Dips O’Donnell shares an inspiring piece about his daughter Kate’s swimming at the Asia Pacific Games for the Special Olympics. “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Mandela and Sport
December 7, 2013 by 13 Comments
Peter Baulderstone reflects on the life and miracle of Nelson Mandela. Mandela used sport to communicate and inspire. Sport used Mandela to find the ‘better angels’ in its own nature, and in those who play and watch it.
Year ends on a high for Wallabies
December 3, 2013 by 2 Comments
Australia finished a difficult year on a high, the win in a pulsating game in Cardiff their fourth in a row. Tim Ladhams gives a nail-biting account, with a lack of on-field discipline coming back to bite the Wallabies once more.
Straight Talking Irishman tackles Discrimination
November 28, 2013 by 4 Comments
Peter Baulderstone offers the companion piece to last week’s blog from top Irish hurling player Conor Cusack about his journey with severe depression. Conor’s even more illustrious brother Donal Og is profiled in this article about his ‘coming out’ as a gay sportsman.
Altitude Training
November 26, 2013 by 5 Comments
He’s been in a fairly good paddock the last few years. What will happen when Rob tackles the world’s toughest half-marathon? Will a good playlist and a fit wife be enough to see him through?
Madison Browne – Bright Like A Diamond
November 26, 2013 by 2 Comments
Mark Schwerdt was lucky enough to meet one of Australia’s premier netballers, Madison Browne, of Australian Diamonds and Melbourne Vixens fame. It’s amazing how accessible and down to earth an elite player can be. Will this always be the case?
Wallabies tackle their way to tough Edinburgh victory
November 25, 2013 by 2 Comments
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.
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.