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.
Jingoism of the day at the European Championships: The Sun wants Steve Gerrard sacked
JINGOISM of the day at the European Championships: Sorry to have missed this gem in the Sun. Alert! Alert! Steve Howard reports:
The journalist asked Roy Hodgson and Steven Gerrard how it was possible for England to still call themselves a serious footballing nation when they have not won a major tournament since 1966. England skipper Gerrard then followed the historic example of the English archers at Agincourt who flicked a communal V-sign at their French counterparts on that famous day in 1415.
This was to show they still had the use of their bow-drawing index fingers — fingers the French normally cut off when they took prisoners.
Yeah.
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Glen Johnson forgets the pre-match photo – European Championships gif of the day
WHY did the official England pre-match photograph not feature Liverpool’s Glen Johnson? Our European Championships gif of the day explains all – he got carried away skipping:
England v France at Euro 2012 in photos – jingoism and militant Christianity outbreak
SO. England are off to a decent start in the European Championships with a creditable 1-1 draw with France. The papers have been using their insight and nous add more statistics to the only one that matters – the Daily Mail gives John Terry 8 out of 10; the Times give him 6. The BBC’s pundits are locked in a joylous basement in Salford in a game bid to empathise with life for the Poles and Ukrainians under Soviet rule. The hateful England supporters band has been banned from playing in the stadium, allowing them to move towards trad jazz (the true sound of lost causes), and the stadium PA announcer to herald every kick off with a countdown from 10 – he got to 4 before the referee blowed the whistles for the tournament’s opener. And there were no monkey chants, Nazis salutes or re-enactment of death camps in the stands. The Times says there was “little sign of racism in the Domnbass stadium”. No. There was none. Indeed, the most notable signs of nationalism, militant relgionism and jingoism were evidenced among the England fans…
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Posted: 12th, June 2012 | In: Sports | Comment (1)
In 41 photos – Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao inspire the conspiracy theorists
SO. Why did Filipino great Manny Pacquiao – winner of world titles in eight weight divisions – lose to his WBO welterweight title to American Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas? The judges proclaimed a split decision. Bradley remins undefeated in the face of the fact that Pacquiao landed 94 more punches (253 punches to 159), and should have won.
Said Pacquiao: “I accept what the result is.” But whan asked if the thoght he’d won the fight, Pacquiao answered: “Absolutely, yes.” Acceptance is movable target.
Promoter Bob Arum manages both fighters. A lucrative rematch has been scheduled. Says Arum: “Can you believe that? Unbelievable. I went over to Bradley before the decision and he said, ‘I tried hard but I couldn’t beat the guy.'”
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|taly’s Daniele De Rossi turns his leg into a toilet – tattoo of the day
TATTOO of The Day: at the European Championships Italy defender Daniele De Rossi shows off his leg tattoo (with spotty leg). It takes a footballer confident in his sexuality to draw two men on his calf, especially figures that look like the silhouettes affixed to toilet doors. Add the legend “caution wet floor” and De Rossi could carve out a big future in health and safety…
The football teams that changed their kits and won and lost their identities
ANORAK presents a history of football club shirt changes, featuring: Cardiff City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Leeds United, Millwall, Juventus, Coventry City and Crystal Palace…
AMID all the Euro hype, one piece of football news has largely slipped under the radar: Cardiff City FC have confirmed what many suspected – that they will now play in red, because the colour is more appealing to the club’s Malaysian owners than the traditional blue strip.
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Euro Championships: Ireland fans have fun with German Chancellor Angela Merkel
AT the Euro 2012 Championships, Ireland fan Gerry Nolan and some skyvers have amesage of their boss, German Chancellor Angela Merkel:
Spotter:@damomac, Pies
Uefa says Dutch training session was like a party (no, not the Nazi Party)
MARK van Bommel, the Holland captain, says a few hundred of the Polish fans watching his side train in Krakow made monkey noises at the black players. Here’s how Uefa reported the incident at the European Championship finals. It was a “party atmosphere”. Which party is not specified, but some suggest Nazi Party:
Mild sunshine warmed the stadium and ‘Ooohs’ and ‘Aaahs’ regularly emanated from the stands as the players enjoyed a session of finishing practice, with the likes of Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar burying some nice goals. At one point, a Mexican wave even washed over the stands, leaving the Netherlands in little doubt how much UEFA EURO 2012 has captured the imagination of the local population…
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Posted: 8th, June 2012 | In: Sports | Comments (3)
Dutch suffer Poland’s racists in silence
RACISM is back. After John Terry, Luis Suarez and Sepp Blatter’s belief that anything said on the pitch should end with post-match handshake, comes news that Holland players have been racially abused by a Polish football fans at a training session in Wisla Cracow’s Stadion Miejski stadium.
