The Sports Shmuck

MING YAO...A GREAT???

2011-07-11T23:20:00.000+10:00

Since the news of Ming Yao's retirement plans there has been much talk of him being one of the games greats. I think this is absolutely ridiculous. I think one of the main reasons for this nonsense is to keep the Chinese fans involved in the game and keep the NBA big in China.

If we consider Ming as a NBA great we are placing him with the likes of Ewing, Olajuwon, Kareem and Shaq. That's just to name a few who plays in his position. I'm sorry but he just didn't showcase enough to be in this company. Don't get me wrong, for somebody his size he had incredible touch and a good sense for the game. He was an 8 Time NBA All Star but never once made the NBA First Team in his career. The only reason he made most of those NBA All Star Teams was because of his country men and women voting by the 100s of 1000s. I think one or two of those years he hadn't even played a game and he was the highest voted center. What sort of joke is that?

His stats over his first few seasons were good. Rookie season he averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds. His second year 17 points and 9 rebounds and the Rockets got knocked out of the playoffs by the Lakers in the first round where he averaged 15 and 7. From 2005 to 2011 Ming suffered injury after injury and the Rockets never got passed the 2nd Round of the playoffs.

Many people may disagree with what I am saying, that's fine. But I am just sick of people placing him within the wrong group of people. I think if Ming was healthy throughout his NBA career things may have been different. The problem is...he wasn't. I think the NBA is being blatantly obvious to keep their ties with China under a strong grip by making Ming an NBA great.

BABY BOOMERS

2011-06-21T17:27:00.000+10:00

WHY AREN'T OUR BEST ON THE FLOOR?

This week the Boomers have been preparing for the YouYi (friendly) games which are to be played in Perth and Singapore against China. Brett Brown has made his way back from America to put his team through their paces in preparation for the Olympic game qualifiers.

You wouldn't think playing for your country was that important though seeing there is only 3 players from the 2010 World Championship group playing. I would understand totally if there were other commitments going on, but there isn't. All the European competitions are finished up along with the NBA (which may not even go ahead in 2011/12) and still our big guns are no where to be seen. I mean Andrew Bogut, Joe Ingles and Patty Mills all seem to be in the country over this weekend, why don't they have a run? Give the fans something to be excited about!

Where is Brad Newley, Aleks Maric, Steve Markovic, David Andersen and Matt Nielsen? Why is Nathan Jawai not at the camp? Khazzouh gets his first chance to play for Australia and decides not to be available. I know if I was in his position I'd be jumping at the opportunity to play for my country. It seems to becoming less and less important in Australian basketball. I know in all our other major sports in this country, athletes would die to compete for the green and gold.

I've got nothing against the guys in camp at the moment (some of them I call friends) but that group is not upto international standard. We haven't done well in an international tournament in many many years. Why when we have all the pieces are we not making it compulsary to be available when there are camps or tournaments. We can't just let our elite athletes stroll in whenever they feel free too. It shouldn't work like that but it sure is at the moment. I don't know who is letting it but it's got to change and do so quickly, otherwise another first round knockout is on the cards at the Olympics.

I'm glad the game is being held in Perth, they love their hoops over there. I'm pretty much guaranteeing that if it was in Sydney there would be nobody there. There is no marketing material on that team, no names people can associate with. It doesn't mean they're no good it's just that basketball isn't as big as some of our countries other sports. That is why these events are key in bringing people to the games and showing the country we have some world wide elite athletes.

I don't know New Zealands team but if we don't bring a good team to the Oceania Qualifications we may not even make the Olympics!

SYDNEY KINGS ROSTER NEEDS BOOSTING

2011-06-07T15:45:00.002+10:00

SPEND SOME CASH TURNER!

I've been looking at the NBL website every couple of days for the last two weeks now hoping to see a couple of big name signings for the Sydney Kings. Again I'm disappointed in the inability to snap up big names when they are on the market.

The Melbourne Tigers went on the hunt straight away picking up Daniel Dillon, Ayinde Ubaka and Ron Dorsey. They've picked themselves three quality players who helped Cairns get to a game three of a finals series last season. Perth have signed Damian Martin, K-Lisch, Cameron Tovey, Jesse Wagstaff and Brad Robbins.

The Sydney Kings have signed Khazzouh, Graeme Dann, Luke Martin, Luke Cooper and Aaron Bruce. I'd say we need three of them (in bold). Why on earth after last years shenanigans would you sign three point guards? We need a import point guard! I'm positive that's what all the fans were hoping for this season. If I were Bob Turner I would be throwing all my money at Gary Ervin and Adam Ballinger. The Kings would be a force next year if they could get those two. We would have two of the premier big man in the competition and the MVP. You could then build around them with the likes of Dann, Martin, Knight and another import as Ballinger is an aussie.

If Turner stopped being a tight-arse the Kings would enjoy some success. I have nothing against Cooper and Bruce but the roster isn't big enough for three point guards.

My Kings team for next season:

Khazzouh/Pero Vasiljevic (if unsigned)/Greg Vanderjagt
Ballinger/Knight
Import/Dann
Magden/??? (Weigh or Hill would have been great off the bench but got snapped up by other clubs!)
Ervin/Martin

These are my thoughts on next seasons Kings team. What are yours?

Wild Series Across The Tasman

2011-04-14T18:25:00.000+10:00

The NBL has one finalist confirmed in what was one of the wildest playoffs series to date. The Breakers will go into the NBL Finals for the first time in franchise history. Their fightback, after dropping the first game at home whilst losing Mika Vukona, will go down in Breakers folklore.

After being wiped off their home court in the first game of the series, I thought the Breakers were toast heading into game 2 in Perth. The Jungle being one of the toughest places to play to date, especially in a finals series. I didn't get to catch the game but when I checked the box score and saw that Vukona played I couldn't believe it. Without Vukona the Breakers struggle mightily, they find it very hard to stay on the defensive glass and don't have the energy and hustle he brings when on the floor. A huge game from Penney saw the visitors scrape home and send this series to a decider.

It's extremely tough to win in New Zealand, let alone twice in the space of two weeks. I'm sorry but NZ were never losing this game. Bevo even fired them up saying "they didn't lose to the Breakers they lost to Penney". I love ya work Bevo but don't know if firing up the rest of the team away from home was a good idea. The Breakers started slowly but found their defensive gear I hadn't seen in many weeks. They put the clamps on and made life very difficult for the Wildcats to get any clean looks. You know the Breakers mean business when Penney actually tries to play some sort of defense. The Breakers were too good in the end blowing the Wildcats off the floor by 16. They are set to meet a much different opponent in either Townsville or Cairns.

The one thing I didn't understand about this series was that there simply was no defense. NZ dictated the play throughout the series. Even though they lost game one the style of the game was exactly how they liked it, they just couldn't make their shots whereas Perth did. I think Bevo is a great coach and a great bloke but I don't understand his tactics for the rest of the series. Perth have always been a team who knuckles down on the defensive end and plays to their tempo which sometimes is ugly but very effective. I'm sorry but I did not see that once this series. It's a shame as I believe they would be the ones in the finals if they played to their liking. I thought the game in Perth was going to be a low scoring grind except it's another score fest, just how the Breakers like it. The same thing happened in game three. It's just not good enough. I think Perth do have the scoring power to compete but the Breakers have way more. The Wildcats have a way better defensive team and could have easily locked up the Breakers if they played their style of basketball.

We shall now see how if the Breakers can dictate the tempo against two teams who haven't put up a big score in either of their two playoff games.

WHO REALLY WANTS TO WIN THIS COMPETITION??

2011-02-19T22:59:00.000+11:00

WHO WANTS NUMBER ONE??

The NBL is only six rounds away from finishing up their regular season. There are some serious questions to be asked about who really wants to win this competition!

Everyone is expecting the Kiwis to romp away with the trophy for the first time in the franchises history. I'm not convinced just yet. The way they have been playing over the last few weeks at home suggests a team may be able to spring an upset. Their victories over Melbourne (who won't make the four) and Perth (who are still coming to terms with their loss of inspirational captain Shawn Redhage), just weren't of championship quality. I'm waiting for them to start blowing teams out of the water but it's just not happening. They are the favourites and will definitely have home court advantage in the finals but I just don't see any value in backing them.

Who do you back then? I mean Perth are struggling without Redhage and unless Matt Knight comes back they will just creep into the finals.

Cairns are no chance because they can't play away from home. Their losses to both Sydney and Melbourne were disgraceful. These losses have cost them a home final. This road trip was key for them and they blew it. Credit must go to Sydney who played hard enough to grind out a victory against a top four team. They should be proud of their efforts over the last month or so. Big shout out to Graeme Dann who is having a career best season and I couldn't be happier for him!

Townsville at the moment are the only real challenger. They have only dropped one home game this year, meaning in any finals series they are going to take it to a decider. The trouble again with Townsville is their away record is 3-7. It's just not good enough. A confident booster they can take with them is that they tend to keep their games close! In a game three of a finals series anything can happen and if they are close who knows New Zealand may crumble!

Wollongong have absolutely fallen apart!! I know they had injuries but their ability to lose by 30 points against Townsville and Melbourne with full strength teams have to say something about their ticker! Gordie must be spewing. I think their finals hopes are gone!

The GC are my dark horse. Their run home is tough. They play NZ twice and they have a horror road trip to Perth and Melbourne. If they can beat New Zealand once, I think they will be the fourth team in the finals. If they make the finals they could really give it a shot. If Wortho didn't go down for the season, I'd say it would be a NZ v GC final.

INCREDIBLE!!

2011-02-01T19:11:00.000+11:00

It has now been proven why the Phoenix Suns have been such a well oiled, high scoring machine over the last 5 years. I mean if a person can fit through their rings, the Suns must be shooting through hoola hoops!!

THE ART OF GRUNTING

2011-01-19T15:41:00.000+11:00

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

So after watching the first couple of days of the Australian Open I am already sick of the amount of grunting women are using during their matches.

Personally I think it is cheating. I feel it is a way of putting your opponent off. The other night while watching the Groth/Wickmayer match I couldn't help but feel for Groth. I don't know if any of you caught the match but Wickmayer was grunting for so long that you could still hear her while Groth was about to hit the ball. I don't see that as being necessary at all. The men don't do it, why do the women?

A couple of years back I was down in Melbourne and was watching Serena Williams play against Kuznetsova. In the first set Williams did not grunt once! She lost that set. After a slight rain delay and the Russian pushing for victory, Williams decided to start grunting. This came out of the blue and people in the crowd were wondering where this came from. Williams prevailed in the end, winning the match in three sets.

During one of the matches this week an umpire told the crowd to keep quiet between the first and second serve. How about you tell the two girls in the middle to shutup during their points!

