Agency this year should be interesting, looking forward to hearing what you think about the points system.

Waratah Basketball Update

 WARATAH ACTION ROUND 3

Round Three action saw the Bankstown Bruins take care of the Hornsby Spiders at the Bankstown Sports Stadium. It wasn't easy for the Bruins who had to hold off a stiff challenge from young point guard Jarrad Weeks. Weeks had 39 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, including 4-of-8 from downtown. Quite a nice performance, it's just a shame he had to walk out on the losing team. On the winning side, it was another up and coming superstar Jason Cadee who proved to much for the Spiders. Cadee racked up 25 points on 5-of-9 shooting. It could have been more had he been able to hit his free throws, only hitting 6 of his 12 attempts. Underrated Vlad Jankovic was also a big contributor finishing with a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) in just 24 minutes. Bruins won 87-78.

100 points is what the Canberra Nationals have been beaten by, throughout the first three rounds of the competition. Parramatta racked up 110 points in a 40 minute game, that is ridiculous. Maybe they shouldn't have entered a team this year. At least traveling teams can enjoy their road trips, knowing they will be celebrating in Canberra. Those road trips were always so much fun, especially when you won. No one played more than 22 minutes for the Wildcats, who bounced back after a loss in Round two to the hands of Warren Rosen's Comets.

The big match up of the round though was the Comets v Sharks at the Shark Tank. Blake Hendricks returning to face his old club for the first time, and a chance for BJ Carter to take on Borgia and Seckold. It lived up to the hype. Comets and Sutherland have always had a strong rivalry. With Hendricks and Overs getting into foul trouble early in the match, it gave the Sharks a chance to steal this one. However, Seckold and Borgia combined for 37 points (17 & 20 respectively), and the Comets came out 3 point victors. Carter shot 4-of-11 from downtown finishing with 17 points. It was good to see on the box score that Adam Marjoram got eight minutes. He works his butt off at practice and deserves some court time here and there. Great energy guy to bring off the bench to give the starters some rest. It must be hard this season with 8 minutes less for coaches to give their bench guys some playing time. Comets won 70-67.

Our Time At The Swans v Saints

 SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

The only thing wrong about Saturday nights outing was that the Swans lost.

A friend of mine hooked eight of us blokes up with a corporate box at the Swans game on Saturday night. What a night we had. It kicked off at about 5:30pm at the Brewery, underneath the Novotel. Some of the guys who attended I hadn't seen in years. It was great chance to catch up and drink some beer. I don't know if you've been to the Brewery when there is a sporting event on, but it is a great spot to begin the night. The BBQ they put on there is one of the best I've had. I don't know if it's because I've had a few beers and can't taste it, or it's that damn good. I'm sure it's the latter. About ten minutes before the bounce we headed down the brick path to ANZ Stadium. We had some wicked seats, right in the centre of the field. You could not ask for much more, apart from maybe the fridge being filled with 3 cases of beer.

The good thing about the corporate boxes are you don't need to lineup at the bar with all the rif-raf down stairs. The seats were even padded. Footy heaven, I tell you. We also had a little TV in our corner to keep us updated on the happenings in the NRL and Super14. 

The game started at a cracking pace. The fans were treated to a couple of early goals from the Swans. It took St Kilda a while to get going, but when they did they strung together consecutive goals. The Swans did well to hang in the game, eventually going down by only 8 points. There were some dubious calls by the men in the middle. It must say somewhere in this years rule book that Nick Riewoldt, must get a free kick if someone is within 2 metres of him. A couple of those free kicks led to goals.

The crowd wasn't too bad, ANZ Stadium just doesn't do it for me. It's not like the SCG where it's so compact and the crowd can make so much more noise. Not only are they making more noise but it can be heard. At Homebush you can't hear the crowd chanting from the other side of the field. That's certainly not the case at the Cricket Ground. I'm sure if it was played at Moore Park it would have gone close to being a sell out. Then again, we probably wouldn't have got the box.

I'm not the biggest fan of Victorian sporting clubs, but the St Kilda faithful weren't too bad. After the game we had a couple of drinks with their fans, while they waited for club men to come and say a few words. A mate of mine supposedly dared himself to kiss an elderly woman on the cheek. He said it was to congratulate her for beating us. Sure Daz, you just wanted to lay it on her. It's a bit blurry, but you get the picture. I even got roped in by a St Kilda scarf. That Red, Black and White doesn't suit me at all.

