Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | Paid | My Orble | Login

Sporting Mind - June 2008

It was disappointing to see the Canberra Raiders unable to continue a recent winning streak tonight, instead crumbling in the hands of a Brett Kimmorley led Sharks outfit that are looking very promising for the finals series later this year.

As an unabashed Raiders fan, it was yet another lesson in getting your hopes up. It reminded me why, several years ago, i stopped going to watch the Raiders play - fearful that they would only let me down. Brett Kimmorley carved up the Raiders defence in what was a high scoring encounter, but a significant win for the Sharks away from home, and without Bird and Gallen.


The Sharks will now have to prove they can go the distance without Greg Bird, which they seem to be able to do of late. They have the bye this coming week which will be a welcome two points for the Sutherland team, whereas the Raiders had the chance to claim a fourth straight win at home against a depleted Sharks team.

Personally, i believe a team that has the halves pairing of Kimmorley and Seymour cannot win the comp. Seymour is too inconsistent for my liking, and Kimmorley, whilst he has a very effective game when benefiting from good go forward, is still well past the glory days that he enjoyed in Melbourne.

Meanwhile the Raiders are back to the drawing-board yet again. After a typically good opening, leading 12-0, the Raiders fell back into their usual routine of starting well then falling away, allowing teams back into the game when in reality they should have put the foot down and ground out a decisive lead.

This is a sombre post, and i will retire to the bedroom to lick my wounds. I thought Canberra at home on a Monday night was a sure bet.

-SportingMind
38
Vote
   


Firstly SportingMind must confess to not watching one IOTA of sport this weekend, which certainly does not bode well for the remainder of this blog. So consumed i have been with the political turmoil that we, as Sydneysiders, have found ourselves embedded in, along with such sad stories circulating in the media this week - including the passing of Jane MacGrath, that for SportingMind - sport has taken a backseat to the realities of existence.

Crusing the SMH website, with sport very far down the scroll bar on this particular webpage, i was instead confronted with a barrage of nonsensical "headlines". For example, the leading headline for 11 a.m., Monday morning, is; "Kidman to listen to Hubby's songs whilst giving birth". While there is no doubting that the silky haired "Urbahn" (sic), who seamlessly altered his Germanic last name to the more commercially friendly Urban some years ago, does have his place in the U.S. Country music market, one can't help but wonder whether he is aiming to exploit yet another music niche - that being "Birth Music", music to give birth to. Just like Enya was once music to meditate to, perhaps maternity wards across the globe will begin to track-list Keith Urban as a way of inducing heavily dilating women, thus relieving cervixes across the globe. In fact its a shame that gravel voiced Barry White died a few years ago, because SportingMind would have proposed a joint tour - Barry White and Keith Urban touring together. Music to concieve to (White), and music to give birth to (Urban). Not sure who would fill the second act on the bill, but i'll go with Russell Crowe - in attempting an unconvincing segue back to sport in general. Although i am aware that his 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts band could unintentionally cause a miscarriage though its improper use of melody



[ Click here to read more ]
44
Vote
   


Is Goodes a Protected Species???

June 24th 2008 03:16
Much has been made in the media of whether Adam Goodes is a protected species, with his upcoming tribunal decision looming as "D-Day" for Goodes. Not since the demise of the Tasmanian Tiger has there been such a public outcry for support of one of our most endangered and symbolic mammals.

If Goodes is to serve a suspension for the most ineffectual, harmless and slightly embarassing attempt to bump off the opposing player last Saturday afternoon, then the AFL is treating the endangered Goodes with the same contempt that Rugby Union player Scott Fava of the Western Force showed towards the native "quokka" that he and fellow team-mates enjoyed passing around whilst inebriated at Rottnest Island late last year


[ Click here to read more ]
69
Vote
   


The Week in Sport.

June 23rd 2008 02:30
A whirlwind week of sport and television has just passed us, leaving SportingMind hungrier for more as he sits on a computer lab, procrastinating exam study in favour of structureless "blogging".

Yesterday's Parramatta/Sharks game was a clash of the teams that i despise. However on this occasion i will hasten to abuse certain players that i dislike, and instead say that i enjoyed the game. However it was good to see the Sharks snatch that one, for at least it means that the Parramatta players won't be celebrating a win at Sapphire Lounge. On Saturday night the Raiders managed to (once again) prove Phil Gould wrong, downing the SBW-less Bulldogs comprehensively at ANZ Stadium. The Raiders 58-18 victory was a razzle-dazzle affair, where both teams had no desire to knuckle down and defend their line, with the Bulldogs in particular having a defence more flimsy than Schappelle Corby - and her "baggage handling" claim


[ Click here to read more ]
60
Vote
   


The recent comments of Paul "Fatty" Vautin regarding Greg Stacey, a sufferer of benign epilepsy, have caused a media sensation, and public appeals for Vautin to be sacked. Vautin's quote, specifically "What about security at the Caxton! That bloke was blind.." forced the family of Stacey to come forward in the Daily Telegraph and threaten the Footy Show host with legal action.

However this whole debarcle has been thrown into context, with Vautin pointing to his brother Geoffrey, who has Down Syndrome, as reason for why he would never deliberately make such a negative comment against disabled people. In the last few days, Geoffrey actually died, yet the Stacey family has stated that they still intend to pursue legal action. Peter Stacey, Greg's father, had the following comment to make


[ Click here to read more ]
77
Vote
   


Nick D'Arcy; AOC vs NRL

June 17th 2008 02:08
Nick D'Arcy's Beijing aspirations have finally been quashed, with a 5 hour CAS meeting yesterday ending any hopes the swimmer had of competing in the Olympics this year. Several appeals by D'Arcy have been met with the same response, a definitive no - and it is now doubtful whether D'Arcy will continue to "chase the black line", perhaps ending a swimming career before it had a chance to fully develop.