While I am typing this I have the Azarenka match on in the background. All I can hear is both chicks grunting. If I was taking a stroll past my house right about now I'd think two women were going at it in the bedroom. It's absolutely disgraceful. If we were complaining about the vevuzelas at the World Cup, this is just as bad.

I'm wondering what you guys think. Some people may get their kicks out of two chicks groaning and moaning on a tennis court. I think umpires these days need to make a decision sometimes on excessive groaning. I would understand if the match was 10-10 in the third set but 1-0 in the first set. Damn girl, you been running a marathon before the match?

Sydney Stuck At The Bottom

2010-12-14T19:28:00.000+11:00

CRISIS AT THE KINGDOME

"DEFENCE....DEFENCE.....DEFENCE...." Not even Rodney O, who made a return to the microphone , could keep Sydney from being belted by the Hawks. People waiting for over two years to see their beloved Kings team be reinstated to the NBL have been let down by poor on court performances.

A real Sydney fan would have known once the team was assembled that on court performances were going to be below par when compared to the Championship teams of the past. I seriously do not understand what planet Mr Turner was on when putting this team together. There were many good players the Kings could have picked up when every single player was on the free agency. This obviously wasn't on Turners' agenda! He waited and waited and then announced a seven man roster with a few spots to be filled by imports. Now of those spots I would say only Ben Knight and Julian Khazzouh are starters, the rest are just role players and not bad ones either. However Moose, if that's what everyone likes to call him (I have other names), gives them extended minutes. These minutes most of them have not seen in their playing careers and it is showing in the results.

Here is my breakdown of the current roster:

Luke Cooper: I didn't know much of Luke but heard a little about him in his time in the Waratah League this season. I was in Europe and never got to play against him. What I did read though was that he was a superb pickup. What didn't make sense was that they already had Luke Martin who isn't a starter. Now you are stuck with two backups. There was the first mistake. Luke proved to be a young star in his first few games and contributed more than what I was expecting. However a season ending injury has put that to an end. Hopefully he can recover in time for the ABA season.

Graham Dann: I've known Graham for a long time now and he is a great player. However he is not a starter. I think he provides good minutes off the bench for any NBL team. His numbers so far are not what you'd expect from an import swingman that the Kings have had in the past. His horrific injury against the Breakers may keep him on the bench for a while but I hope he comes back stronger and puts up some good numbers.

Blagov Janev: Blogs is another good role player that can hit a perimeter shot with ease. It seems as though his confidence has been shattered by the limited minutes he is receiving. I would rather have Blagov on then Jared Scoines who provides absolutely nothing at this level. The Kings need his size in the key as Khazzouh and new import Gilder have arms the size of mine! If blogs can find some confidence he could be good for the team. Give him a go, MOOSE!

Julian Khazzouh: The shining light for the Kings so far. The guy is racking up some seriously good numbers this season. I'm glad he has worked hard at his game and is now seen as a go to guy for an NBL team. I do have one problem with him. He has no size!! Larry Davidson muscled him all around the key last Sunday and Khazzouh could do nothing about it. I spoke to a few people who maybe suggested his work ethic in the gym must be horrendous. I can see their point. He has been playing professional basketball overseas for a season or two now and played for the Sydney Spirit when they were around. He should be the size of Barry Hall by now! After watching the game on Sunday and witnessing the two new imports take all the shots, I am predicting Khazzouh may soon become a little frustrated. He was taking up to 18 shots a game before Sanders and Gilder have come in, now a measely seven against the Hawks. I can imagine that Julian is itching for Dickle to get on the court and direct traffic his way.

Ben Knight: I was in Knight's Kings team a few years back now and he is a great guy, player and captain. It has taken him a couple of months to get in the starting lineup but now that he is in it he will cement it as his. He will be a leader and won't stop even when the times are tough. The one thing that is worrying for me is that he is not fully fit and don't think he will ever get to 100% again. I hope he does for the team and fans sake. The first couple of games watching him hobble around was painful as a viewer let alone what he was going through.

Ben Magden: Another unknown identity for myself when he was announced in the roster. He is a scorer and he is starting to come along quite nicely. However he can't stop a parked car. So really he may be scoring 15 but he is letting in 17. If he can fix that part of his game up he could be a role player the Kings rely on down the stretch. I also like his passion and desire to win a basketball game. I don't really see it from many of them.

Luke Martin: Luke is probably the best back-up point guard in the league and he showed that when he played with the Gong last season. A horrible injury helped him take a back ward step this season and he hasn't looked his usual self since. So this is the problem! Luke is running the show at the moment which is allowing rival point guards to apply a lot of heat on him. I don't think the Kings ran many sets last week because Luke couldn't get the ball across the court without having to pass it off. I like the Luke Martin who comes off the bench gives 10 hard minutes, scores a few points, grabs a few steals and electrifies a crowd with an awesome dish. This is where the Kings went wrong at the beginning of the season. They should have brought in a legitimate point guard like Gary Ervin or Corey Williams. Luke would have fed off them and everything would have been much rosier. However now they bring in 35 year old Mark Dickle, former New Zealand international who has played no basketball for a year and has taken up a role in coaching overseas. COME ON MAN!!!!!! I hope to see Luke show his true colours over the next few weeks. I believe in him and he will show us that he belongs in the NBL.

Damien Ryan: I'm sorry Mr Turner but can you please explain why this man is playing for the Kings. He is a 31 year old has been for goodness sake. He is out there to shoot three's but can't hit them. BJ Carter would have been a better pickup. He brings more passion for his jersey than Ryan ever will and plus he is dead eye from any range. He better pick up his game or give him the boot, he is tearing up salary cap space! At the moment he is just an oxygen thief!

Jared Scoines: Refer to Blagov Janev's spiel. The bloke just isn't up to the NBL and can't believe he is playing ten minutes a game. He is an ABA level player.

Patrick Sanders: Can hoop! I think the Kings have found an import who can play and loves doing it. The guy is of decent size and can hit a jump shot. The only thing that I don't like is that he seems very one out and doesn't involve his teammates. He is a black hole (if you give him the ball, you ain't getting it back). He scored 27 points against some good defense in Campbell and Saville which gives Sydney fans some hope of witnessing more than one win this season, sorry we haven't yet! That one was down in Melbourne.

Joel Wagner: Brought into the roster in place of injured Luke Cooper. What a great pickup......NOT! The guy is smaller than Luke Martin and can't score. The only reason he is in the team is because of Connor Henry (Sydney Assistant Coach) who was the assistant coach of the Perth Wildcats where Wagner was found. He has been seeing more minutes than Luke Martin which is ridiculous. I don't think we will see much more of him when Dickle starts playing, which could mean a flight home for Wagner is on the cards.

Trey Gilder: I watched the game last week and he was disgraceful. He has zero size which is exactly what the Kings did NOT need. The Kings needed someone to work with Khazzouh in the paint. Now the Kings have mini me point guards and stick men centres. COME ON MAN!! Gilder's body language throughout the match was disgraceful and his little dummy spit after getting fouled when the basket waved off was a joke. Grow up mate! I don't know how they play in the D-League in the states but we are a bit tougher down under. You may want to get used to it buddy. I've spoken to a few people and they are giving this guy 2 weeks max. I'm going to give him more of a run but if he performs anywhere near the standard of last week he will be getting flown out razor sharp. By the way Trey, just a quick heads up, Shane Heal's number 23 was retired, don't be showing disrespect for the man who led the Kings to their first championship. I'm guessing he demanded that he either wear it or not play! MOOSE would have given in because he is a pussy.

Finally MOOSE: Our head coach is past it! We need someone fresh. His ideas and rotation are atrocious. Is it because his team isn't as talented as the rest of the field or is it his techniques. Look at Joey Wright, Rob Beveridge and Marty Clarke. They have all come into the league and showcased their coaching talent. This is a case of Mr Turner being cheap. I'm sure there would have been someone out there that could be doing a better job. He lets Connor Henry do all the talking in timeouts. I absolutely hate that! Get in their MOOSE. Run the show and get your team organised. Mr Henry if you get another technical foul you should get the flick. It is down right embarrassing!

TURNER: Sharpen up or get out of the office. Your marketing tactics are disgraceful. If you weren't a basketball fan you still wouldn't know the Kings are playing. Please stop thinking that you are going to continually bring in opening night crowds when:

A: You don't win

B: You provide the same entertainment week in week out. I think the same thing was done for the last 20 years. I was there the other week and I said to my girlfriend this new hip hop boys crew, who definitely weren't in time, (I'm positive I saw them dancing around central station one week for money) is something different. She turned and said mmmm yeah they are OK. Then another of my mates told me this is the 4th time they have performed. Fans don't want to see the same thing every week. They will stop coming back.

C: The Lions routine is outdated, enough of the Michael Jackson mask and same music every week.

D: It's about time you brought back Rodney O. The next thing you need to do is bring back the BAND! They will bring back the younger adult crowd. Have them play before and after the match so people can mingle and have a few drinks. This will lead to people chanting and being a little more passionate than most of the people I witnessed when I was there against the Breakers.

E: Pay someone to market the team much better than what is happening at the moment. It's a farce! Don't worry I won't forget you asking me to work for free!

There is much needed improvement over the rest of the season. I hope things come together for the Kings as the league needs them to be doing well.

Some PT for PM

2010-12-09T14:46:00.000+11:00

GOOD ON YOU PATTY

Patty Mills has finally seen some solid playing time for the Portland Trailblazers after sitting the pine for two seasons. The boy from Oz registered 29 minutes against Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns yesterday.

During his 29 minutes Mills went 4-9 from the field, grabbed three rebounds and threw out seven assists. His nine points helped the Blazers get over the line against a Suns team who just didn't want to go away. One of his assists registered as the assist of the night on www.nba.com. Check it out below. Couldn't find a link for the actual video but it is in this library.

http://www.nba.com/video/#

I was starting to worry about whether Patty was going to see any court time again this season. I was watching one of his games on ONEHD when he walked in front of the camera and waved like some school kid who won the prize to suit up and sit on the bench with the team. It was quite embarrassing and I really can't see him doing that again, now that he is in the rotation.

Andre Miller will come back into the lineup and Mill's minutes may deteriorate but I think he has shown to Nate McMillan that he can play at this level. He is good on the defensive end and will give opposition back up point guards fits. It should be interesting to see what Nate does with him now. Australian fans can only hope that backup point guard Armon Johnson sucks it up so Patty can get a run.

I'm also hoping this because I'm sick and tired of watching the Lakers, Heat, Magic and the Celtics on the TV. No more Milwaukee action either, they're terrible to watch and their games are down right boring.

Well done Patty for sticking it out. Lets hope that a few scouts watched some of your highlights, maybe a bigger contract could be coming your way.