Holland captain Mark van Bommel has reported hearing monkey chants. The Times says of a crowd of 25,000 watching the Dutch train, around 400 offered up abuse. The Mail says the figure is 500. Van Bommel is upset enough to say that if racism is repeated during the match he will ask the referee if he can take the team from the field of play.
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The world according to Harry Redknapp: Spurs players don’t need him
THE world according to Harry Redknapp part 786b: destined by seen by many as the great England manager who never was, the Spurs boss has been talking about his situation at the club.
Before we go on, a few words to Redknapp’s fans, mostly at the Sun, which has already decided to hate Roy Hodgson. At the England versus Germany at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Harry was a pundit who offered us his game plan:
“I think he’ll leave it for 10, 15 minutes, see how we go, and if it’s not right I think maybe he’ll bring Crouchie on, you know, stick the big man up there, keep piling it into the box, and see if we can make something happen there.”
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The Shin-kicking Olympics – rules and misunderstandings
ALTERNATIVE Olympic Sports presents shin-kicking in the alternative Olympic venue of Chipping Campden, Goucestershire.
The rules for the Cotswold Olimpicks sport are simple: kick the opponent’s shins until they fall to the ground. Best of three. Shin-kickers are permitted to stuff straw sown socks, leg-warmers or tights to lessen the impact.
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LOCOG celebrates ‘best of British’ with Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Nature Valley and Heineken
THE latest missive from the The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is headlined: “London 2012 serves up the best in British food.”
Oh, really?
The “800 spectator concessions…will showcase the great diversity and quality of British food.”
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Wayne Rooney still aiming for signature hair style
WAYNE Rooney splashed out lots of money on getting his hair sorted. His thinning locks were troubling him. Not for him the wig worn by Manchester United’s Bobby Charlton, beneath which the England great kept his own huge mane of chestnut curls. (When George Best showcased his Hollywood hair, Brand Charlton was determined to make his own style a global trademark. He fell upon the stray comb over, a hair-do that cemented his fame.) Rooney went for a hair transplant. And it looked good. Short. Neat. Tough. And then it grew into a mid-career ‘Henry Cooper’.
As such, this cannot be Wayne’s signature look. He needs one. We suggests he develop a ‘hair hole’ in an interesting shape – perhaps the Europan Cup, the words “I 8 JT” or a naked woman.
Call us, Wayne. We have ideas…
How tarty Eden Hazard courted the world
EDEN Hazard is the new star of Premier League football. But before the Belgian kisses the Chelsea badge and pockets his basic pay of £100,000 a week, let’s see what he’s said about some other teams:
Roy Hodgson to dress John Terry as giant banana when England play Mario Balotelli’s Italy
MARIO Balotelli says he will walk off the field if anyone tosses a banana onto the pitch when Italy play in the Euro 2012 championships in Poland and Ukraine. He will then kill the tosser. Watch out for Italy winning a match and the opposing team’s manager, say England boss Roy Hodgson, detailing a squad member, say John Terry, to play holding a giant inflatable banana.
This might well be the double-whammy England fans yearn for…
Goal celebrations FX with Manchester United pyrotechnics and Arsenal props
GOAL celebrations FX – with aded Manchester United pyrotechnics and Arsenal props:
A history of Olympic gender scandals
GENDER has been an issue at the Olympics for some time. Not every athlete fits neatly into the male or women’s categories. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced mandatory sex testing in 1968.
In 1967, Poland’s Ewa Klobukowska became the first woman to fail a ‘gender’ test and was subsequently banned. She had won a gold medal at the Tokyo Games of 1964 as part of the women’s 4×100 m relay.
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Posted: 29th, May 2012 | In: Flashback, Sports | Comment (1)
Dario Franchetti and Ashley Judd move into the Borg-Warner trophy (photos)
DARIO Franchetti and Ashley Judd posed with their two dogs and the massive Borg-Warner trophy. If the theory that says the more minor and insecure the sport the larger the trophy holds true, the Indianapolis 500 is bested only to international polo and the Mantelpiece Industry’s top gong:
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Fans wear white sunglasses to honor 2011 Indy 500 champion Dan Wheldon during IndyCar's Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 27, 2012. Wheldon was killed in a fiery 15-car crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last October. (AP Photo/Tom Strattman)
Serbia FA sack Adam Llajic for refusing to sing national anthem
ADAM Llajic has been sacked for failing to sing his country’s national anthem. The Serbian footballer who plays for Fiorentina upset national coach Sinisa Mihajlovic for not singing the national anthem before his side’s match with Spain on Saturday.
