To Be Or Not To Be … Yourself, in Defeat or Victory?

Gregor Lewis celebrates Wimbledon, Silverstone, the Tour de Yorkshire – and, above all, the human strength and courage to succeed. Greatness reached for and grasped. While in Brazil the fear of loss has subdued the beautiful game.

Sunday Evening Coming Down: It’s a funny old game

“Aussie” Tony Robb offers a non-discriminatory all-inclusive spray at Mick, the Magpies, dodgy NRL results, the Pepsodent pissoir and selective nationalism. Good to have him back.

Hunger or Entitlement? Why Limit Yourself to One?

Sleep is for the weak. Your man on the couch, Gregor Lewis, volunteers for the late night shift. From Hawks v Roos to Colombia v Brazil to Federer v Raonic Gregor shifts between sports, continents and time zones discussing a common thread.

Young Tennis Guns III – This Ain’t No Sequel

Kyrgios, Dimitrov, Raonic. Rumbling thunder, horsepower. Speed demons. Gregor Lewis takes us through the Wimbledon men’s quarter finals.

Sunday Musings – Is it just me or is AFL your 5th favourite sport too?

Peter Baulderstone had a great sporting weekend. AFL did not feature high on his list. Are others struggling to maintain the passion when local footy and elite international sport offers so much?

Boxing: Happy Birthday Slim

AS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE AGE

Lionel Rose would have celebrated his 66th birthday on June 21. Patrick Skene tells the story of how he was part of Lionel’s 60th birthday celebrations in Sydney. (An Almanac Classic)

The Great Uruguayan Bite: How Luis would be judged in other sports

Suarez’s ‘reflex’ bite leads Sean Curtain to consider possible outcomes in other sporting codes. Anyone else thinking Hannibal Lecter’s facemask might come in handy?

Go Nic, GO

Kate Birrell is a calm, caring parent. Until she goes to watch her daughter play basketball.

Sad Songs Say So Much but Two out of Three Aint Bad.

Puberty blues. Spain’s wanton trifling with our young Socceroos reminds your man on the couch, Gregor Lewis, that striking out – as a callow pimply youth – is the best way to learn how to score that winning goal.

The Footy Almanac Podcast – Now available on iTunes

We’ve heard your cries for the podcast to be made available via iTunes and your wish is our command.

You can now subscribe to the vocal stylings of the People’s Elbow and Matty Q and have the shenanigans of the podcast delivered straight to your tablet or smartphone every Thursday.

The Footy Almanac World Cup preview: Australia v Holland

The podcast team of The People’s Elbow, Matty Q, John Harms and Stone Cold Steve Baker caught up with our man in Brazil – Vaughan Menlove – for his thoughts on the clash and the FIFA World Cup so far!

World Cup podcast coming soon!

Greetings Almanackers! With our midseason hiatus done, the podcast team are back in action in a big way. We have a special treat for Wold cup fans coming shortly on the Almanac. The People’s Elbow, Matt Q and Harmsy caught up with our man on the ground in Porto Alegre an exclusive, no nonsense preview [Read more]

AFL Round 13 – Richmond v Fremantle: We shouldn’t have let ’em play

John Green is hanging in there (just) with his Tigers. Still at least the Socceroos put up a fight and Australia’s latest boxing champ is a Tigers supporter. Small mercies.

2014 NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat. Game 1: Fighting Heat with heat (and Game 2).

Nursing his two-week old son whilst taking in the NBA finals. Paul Campbell reckons that it doesn’t get much better than this.

Leadership Matters (reprised)

Malcolm Ashwood runs the ‘rulebook’ over good and bad leadership in sport. [This piece has been generating comments again – so we thought we’d bring it back – Ed]

A Twilight Samurai Rediscovers Thunder

Gregor Lewis takes us through the background and the characters who vied this weekend for the WBC Middleweight Championship of the World. It was Sergio Martinez versus Miguel Cotto in New York; the victor seizing “it with the fierceness of a slavering mastiff…”

Losers are Winners too

Drop Kick reminds us that winners need losers while making a point about his judged Tigers.

Underdogs Arise: Sam Soliman IBF Middleweight Champion

Glen highlights a couple of underdogs who have finally got recognition for their work and achievements – Sam Soliman in boxing and Peta Searle as the first female assistant coach in the AFL.

The Sporting Web: Vulture Capitalism; Spurs Culture; Dodgy Vets and Legendary Schmoozers

Peter Baulderstone is suddenly uninterested in the AFL for inexplicable reasons. He introduces some articles from US sports websites about greed, strategy, gambling and beer. Always an interesting combination.

Part 2 – Love and Legacy: Worth Having; Worth Remembering

Gregor Lewis on the Froch v Groves fight, and the passion and characters that made it such a compelling one. (Anyone not convinced that boxing can be turned into fascinating writing should give this one a read – Ed).