MY OH MY

2010-12-09T14:23:00.000+11:00

TURN IT UP

In the wake of Twente's goalkeeper blunder during the champions league group stage fixture Wednesday morning, I've found it's not only the keepers that can bodge it. Take a look at some of these missed shots by some of the highest paid players in the world.

I bet the Pakistan Cricket Team strongly believe this was FIXED!

WHAT THE???

2010-11-16T15:06:00.000+11:00

FOOTBALL TRICKERY

I was shown this last night and had to laugh. I think the coach has every right to blow up. There is seriously nothing wrong with this play. The commentators had no clue as to what was going on, it was quite funny. Have a look and see what you think.

Another controversial play is this one. I'm not sure if this is allowed but it is quite smart if it is! If anyone knows if it was allowed or disallowed, fill me in!

Some Roughies This NBA Season

2010-10-11T20:38:00.000+11:00

With the NBA pre-season now in full swing, fans are able to check out their team’s youngsters and some of their new bought talent. Many of the NBA teams have acquired new members, some having put together very competitive squads. It should be interesting to see some of last year’s minnow teams this year having a big crack. I’m a big fan of a few underdogs this season.

I think the Clippers are going to be a lot stronger than last season with Blake Griffin coming back. He has started the pre season really well. Against Sacramento Griffin did not miss any of his seven field goal attempts and pulled down 8 rebounds. Not bad for 22 minutes of play! In his second game he was even better hitting 10 of his 15 shots and pulling down nine rebounds in 24 minutes. If Griffin is to be putting up these numbers and the Clips remain healthy they will hold a respectable record come seasons end. Not only will they have a good record but Griffin will put his hand up for Rookie of the Year honours alongside 2010’s number one draft pick John Wall.

The Washington Wizards will want to improve on last year’s shenanigans. Gilbert Arenas will have a pre season under his belt and have some youngsters that can seriously play around him. Will John Wall take a backseat to Arenas or will there be some tension throughout the season? I think the acquisition of Kirk Hinrich will help get them both the ball. In the pre season it looks as if they are going to start all three of them. That would be interesting as they would be so small. The Wizards will trouble many teams with their speed. The likes of Wall, Arenas and McGee running the floor, teams will have to be playing very good transitional defence. Wall hasn’t been the shining light of the pre season as of yet. Over his two games he has shot 10-28 and dished out 15 assists. He will need to put up better numbers if he is to win the Rookie of the Year honours. The Wizards also acquired Yi Jianlian who will see plenty of minutes at the three spot. This will be a big chance for Yi to show his true ability. He can play a big role in helping the Wizards climb the ladder in 2010.

However if you’re looking for a young team to watch in 2010/11, check out the Toronto Raptors this season. They may not do extremely well after losing Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu in the off season but there is some serious talent left in the squad. Kleiza is coming off a big world championship and will be a solid swing/four man. Another European who is a big talent is Andreas Bargnani from Italy. He will have a much larger responsibility and I think he will shine through it. De Rozan will play more minutes along with Sonny Weems and newly acquired livewire Barbosa. I think this team led by point guards Jose Calderon and Jarrett Jack will give a few teams a go this season. Early signs have been good in the pre season beating Phoenix by 41 and losing to Boston in Boston by only four.

I hope you enjoy the pre season and make sure you check out some of the talent on show that you may not see during the season.

ANCIENT BUT CLASSIC

2010-09-07T19:18:00.000+10:00

GREAT SKIT

This is one hell of a classic by the guys from "The Chaser". They get the West Coast Eagles something brilliant. This video was taken around the time Ben Cousins stood down as captain of the club. Enjoy and tell me what you think. Listen carefully as some of the one liners are hilarious.

NBL NEW ONEHD COMMERCIAL

2010-09-06T17:28:00.000+10:00

NBL'S NEW AD ON ONEHD

The NBL and OneHD have just released their new 2010 commercial. I'm quite impressed! They definitely put some money into it. It's showing that they actually care and want basketball in Australia to succeed. Lets hope this continues to bring basketball back to the glory days.

LeBron James Clip Classic

2010-09-06T17:24:00.000+10:00

THE TRIO STEP IN THE RING

A mate of mine sent me to this you-tube link of LeBron James. It's quite hilarious! I hope you all enjoy it!

Is Match Fixing Becoming A Way Of The Sporting Life?

2010-08-30T14:57:00.000+10:00

MATCH FIXING MUST BE STOPPED!

Firstly in the NRL, ex Melbourne Storm now Canterbury Bulldogs forward Ryan Tandy, is suspected to have been involved in a fix during the first few minutes of the Bulldogs/Cowboys clash at Dairy Farmers last weekend. Tandy says he has nothing to hide regarding the incident, and that he was not involved at all in the betting plunge. Punters were set to collect a lovely $250000 if the Cowboys kicked a penalty goal as the first scoring play of the match. The reason Tandy is having the finger pointed at him, is that first he knocked the ball on in the opening set of six, and straight after gave the Cowboys a penalty right in front of the sticks. The Cowboys chose not to take the two, instead tapping and scoring in the corner. Therefore, the sting didn't succeed and the punters were left wondering! Do you think Tandy is guilty? Do you believe that other matches in the past or present have been fixed? Gambling on sport is on the rise and it doesn't look like slowing down. There will definitely be more instances of this occurring.

Secondly a more important scandal that is happening right at this moment is the Pakistan Cricket Team bonanza. There have been fresh reports that money was exchanged over the table. You see in the video an unnamed man, declaring that there will be a no ball on certain balls bowled. That is insane! They weren't wrong either. The no-balls that were bowled are hilarious, check them out below. They certainly made sure their foot was over the line. The more I watch these videos the more it makes me cringe. These guys should be banned for life. There is no room for this behaviour in any sport around the world. When the Australians did come back from that test in Sydney, you had to question the tactics of the Pakis.

I really hope that the sporting world isn't rocked to hard by these two stories. However, something must be done about this. This can't be swept under the rug. An example must be set and if it's Ryan Tandy or the Pakistani's, SO BE IT!

NENAD KRISTIC LOSES HIS MIND

2010-08-22T19:44:00.000+10:00

BRING ON THE WORLD CHAMPS

A couple of days ago during a World Cup warm-up, the Serbs and Greeks had an all in brawl. Check the video out below. Some crazy crazy shit goes on. The size of some of the men on both sides is ridiculous. It should be interesting if these two teams are to meet in the World Cup. I say bring it ON!

NBA NEED TO CLEAN THEIR BACKYARD UP!

2010-08-19T14:20:00.000+10:00

The NBA Is Losing Control Of Their Players

Carmelo Anthony wants out of Denver for some crazy reason. He wants out fast too. Firstly he wanted to go and partner up with Amare Stoudemire at New York. Now he has come out and said that if the Rockets or the Nets come up with a trade he will sign a multi-year deal with them.

Along comes Chris Paul who supposedly stood up at Anthony's wedding declaring that they were going to make a super team of their own. Paul was talking about himself, Anthony and Stoudemire at the New York Knicks. Who do these guys think they are trying to run the NBA? What confidence does this give GM's when signing big name players? What about the fans? Players just don't care anymore!

There is no more loyalty in the game. Denver fans just having purchased 'Anthony' jerseys over the off season should receive a refund. New Orleans fans won't know if to cheer or boo Chris Paul if he stays on this season. They all know for a fact that he wants out, why should they cheer for him this year?

I understand why people think that this is exciting for the game but it really isn't! There will be five or six really good teams and then the rest will be pathetic. Who wants to watch LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh absolutely tear apart the Sacramento Kings? I certainly don't. I want to see a competition where many of the teams have superstars which they can build around. Just as the Lakers have done with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol being surrounded by great role players. That is why they're so successful and fun to watch.

The NBA needs to sit down and put a stop to this. It is ridiculous how three all star players can go to lunch and discuss how they can all play on the same team. If the NBA is going to move forward they need to clean this mess up. I really feel for the fans in this situation and I hope David Stern does too!

BILLY BOY JUST CAN'T KEEP OUT OF THE MEDIA!

2010-08-17T10:18:00.000+10:00

OPSM TO SPONSOR NRL REFS NEXT SEASON

I am sick to death of complaining about NRL Referees but last nights game has to be spoken about. The St George Illawarra vs Manly was shaping up to be a cracker of a match before the man upstairs decided it was to be all about him.

Bill Harrigan who is the head of the referees was the man pressing the button last night. You would think that he would know the rule that you can't lose control of the ball over the try line and than place your hand on it after the ball has hit the ground. Obviously not! Gasnier shimmy shimmy whoosed before crossing over for what looked like a great individual try, but he clearly lost the ball. If you haven't seen it watch the video below, on the slow motion replay you can see clear separation. After the first replay it would have been a red light for me, it was that clear. When the green light came on, I couldn't believe it. The commentators were blowing up. Anything to get in the news Billy Boy! I liked Warren Smith's comment "Here's $10000 Dessie get into them after the game!" Good on you Waz.

This is bad for the game, it's wrong for the players and fans to be punished by these imbeciles. Bill Harrigan after the game defended himself by saying "It was the benefit of the doubt, there was no separation.The ball was put down short of the line than rolled onto it." WOW WAH WEE WAH, he is going bananas! The worst thing is the Dragons claiming that he got it right. Gasnier said "I guess it was one of those 50/50 calls, I guess I got the benefit of the doubt." Are you insane Gaz? What's so 50/50 about it? The ball was clearly out of your hands, I even think that the Manly guy kicked it before Gaz touched it again! Wayne Bennett even denied there was any separation. That's alright the bloke is getting old, he probably is having troubles with his eye sight.

Bobby Fulton was furious "It was the worst decision by a video referee since the introduction of the video ref in 97. The decision was a joke. Harrigan is a blight on the game and he must be sacked as a video ref." There has been a feud between Harrigan and Fulton for years now. Back in 1987 Fulton told Harrigan "I hope you get run over by a cement truck."

In the second half Brent Kite went to the line and handed the ball to Kieran Foran who was a metre in front of him. Shane Hayne was standing right there and signaled that he flicked it back. I could see it first time, he threw it so far forward it was worthy of a penalty. How do two men in the middle plus two touch judges miss that? Foran was looking at Hayne with a guilty look on his face, praying for him to award the try. If this is the game of the round and we have these monkeys adjudicating, the finals could be ruined!

Lets hope they can start to get it right, I think the first step to that is getting rid of the video ref. It will give the refs downstairs more confidence in their decisions and fans will accept that. All this slow motion rubbish is causing to many grey areas in our game.

LBJ HATERS, I LOVE IT!

2010-08-13T13:44:00.000+10:00

LBJ NOBODY'S KING ANYMORE

A couple of things regarding the "King" LeBron James. While I was away in Europe I heard of this nonsense 1 hour special he had on ESPN regarding his move to Miami. I couldn't help but laugh at how much of a wanker he is.