All in all, a wonderful evening with the lads. It was disappointing we didn't get to see a Swans victory, but you can blame that on the men in the middle. Thanks again to our lovely friend for hooking us up. We had a blast, I'm sure no other group would have filled those seats better than us.

BLAZERS 11th MAN DUTIES

 PATTY THE KANGAROO

After checking out twitter this morning, I couldn't help but laugh at the photo alissacorinne81 posted. 

Oh, how the Americans get their kicks. This looks like the only air time Patty is getting at the moment. He isn't playing much or at all. Come on Portland, now that all your players are back, send him to the D-League. At least then he will get some minutes and some shots up. Patty is going to be one of the key members in the Boomers run in the World Champs come August. 

POSTER, POSTER....READ ALL ABOUT IT!

AMARE & HORFORD....WOW!

I have been trying to get off Amare's nuts for a while now, but how can you? This guy is an absolute freak and today he proved it again. His dunk on Tolliver was ridiculously outrageous! The commentator goes as far as saying it "quite possibly could be his biggest dunk". I wouldn't disagree. Stoudamire just has so much power while in the air. He basically is unstoppable when he has taken off. If I had to pick out of Dwight Howard and Stoudamire at the moment, it would definitely be Amare. Howard just doesn't have the offensive ability that Stoudamire possesses. Howard is boring to watch and so predictable. He either tries to bank a jump shot or throws up a running hook shot. Who would you choose? Check this dunk out. Don't cream your pants now!

Amare mustn't have liked Horford taking up the spotlight the night before. Al Horford from the Atlanta Hawks posterised Tim Duncan. This is no easy feat folks and not many people have done it in their time. This kid has talent and is already becoming a superstar in the NBA. He has what it takes to be an All Star for many years. This dunk proves that. I have to say Amare's poster is more exciting, but watching Duncan get smashed on, is always fun. I don't think it beats the time Vince Carter dunked on him, but it's pretty damn good. I'll let you decide.

Damn...Vince could seriously get up back in the day. I'm just waiting for him to flush it on someone again. It's been too long between drinks for the man known as Vinsanity!

The Month That Is Full Of Madness

MADNESS. There is no other word to describe the NCAA Tournament. Buzzer beaters, big time plays and underdogs beating up on the big boys! The first two rounds have been nothing short of outstanding. There have been some great contests and some big upsets. It's been great having all the games on live down here in Australia. ESPN and ONEHD have really stepped up and provided basketball lovers with a chance to catch all the action.

Over the weekend, Kentucky and Syracuse were the two teams who really stood out. Kentucky breezed past both of their opponents, East Tennesse State and Wake Forest, as did Syracuse who put away Vermont and Gonzaga. Kentucky's front court are HUGE. Patterson is one of my favourite players, he is so strong around the rim and finishes with the thunder! On the other hand Syracuse have some incredible shooters and showed that today by hitting 12 threes on their way past Gonzaga. A 22 point victory without one of their star players, Arinze Onuaku, spells danger for the rest of the competition.

However, stranger things have happened, especially in this tournament. It was only a day ago that Northern Iowa upset number one seed Kansas. It was a great game to watch. I started to feel really sorry for the Panthers as they began to squander a large lead. However with 30 seconds remaining and with possession, Ali Farokhmanesh, stood at the three point line with no one near him. It was either burn some clock or become part of March Madness folklore. Ali liked the latter and buried a three to send the place bonkers.

There have been buzzer beaters a plenty in the tournament so far. A couple of early morning wake ups have allowed me to catch them live. Both times, my bracket was begging for the shots to miss. Neither did. Fellow Aussie, AJ Ogilvy's Vanderbilt, got stunned by a 15 foot Danero Thomas buzzer beater. It was Murray State's first victory in the NCAA tournament since a 78-75 win over North Carolina State in 1988."That shot was bigger than he could imagine," Murray State's B.J. Jenkins told espn.com. "It wasn't just a game-winning shot. We'll remember this for the rest of our lives."

Maryland were the second team I caught going down to a buzzer beater. The Terps came fighting back with an 8-0 run in 34 seconds. They even gave themselves a one point lead with six seconds to go, on the back of senior point guard Greivis Vasquez's layup. However nobody slowed down the Spartans big man, allowing him to get to the three point line. After someone eventually picked up Green, he passed the ball across the key to an unmarked Korie Lucious. Lucious took one dribble and launched a prayer. It was answered alright, going straight through the bottom of the net. Maryland were left to ponder of what may have been now that Kansas were beaten. Michigan State had their own problems. How are they going to deal with the loss of Kalin Lucas?

