Sports Category
Sports news, commentary and scores with wit and added value. We compare and contrast the best and worst sports reporting in the mainstream press, blogs, TV and online. We love the English Premier League (Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Manchester United and Manchester City) and all things football but we cover cricket, rugby, the Olympics, tennis, golf, F1 and highlights of the sporting year.
Olympic beach volleyball players told to swap hot pants for leggings
TOO late to get a refund? You betcha. News is that Team GB’s female beach volleyball players are permitted to swap their hotpants and boob tubes for leggings and long-sleeved shirts. This is not to avoid them being mistaken for Aussie Rules players. It is to help them not freeze to death in the weather.
Says Shauna Mullin, who doubles with Zara Dampney: “Once the temperature drops below 16C we are allowed to wear long leggings and long-sleeved tops.”
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Posted: 15th, July 2012 | In: Sports | Comments (2)
Rio Ferdinand calls Ashley Cole a ‘choc ice’ – Liverpool’s Milky Bar Kid Kelly models on
CHELSEA captain John Terry did not racially abuse QPR defender Anton Ferdinand. Now, Ferdinand’s big brother, Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand has called Terry’s colleague a “Choc ice”. A choc ice is someone black on the outside but white on the middle. It is not a term of praise.
On twitter a @CarltonEbanks, opined: “Looks like Ashley Cole’s going to be their choc ice. Then again he’s always been a sellout. Shame on him.”
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Posted: 15th, July 2012 | In: Key Posts, Sports | Comments (19)
2012 Tough Mudder Extreme Endurance Challenge – photos
TO the 2012 Tough Mudder Extreme Endurance Challenge held in the grounds of Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate in Dumfriesshire. The 12 mile obstacle course is designed by Special Forces to test fitness, stamina and mental strength. Over 5,000 participants are taking part throughout the weekend, with 100,000 gallons of mud, participants braved waist high swamps, underground tunnels, Fire walking and electric shocks amongst the 22 obstacles.Indeed, readers. It’s the Glastonbury training experience:
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Big shot Michael Owen delivers Championship football to Manchester United
MICHAEL Owen plays for Manchester United. But they have no use for him, so he’s off. But where to? Says Owen on twitter:
“Not being disrespectful when I say I wouldn’t play in the Championship. Always said I wouldn’t drop down the leagues like some have done. After playing for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle, Man Utd and England, I don’t think I would enjoy that football.
“I know I can still bang them in at the top level. I proved that nearly every time I played for Manchester United.”
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John Terry highlight of the day: please, please, please, please
LET no man say John Terry is a bit hard of learning and lacks manners. The Chelsea captain is accused of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. The matter has reached the courts. The highlight of today’s exchange is:
John Terry is asked to repeat evidence that he had been sent off four times in his career. The judge wants him to speak up.
George Carter-Stephenson, defending: . “Can you say, please, four times?”
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Posted: 12th, July 2012 | In: Sports | Comments (2)
John Terry’s bike speaks out
JOHN Terry’s bike is not one of the Chelsea captain’s alleged sexual conquests, rather an actual bicycle that has taken to speaking in the manner of the England footballer:
Posted: 12th, July 2012 | In: Sports | Comment (1)
John Terry’s racism trial makes adolescents sniggers (video)
ONE day, when John Terry’s trial for alleged racial abuse is over, Sky News’s Brian Swanson will look back at his work. He may go on YouTube:
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Posted: 11th, July 2012 | In: Sports | Comments (6)
Nintendo hawker Harry Redknapp bemoans video games as he heads to Russia
HARRY Redknapp might not longer be manager of Spurs and have missed out on the England job, but he’s still entertaining us with his words.
Harry is upset over Government plans to add VAT to the cost of paying to play football on artificial pitches. He says:
“We’re always being told how hard it is to get kids to switch off their computer games and play in the fresh air – yet this makes it a bit harder to do that.”
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Boxing Brawls: A history of the most famous and infamous
BAD blood, insults, pre-match scraps and warnings of crowd trouble have all helped stoke the flames and shift tickets for Saturday’s showdown between David Haye and Dereck Chisora at Upton Park.
They have already had run-ins outside the ring…
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Posted: 10th, July 2012 | In: Flashback, Key Posts, Sports | Comment
Faces of the day: New York’s Honeys and Bears synchronized swim team
FACES of the day: Members of the Honeys and Bears synchronized swim group gather for directions from their coach Oliver Foote at Harlem’s Thomas Jefferson Park pool in New York, Monday, July 9, 2012. The group, which started in 1979, now has 41 members – 10 men and 31 women – who range in age from 62 to 100 years old. Hope floats…
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Lettice Graham, 90, center, enters Thomas Jefferson Park pool in New York, Monday, July 9, 2012. Graham has been a member of the synchronized swim group,Harlem Honeys and Bears, for 36 years. The group was founded in 1979, and has grown to 41 members, 10 men and 31 women. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
John Terry racism trial day 1: Rio Ferdinand’s film choice and Vanessa Perroncel
JOHN Terry. What a geyser, eh? The Chelsea captain was at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, London, for the start of his trial for allegedly racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. The trial will last five days.