What I do love is how some of the players and comedians are mocking him! Check it out.

Not only has there been videos but there have been some heated words over the last two days between LeBron and Charles Barkley!

Only a few days back James tweeted “Don’t think for one min that I haven’t been taking mental notes of everyone taking shots at me this summer. And I mean everyone!” Barkley was quick to respond on 103.3 ESPN Radio in Dallas stating “I heard about LeBron’s little tweet today that he’s remembering everybody that said anything bad about him, and he says everybody. Well, I want him to make sure that he puts my name on that because I thought that his little one-hour special was a punk move, I thought them dancing around on the stage was a punk move, and I thought he should’ve stayed in Cleveland. Him joining Dwyane Wade’s team was very disappointing to me. From a basketball standpoint, I wish he had stayed in Cleveland, and if he takes that as criticism, so be it. He knows where I’ll be, I don’t run. I’m on TV every week, I’m easy to find.”

I love Barkley and can't wait until LeBron chokes all over national television this year! Oh wait, he has done that his whole career, MY BAD!

Fans are in for one hell of a season, it can't come quick enough!

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS MUST BE GOOD

2010-08-13T10:43:00.000+10:00

BASKETBALL'S DO OR DIE!

A highly anticipated NBL season could be heightened even further if the 12 players listed below can put up an almighty performance at the World Championships in Turkey. Is this the right team to carry Australian Basketball back to the glory days?

I have a really good feeling about this group. The loss of Bogut was huge. If they throw him in this mix than we stand a big chance. Many of the boys chosen have all now had European experience and understand their style of play better than 4 years ago.

Australia is slowly catching up on the world, we are starting to infiltrate the European leagues. I don't know how happy the Europeans are about that but they are going to have to deal with it. With Anderson and Mills gaining NBA experience throughout last season, the Aussies will have a few go to guys when the game is on the line.

This World Championships is wide open. The Americans haven't fielded a great team at all. I strongly feel that they will not win the competition. The Spaniards will definitely be strong but the loss of Pau Gasol hurts them. If you take them out of the equation the Aussies can make a push for a top 4 spot. In a one off game anything can happen and we all know that Aussies love being the underdogs.

I just can't see basketball taking off if we don't do well in this tournament. The newspapers will be filled with bad press and that's exactly what the NBL doesn't need only a month from tip off. If the results are good, basketball and non basketball fans will want to catch a game during the NBL season. With ONEHD covering the season, AND1 the new clothing sponsor and Spalding getting back on board, things are looking good for the NBL.

I really hope the boys do us proud in Turkey, for Basketball Australia and for the NBL's sake. Could 2010 be the year Australian Basketball comes back to life?

Golden Star Australian Boomers – 2010 FIBA World Championship Team

David ANDERSEN / 212cm / 30 / Centre / Toronto Raptors (NBA) / Frankston Blues (VIC)
David BARLOW / 205cm / 26 / Forward / CAI Zaragoza (Spain) / Sandringham (VIC)
Aron BAYNES / 207cm / 23 / Centre / EWE Baskets Oldenburg (Germany) / Cairns (QLD)
Adam GIBSON / 188cm / 23 / Guard / Gold Coast Blaze / Launceston (TAS)
Joe INGLES / 203cm / 22 / Forward / CB Granada (Spain) / Southern (SA)
Steven MARKOVIC / 190cm / 25 / Guard / KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd (Serbia) / Bankstown (NSW)
Aleks MARIC / 210cm / 25 / Centre / Panathinaikos (Greece) / North Sydney (NSW)
Damian MARTIN / 188cm / 25 / Guard / Perth Wildcats / Gloucester (NSW)
Patrick MILLS / 183cm / 21 / Guard / Portland Trail Blazers (NBA) / Shadows (ACT)
Brad NEWLEY / 198cm / 25 / Guard / Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania) / Forestville (SA)
Matthew NIELSEN / 209cm / 32 / Forward / Olympiacos (Greece) / Penrith (NSW)
Mark WORTHINGTON / 202cm / 27 / Forward / Brose Baskets (Germany) / Bunbury (WA)

Boomers 2010 International Schedule

28 August            FIBA World Championship           Jordan                  Kayseri, Turkey
29 August            FIBA World Championship           Argentina            Kayseri, Turkey
30 August            FIBA World Championship           Germany             Kayseri, Turkey
1 September       FIBA World Championship           Serbia                   Kayseri, Turkey
2 September       FIBA World Championship           Angola                  Kayseri, Turkey

I'm Back!!

2010-08-11T15:16:00.000+10:00

VACATION OVER!!

Sorry readers, I've been away on my three month Euro Adventure and did not have any time to write about what's going on in sport back home. I actually had no idea what was going on back home.

After a weekend of sport, I'm back. What a weekend it was too! The NRL finals race should be a cracker. The top four is anybody's for the taking. St George showed that they are not done with yet, but that won't be far off. St George fans have four weeks left of celebrating before their team chokes again. Nothing new though, right? Although all the Dragons fans seem to think it's their year, but we have all heard that one before. It should be a great finals series!

Big news which happened last night was that Greg Inglis was released from the Melbourne Storm. Brisbane weren't sympathetic at all to the Storm, issuing a press release that Inglis had accepted the terms of his new contract only minutes after the news of him being released. I love it! What is that going to do for the Broncos next season? They have some very exciting youngsters coming through the ranks. If Hodges is injury free next season then Brisbane are going to be lethal down the sidelines.

Where does this leave Melbourne? Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith are all that is left to a once all star team. I think it's a great time for the Storm fans, they will get to see the new breed of footballers down South. It will be a struggle over the next few years but you had your taste of glory even if it has all been taken away.

How about that refereeing on Monday Night? What a disgraceful performance by the men in pink. Matthew Elliot has every rite to be furious. I'm surprised he didn't blow up and cop the $10000. That last penalty on Gordon for taking Vidot out in the air was a belter. The referee was standing right there and couldn't see that Gordon contested the ball. Canberra launched a massive attack after the penalty which resulted in the winning try. After 19 first grade games, I think old mate might be heading back to premier league. I must commend Canberra on their comeback, they played some hardarse football from the opening whistle of the second half. Furner must have sent a rocket up their backsides during halftime.

It's still a long way out but I think Manly are going to cause many of the finals teams trouble come September. I also think Penrith have the forward pack to go deep into the finals. I will never be convinced with Jamie Soward running the Dragons around the park, people won't agree with me but there is no better evidence than the last few years. Time will tell, I look forward to the next month and a half.

It's the perfect time to be back home in Australia.

Pressures Mounting On Eels Superstars

2010-04-15T11:29:00.001+10:00

Has the pressure of being one of the greats in the game today got to Jarryd Hayne? Or are his teammates the ones to blame for his lackluster start to the season?

The Eels head into this weekend’s clash against the in-form South Sydney Rabbitohs with a lot on the line.

Sitting on the bottom of the table with only two points from their five contests, things aren’t looking too great for the runners-up of last year’s season.

They can consider themselves lucky to even have those two points.

Their only win of the season came on the back of two forward passes, one of them was that forward it probably should have been called a penalty.

Who is to blame for such a poor start to the season? Are the Eels looking to replicate the Cinderella story they created last season?

I don’t think they can do it this year.

There are too many teams this season that on their given day can beat anyone. Teams like the Bulldogs and the Eels are going to struggle to even make the finals if they don’t pick up their act, starting from this weekend.

If you had been away for the first five weeks of the season and had seen Parramatta at the bottom of the ladder, you would straight away think Jarryd Hayne must either not be playing well or not playing at all.

It seems all the finger pointing is being hurled at the fullback who last year carried his team to the grand final.

Is this fair?

I don’t think so.

Hayne is a brilliant player, but he can’t weave his magic if his forwards aren’t doing the work upfront. At the moment the Eels are sitting back and waiting for the superstar to pull off a miracle week in, week out.

Nathan Cayless, Fuifui Moimoi, Nathan Hindmarsh and Feliti Mateo all must knuckle down and do the work upfront. At the moment opposition front rowers are running all over them. This is not allowing Parramatta’s star studded backline any room to create for each other.

There have been questions raised about Nathan Cayless, if he is still is able to compete with some of the best.

There is no doubting his passion and desire to help the Eels win a premiership, but should he be the man carrying them forward at the moment?

On the other hand, has the pressure got to last season’s Dally M Player of the Year?

Opposition teams have put together strategies to take the RLIF International Player of the Year in 2009 out of the ball game. As much as Hayne has downplayed the effect it’s having on his game, it must be eating him up inside.

I could not believe one of the excuses Daniel Anderson gave www.sportal.com.au this week on why Hayne has been conservative of late. “Jarryd’s a little gun shy because he’s been called for forward passes in two games … I don’t think either have been forward.”

Mr Anderson, I think you need to go and watch the footage again.

Great players always seem to find a way out of a tough situation, and I’m thinking Jarryd Hayne will be one of them. Look for a purple patch of form from the electrifying Eel in the coming weeks.

This weekend’s contest between the Eels and the Rabbits is set to be a rip roaring affair. If the South’s forwards get the upper hand, it could get ugly for the Parramatta fans.

IS THE NBL READY FOR TAKEOFF?

2010-04-14T13:58:00.000+10:00

I have started to submit my articles to www.theroar.com.au. Be sure to check them out and leave a comment or a thumbs up. Thanks.

Big offseason signings, new blood in the coaching ranks and the Sydney Kings are back. Is 2010 when the NBL returns to its glory days?

One of Australia’s young stars returns to the country after having a stint in Hungary. Matthew Knight, a Tasmanian junior, showed us all two years ago that he is going to be a star. In his rookie year for the Sydney Spirit, Knight became one of the most feared competitors in the game. Last season’s NBL Champions, Perth, have snared the monster and will make them an even greater force in the season to come. It is a step in the right direction for the NBL. If they can lure the young Australians’ back from Europe, then it is saying something about the quality of the competition back home.

The free agency market has given teams across the league a chance to purchase some quality talent. With every player listed on the market this season, it has added excitement to a once dour NBL offseason.

Melbourne and Adelaide have been quick to snap up some local talent whom dominated last season. Adelaide picked up Daniel Johnson, a young kid who still has many, many years a head of him. Melbourne has picked up the signing of the year so far in Cameron ‘Trigger’ Tragardh. Trigger was outstanding last season and is becoming one of the most potent scorers in the league. With many big name players yet to be signed, fans have to wait on the edge of their seats to see if their favourite player remains at the club.