One of my favourite plays of the tournament so far has to be young Australian, Matthew Dellavedova's And-One roll into a three pointer. With only four minutes to play, locked at 61 a piece, that shot was ridiculous. The Australian College basketball team known as the St Mary Gaels are on their way to the Sweet 16. They will face a strong Baylor team who boast some flat out scorers and a strong inside presence. If Omar Sanham keeps putting up numbers (29 & 32 points) then anything can happen. The Gaels will have to continue to hit their perimeter shots if they are going to win this one. The likes of Tweety Carter and Ekpe Udoh are sure to give the Gaels fits. Lets hope the Aussie contingent continues to dance into the Madness that is March.

SICK PUP!

LOST PUPPY!

Come on Ben Hannant! You can't be serious about wanting to leave this early into the season. It's only been one round for goodness sake. I'm homesick?? It costs $49 to get a flight back to the Gold Coast every once in a while. It's not like you don't earn enough money. This whole dilemma smells of his wife pulling the plug on somewhere she isn't enjoying! My girlfriend told me to not make assumptions like that, but I can't think of anything else. Benny is one of the best props in the game. He earns $450K, what isn't there too like about that, woman? You don't even have to work a day in the rest of your life.

If it's not about the wife and kids, then toughen up you big sook! If you knew you were going to be such a mumma's boy, why did you come here in the first place? If Benny continues to play out the year which is what may happen, he better play it out damn hard.If not, shaft him to reserve grade or send him home.

Teams are already starting to line up to cash him in. Brisbane and the Gold Coast have already conjured up some offers. Just what the Bulldogs need after a shotty start to the year.

Townsville Can't Be Serious

 TURN IT UP!

Are the Townsville Crocodiles fair dinkum?

They can't be for real. Why on earth would you call a press conference in regards to the signing of Russell Hinder? It has to be the funniest thing ever! I seriously think it was Hinder that called the conference himself. They announced it on www.nbl.com.au that it was a big signing. You're kidding right? Rusty Hinder, a big signing? Wow, what is the world coming too?

If you don't believe it, check it out below!

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/5500990

It seriously looks like Trevor Gleeson is falling asleep. I reckon some of the boys geed Hinder up at the end of season drinks, asking him to call a press conference. Was there even any media at the place, or is Rusty talking to himself? I wonder what they are going to do for their marquee player signing?

SYDNEY BACK IN THE COMPETITION

 WE'RE BAAAACK!

They are finally back! It's time to celebrate, Sydney have a team in next year's NBL Competition. It's taken a couple of years for them to do it, but I'm sure it'll have been worth the wait. 

There are so many questions which are still unanswered though. It will be interesting to know if the Sydney team will be go by the the name 'Sydney Kings'. 

Where will the Sydney team train? Back at good ol' Alexandria is where I'm thinking. It's cheap and in the area. It's bloody hot though! 

Will the Sydney team run with the Lion as their mascot, or will they give him the flick and run with something new? I say keep the Lion, just teach him some god damn new tricks. 

Where will they play their games? I'm hoping somewhere smaller than the Entertainment Centre. It's just too big and all the Sydney folk just don't bother coming to the games. They just rock up when it's a game five of a finals series. Or is that only because that's the only time it's promoted. You could hold an argument for both.

Who will run the Kings? Who will be in the team? Who will coach the team?

The renewing of the Sydney license will surely fire up local competitions such as the SEABL, ABA, and the Perth League. I know from playing in the Waratah ABA there would be a couple of guys putting their hands up for a spot. I wonder if some of the guys from Parramatta, are wishing they'd now gone to a team where they can get plenty of shots up, to impress the scouts? Graeme Dann, Clint Reed, Stefan Blaszcynski and Goran Veg are all of NBL quality. Last weekend saw the ball distributed between the four of them with Veg taking the most shots (12). It should be interesting to see which way it swings now.

Will the back court of the Comets make a push for the back up point guard position. Michael Seckold and Blake Borgia on any given night can light up the scoreboard. Will they be taking more shots now they know there is a spot or two available. Last weekend, the two combined for 4-of-19 from downtown. Must have had sore shoulders that night!! It should make it an interesting contest when Sutherland play Sydney. Surely BJ Carter will try and put on a show, making sure Sydney haven't forgotten who their favourite son is.

