Tim Ladhams has watched Australia end a tough week on and off the pitch with a third consecutive victory on their spring tour. Coach Ewen McKenzie made a tough call on his errant team and has been rewarded by some promising newcomers.
Irish Sportsmen Lead from the Heart
November 22, 2013 by 7 Comments
Peter Baulderstone loves that sport can be a vehicle for debate and change about important social issues, as Nicky Winmar and Adam Goodes have shown. The Irish have brave men like hurling champion brothers Conor and Donal Og Cusack. Here in the land of plenty and home of ‘The Bachelor’, we have Aker and Watto.
McKenzie’s new game-plan Cummins to fruition
November 18, 2013 by 3 Comments
Tim Ladhams reckons the Wallabies have turned the corner, and that Ewen McKenzie’s side is on track to be real contenders for the next World Cup.
Fan-Hate and Hate-Hate
November 15, 2013 by 14 Comments
A fan of a US College football team poisons the historic oak trees where fans of a rival have gathered for decades to celebrate victories. (He is caught when he phones a radio station to brag about it. Doh!) Who do you sport-hate and who do you hate-hate? A moral philosopher explains the difference in the attached article, but my list starts here.
Fan, Patron or Consumer?
November 10, 2013 by 11 Comments
Peter Baulderstone has been thinking and reading again (dangerous). Is bigger, faster, stronger also better?? Is the fan/patron/consumer experience better for all the cash we have thrown at players/owners/coaches/clubs over the past 50 years?
The Stanley Cup Goes Home
November 10, 2013 by 5 Comments
The NHL Ice Hockey tradition of letting every premiership player have the Stanley Cup for a day lets it travel to the roots of the sport in the small clubs and communities where those players grew up. It is a qualitatively different adventure that lets heart and roots supplant dollars and achievement for a few days.
Wallabies’ mistakes let England home at Twickenham
November 3, 2013 by 3 Comments
An error-strewn second forty minutes saw the Wallabies throw away a half-time lead in a disappointing start to their spring tour in London. Despite some controversial refereeing, Tim Ladhams suggests they only have themselves to blame.
Yvette’s Very Excellent Adventure Chapter 64: World Series Baseball
November 1, 2013 by 9 Comments
The Curse of the Wrobino has been broken. Yvette Wroby reports from Massachusetts (cue Bee Gees) where she has just cheered her beloved Red Sox to World Series Baseball victory.
Filling the void with the World Series – Game 6 from 11:00am today (AEDT)
October 31, 2013 by 6 Comments
Paul Campbell provides a brilliant update of the Boston Red Sox and St Louis Cardinals Baseball World Series contest to date. The potentially deciding Game 6 is on this morning. Think cricket with the boring bits cut out.
Yvette’s Very Excellent Adventure Chapter 53: A Night of Football
October 27, 2013 by 2 Comments
Two Almanackers meet on the other side of the globe as Yvette Wroby goes to her first game of American football. Great seats, an open roof and millions watching. It’s a whole new world of security, scale and timing, topped off by the perfect storm of a game.
Infographic: The Socceroos and Ange Postecoglou
October 24, 2013 by 1 Comment
With Ange Postecoglou appointed as the head coach, the Socceroos welcomes only the third native-born manager of the team since 1970. Cobba Stevens reckons we’re in good hands. (And supplies one of his handy infographics on Ange’s predecessors.)
Fight animals
October 23, 2013 by 1 Comment
Matt Watson comes out swinging and lands more punches than Mundine in a month. He is sick of the charade of dodgey promoters and scam contests. See if you agree with “IronMike’s” reasons for why the sweet science is on the ropes.
(Half-way) Around The Bay In A Day
October 23, 2013 by 9 Comments
With a “cuddly” physique, only two training rides, and the wrong kind of bike, Glen Potter was definitely battling the odds to ride 100km. Emergency Myki in hand, he discovers the joy of the peloton, the horror of Mount Martha and the true meaning of “headwind”. [A highly enjoyable tale, you’ll feel like you were there – Ed.]
Sam Stosur: Is she not pretty enough?
October 22, 2013 by 27 Comments
Phil Dimitriadis is perplexed. Why doesn’t Sam Stosur get the recognition she deserves?
Around The Bay in a day – you can do it!
October 21, 2013 by 7 Comments
What is it like to cycle 219km in a day? Steve Fahey set himself the challenge of the full Around the Bay ride on Sunday and beat a last-minute tyre fault, heat and wind to make it home. And incidentally answer the question – which is worse, cycling 210km or running a marathon?
McKenzie has Wallabies moving in the right direction
October 21, 2013 by 1 Comment
Tim Ladhams has been sweating over a hot plasma screen all weekend, monitoring several sports for the Knackery. To his trained eye the Wallabies cup is becoming half full, after Robbie Deans spilled most of the contents over recent years.
An Innocent Abroad
October 21, 2013 by 4 Comments
Jason McNeil journeyed down from Brisbane for a sporting weekend. He got both the Cats and the Storm beaten within 24 hours. Harms has had him deported and Dips has withdrawn his passport. Jason is a welcome addition to Almanac ranks.
Tits, Tips, Trailer Trash & The Truth
October 18, 2013 by 10 Comments
Peter Baulderstone offers suggested reading of the best articles from the international sporting web. The title is just bait and switch marketing. This is the sort of stuff that Litza used to write before Rupert’s $ seduced him.
Standing on the Outside Lookin’ In: Golf on TV
Tony Robb has been watching Channel 7’s coverage of the Australian Masters golf. And he didn’t even need his angry pills to spit this one out.