The NBL is witnessing some new blood in the coaching ranks. In only his second season of coaching in the NBL, Rob Beveridge helped the Perth Wildcats hold up the Championship Trophy. Adelaide has just signed Martin Clarke, former Australian Institute of Sport head coach and current Boomers assistant coach. This is the right time for coaches like Brian Goorjian and Lindsay Gaze, to let some of the predecessors have a chance in the big league. Goorjian and Gaze have set a platform for all of the new coaches, the NBL thanks them for that, but it’s time for the new guys to take over. I’m hoping they bring back the wow factor the game has been missing for years.

The Sydney Kings are back, and what a time for it to happen. With the NBL quickly falling off the side of the sporting world, the Kings have given it a new lease of life. The problem now is the Kings are behind the eight ball. Many of the teams have started purchasing players and filling their roster. The Kings have not yet bought one player. All the Kings have done is appoint a coach. Ian ‘Moose’ Robilliard will hopefully take the Kings back to the Glory days, when the Entertainment Centre was jam packed and the fans were bopping along to the band that played before and after the game. I have heard that new Kings Chief Executive, Bob Turner, is keeping his cards very close to his chest, which is making it very hard for the Consortium to get things off the ground and running.

Sydney fans must not be ready for fireworks from day one of the competition, let alone the season. The Kings must put their heart and soul into trying to get bums on seats and get the Entertainment Centre pumping. The Kings will win games, there is no doubting that. I just hope that the Kings spend their money on local talent, meaning NSW, not Victoria or Western Australia. Fans want to see what their state has to offer not anyone else’s. This is where I think Sydney went wrong in previous years.

Enjoy what the off-season has to offer, but when the season begins it’s SHOWTIME!

This Takes Spear Tackle To A New Level

2010-04-07T23:34:00.000+10:00

YOU ARE KIDDING!

Imagine being put in this position at full speed.

This is one of the ugliest tackles I've seen since Jarrod McCracken got speared in 2000. It occurred in the 22nd minute of Sunday's Toyota Cup under-20s match between Manly and the New Zealand Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium. The NRL match review committee yesterday charged two Warriors players, lock John Palavi and interchange player Sebastine Ikahihifo, with a grade five dangerous throws - the harshest penalty other than an offence being referred directly to the judiciary. Palavi and Ikahihifo each face nine-match suspensions but will get off with six-week bans if they plead guilty as expected. They were not sent off.

How on earth are these two boys not sent off? The bloke is vertical! I don't know what the referee was thinking, but I'm sure he got a stern talking to by the head referee officials. Birrigan Young was lucky to escape any type of neck injury. Young came out of the tackle with a dislocated shoulder and could miss up to eight games, or even worse the season. Young can count his lucky stars that he may once again play football.

Should Lockyer Be Going Around One More Time?

2010-04-07T23:17:00.000+10:00

HAVE YOUR SAY!

Every now and again, I get you guys and girls (the readers), to have your say on a topic that has been in the news over the last couple of days. This time around we will be looking at the representative career of Darren Lockyer. Locky announced this week that he would continue his representative career into 2010. He is now poised to skipper Queensland to a 5th straight State of Origin title over the Blues. If Lockyer plays all three games of this years series he will move to 33 games, one behind halfback great Allan Langer who holds the record and just ahead of Mal Meninga (32) and Wally Lewis (31).

This decision has the rugby league world talking. Is Lockyers choice a selfish one? Is he too old? Is he too slow? Is he in any type of form to be picked? These are some of the questions that are being debated on the back pages of our newspaper.

I personally feel that he deserves another crack. I mean QLD have won four titles in a row, all with him playing in them. I'm positive Lockyer can handle Origin, he's done it his whole career. It's only going to cause NSW more problems. Queensland always lift when Origin greats retire from representative football. It should be a great series. NSW are starting to bridge the gap and with Hayne, Jennings and Creagh all stepping up, we may see a new winner.

I'm all for Lockyer's decision but I certainly think it stops at Origin level. It's time to pass the Australian #6 over. Cameron Smith will do a great job in captaining the country. What are your thoughts, selfish or not?

HIGH STAKES FLOP

2010-04-07T10:47:00.001+10:00

WHAT A JOKE!

I seriously can't believe OneHD are airing this rubbish. It is like watching a bunch of guys play pick up at the KGV. There is no structure, no defence and the shots that are being thrown up are outrageous. Are they paying some of these imports to come and play at this tournament? There is no one even there to watch the game. It's school holidays and they can't even get a crowd. It was great to turn on OneHD and see that I could count the amount of people in the stands with one hand.

I am positive they didn't get enough people to register to play for this tournament. On one team they had Graeme Dann, Clint Reed and BJ Carter. No disrespect to these guys at all, all three of them I am mates with, but are they going to draw crowds? Probably not.

Steve Carfino is one of the basketball elites, but you think in a six hour broadcast they would change the commentators around? At least then we are not listening to the same people all day, a little boring don't you think?

Twenty20 cricket worked because Cricket were already drawing monster crowds. Fans were going to flock to cricket grounds to see something new and entertaining. Basketball at this stage are still trying to find their feet. Fans want to see more of what they saw in the finals series, not a bunch of street ballers trying to get their name out there.

The NBL should have never put their logo on the court that this rubbish is being played on!

http://www.highstakeshoops.com/

TOVEY QUITS NBL FOR CAREER IN ACCOUNTING

2010-04-05T18:56:00.000+10:00

CROCS PUZZLED AS TOVEY EXITS

Young Crocs star, Cameron Tovey, has chosen to retire from the NBL to pursue his accounting career in Perth. I've played against Cam many times in my basketball career, and he is easily one of the toughest guys I've had to guard. I remember being taken to school in a semi final a few years back. It's disappointing to see him leave at such a young age, but I'm not surprised. At 24/25 years of age, Toves could be earning more in accounting than what the Crocs would be paying him. Some people must be saying, "Accounting, how boring?"I sure am. I did some accounting subjects at uni. I preferred watching the grass grow outside the classroom window then listening to a teacher talk credits and debits.

I wish him the best of luck in his endeavors. I definitely think he had his best basketball ahead of him. It was great to see him grow from not playing much in Perth to learning a lot at the Kings, to progressing on to being a starter with the Crocs.

The NBL must try and get these young guys some more cash, otherwise we may see more of this. The guys coming back from College all have degrees. I know sometimes it is for the love of the game, but damn, when I was a development player I got paid nothing. It's not worth it. Up the minimum contract and pay some of these guys what they deserve.

On other Crocs news, Rolan Roberts has been let go by the club. He didn't have the greatest of years, but I'm sure he will be picked up by another club. In the right mindset, Rolan is one of the toughest imports I've seen play in the NBL.

Boguts Injury

2010-04-05T13:20:00.000+10:00

NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED

Bogut's horrific injury could not have come at a worse time for the Milwaukee Bucks. With only 13 games remaining in the regular season, the Bucks were eyeing off a playoff spot. They would have been one very tough 1st round opponent. Now they will only make up the numbers, that's if they can keep their spot.

I don't know if you have seen the fall, but it is sickening. I have seen it a couple of times now. On the fall Bogut discolated his right elbow, broke his right hand and sprained his right wrist. He was having one of his best seasons to date. In 69 games this season, Bogut is averaging career-highs in points (15.9) and blocked shots (2.5), while adding 10.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He ranks second in the NBA in blocked shots, ninth in rebounds and 17th in field goal percentage (.520).

Not only is this bad for the end of his NBA season.The freak injury has sent Australia's chances to take home a much needed medal at the World Championships into tatters. The World Championships are in August, Bogut will miss all preparation time and was already struggling with a back injury. Australian Basketball needed success in the World Champs. It was a chance to grab some exposure after the Socceroos finished their World Cup campaign. Who knows what is in store now for the Boomers?

LEAVE GAZZA ALONE

2010-03-30T18:06:00.000+11:00

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??

2010-03-30T11:05:00.000+11:00

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

2010-03-29T13:27:00.000+11:00

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

2010-03-29T12:30:00.000+11:00

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

2010-03-24T11:18:00.000+11:00

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!

2010-03-24T00:04:00.002+11:00

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

2010-03-22T17:34:00.000+11:00

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!

2010-03-19T10:12:00.000+11:00

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

2010-03-18T18:15:00.000+11:00

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

2010-03-18T18:00:00.000+11:00

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

2010-03-18T14:14:00.000+11:00

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

2010-03-16T22:45:00.001+11:00

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

2010-03-15T10:15:00.003+11:00

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

2010-03-15T09:14:00.000+11:00

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

2010-03-03T11:03:00.000+11:00

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?

TimeOut With Tim

2010-02-23T10:58:00.000+11:00

Q and A with Tim Coenraad

Game one of the NBL Finals Series at home in front of a near capacity Win Entertainment Centre, how was your nerves, not having experienced anything quite like this?

The nerves were a little bit up there, I sort of came out a little complacent but it didn’t matter because I had another four guys on the court that were really doing well. It seemed we were really flowing out there. We had a really good first finals game. It was kind of good to get a game where everyone is firing, so I can kind of settle in a little bit. I know it’s going to be a lot different up there in Townsville with the crowd against us.

After watching Townsville go down to Perth in the last regular season match, giving the Hawks a home semi final, what was the feeling like in the camp at training the next day?

I guess there was a bit more positivity, knowing that we got home court advantage. There’s no secret to it with our road record nowhere near as good as our home record. It gives us confidence knowing that we are definitely going to get two games at home.

It has been a dream season for the Hawks in 2009/10, what do you think are the reasons for such a successful season?

I believe our group has gelled really well. I’m pretty sure we have got the best team chemistry in the league. When you look at our team we don’t have guys that are putting up 20 a game at the moment. We had Ty McKee at the start of the season and it was unfortunate that he went down. But right now we have got a nice spread of scorers, veterans that provide great leadership and Larry Davidson’s been amazing this whole campaign. He is definitely the most improved player in the NBL this season. Most importantly we play together, share the ball and play team defence.

Your club is promoting you as the Rookie of the Year for this season, what can you put that down too?

The lack of rookies in the league. (Laughs) Wagstaff from Perth has also had a great season. I am a bloke that works as hard I can. Before and after practice I get extra shots up. Gordie McLeod has given me a great opportunity. There are a lot of guys in my situation that wouldn’t be seeing as much court time as I’m getting. I get to back up two of the most all round players in the game, Matt Campbell and Glen Saville, so I’m learning plenty and at the same time getting some burn and some court time.

How is Gordie McLeod approaching the finals series, has he been any different to what he was during the regular season?

Nothing has really changed; we are going to stick with a working formula. We got here one way and our record shows for it. The only thing that has been said is that we got to lift to playoff intensity.

How has it been playing with inspirational skipper Matt Campbell? Has he given the team that extra drive needed to push you guys through to the finals after Tywain McKee got injured?

