Grand National 2011

This year there are 40 runners and riders in the Grand National. Last year AP McCoy the greatest jockey of all time broke his National duck and won in fine style.

Here's an example of what we might expect to see tomorrow (just remember that the fences are even higher...!)

Hold on to your hats 'cos here is the full card for the 2011 Grand National. The twelve Irish trained horses have ickle shamrocks beside them for ease of reference. Almost all jockeys and horses are Irish too :)

via Racing UK

Best of luck to all!

Irish man wins top cricketing award

Yes him

Each year Wisden the oldest and most venerable of cricketing periodicals produce the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack featuring the five Cricketers of the Year. This year Dubliner Eoin Morgan is one of them.

I wonder if this is embassassing for the International Cricket Council (ICC) who are having an excruciating time at the moment after deciding this week to exclude Ireland from playing in the 2015 World Cup.

What disappoints me the most is the seeming acceptability of devaluing cricket in Ireland. It seems acceptable to afford Ireland no possibility of playing Test cricket. It seems to be acceptable for the ICC to provide them with a tiny amount of funding (a lower per centage per player than any Test nation). It seems acceptable to "develop" Irish cricketers by letting them declare for England. Well I'll tell you it's bloody well not acceptable.

The status quo of cricket must change. I say fair play to Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan for lining out for England and facing the best players in the world - but both of them would surely prefer to represent their our colours on the world stage.

Perhaps the greatest shame of all for cricket this year is the fact that Wisden's five Cricketer's of the Year are - for the first time since 1926 - in fact only four. Mohammad Amir, Pakistan's 18 year old lightening fast bowler, had been nominated for the award but could not be selected by Wisden in the light of a five year ban he received after a spot fixing scandal last year.

What would we do if Sachin wasn't around to pick up our spirits?

World Cup implodes and Chris Martin vs Sachin Tendulkar

So I was just looking at the official ICC Batting Rankings there. They make for interesting reading.

Ireland's Kevin O'Brien is currently ranked ahead of M. Yousuf, Kevin Pietersen, Kamran Akmal, Younus Khan, Ian Bell, S.T. Jayasuriya, O.A. Shah, Ravi Bopara, Mark Boucher, K.A. Pollard, D. Bravo, David Hussey... Funnily enough Ireland's opening batsman Paul Stirling is ranked ahead of nearly all of these top international batsmen as well. Shame 2011 is the last time O'Brien and Stirling represent Ireland in a World Cup although there's a half chance they'll be playing in the 2015 World Cup under different colours.

On a cheerier note ICC's website allows for player comparisons. Que the Sachin Tendulkar-Chris Martin Test batting comparison (Sachin is literally off the charts....)


Via ICC

Star Mangled Banner

The Superbowl + Christina Aguilera singing the national anthem (should) = entertainment. Am I right?

Koodos to the dude who changed the words to the tune on wikipedia before hand. Christina must have based her lyrics on the site because she sang the incorrect wiki version on the night. Ouch.

But talk about hook line and sinker.

Click here for the full story (and video) - via Daily Mail.

Harrington Out

Padraig Harrington was disqualified from the Abu Dhabi Championships this morning after slow-mo video footage was brought to the attention of officials. The footage showed that Harrington had moved his ball illegally while marking it on the seventh green.

Harrington finished day one of the event just one shot off the lead after carding a bogey free round of seven under par. It had been a perfect start to the 2011 season for the three time Major champ, especially after recent and significant modifications to his swing.

Rules is rules I spose, but it's a shame none the less.

Here's a video of the incident:

Manufacturing Consent

Have a look at this video or read the transcript below. 'tis interesting like.

"Now there are other media too whose basic social role is quite different: it's diversion. There's the real mass media-the kinds that are aimed at, you know, Joe Six Pack -- that kind. The purpose of those media is just to dull people's brains.

"This is an oversimplification, but for the eighty percent or whatever they are, the main thing is to divert them. To get them to watch National Football League. And to worry about "Mother With Child With Six Heads," or whatever you pick up on the supermarket stands and so on. Or look at astrology. Or get involved in fundamentalist stuff or something or other. Just get them away. Get them away from things that matter. And for that it's important to reduce their capacity to think.

"Take, say, sports -- that's another crucial example of the indoctrination system, in my view. For one thing because it -- you know, it offers people something to pay attention to that's of no importance. [audience laughs] That keeps them from worrying about -- [applause] keeps them from worrying about things that matter to their lives that they might have some idea of doing something about. And in fact it's striking to see the intelligence that's used by ordinary people in [discussions of] sports [as opposed to political and social issues]. I mean, you listen to radio stations where people call in -- they have the most exotic information [more laughter] and understanding about all kind of arcane issues. And the press undoubtedly does a lot with this.

"You know, I remember in high school, already I was pretty old. I suddenly asked myself at one point, why do I care if my high school team wins the football game? [laughter] I mean, I don't know anybody on the team, you know? [audience roars] I mean, they have nothing to do with me, I mean, why I am cheering for my team? It doesn't mean any -- it doesn't make sense. But the point is, it does make sense: it's a way of building up irrational attitudes of submission to authority, and group cohesion behind leadership elements -- in fact, it's training in irrational jingoism. That's also a feature of competitive sports. I think if you look closely at these things, I think, typically, they do have functions, and that's why energy is devoted to supporting them and creating a basis for them and advertisers are willing to pay for them and so on."

To read more chekc out "Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media" by Noam Chomsky!

The Ashes - Fourth Test

 

You know it. 