SportingMind thinks this is a fantastic outcome for sport, and emphasises the massive gulf between swimming and sports such as rugby league - in terms of how disciplinary matters are dealt with. D'Arcy had (and exercised) the right to appeal to many different boards and tribunals, however in the end was unsuccessful in all his attempts. Whilst he was kicked off the team by John Coates, Chairman of the AOC, Coates was deemed to not have the authority to do so upon appeal by D'Arcy to the Court Abitration of Sport. Thus it was forwarded to the AOC executive, who agreed that D'Arcy should be kicked off the team. D'Arcy's final appeal yesterday ended the saga, and now D'Arcy awaits a far different court hearing, that of his assault charges - which will be conducted after the other athletes leave for Beijing


[ Click here to read more ]
58
Vote
   


Greg Bird's "Arrest"

June 13th 2008 01:38
As if the 30-0 humiliation of Origin II wasn't enough for NSW, an interesting aftermath was the surprise "arrest" of 5/8 Greg Bird in the wee hours of Thursday morning. Queensland police decided to have a little fun with our 'favourite' son, after Bird had decided to spread his wings and celebrate his brilliant game with a few celebratory drinks.

As quoted in today's SMH; "Bird then asked police outside the bar where he could find a taxi. They handcuffed him and forced him to sit in the back of their car for about five minutes before releasing him and telling him it was a practical joke as a large crowd of onlookers started chanting, 'Free Bird'."
[ Click here to read more ]
66
Vote
   


Origin Hype-Ups and Nostalgia

June 10th 2008 05:22
Origin two this Wednesday night promises to provide hatred, unremitting passion - whilst providing the citizenry their tri-annual fix of legitimated binge drinking and improper behaviour. However SportingMind will be delivering pizzas in his HECS imposed part-time gig as a delivery driver. So "what's doing" here??

Quite simply, I can't do it anymore


[ Click here to read more ]
66
Vote
   


Barrett, SBW, and the rest..

June 6th 2008 03:40
All this nonsense in the media about ex-NRL players being unhappy has come as no surprise. The lucrative offer of the British 'Sterling' Pound is like an evil temptress to NRL superstars. Whilst the NRL is portrayed as the loyal housewife, never to leave your side, always faithful (yet unwilling to put out), the English 'Tetley's' Super League is the woman on the side. Wearing a silky red dress, saucy lingerie and with a daring glint in her eye, the English Super League is the intoxicating provocateur who will definitely put out - around for a good time, not a long time.

Rugby League players inevitably choose this short term fling, but end up retreating to their first love, the NRL. The role of nostalgia cannot be underestimated. Whilst in 2006 English 5/8 Leon Pryce expounded on the delights of Blackpool, and how Bondi simply cannot compare to a pebbled bay - it is probable that upon his return he realised what a shit-hole Blackpool really is. The bottom line is you love what you know. Leaguies don't have the ability to embrace a different culture/lifestyle on any other level than a handsome, 2 year contract


[ Click here to read more ]
62
Vote
   


MacGill - "like a fine wine..."

June 3rd 2008 06:19
ASTRA award winner Stuart MacGill has officially hung up his cricketing spikes for good, trading in the Asics spikes for a Cabernet blend. The budding vigneron realised his passion for the vineyard had usurped his desire to stand on a cricket field with a bunch of blokes that probably don't intellectually stimulate him in the least.

MacGill spent over a decade living in the shadows of the kingpin of legspin, Dr. Shane Warne. Warney's 'dead-eye' accuracy and effortless delivery could be sharply contrasted with MacGill's erratic, indiscriminate brand of legspin, whose run-up/bowling action had all the awkwardness of a David Letterman interview


[ Click here to read more ]
61
Vote
   


Alan Shortall's debut in the NRL as a top grade referee will be remembered for a lifetime. Shortall was villified by the tag-team of Ian Millward and Matthew Elliott following the golden point Penrith victory over Nth Queensland in extra time last Saturday night.

Refereeing an NRL game is a scary thing, and the sheer amount of scrutiny that you come under is astonishing. Not only are the commentators ready to judge your every movement, but the coaches are there to offer their opinion, as are the players, and columnists who have the benefit of hindsight are scathing in their critiques


[ Click here to read more ]
63
Vote
   


NSW/Crusaders Final

June 1st 2008 03:35
The collective groan could be heard throughout NSW last night, as the Waratahs were comprehensively outdone by a Crusaders outfit that collected its 7th title. North Shore and Eastern Suburb pub patrons were left to cry into their tartan scarfs, despondent in the fact that their beloved Waratahs had failed again.

Who honestly feels passionate about this sport, particularly the Super 14? Not only does the Super 14 itself sound more like an elite gathering of intellectuals assembled under some Rudd Government initiative, but the competition itself is just as elitist. Catering to a niche market of privately educated corporate sector males, watching a game at the SFS is a hilarious social experiment. Collared-shirts, chinos and a 'tahs' scarf are pre-requisites, indicating a more stringent door policy than many exclusive night-clubs


[ Click here to read more ]
65
Vote
   


More Posts
1 Posts
1 Posts
1 Posts
276 Posts dating from August 2006
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
Moderated by akd545
Copyright © 2012 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]