He is definitely a big contributor to the team and obviously he is the saviour around here. He is the reason why we are all playing. That’s definitely inspiration in itself. He himself wanted to save the club, he has played here his whole career, and he has gone out there and put it on his shoulders to make sure that we and I have a job.

Playing such a key role off the bench for the Hawks, how are you going to establish yourself in the finals series?

Gordie always tells us when we come in to be aggressive. This is a chance to cement ourselves during the finals. I definitely can’t be taking a step backwards. So I’ll be continuing the stay aggressive in the right spots. I want to really pick up on my defence; I feel my defence for the last couple of games has been a bit lacklustre so I really want to step up on that end of the floor.

Do you feel like you’re living in a fairy tale or don’t you believe in anything like that?

I’m not going to lie it does feel like that, but we have a great group. Practices are competitive and fun and we are getting to do what we love for a living. The team has come together, we get second place, then I can’t really expect more for my first season in the league. I’m not satisfied by any chance, especially when you get to this point of the season. One up in a best of three series and we have got a chance to make the NBL Finals. There is no time to sit back and think this is amazing, you got to keep pressing forward.

The belief in the camp must be sky high; do you feel the Wollongong Hawks have what it takes to win the NBL Championship?

We know we have what it takes; it’s just going to come down to performing away from our home court. Because when we play team basketball we feel like there is no one who can beat us. We do play best when we are at home, everybody does. When we play team basketball and we’re helping each other out on defence it gives us great confidence.

MY Q&A With Damian Martin

2010-02-22T11:04:00.000+11:00

Q & A with Damian Martin

With playoffs just around the corner, and having such a big responsibility in the team are you feeling nervous at all or just really excited?

At the moment I’m just really excited but I’m sure the closer the game gets, I’m sure there will be some nerves. But now I’m really excited to be a part of post season play.

How did it feel when you received the call from Bevo asking you to come over to Perth?

I was over the moon, after being disappointed that there was going to be no Sydney team and knowing if I was to continue to play I’d have to move. Once I got to Perth and realised how beautiful it was, it became a bit of a no brainer.

You have been coached by Rob Beveridge many times in your basketball career, what makes him such a great coach?

I just like how passionate he is! He has been very loyal to me since I was a junior and gave me a good opportunity with NSWIS and the AIS with the Junior Australian Team (Emus). I’ve had him as my coach for a long time now and we have had some success so it only seems right to stay with him.

What is Perth life like compared to Gloucester in country NSW?

(Laughs) It’s a bit bigger, it’s pretty laid back like Gloucester which I love but it’s also on the beach so it’s nice to be able to go surfing whenever I want.

You have had to guard one of the most exciting point guards to come to this country in Corey ‘Homicide’ Williams, if you are to meet in the NBL Final how will you go about defending him?

Corey’s one of those guys that can probably score 20 points if he really wants too but it’s just a matter of making sure that if he is going to score them that he is shooting it at a low percentage. I’ve got to try and stick with him, stay in front of him and make him shoot the jump shot, otherwise if he gets to the rack you got to be right next to him and have good help side defence the whole time.

Yourself and Brad Robbins have become a two-headed defensive monster this season, what is it like going head to head at training?

It gets pretty full on; there are no easy days at practice because we are always matching up on each other. I think he is the best defensive guard in the league so it’s always a pain in the arse to go against him every day.

Your first opponent in the NBL Final Series is the Gold Coast Blaze which will put you up against an in form Adam Gibson. How do you go about guarding Gibbo?

He is just a solid all round player. I think you got to try and get up and into him but he is a guy who can penetrate. You also have to respect his three point shots as well. I will just be treating him like any other guard in the league but he does have that all round game so I just got to make sure he doesn’t get any open looks at the basket.

What is the feeling in the camp heading into Game 1 against the Gold Coast Blaze?

It’s just excitement right now just a couple of days out. We started scouting Gold Coast but you know we have played them four times this season so the game is more about what we do and how we execute as opposed to what they’re going to run because we are all aware of it. We are just putting the final marks on our execution. It’s all about getting ready more mentally than physically.

How are you going to prepare yourself for the finals?

You’d like to think that every game has the same routine but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t getting extra shots up or watching more video. It’s just an exciting time of the year so everyone’s doing the extra bits to make sure that they’re not going to be the reason that let the team down. Everyone’s excited to do their best and help the team get a win.

What will you be doing on game day to get yourself ready? Do you have any superstitions that you do every game day?

I have a massive bowl of pasta about three hours before tipoff otherwise I spend the rest of the day sleeping so it’s a pretty boring day for me.

Is your family coming over to watch you play in the finals?

I got a brother and his girlfriend living in the Gold Coast so he was over the moon when he saw that we were playing them. He’ll get to watch a game but I’ve been told that if we either go to the third game or make the Grand Final that my dad will be coming over along with my little brother. So that’s exciting that they will be able to come to Challenge Stadium for a semi final or the Final.

Playing at ‘The Jungle’, it is a very hostile environment to play in, what do you think makes them one of the toughest crowds to play against?

The fact that it’s an intimate stadium, it sits 4400 and it sells out every week. Lachy Reed the court announcer is just unbelievable at getting everyone riled up, standing on their feet and getting into the players. We have a pretty smart crowd as well so they know who to boo and who to go after. To see 4,400 standing on their feet, heckling you for the whole game it’s just fantastic. Well for the opposition not so much, but it is for us.

Are the Wildcats the team to beat in the NBL Finals?

I hope so. We are going in with a lot of confidence and I’m glad we are playing the Gold Coast because they’re the only team that has beat us three times so if we are to win the whole thing then it would be nice to knock the Gold Coast out. Then no one can have the bragging rights except us. We are very confident and I think we have done everything we possibly can to put ourselves in a position to win it.

FIVE TEAMS, 4 SPOTS, WHO WILL MISS OUT?

2010-02-08T15:36:00.000+11:00

FIVE TEAMS, 4 SPOTS, WHO WILL MISS OUT?

The 2009/10 NBL season is set to be one of the closest yet as five teams battle it out to make the playoffs. With one round remaining in the regular season, playoff positions one to four are up for grabs.

Perth(16-11) have one game remaining against Townsville(15-11) at home, the Wildcats will need to win this game by more than two points to secure the minor premiership and take home court advantage throughout the finals. Perth are the only side who are guaranteed a playoff spot. Shaun Redhage has had a rough couple of months and surely will be ready to catch fire over the next month. If Perth can win their last game and take that home court advantage throughout the finals they will be very very tough to beat in the playoffs.

Townsville have two matches remaining one being against cellar dwellers Adelaide at home and the other being against Perth at the ‘The Jungle’. It could come down to this match to see who comes first. Townsville must not lose by more than two points if it comes down to this match for the minor premiership. Can Williams go and run a muck in Perth like he has done in previous years?

The Gold Coast Blaze (15-11) has two fixtures remaining. The Blaze will travel to New Zealand (13-13) and then cross the Tasman to play against the Tigers in Melbourne. Both games are going to be extremely tough, Breakers are hot on the trot while Melbourne will be farewelling Chris Anstey and Sam MacKinnon. Somehow I don't think they are going to want to go out losers.

The Wollongong Hawks (14-12) continue to deliver when it matters most. Their playoff destiny is in their hands when they face Melbourne at home and then travel to Adelaide which could decide their season. Will point guards Rhys and Luke Martin handle the pressure to stay alive in the NBL competition. They have been the surprise packet of the 2009/10 competition so it won't be out of the ordinary if they do hold on. Their home ground this year has been a fortress but with Anstey and Sammy Mac playing their last couple of games somehow I think it may be broken. This could mean their playoff spot could hinge on a trip to Adelaide, the Dome is a very tough place to win in and an extremely hostile environment.

The New Zealand Breakers are the hottest team in the NBL at the moment. Four wins in a row has allowed them a final chance to grab a playoff spot. Red hot Kirk Penney has found his touch of late and looks unstoppable. Added motivation for the team being Tony Ronaldson calling the quits they wouldn't want the champion to miss the playoffs in his last season. For them to make the finals they will need to win both games in Round 20. They face the Blaze at home and then travel to Cairns. If they can beat the Blaze at home then the trip to Cairns should be no problem with that added incentive to make the finals.

Is This Just A Confidence Boosting Summer For Australian Cricket?

2010-02-08T11:45:00.000+11:00

SUMMER OF CRICKET

This summer of Cricket has been an absolute JOKE! West Indies and Pakistan you should never have come to our country and made fans pay to watch you lot play. Maybe you should have had your own series in your own country.It's sad because Australians love their cricket and Cricket Australia should be bringing the best to our country.

I wonder though if it is a ploy to help boost the confidence of our star players ahead of the crucial Ashes Series later this year. It's not a dumb thing to do but if it is the case how dare they charge premium pricing to the fans. South Africa, India, New Zealand(at times) and Sri Lanka all are World Class opposition, why the hell didn't we treat the fans with better competition. Maybe the Aussies should just play 20/20 and cancel all the 50 over matches against these morons, atleast then they're a chance. If Australia don't bat first in a 50 over match in this tri series then it is not worth paying the money to go and watch. Are Australia really that good at the moment or do you think we may struggle against better opposition? Will these easy matches hurt us when the tougher matches come round, not having played in a tight contest for some of these young pups eg Bollinger and Harris, could lead to nerves or panic.I don't know how they justified bringing these losers out here but I certainly hope they've done the right thing.

I also can't believe the move that Cricket Australia/NSW wants to make to Homebush. It doesn't make sense when you think about the proud history the SCG has and all the money put in to build the new grandstand. It's as if the board hasn't seen the damage the Olympic Stadium has done to the Rugby League crowd numbers.Not to mention the $20 million that Cricket Australia will lose from their Commonwealth Bank sponsorship if the move happens. What sort of imbisile would want to lose that sort of money?

The Ashes better live up to it's high expectations otherwise 2010 may be seen as one of the lowest points in Australian Cricket History.

Season Splits Up To Date, Season To Go Down To The Wire

2010-02-01T15:18:00.001+11:00

THE NBL IS HEATING UP

NBL season is shaping up to be a cracker towards the end of the season with as many as 6 of the 8 teams still fighting for the playoffs. To give you all an indication of how your team is shaping up against the rest check out below.

