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Sporting Mind - October 2008

An unexpected vitrolic backlash from white-collar workers has come in repsonse to the announcement that Rock Paper Scissors is to be an Olympic sport in 2012.

Morgan Worthington, spokesman for Opaque recruitment agency, labelled the move as an indictment on appropriate office behaviour:

"I think it's inexcusable that a bastardised pisstake of office life be exploited on the international stage", Worthington said, flecks of spit shooting from his mouth like sniper shots.

"Its not even indicative of real office behaviour. No one brings a rock into the office. Bonzai plants maybe, but certainly not a rock."



An untrue depiction of office stationery use..


International watchdog, SportingMind, has offered a more palatable version of the game: Man - Paper - Paper-Clip. SportingMind, all hubris and nothing else, muttered, "The game needs to be changed so as to appear relevant. My game theory, which i have already posted on Norm's website but now reiterate for the benefit of the international media, is flawless."

SportingMind's Game Theory:

Paper-clip beats paper (the simple act of collating multiple papers together constitutes a victory to the 'clip)
Paper-Clip loses to man (man can easily bend a paper clip, ergo a victory to man)

Man beats Paper-Clip
Man loses to Paper (this is because Man is a slave to important documents, they ultmately hold more worth than Man)


Paper beats Man
Paper loses to Paper-Clip



The two great adversaries: Paper-Clip and Man..


The new game of Man - Paper - Paper-Clip has already been tested out in focus groups world-wide, with the general consensus being that it is far more appropriate to have three stationery items competing against each other than to have a random "rock" thrown in the mix.

Bradley Ng, a focus-group particpant, was enamoured with the new version of the classic game.

"I loved it!! So much more appropriate. Man vs stationery, who'd have guessed? But that's what it's like in the office. I too, am a slave to paper work. My only qualm is that it's hard to make the appropriate hand gestures for "Man" and "Paper-Clip". The Paper-Clip action i have been using my thumb and index finger to create a circular shape, with the middle finger doing the same thing - connecting to the index finger below."



Paper beats man...again.

Ng has found a way to replicate the "Man" symbol, saying, "Focus groups have been unclear on this aspect, however, i find it is best to just whip out your private parts and cup them in your hand. It does require some practice, as one can see the hand move towards the region quite early, giving the opponent a chance to premediate this and counter with a "Paper" symbol."

The game is being played by soldiers serving overseas, with the real chance that it might replace "Two-Up" in pubs on Anzac Day in the near future.



-SportingMind


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The Top 5 Heroes of the RLWC 2008

October 28th 2008 23:17
SportingMind loves nothing more than writing about the forgotten heroes of rugby league. With the media's gaze firmly upon Australia and New Zealand, there is little reporting done on the real characters of this year's Rugby League World Cup. The following five players are heroes in their own countries, for obvious reasons. While you may think that they are nothing more than opportunistic expats, trying to claim an international guernsey, SportingMind instead sees them for the patriots that they are - true rugby league heroes.

Another try to the Tongans..

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I had to wash myself after watching the Australia vs New Zealand RLWC opener last night. The game itself was that filthy that only a twenty minute smelling-salt infused bubble bath would do the trick.


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What Australian cricket needs right now is a statesman. In a time of instability, we need a clear thinker, one who is prepared to put the country at ease through strong words and even stronger actions. A war-time cricket captain, in the spirit of former P.M. John Curtin, if nothing else. That said, we should "look to India as our future", just as Curtin once said - but in reference to the emerging U.S.


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SportingMind recently documented Adam Gilchrist's desire for 20/20 cricket to be an Olympic sport, labelling the push as nothing more than shameless self-promotion.

At the risk of being labelled supercilious, i will quote my own article (August 2008


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Retirement. It's a big issue these days, particularly in the light of the global financial crisis. People are having to work well into their sixties just to negate their rapidly dissolving superannuation funds. It's a terrible situation, from which sportsmen are certainly not exempt.


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Aust v India Test Match...

October 12th 2008 22:44
Australia has given India a sniff of victory after a middle-order collapse on day 4 in Bangalore left the Australians at 5/193, 263 runs ahead of the Indian team. Shane Watson (35 n.o.) and Brad Haddin (28 n.o.) were the saviours for Australia, steering the side towards a possible early declaration today, leaving the game perfectly poised for a day 5 assault.

Shane Watson was overjoyed with his batting performance, saying: "I cant believe that i'm being asked questions at a press conference that don't involve me breaking down in tears over a recent injury


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And so ends another riveting year of rugby league...

Much like a rugby league player, this Orble writer was suffering "burn-out" from the weekly grind of the competition. You can only make so many bad metaphors and analogies out of the game before you suffer an existential melt-down, citing lack of inspiration as reason for a sudden disinterest in the sport. A rugby league season is a cyclical timeline; history repeats monthly. Something new might come along once every year, for example the SBW sojourn to France. Other than that, be prepared to endure bar-room brawls, sexual assault allegations, public urination, new forms of illegal tackling, and occasional flashes of on-field brilliance; all on a (as mentioned) monthly basis


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The Pre-Game Rugby League Hype-Up!!

October 3rd 2008 04:34
Hype yourselves up right now, SportingMind readers, for the "GF" is here...

We've all been through this process so many times. The process of amping up one game of the year, as if it is going to be any different to any other given game. As an act of petulance, SportingMind will offer a primer to the pre-match commentary, rather than an actual pre-game analysis


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Steve Matai. Sika Manu. Michael Crocker. Steve Menzies??

In the spirit of Herald journalists (particularly Glenn Jackson and Andrew Webster) portraying Melbourne/Manly players as bad guys turned good, it was only a matter of time before someone penned the definitive insight into Steve Menzies. SportingMind has done just that, catching up with the retiring star earlier this week


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As a young boy i was raised on an unhealthy sporting diet of cricket and football. Not football as in the world game, but football as in the bastardised variants that we have come to know and love. Specifically, rugby league and AFL


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