LeBron To LA and the Gold Coast Blaze Away In New Zealand!

YOU ARE KIDDING

An article on bulls.com written by Sam Smith has ignited a rumour mill all over the world today. The article suggests LeBron will be signing with the Lakers next year. Smith believes it "makes sense if LeBron wants to be considered among the greatest winners of all time." Its got to be a joke, right? It can't be serious. One or two or three players will have to take major pay cuts for the Lakers to stay within the cap. Two major superstars on the same team, can it possibly work. Throw in Paul Gasol, one or if not the best four man in the league let alone the world, it would be one hell of a team. Lets not get excited as this deal is no chance of happening. I think Smith is looking to gain some publicity for his article. Its worked that's for sure, he even had the TNT commentators talking about it in the Cavs vs Bulls game today. What do you think? To read the full article click on the link below.

http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/smith_091102.html

PHOTO: http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/smith_091102.html

HATS OFF

Last night the Breakers got something that had been coming for a few games now, a severe beating! The Gold Coast Blaze shot the lights out in New Zealand last night. Teams rarely go to the North Shore Events Centre and shoot the ball so well. The Blaze certainly proved that it can be done. Gold Coast connected on their first ten three pointers, it was amazing to watch. They ended up shooting 14/19 threes and shooting 65% from the field. That's incredible away from home! Adam Gibson had 26 points and youngster Chris Goulding had 17 points proving he isn't just in the team to make up the numbers. The Breakers are really missing Kirk Penney, he gives them that lethal scoring option to help CJ Bruton out. Andrej Lemanis, the Breakers coach, is playing CJ way too much. Give the guy some rest! He hasn't fully recovered from his surgeries in the off season and playing him 35 minutes out of the possible 40, is not going to help. I think it is also time to start looking for another small forward/power forward import. Awvee Storey is providing them with nothing and got aboslutely schooled last night by James Harvey. At the moment the Breakers are definitely not living up to their premiership favourite tag!
PHOTO: http://nbl.com.au/index.php?id=15&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=14284&tx_ttnews[backPid]=4&cHash=f54425e3a8

Will Vince Young Be The Titans Saviour? Complete Reshuffle of the Kangaroos Lineup and Will Bresciano Cure Our Attacking Woes?

HATS OFF

Vince Young must be commended for staying positive while he waited in the shadow of Kerry Collins. After coming out of a remarkable college career with the Texas Longhorns, Young had the chance to shine. His first two seasons didn't quite live up to the expectations. Vince succumbed to an injury early last season which gave Collins a chance to step in and take the reins. Last year Collins took Tennessee to a 13-3 record which kept Vince on the sidelines. After going 0-6 in the first six games of the current season Kerry has been given the chop and Young now gets his chance to audition for a future contract with the Titans. First stop Jacksonville Jaguars. Young played a helping hand in their 30-13 drumming of the Jaguars. His statistics were great, contributing a touchdown and throwing 125 yards on 15/18 completions. Not bad stats for first game back in the big show. Are Tennessee fans singing his praises already or are they going to wait a few games? I'm curious on how he is going to go for the rest of the season. Let's hope he can bring back the glory days of when he was a Longhorn and get the Titans season back on track.

PHOTO: http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/photos?photoId=2374400&gameId=291101010

Good luck to all the new Kangaroos going to be suiting up against the French this weekend. Even though i don't agree with resting the players for this match, I wish them all the best. Josh Morris and Michael Jennings have the chance to place some doubt in the mind of Tim Sheens with some solid play against the snail eaters. Do people agree that some of the big name players should be rested? Some of them aren't performing well and I feel they should be given every opportunity to gain some confidence. Confidence is a necessity against the Kiwis who play with so much of it.

PHOTO: http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/images/news/kangaroos.jpg

My last 'Hats Off' has to be given to the return of Mark Bresciano to the Socceroo's squad. He will return for the Asian Cup Qualifier against Oman in Muscat on November 14. Mark is a key player returning to the middle of the park. I hope this helps the Aussies penetrate the middle of the park more before the attack moves to the wings. Oman will be troubled if the Aussies can find their feet through the midfield. This is going to allow Emerton and Kewell to do their best work! Go the Socceroos!

PHOTO: http://www.abc.net.au/football/galleries/2006-07/ausvbahrain/plug.jpg

United and Chelsea Qualify and Shocking Wins Cup

OVERNIGHT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ACTION

Early this morning Australian time Manchester United and Chelsea qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League. They were very lucky in doing so. Chelsea came back from a 1-0 deficit to draw the match 2-2 against Spanish outfit Athletico Madrid. Didier Drogba placing the ball in the back of the net twice for the boys in blue. On the other hand Manchester United fought back from being 3-1 down at home against CSKA Moscow. Who would have predicted that? Two late goals from Paul Scholes and Antonio Valencia sealed the deal for United to go through to the knockout stages. French team Bordeaux and Portugese FC Porto also joined them with victories in the respective matches. Tomorrow morning Liverpool have a very tough match away from home to French powerhouse Lyon. It's great to see such high quality soccer.
PHOTO: http://www.prostamerika.com/soundersfc/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Uefa_Champions_League_roma.jpg