Also in court was Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence. He was knifed to death by racists. Does her presence prejudice your view on the matter?
The Queens Park Rangers defender tells the court that he did not hear the allegedly racist comment from the Chelsea captain during the match in October 2011. But had he done, he would have found it “very hurtful”.
On Twitter, Anton’s older brother, Manchester United mainstay Rio Ferdinand, tweets:
Not much to say about that, other than it’s a pretty so-so film and it’s more fun to watch Terry in the dock.
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God and maybe a British Muslim wanted Roger Federer to win
IT turned out that praying to win Wimbledon was a waste of time. You will recall that the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu (“Jesus wants me for a Sun reader”), told readers of his Sun column:
Loving God we are so filled with hope by the Wimbledon final today! Guide Andy Murray in the choices that come to him with every ball. Make us all the best that we can be, by your Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ, to the glory of God our Father. Amen.
Just as soon as the tabloids can find a British Muslim who prayed for Roger, the Daily Mail will let us know.
Anyone for Ennis? Kate Middleton Wimbledon defeat reduces Andy Murray to tears
ANDY Murray lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon. Emotions ran high. But it was never about Roger and Andy. It was all about Kate Middleton. Or Jessica Ennis… (All the game’s photos here.)
Spotter: hendopolis
Posted: 8th, July 2012 | In: Sports | Comment (1)
In photos: Andy Murray loses, great Switzerland wins the war and Federer brands his hair
HARD cheese for Andy Murray at Wimbledon. Roger Federer won the day. At his moment of triumph, Roger remembered to put on his branded watch, pull on his branded jumper and put a hand through his branded hair.
As Federer got his kit on, Murray was forced to speak to the world, a remarkably cruel event dictated by the BBC’s commentators who had spent the past few hours giving us literal descriptions of what we’d just seen, an experience akin to coking an ear at the tennis club urinal; although the one glorious moment of insight was delivered by Boris Becker – the former champion eyed John McEnroe in a rival commentary booth and told us: “Nice light blue tie – one of the greatest.”
(Press the red button and listen to commentators talking about other commentators. Swiss commentators say Federer’s victory proves that great Switzerland is tops and that’s why they won the war?)
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Posted: 8th, July 2012 | In: Sports | Comments (3)
Jonny Murray forced to win tickets to watch Andy Murray’s Wimbledon final
ANDY Murray is creating mounds of mania. The Daily Mail has Murray hat. The Sun has a Murray mask. The Express leads with news that the Beckhams and the Duchess of Cambridge will be sat in Wimbledon’s best seats to watch Murray, and, doubtlessly, Murray to watch them.
But what of Jonny Marray, who yesterday became Britain’s first Wimbledon men’s doubles champion for 76 years? Well, he’ll be watching the men’s final, too. Only, he had to apply for tickets in a ballot.
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What happened to two Muslim coverts acting ‘suspiciously’ by the London Olympic canoeing venue?
ON June 29, the Daily Mail told us that “Two Muslim converts have been arrested on suspicion of plotting an attack on the London Olympic canoeing venue after police spotted them on a dinghy nearby“.
Tammy Hughes (not a Muslim convert) told readers:
The Muslim coverts were “acting suspiciously close to the venue in Waltham Abbey, Essex”.
Mizanur Rahman, 29, said the arrests ‘might have had something to do with the fact that they recently went canoeing’ on the River Lee, a branch of which runs through the Olympic site in east London.
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Posted: 8th, July 2012 | In: Sports | Comments (3)
When Great Britain ruled Wimbledon: from Fred Perry to Bunny Austin and Andy Murray – photos
IN 1936, Fred Perry pulled on his long trousers and, it says here, “classic cut cotton pique style featuring a traditional two-button neck and lightly textured flat knit collar and cuffs, finished with our signature Laurel Wreath on the chest”, and won Wimbledon.
1936 Fred Perry completes a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles. Great Britain wins, wins and wins again.
1938 Henry “Bunny” Austin is defeated in the Wimbledon final 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 by American Donald Budge.