Click here if you don't. Or here if you still don't get it. Or here. Or here. Or perhaps just look here. 

Because this will be epic. I mean EPIC!

McCoy Sports Personality of the Year

AP McCoy has saddled more horse racing winners (over 3000) than any other jockey. The closest jockey to him is Richard Dunwwody at 1699. So McCoy is likely to finish his career with twice as many wins than the next best rider.

Inevitably he has been Champion Jockey a few times. In fact he has won it each year for the last 15 years.

Tonight he was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year ahead of nine other sporting superstars who were all champions in their respective disciplines in 2010.

Here are three examples which show why I think he deserves the respect, adulation and praise he receives.

Example the first, McCoy falls off his horse, remounts, and wins. This video is also probably the funniest thing I've ever seen. All the horses were alright by the way.

Example the second, McCoy wins a race with a horse that does not want to be riden, at all. Don't mind the chap at the beginning, nice comments though.

Example the third, he wins the Grand National for the first time. Emotional moment etc but what a ride. Shivers up the spine stuff and a monkey off the back to boot.

Who is Sepp Blatter?

"I would say they [gay fans] should refrain from any sexual activities."

Mr Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, has made comments of late which have not gone down well in the international press. When asked about the illegal status of homosexuality in Qatar and if it would affect the World Cup that will be held there in 2022 he cracked a joke (quoted above), before going on in a more serious tone to say "I'm sure when the World Cup will be in Qatar there will be no problems".

Hmmm...

Frankly, many people are getting hot and bothered (and even angry) about how Mr Blatter has acted of late: FIFA's decision to host the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar have been heavily criticised and whispers of corruption in the organisation are turning into outright howls.

Our managers go up to eleven

Newcastle Football Club: as solid as a northern rock.

Bobby Robson, John Carver, Graeme Souness, Glenn Roeder, Nigel Pearson, Sam Allardyce, Kevin Keegan, Joe Kinnear, Alan Shearer, Chris Hughton and Alan Pardew.

Eleven men have managed Newcastle FC since 2000.

Maybe they should hire a woman?

Then again eleven is a good number so they might have got it right this time. Right?

Alternative World Cricket XIs (Part 2)

I'll have none of your T20 stuff

As mentioned previously, the team over at espnCricinfo have been working for well over a year to name the all time greatest world cricket team as selected by a panel of cricketing experts. (The panel is made up by former Test captains from all the major cricketing nations, along with a number of cricketing historians and top notch writers.)

A number of alternative teams – each centred around a specific theme – were released in the run up to the big announcement. I posted about three of them already and now I am listing four more.

Yes things are indeed that exciting.

For your money (and your life) by David Frith, cricket writer and historian
David Frith has selected a Play-for-your-life XI who'll "do you proud when it's a choice between not losing and heading to the gas chamber." Eh ok... Spose if Bill Shankly had chosen cricket instead of football as his game he would prove the ideal manager of this lot. Onions' inclusion is a touch bewildering, a little funny and overwhelmingly topical. Injury has stopped him going Down Under.

Nice guys finish first by Ramachandra Guha, writer of cricket history among other things
Ramachandra Guha's Gentlemen XI are those cricketers "who'd break your spirit and shake your hand." Interesting choices here. Note that Guha says that the likes of Adam Gilchrist "stand out because of the contrast between them and their colleagues." Cutting.

On the other hand by Mike Selvey, former Test player, now a cricket writer
Mike Selvey's Lefties XI does not refer to the political ideology of the team (I spose). In a game with lots of right handers it is interesting to see the number of high quality southpaws who have made their mark on the game. Were it not for a slight weakness in the bowling department, this team would win any game against any other.

Over their dead bodies by Peter Roebuck, former player, now a cricket columnist
Peter Roebuck's has gone for a Stodgy XI made up of "slowpokes who will test the patience of the fiercest opponents and the tolerance of the most obdurate viewers." Interesting stuff – maybe the like of Jacques Kallis will forever continue to slip through all of these imagined teams for being either too good (as is the case in this team) or not good enough (as is the case for the World Eleven which was finally chosen).

Play-for-your-life XI	Gentlemen XI	Lefties XI	Stodgy XI
Geoffrey Boycott	Jack Hobbs	Matthew Hayden	Glenn Turner
Bill Ponsford	Victor Trumper	Justin Langer	Geoff Boycott
Don Bradman	George Headley	Graeme Pollock	Herbert Sutcliffe
Ken Barrington	Vijay Hazare	Brian Lara	Bill Woodfull
Sachin Tendulkar	Garry Sobers	Clive Lloyd	Douglas Jardine
Shivnarine Chanderpaul	Keith Miller	Garry Sobers	Ken Mackay
Trevor Bailey	Adam Gilchrist	Adam Gilchrist	Jack Russell
Ken Mackay	Anil Kumble	Wasim Akram	Trevor Goddard
Jack Russell	Derek Underwood	Alan Davidson	Bapu Nadkarni
Graham Onions	Curtly Ambrose	Bishan Bedi	Charlie "Terror" Turner
Danny Morrison	Lance Gibbs	Johnny Wardle	Glenn McGrath

For more info on all of these teams check out cricinfo's specialised page for the World XI.

Andy

"When I was young, when I surfed,
I surfed because Kelly Slater did it
I surfed because it was hyped
I surfed because it got chicks
I surfed because it was the party
I surfed because it got the cool car
and I got all those cool things and they all just became just - eh, just like you know - just stuff.

"But it's all about the feeling I get from riding that wave."
— Andy Irons

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