New Zealand have the split on Melbourne(beating them 3 of the 4 times), Townsville(beating them 3 of 4). They will not have the split over Wollongong already having lost three times to them with one game to play. This is the same with Perth. With one game to play against Gold Coast, the Breakers will have to beat them by more than seven points to gain the split which could be crucial if the Blaze slip up over their next four matches, they also have the split on Melbourne. It is going to come down to the wire for the Breakers, I do see them beating Cairns, Wollongong and possibly the Blaze. If they can win all three then I think they will gain fourth spot and be a real competitor during the final series.
Gold Coast have such a tough run to the playoffs with their last four games coming against teams vying for the playoffs.They do not have the split against Townsville losing 3 of the 4 fixtures. With a game left against Perth they must not lose by more than 4 points to keep the split, against Melbourne they must not lose by more than 14, they will need to beat Wollongong by more than 11 and not lose to New Zealand by more than 7. The Blaze are playing extremely well and it will be a telling time over the next four games, if they can win 3 out of the 4 games they will place themselves deep in to the finals picture and possibly set themselves up for a top two finish.
Townsville must not lose to Perth by more than two in the final game of the year, they don't have the split against Wollongong losing three of the four matches, they have the split against the Blaze and Melbourne and lost three of the four games to New Zealand. With two of their last three matches at home and against Adelaide and Cairns it seems it could come down to their last fixture against Perth to decide whom is going to be in the top two.
Wollongong lost the split to Perth after getting belted in the last fixture, they've got the split against Townsville, need to beat Melbourne by more than 9, must not lose to the Blaze by more than 11 and they hold the split over New Zealand beating them three times. With four tough matches standing in their way (NZ in NZ, Gold Coast and Melbourne at home, and Adelaide in Adelaide) could it mean all the hard work done up until now could mean nothing? I think they could be heading out the door.
Perth need to beat Townsville by more than two at home, must not lose to Melbourne by more than 5, hold the split on the Hawks, must beat the Gold Coast by more than 4 in the GC, and have the split on NZ. This Round their three game road trip could decide if Perth finish in the Top Two and allow the Jungle to be in full swing come finals time.
Melbourne must beat Perth by more than 5, not lose to the Hawks by more than 9, beat GC by more than 14 and do not have the split against either New Zealand or the Crocs. Good night Melbourne Tigers.

I'm looking forward to some of these blockbuster matches that could hold major playoff implications. Bring it on I say!

Australian Open Recap

2010-02-01T14:32:00.002+11:00

FEDERER AND WILLIAMS CROWNED IN MELBOURNE!

The King and Queen of Tennis prevail once again. Roger Federer and Serena Williams were simply amazing over the two weeks in Melbourne. The way they conducted themselves on and off the court makes them true champions in my eyes. Serena's hard fought victory over pocket rocket Justin Henin was her fifth Australian Open Title making her the most decorated Aussie Open champ (03,05,07,09,10). Federer also claimed his 16th grand slam title beating Andy Murray in the mens final in straight sets.

How did my predictions go you may ask? I predicted for the Fed express to be right up amongst it and not to be too surprised if the genius wins it once again. TICK. I predicted Andy Murray would be right up there beating Rafa Nadal in the semi to make the final. TICK. Murray did not lie down in the final set, he could have thrown the towel in and cop an absolute beating but he had his chance at 5-3 serving for the third but crumbled giving Feds the chance to get back in the match. The tie breaker in the third set will be one that I'll remember for a long time. Many chances for both players to take the match, each allowing the other player right back in the contest. It seemed Federer had the jitters and Murray looked the goods to make it to the fourth but just couldn't find the open court a couple of times. My other prediction of Davydenko wasn't too far off, he took it to Federer in the quarter final winning the first set and sending all the fans into a panic. But it wasn't to be, as an angry Federer smashed his way through the next three sets.

On the womens side I was wrong with Serena crumbling and succumbing to injury, she fought through her matches and was never really troubled, using her big serve to get her through the tournament. It looks as if she isn't trying at times and I wondered how she gets through her matches. I felt she should have been beaten by Azarenka but the pressure of beating the world number one in a grand slam got to the young girl and she crumbled while serving for the match not once but twice! I thought Serena's best game was against Sam Stosur, the way she served against the Aussie was nothing but absolutely brilliant. Sammy played one of her best games but just couldn't get a look in on her serve. CROSS. My second prediction was that of Elena Dementieva/Justin Henin. What a match that was! To watch two hard hitting females go at it was unreal, there was no holding back on any of the points and it left the fans standing and applauding at the matches end. With it looking as if Dementieva would take the tie breaker out Henin battled injury and cramps and hit some beautiful shots to take the match out. I felt as if Dementieva made some really poor decisions in that tie breaker and could easily have taken the match out if she ran Henin round a bit more. That drop shot was one of the worst decisions, but any player under pressure more than often does not come up with the goods.I predicted the match to be a blockbuster, hell yes it sure was. TICK.

My favourite matches of the tournament were:

Baghdatis vs Ferrer. Five setter, Baggy coming back from two sets down to win.
Dementieva v Henin. Henin in two.
Murray beating Nadal was great to watch, as was any time Andy Roddick gets beat!
Great to see two Chinese women making the semi finals of an open. Na Li was unreal against Williams and pushed her to the death.
Hewitt smoking Baghdatis was great even though it was only for one set because Baghdatis is a cat...one question to all the Greek people who may read this, because he lost, do you still follow him or he is back to being a Cypriot?
Tsonga v Djokovic was an unreal match. Those two hit the ball with such ferocity it was jaw dropping some of the shots that were played. Djokovic succumbing to a sickness but fought exceptionally hard in the latter part of the fourth set and early in the fifth before crumbling late in the fifth.

All in all a great open and I can't wait for the rest of the seasons tennis. I will definitely be booking my tickets for next years open that is for sure. See you then Melbourne.

OAMPS $100K Half Court King, Could It Be You?

2010-01-25T15:19:00.000+11:00

OAMPS 100K HALF COURT KING

While working at the NBL Head Office I'm given the chance to write articles for them, one of them being the new competition the NBL and OAMPS are running. I hope you enjoy it and maybe even get down to one of the games to be in the chance.

One of the NBL’s official sponsors, OAMPS Insurance Brokers, is giving a lucky fan a chance to shoot their way to $100000. Over the coming 4 weeks beginning in Perth on the 16th January a fan will be picked out of the crowd to shoot for a minute. From the seven contestants, one lucky person will get the chance to shoot for $100000. The half court shot will take place during the first or third quarter break of Game 1 of the NBL Grand Final Series.

The fan that is picked from the stand at each of the games will be allowed one minute to shoot a maximum of ten shots from outside the key. Anything inside the three point line will be considered two points while outside the three point line will be worth three. The fan that accumulates the most points during the one minute will be awarded the chance to shoot from half court. If there is a tie the winner will be drawn from a hat. The winner will receive flights for themselves plus a guest and accommodation for one night all paid for by OAMPS.

OAMPS was unveiled this year as a new long term major sponsor of the National Basketball League. OAMPS started their association with the NBL a number of years ago with a club sponsorship of the Melbourne Tigers; the company had been so pleased with the arrangement that it made sense to expand to a league-wide partnership.OAMPS Insurance Brokers is a Wesfarmers Company with 850 employees in 28 offices around Australia serving over 120,000 clients. They have operations in the UK and a sister company, Crombie Lockwood, in New Zealand. OAMPS have given someone a wonderful opportunity to win a large sum of money with just one shot of a basketball. This is an opportunity for OAMPS to show their strong commitment to the NBL and their fans. It has been a long time coming for a sponsor to give away a large sum of money to fan at an NBL game. If this one is successful and builds up enough hype around the country then it would be great if the OAMPS half court shootout becomes an annual occurrence.

If you are 13 years or older make sure you get yourself down to one of these games to be in the chance:

o 16 Jan – Perth

o 23 Jan – Gold Coast

o 27 Jan – Melbourne

o 3 Feb – Cairns

o 10 Feb – Townsville

o 12 Feb – Wollongong

o 13 Feb – Adelaide

James Uulin from Perth has recorded 7 points in his quest to be the OAMPS $100000 Half Court King, can you better that? Make sure you catch all the action on Fox Sports.

Lleyton Hewitt V Roger Federer

2010-01-25T12:47:00.000+11:00

WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE HEWITT?

Here we go again! What's it going to be Hewitt? Another annihilation from the Fed-Ex or is it going to be different this time?

I have one wish, HAVE A FRICKEN GO OUT THERE! Every time Hewitt plays Federer he is the biggest cat. He doesn't play with any aggression at all, and when he shows glimpses of it he looks great. I have a feeling this could be a totally different result then all the other Federer smashings he gives Hewitt. I really think he will have a go tonight. Bright lights, blue court, monster crowd and green and gold everywhere he looks is what is in front of Hewitt tonight at Rod Laver Arena. A chance to meet the winner of Fernando Verdasco/Nikolay Davydenko in the Quarter Finals of the Australian Open is what lies ahead for both players. This year could be it as the Fed hasn't come out in the papers and said that Hewitt is always a fierce competitor, what a load of shit that is! He has a 16-7 record against him, can't be that tough Roger. Federer has not lost to Hewitt since 2004 and has only conceded five sets to the Aussie. I'm still struggling to work out when it has been tough, I think he just likes to give false hope to Hewitt, makes Hewey feel good about himself and then just smashes him.

Will this be Hewitt's last chance to have a crack this deep into the open? I'm thinking along these lines. His days are numbered, and every time he draws Federer he may aswell pack his bags. Tonight is his chance to redeem himself from all the bad games he has ever played against the Fed and what better way to do it then in front of your home crowd. Federer isn't playing his best tennis so coming out strong like Andreev did in the first round could be something Hewitt may choose to do.If I was his coach I'd be telling him to do so, it's the only chance you have against him.If you sit and wait for him to make the errors you are asking for a god damn beating.

Don't go down wondering tonight Hewitt, play hard and do it for yourself and your country.

The Australian Open Begins Tomorrow Morning

2010-01-17T22:05:00.001+11:00

MELBOURNE PARK OPENS IT'S GATES TO THE BEST IN THE WORLD

The best players in the world have landed on our home soil as they get ready for the first grand slam of the year, The Australian Open. What better way to open the tennis season. Lets hope the Melbourne weather can hold up and produce days where the sun is shining and the fans are able to sit in the stands without sweltering in the heat. It's not just the fans that have to put up with the heat, it's the poor players that have to battle it out in over 40 degree heat. I attended last years tournament and the weather averaged out at 43 degrees with the highest being 45/46 degrees. Who wants to go to the tennis in that heat let a lone play in it.

The player have been keeping in condition over the last week or two over various tournaments around Australia. The Medibank International which is held in Homebush, Sydney is becoming one of the most popular tournaments in the lead up to the slam. This year players such as Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Marcos Baghdatis and Lleyton Hewitt graced Sydney with their presence. I attended the Mardy Fish vs Peter Luczak on the Thursday evening. The weather was great and the match was fantastic both players hitting the ball with so much force and the serving from Fish was outstanding. The problem I find with the Medibank is that they play the marquee matches during the day so that Channel 7 can air it live. The night session costs a fair share of money and you would think that most of the good matches will be played at night or atleast divided up between the day and night. Fair call, right? Oh well it wasn't to be, but all in all a great night. Congratulations must go to Dementieva from Russia who took care of Serena Williams in straight sets and Marcos Baghdatis for beating Richard Gasquet of France in straight sets.