1971 Roger Taylor takes the first of two successive US Open men’s doubles titles. Singles success, though, eludes him..
1998 – 2002 – Tim Henman gets to four Wimbledon semi-finals. Tim succombes to a Hill and Pete Sampras (twice), Goran Ivanisevic and Lleyton Hewitt, of Australia, wins 7-5, 6-1, 7-5.
2012: Andy Murray is a Wimbledon finalist. He has a Mount.
Fred Perry, winner of the American and Australian Tennis Championships, is back home again in Ealing. Mr. Fred Perry with an armful of his trophies won during his tour, photographed at home in Ealing, England on March 18, 1934. (AP Photo)
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The Sun bills Andy Murray as Scottish to the Scots and British to the rest of us
ON Wimbledon history man Andy Murray, the Suntells its readers in Scotland. This is Andy Murray who aged 15 relocated to Barcelona to train at the Sanchez-Casal Academy”
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Andy Murray can win Wimbledon for Great Britain and lose it for Scotland
CAN Andy Murray win Wimbledon for Great Britain (and lose it for Scotland)?
As with most modern Scottish victories, the event is staged in, erm, London. Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond says Murray has “given the whole country a lift with his performances. The whole of Scotland will be right behind Andy on Sunday, and I’ll be there in person to help cheer him on.”
Prime Minister David Cameron takes a different line:
“It is great news that we have our first home-grown men’s finalist at Wimbledon for over 70 years, especially in this exciting Olympics year when the eyes of the world are on the UK. I’ll be watching the final on Sunday and, like the rest of the country, will be getting right behind Andy Murray – I wish him the best of luck.”
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Ian Wright explains Robin Van Persie’s thinking to Sun readers
A FEW quick words on Robin Van Persie’s looming departure from Arsenal:
‘That Robin van Persie should want to leave Arsenal should be no surprise to anyone.” Steven Howard, Sun, July 6, 2012
“I was astonished when I was told Robin van Persie wants to leave Arsenal.” – Ian Wright in his Sun column, July 6, 2012
More inside knowledge from Ian Wright every week in the Sun.
Feminist image of the day – why women learn to play snooker
WHY do women learn to play snooker and pool, or even billiards?
Pot the read and screw back…
Spotter: Victoria Coren shopping at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas .
Robin Van Persie has already been sold three times! – video
ROBIN Van Persie wants to leave Arsenal. He is engineering a move by taking a torch and burning his bridges. He wants to be Van Persie, to play for Manchester City, where the kits comes with deep pockets. Arsenal fans are upset. YouTube user KSIOlajidebt then delivers the ultimate diss (NSFW):
Spotter: Pies
Andy Murray’s Wimbledon victory is a chance for Kate Middleton to shine
HOW do the nation’s newspapers report the news that Andy Murray (current status: British) is through to the semi-finals of Wimbledon? Well, it was a truly momentous day for Kate Middleton. As the sun sat in a bright blue sky, Kate stunned adoring onlookers, who had invested small fortunes to sit on Kate Knoll, by deftly dropping her shiny hair over her perfect ears. As white-clad men toiled below, the English champion of hearts…(continues for ever)…
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Posted: 5th, July 2012 | In: Royal Family, Sports | Comments (4)
Uefa used camera trickery to lie: crying German fan was pre-recorded
ANDREA from Dusseldorf *, the German football fan seen crying when her nation’s team were losing to Italy at the European Championship, didn’t. The super-slow motion tear was shed when the national anthems were being played before the match began. Uefa inserted the tear into the “live” broadcast when the Germans were losing.
And you know how German coach Joachim Loew (think Richard Briers in Michael Mcintyre’s hair) was caught on camera knocking a ball from under a ballboy’s arm during his team’s game with Holland? Well, he wasn’t being cool under pressure. That too was recorded.
It was all about Uefa’s obsession with “the human story of the game“. Uefa was seeking “to translate the emotion and the tension of the German fans for this game“.
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Robin Van Persie aims to bring back glory days for his beloved Arsenal by playing for a different club
GOODBYE Robin van Persie. You played one full season for Arsenal and then you said you wanted to leave. RVP will not be signing a new contract at the Gunners. He has one year left on his current contract. So. Why is he leaving? Well, the Dutchman has issued a statement. In short, Robin Van Persie aims to bring back glory days for his beloved Arsenal by playing for a different club. Which club has yet to be decided. Your suggestions, please.
Anyhow, here’s Robin:
‘This is an update for the fans about my current situation.”
Translation: You – my fans – are the last to know.
“I have kept quiet all this time out of respect and loyalty for the club and as agreed with Mr Gazidis and Mr Wenger, but since there is so much speculation in the media, I think it is fair for you guys to know what’s really going on at the moment.”