Well at least I'll have something to look forward to for when I get back from Europe. Hopefully the Sydney team can get some great crowds and play some entertaining basketball. I really hope that they don't load their team with imports and non-NSW players as they have done in the past. It would be extremely disappointing and the fans won't bother showing up. Well I know I won't be anyway. Fresh young talent, some seasoned veterans and some exciting imports would be on my list. Look what Wollongong achieved this year with their roster.

I'll be keeping you updated on the happenings with the Sydney club. Keep on the look out for who I think is dominating the ABA, and who deserves a crack at the big time!

My Favourite Gator

BREWER ON LOPEZ

A couple of hours before I headed off to work, I found some time to catch the Phoenix v Minnesota match, on One Hd. It was highly entertaining, both teams nailing their shots. They had scored 140 points in the first half. That's crazy. It was like an all star game, just without the all stars.


However, former Florida Gator National Champion, Corey Brewer, stole the show. After a deflection led to a fast break, Brewer took on the much larger Robin Lopez. His finish was nothing short of freaky! He took off just inside the paint and flushed it on Lopez's head! Lopez looked that confident he'd block it, he tried to pin it with both hands. He didn't even get close. Brewer was pumped, he has always been a favourite of mine, and it's great to see him playing well this year. Not only did he dunk it on him, he got fouled aswell. To add insult to the embarassment, Brewer nailed a three in Lopez's face. All Robin could do was smile. He just got OWNED! Enjoy the dunk, it's one of my favourites of the year, especially because I saw it happen live on tv. It's so much better that way, because you don't know that it's going to happen. What are some of your all time live moments?

Parra Fans Still Lamenting Over Dragons Kicking Tactics

 GET OVER IT PARRA FANS!

Parramatta Eels fans all over NSW, can't stop sulking over the fact that Jarryd Hayne was shut out of the match on Friday night. If you didn't catch the match, the Dragons looked to kick the ball dead in goal, any chance they had. This limited Jarryd Hayne's impact on the match. It certainly showed as he never really got in the game.

Parramatta fans, I'm sorry to say but you are going to have to deal with it all year round. Billy Slater from Melbourne, went through the same thing a couple of years back. He sometimes still finds himself picking the ball out of the stands! It's not a dirty tactic, more a smart one. Should anything be done about it, a rule change maybe? I don't think so. As Andrew Johns said during the live call on Monday Night, "Rugby League is flowing just fine, and doesn't need any drastic changes". Well put Joey.

Personally, I think if the ball is kicked out on the full, then the receiving team, should get the ball from where the kick was taken. If the tactic is going to be used throughout the year, then at least make it hard on the team trying to use it.

Hayne must now assert himself more around the ruck. Billy Slater is one of the best at following his big guys and causing havoc around the ruck area. Instead of focusing now on kick returns, maybe he can do more work with the big boys at practice.

  
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/hayne-ploy-not-in-spirit-of-game/story-e6frfgbo-1225840376743

Above is another news article, which speaks about the tactic not being in the spirit of the game. The one reason Roach is mad in the article, is because he would have had to run back to the 20metre line for the restart. Normally the forwards would let the backs run out the first couple of tackles on a kick return. Times are changing, Blocker!

A Few Teams Have Plenty To Work On After Round One's Effort

FOOTY'S BACK

Even though the round is yet to be completed, I have a bit of time on my hands to put this together. What did everybody think about the first round of the NRL Competition? Personally, it wasn't that great. People will say that I'm saying this because I'm a Bulldogs fan. That's not the case though, it was a very scrappy weekend. The footy was plagued with errors and injuries. It seemed the players weren't physically and mentally ready for 80 minutes of grinding football.

The Saints were the only team who looked ready for footy, but who wouldn't be if you play like a bunch of soldiers. The blockbuster that was meant to be was more like a snorefest than anything. The brand of football St George play is just flat out boring. There is no width in their attack and they just look to get to their kick, waiting for the other team to make an error. They do it so well though, which is why they win games. However when it comes to finals time and the rest of the compeition take it to the next level, St George are left standing flat footed. It happens every year, so you can't really argue with me there?