The next two weeks should be brilliant, I'm very curious as to how our Australians are going to perform this year. Lleyton looks in career best shape but just can't seem to keep the ticks in the win column. He has a favourable draw but will meet Baghdatis in the 3rd round if he gets that far. Marcos beat Hewitt in Sydney, so I'm sure he will want to take some revenge for beating him in his home country. The crowd will be an absolute cracker for that match if it is to take place, I would love to be there! Samantha Stosur has been struggling to say the least to begin the year, lets hope she can get her game back during the opening rounds of the tournament. Jelena Dokic and Casey Dellacqua are crowd favourites and may need that extra help during the week to get them over the line, they've done it before so it wouldn't be new to them if they progress deep in the tourney. Bernard Tomic is another Aussie to keep an eye on, young kid who on his day could cause an upset.

Personally I don't think the Aussies will do to well but I hope I'm wrong. These are the I think you have to watch for in the Men's draw:

Obviously Roger Federer has to be a strong candidate to take out the Aussie Open. He will be around late in the second week and don't be surprised if he is lifting the trophy at the end of the tournament.
Andy Murray is definitely a chance this year. He has a favourable draw and will possibly meet Rafa in the quarters in which I consider him a strong chance and then may meet Roddick or Del Potro(if he isn't injured). I think he can go past either of them on his day. Some people may disagree because of his poor grand slam form but I think it could be Murray's year.
My dark horse is Nikolay Davydenko, his form over the last three months has been sensational. A quarter final showdown with Roger Federer could be the match of the tournament come the second week. I am not a fan of Davydenko due to to his match fixing allegations which I do believe are true. Maybe have a little cash on him for the value he is giving.

On the women's side of the draw there are only a certain few whom I think can take this years title out, they are:

Elena Dementieva, he time is now! She has been playing so well over the last year or two and it's time that she won a grand slam. I feel her smashing victory over Serena Williams in Sydney two days ago may give her that much needed boost to get over the line. Her only problem is getting past her second round opponent Justin Henin. A prolific champion during he era, Henin has made a comeback after seeing how well Kim Clijsters went in the US Open. Has there ever been a bigger second round match up? I can't recall off the top of my head but I'd be surprised.
Serena Williams doesn't look to healthy to me and I think we may see an early exit due to injury. It will be a shame as she is a crowd favourite. Let's hope Stosur sticks around long enough to erase those horrible memories of a few years back when she choked in Sydney against Williams.
Kim Clijsters is in the hardest quarter of the draw. Dementieva, Henin and Kuznetsova are all high calibre opponents which could knock her off on their given day. Kim is going to have to be on her toes but I'm sure the Aussie crowd will help her along the way. They love Kim down in Melbourne.

I hope everyone enjoys the tennis, have fun if you're going to the Open. Last year I had an absolute blast and I recommend it to anyone that is wanting to go. If you're having a punt on the tennis good luck and I may post a tip or two during the next week or so.

Tip: Mardy Fish against Andrey Golubev. Back Fish 3-0 at $2.75 or Fish 3-1 at $3.75. Making money either way. Good luck and bet responsibly ;)

How Records Are Tarnished By The Use Of Drugs

2010-01-12T11:44:00.001+11:00

1998 HOME RUN RECORD 70*

Mark McGwire has admitted today that he used steroids during the 1998 season when he smashed the Home Run record. It was a year where three players were on track to break Roger Maris' single season home run record. McGwire, Sosa and Griffey were all batting very well that year and it was an incredible chase, I remember watching when Mark broke the record as I was a big fan, WAS is the keyword here. I can not follow or admire anyone that was/is under the influence of drugs to help them make their game better. It's just not right, and this comes at a horrible time for the MLB who are still reeling over A-rod's and Bonds drug case. I just don't understand why he didn't come out at the time when there was the steriod scandal in the late 90's. Why now?

After accepting the a coaching role at the Cardinals as the hitting coach, Mark admitted to using steriods. "I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era." It's so disappointing and now makes you wonder how many records that have been broken are for real or drug induced? It's a pity that these records will have an asterisk next to it. Sports stars get paid too much money, stop being greedy and start acting as role models for your fans.

This won't blow over quickly and I'm sure will tarnish the MLB season this year. This is a shame but something must be done about drug use in the sport, there are too many cases and noone is getting caught.

PHOTO:http://myhoustonmajic.com/national/jeffharrison1021/slugger-mark-mcguire-admits-steroid-use/

Miracle At The SCG

2010-01-07T11:51:00.000+11:00

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT!

After Ricky Ponting sent his troops into bat and only registered a measley 127 runs things didn't look so great for the Aussies. Pakistans eyes lit up and felt this could be a huge chance to beat the Aussies on their home turf, and so they should have. Any team that dismisses their opponent for 127 runs in the first innings should go on and win. Pakistan held their own with the bat and headed into the second innings with a 206 run lead. It was looking as though Pakistan should go on and win the match and the punters jumped on board, piling large amounts of cash on the Pakkis. Shane Watson aka Bruce Willis (star of the 90's) went about his way smashing 11 fours and 3 sixes on his way to 97 runs before being dismissed. I'm sure you're taught in cricket to get your hand out of the way when moving away from the ball. Australia's hopes to keep the dream alive were slowly dwindling away until 'Mr Cricket' Mike Hussey stepped up to the crease. He was splendid to watch as he kept Australia from being humiliated on their home soil. Hussey's 134 runs and his partnership with Peter Siddle(38 runs) was what gave the Aussies a chance and the Pakkis something to think about.

175 run lead was all that Pakistan needed to chase down. Not much pressure if you ask me considering that they had 2 days to get it. A steady partnership early gave the bookies every reason to give odds of $1.10. Punters however started to get on the Aussie value, prices of $7 and $5 were being thrown about. Once a couple of wickets started to fall the Pakkis looked as if they were crumbling by the second. However 49 runs from Umar Akmal gave them a big shot at still taking down the Aussies. Nathan Hauritz had other ideas and took 5 late wickets cleaning up the tail. The way the wickets fell were quite amazing. The caught and bowled by Hauritz was unbelievable. Mohammed Yousuf absolutely cracked it off the middle of the bat at Nathan who absorbed the hit and took a remarkable catch. Some splendid catches in the field saw the tail drop like flies and gave Australia one of the most remarkable comebacks in test cricket history. I don't think many people would argue with me either?

A couple of questions to come out of the Test match were:

Did Mike Hussey's test century save him from being dropped from the test side?
Is it time for Marcus North to be replaced?
Does anyone believe Pakistan may have been throwing the match in regards to how they set the field against Hussey and Siddle? I mean who has eight men on the ropes against the tail!
How much longer does Ricky Ponting have as the Australian captain? Who will he be replaced by?

Feel free to have your say! I hope you all enjoyed the Test, I wonder how long it will be before Pakistan can come back from this disaster.

PHOTO: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C01%5C07%5Cstory_7-1-2010_pg2_1

Absolutely Loving The KFC Big Bash

2010-01-05T11:34:00.000+11:00

KFC BIG BASH, WHAT A HIT!

Domestic Cricket in Australia has witnessed a cult following in the last week or so. Why one must ask? The KFC Big Bash Twenty 20 competition has brought crowds never before seen at domestic cricket fixtures. It has not dissapointed the large crowds that have flocked through the gates. The Big Bash have allowed teams to lure big name imports such as Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Ross Taylor and DJ Bravo. This is great for Australian Cricket!

Some of the highlights from the first six games are:

Chris Gayle's innings in his first appearance for the Retravision Warriors(WA). He was amazing with the bat. He had 40 runs off 16 balls before retiring hurt to what looked like a rib injury. He absolutely smashed everything that came to him, it looked so easy for him. The crowd was so dissapointed when he retired but he came back on when the game was in doubt. Very courageous and showed he was in Australia to win not for a holiday, however he could not help his side to victory.
My favourite match of the tournament so far has been the NSW SpeedBlitz Blues vs the Tasmanian Tigers. The opening batsman for both sides were unbelievable. First of all it was David Warner who set the record for the fastest fifty off just 18 balls. Warner finished with 67 off just 24 balls before being run out in a mix up with Phil Hughes. What a bad way to get out when seeing the cricket ball like a beach ball. His innings included 6 fours and 5 incredible sixes. Tasmania could have been facing a 250 run total to chase if Warner had stayed in but the boys in blue managed 195. A great total for a twenty overs innings. The tigers came out firing, Tim Paine had a chance to equal Warners fastest fifty on the same night. His innings was superb apart from the ordinary shot he played to get out. A very entertaining fixture! Hats off must go to young Steve Smith from the Blues who took 4 wickets, he is developing into a great spin bowler now under the watchful eye of The King of Spin Shane Warne.

What a thriller the Blues vs Victorian Bushrangers match at the MCG turned out to be. Warner continued his fine form with 40 runs off 20 balls giving the Blues a great start building a healthy 60 run partnership with Phil Jacques whom replaced Phil Hughes who got a late call up to the Aussie Test Team. The Blues gave the Vics a total of 179 to chase down. An opening partnership of 69 by Brad Hodge and Matthew Wade gave the Vics the upper edge early. But with quick wickets taken by the Blues the tide had turned their way. In came David Hussey who smashed 38 runs off 16 balls to put the game in the balance. Victorian import Dwayne Bravo stepped up and led the Vics to an astonishing victory. The crowd of 26000 were certainly treated to something special. There were brilliant catches taken by the Smith boys from the Blues, both of them took remarkable catches on the boundary.

Great tournament so far and I hope it continues to produce exciting cricket. I'm sure they will look to expand the tournament over the coming years as the crowds have been outstanding. Twenty 20 Cricket, will it take over the One Dayers and Test Cricket as the major form of the game.
LOGO: http://www.qldcricket.com.au/images/Logos/KFC_Twenty20BB_CMYK%20jpg.JPG
PHOTO: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2009/1/14/1231939680915/David-Warner-001.jpg
PHOTO: http://static.cricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/84800/84864.jpg

FESTIVE SEASON

2009-12-30T18:36:00.000+11:00

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

2009-12-27T12:12:00.001+11:00

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

2009-12-23T20:03:00.000+11:00

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????

2009-12-22T18:09:00.000+11:00

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

2009-12-22T12:35:00.000+11:00

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:

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

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

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

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

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

2009-12-21T16:45:00.000+11:00

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

2009-12-21T13:57:00.001+11:00

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

2009-12-20T15:46:00.000+11:00

$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!

2009-12-18T14:11:00.000+11:00

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

2009-12-15T12:17:00.000+11:00

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

2009-12-15T11:48:00.000+11:00

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!