SHOCKING WINS MELBOURNE CUP

What a day the Melbourne Cup turned out to be. Beautiful weather, fashion parades, a chance to have your one bet a year and time to kick up those heels, don your favourite suit or dress and party likes it 1969. The decision of who to pick in the big race, then the rush to get a bet on, and how about the lines at the TAB. In Sydney it was disgusting weather, so hot and muggy. The last thing you want to be doing is lining up in a big queue at a TAB. In the back of your mind that you keep thinking it could all be worth it if I pick the winner. Not many people did though! Shocking shocked us all. The race run at a very slow tempo it gave the front running horses every chance to steal the show, in which they did. No horse made a great effort from the back to change the race's dimension, resulting in a tussle at the front in the home straight. Crime Scene ran a great race and nearly gave bookmakers the result they could only dream of. Shocking pulled out and went right by in the last 100m giving owners,trainer and jockey something to smile about. The favourites, Viewed and Alcopop, were too far back to make any impression in the home straight. All in all a pretty boring race if you ask me compared to previous years . After talking to many of the punters after the race, many of them agreed. Until next year good luck with the rest of your punting and I hope you all shared in a little fun yesterday.
PHOTO: http://images.theage.com.au/ftage/ffximage/2009/11/03/svKAVANAGH_wideweb__470x313,0.jpg

Serena Rules The World and the Race That Stops The Nation!

HATS OFF

Kudos must be given to Serena Williams for putting her US Open tantrum behind her to go undefeated in the Doha Open. Serena defeated her sister Venus in straight sets last night (6-2, 7-6) and reclaimed the number one ranking in women's tennis. Well deserved I feel. She has easily been the best all year round winning her 10th and 11th grand slams this year at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. I was lucky enough to witness Serena in action this year at the Australian Open. She was down a set against Svetlana Kuznetsova and showed her fighting spirit by coming back to win. It was such a great match and I'm glad I've seen her play. I'm looking forward to seeing how she goes against Clijsters and Henin in the Australian Open. Somehow I think she has a point to prove that the US Open should have been hers.
PHOTO: http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/news/serena-beats-venus-wins-doha-20091101_2256076_1843907
PHOTO: http://images.townnews.com/gvnews.com/content/articles/2009/09/15/sports/02corky091609.jpg

HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE CUP

The first Tuesday of November every year at 3pm, 24 horses run around the Flemington track in the hope of taking out the most prestigious race in the country. Trainers and jockeys have been preparing for the Melbourne Cup all year round. The owners are quite nervous as the race is worth $5.65 million this year. What a race it will turn out to be. So many chances! Will Bart Cummings be triumphant again? He will watch the Cup favourite Viewed run around the track trying to defend the Cup from the year before. Boy does it have a great chance to win again. Not only are the owners going to be nervous, how about the punters who on this special day pour out their hard earned cash to try and pick the Melbourne Cup winner. There are parties and sweepstakes going on around the country, it's a day Australia celebrate together. Workplaces allow staff to get dressed up and look handsome and sexy, and after work finishes it's party time! I however won't be having too much fun, as I'll be working in a TAB. It's easily the worst day of the year for me. It can't go quick enough, so many people, mainly first time punters that don't have a clue what they are doing. It's a recipe for disaster! I'll be getting my bets on today so I beat the rush tomorrow and I suggest you all do the same.
I'll be sticking with Daffodil, its paying a healthy $16 on the tote at the moment and I think it has a bit more to offer that it did in the Caulfield Cup. My other pick is going to be Leica Ding, I'm a big fan of the Geelong Cup winners. Last year I backed Bauer only to be pipped on the line by Viewed. Let's hope Leica Ding can do one better, it's paying a healthy $29. Here is a link to the final field if you haven't already seen it. Good luck to all, if you have any tips for the day post them.
http://www.flemington.com.au/Victoria-Racing-Club-Racing-Information-Upcoming-Races-478.html

PHOTO: http://www.flightcentre.com.au/cms_images/Product_Images/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/VRC_MelbourneCup_MEL.jpg

Are the Aussies Coming Back to the Field? United, Chelsea and Arsenal Stay on Top but Where is Liverpool?

AUSSIES WIN BUT UNCONVINCINGLY?

This morning the Aussies tore apart the England defense in the first half leading 26-0 at the break. However the Poms made a little comeback and did not let the Aussies score in the second half! The game ending up 26-16. On the other hand the Kiwis didn't let up on France winning 62-12! The question on my mind is 'are the Aussies coming back to the field after so many years of dominating?' I certainly think so! Do the Kangaroos need a clean out of all their old stars and replace them with some up and coming stars? The answer is simple, Yes! The selectors need to stop relying on the same guys, they are getting old and predictable. New Zealand are keeping up with the Aussies due to the fact that they are a young fresh team, full of confidence and ability. Let's hope the Kangaroos come home with the silverware, but there is a lot of work still ahead of them.

PHOTO: http://bloodandmud.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/11/02/england_rl.jpg

LIVERPOOL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE, CHELSEA/UNITED/ARSENAL STAY ON TOP

Big wins by three out of the big four have left Liverpool stumbling down the ladder. Chelsea smashed Bolton away from home 4-0, Arsenal put Tottenham to the sword 3-0 and Manchester United got back on the winners bandwagon beating Blackburn 2-0. However Liverpool dealing with a few injuries at the moment to key players lost to Fulham away from home 3-1. This leaves Liverpool 9 points off the table leaders Chelsea. A tough ask when the competition this year is so tight. Any early predictions for the title this year? Chelsea look the goods, however United and Arsenal are hot on their heels. I'm an Aston Villa supporter and the team this year is doing well especially after losing Gareth Barry to Manchester City. A 2-2 draw at Everton keeps Villa in the mix with the big guns.

LOGO: http://anemptyfeeling.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/liverpool-fc-crest.jpg

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

HATS OFF


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

Some key findings out of the game were:

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


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


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

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

WAT A JOKE

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

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

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

OH AGASSI WHAT HAVE YOU DONE

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

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

HAWKS SWOOP ON TAIPANS

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

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