Parramatta were disgraceful and still could have won the match on Friday night. They are probably just lucky St George persist on taking penalty goals when they have the ball in the opposition red zone. Parramatta were one out all night. When they threw the ball wide they looked good, but didn't do it enough. Jarrod Hayne was taken out of the match with Sowards kicking tactics, which is something many teams will look to use throughout 2010. Why on earth was Fui Fui starting from the bench? Justin Poore is hopeless. I'm sure the Saints were happy they let that over payed piece of trash go! Peter Wynn is even letting bandwagon hoppers return last seasons jerseys!

I was really looking forward to Saturday evenings match, after a day of shopping with the lovely girlfriend, it was time for the Doggies match. What a dissappointment that was. I probably should have kept shopping. They were terrible from the outset. They looked mentally and physically unprepared. Their first touch of the ball looked promising, only for Morris to throw the ball into touch. After that it went downhill. It was like they thought they were going to win by 40, but Newcastle to their credit toughed it out for the full 80 minutes. There was a glimmer of hope for the Dogs with one minute to go, Jamaal Idris who had played an absolute shocker, had an open touchline to run down, only to kick the ball ahead for a flying Turner (who grabbed a double on debut). What on earth was he thinking? He must have the lowest IQ of any NRL player going around. Which isn't that high anyway! If he held the ball and drew the fullback, the Dogs win. Jarrod Mullen was again superb, he always plays extremely well against the Dogs. The injuries continued to mount and at one stage, there were three players hobbling off the field. The Bulldogs will need to work very hard this week, so that they can smash the Dragons. Pity the game isn't at Kogarah again, would have been awesome going out to the game!

Saturday night's games I can't really comment on because a 21st birthday was my priority, but I do hear that the Sharks really took it too the Storm. Ricky Stuart certainly wasn't happy with the referees, but when is he? The Panthers gave their fans a heart attack, taking a 24-0 lead and blowing it, letting the Raiders right back in the contest. They look a tough unit the Panthers this season, and when Waterhouse returns they will be even better.

What is it with Gold Coast teams? They talk it up and just don't deliver! They were just as bad as the Bulldogs, but they won. The Warriors side whom were injury plagued before the match even started, played a brilliant first half. They skipped out to a 18-6 lead, before they let a last minute try in just before half time. The match was filled with errors, which you could blame on the rain, but I just think it was poor ball security throughout the contest. The Titans finally woke up, (or the Warriors were just that bad in the second half) and came out victors in the end 24-18. Preston Campbell the saviour for the home side, although did anyone else think his strip on Manu was lost forward. A little odd if you ask me.Greg Bird was disgraceful and I couldn't be happier, filthy scumbag!

Glory, Glory to who? Money doesn't buy championships, Russell! Just ask Real Madrid. Talking the talk also doesn't guarantee championships, just ask the Gold Coast A-League side. I was worried about all the big guys they bought, they can be as good as anyone in the league, but they are just as slow. The Roosters exploited this and sent shockwaves down the Rabbitohs camp. An absolute drumming is a term you could use to describe the 36-10 victory. Is Brian Smith weaving his magic already? Don't get your hopes up Roosters fans, it's only Souths.

Tonight's match should be a ripper, I think Manly will get them. Look for a big game from Brett Stewart, who is eager to have a big season, especially after last years shmozzle. Don't think you can expect too much from Tuqiri, give him a few weeks and he will be right back into it. Also looking forward to watch big Galloway run around the park. He is an absolute monster and is going to have a big year. NSW honours are heading his way!

Been Missing In Action

Hey readers, just thought I'd let you know, I haven't been blogging due to being asked to post blogs on http://www.nbl.com.au/. I have been doing an internship at the NBL office, and they asked me to blog about the NBL Finals. If you want to have a read, go to their website and find "baukies blogs". There are 5 or 6 blogs, I hope you enjoy them. Since the finals are now finished and the league, union and AFL are all starting, I'll have plenty to talk about on here.

Human Highlight Reel Amare Stoudamire

HUGE JAM

Jefferson was kidding himself for even thinking to get upstairs with one of the premier athletes of the NBA. Jefferson's body simply wraps around Stoudamire's as he elevates over him and finishes with the thunder dunk. Amare isn't new to these types of highlights previously dunking over the likes of Josh Smith from Atlanta, Nene from Denver and defensive juggernaut Jeff Foster from Indiana. Check them out below. This guy just has no fear and doesn't care who is guarding him. Plus he does have Steve Nash to get him the rock and is there anyone better to get that done?