The Serbian FA issue a statement:
“Coach Mihajlovic yesterday held a meeting with Ljajic. After hearing Ljajic did not sing the anthem due to personal reasons and that that stance would not change, Sinisa Mihajlovic told the player to return home. The door has not been closed forever on the national team but he needs to change his attitude and officially notify Mihajlovic that he has done so. Then when his form merits it, he can return.”
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Posted: 29th, May 2012 | In: Sports | Comments (8)
What happened when Mario Balotelli ‘stalked’ Lauren Thorne
IN “BALOTELLI STALKED ME”, the Sun leads with news that Mario Balotelli, Manchester City’s charismatic striker, is a stalker? The Sun hates stalking. In 2011, the paper’s Graeme Wilson reported that David Cameron was to make stalking a crime. THe November 2011 story was illustrated with a picture of a black man in a hood.
In March 2012, the Sun told us that David Cameron had “pledged” to make staking a crime. The “obsessives” who stalk women will be brought to justice. Cameron said:
“Stalking is an abhorrent crime. It makes life a living hell for the victims – breaking up relationships, forcing the victims to move house, making them feel they are being watched 24 hours of the day. That is why we are explicitly criminalising stalking, to make sure that justice is done, protect the victims and show beyond doubt that stalking is a crime.”
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Face of the day: Ken Clarke does England v West Indies
FACE of the day: Cricket understands Mondays. The Test schedulers who made Mondays the fifth day got it. So, then, to the Second Test at Trent Bridge, where Justice Secretary Ken Clarke is watching the mighty England – the team we expect to win and often does on home turf – tonk the once mighty West Indies by nine wickets. What d’yer think of it so far, Ken..?
Singer Victoria Zarlenga murders the US national anthem at Scotland match (video)
TO the pre-game pleasantries of the football match between the USA and Scotland (final score: 5 -1). Singer Victoria Zarlenga is doing her best to make the Scots feel relaxed by murdering the US National anthem. Although it’s hard to play when you;re laughing. Stick with it…
Spotter: Pies
Posted: 28th, May 2012 | In: Sports | Comments (2)
New York Times disses Mark Webber’s epic Monaco Grand Prix win (photos)
THE Grand Prix season can be dull. But at least a reporter on it should be bothered to check the facts. The New York Times’ Brad Spurgeon seems intend on undermining the sport and Mark Webber’s victory in Monaco. So far this season, F1 has seen six different winners in the opening six races. Says Spurgeon, who reprots on the races:
“In the end, it was a typical Monaco Grand Prix procession: The man on pole finished first, the man who started second finished second…”
How typical is that, then? Not very. Between 1989 and 2007, the first two on the starting grid never finished in that order. Last year, like this year, the one-two on the grid did fishing first and second. In the past ten races, that did not happen in 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2002.
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Posted: 28th, May 2012 | In: Key Posts, Sports | Comments (5)
In Photos – The Team GB Women’s Beach Volleyball players
PRESENTING the Team GB Women’s Beach Volleyball players. For reasons we cannot fathom, photographer Nick Potts has snapped the ladies from below:
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Members of the Great Britain Beach Volleyball team (left to right) Denise Johns, Lucy Bolton, Shauna Mullin and Zara Dampney wave at motorists in Parliament Square, in central London, as part of a publicity event to launch Transport for London's Temporary Road Changes planning tool, allowing motorists to check road closures during the Olympic games.
More hypocrisy over Joey Barton’s rise and fall among the ‘chatterati’
JOEY Barton has been sacked as Queens Park Rangers captain following his 12-match ban and £75,000 FA fine for acts of stupidity and violence on the Manchester City pitch. In the Times, Rory Smith writes:
‘He was jeered by his own fans when substituted against Liverpool, a game, in his absence, that QPR managed to win; just as they survived his recklessness at the Etihad Stadium.’
QPR lost on the final day of the season at the Etihad, when City won the Premier League title. Had Bolton Wanderers not been let down by some horrible refereeing at Stoke City, QPR would not have survived to face another season of top-flight football.
But odder than that reworking of the facts is the Times‘ football editor Tony Evans’ comment piece. In it, Evans says:
‘Joey Barton’s Twitter profile sums up his lack of awareness…the 29-year-old has laid bare the scale of his lack of self-awareness. He has attempted to use Twitter as a vehicle to restyle his image.’
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Posted: 24th, May 2012 | In: Key Posts, Sports | Comments (5)
