70-68. That’s a basketball score right? Or a Saints v Sydney game? Vital statistics Match duration: 11 hours, five minutes Fifth set duration: Eight hours, 11 minutes Total number of games: 183 Fifth set number of games: 138 Total number of points: 980 Isner aces: 112 Mahut aces: 103 Combined aces: 215 Isner winners: 246 [Read more]
Changes
June 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Watching little of the World Cup ( it’s on at work so it hard to avoid ) has got me thinking about how a few changes would enhance the spectacle, not only of soccer, but many other sports as well. So I’ve put a couple of ideas down for your degustation outlining what I feel [Read more]
Tennis: The more things change…
June 3, 2010 by 11 Comments
by Andrew Gigacz It’s just over four months since Sam Stosur bowed out of the Australian Open. You might remember Stosur’s brave but ultimately unsuccessful effort against Serena Williams. But you could hardly be blamed for not being able to recall it. Why? Because as that exciting match was unfolding, the Seven Network, in their [Read more]
Killing the goose that laid the golden egg?
May 26, 2010 by 17 Comments
In light of the future expansion of sporting teams in Melbourne I was wondering if the “sports capital of the world” may be starting to spread itself a little thinly and start to test the capital’s reputation for turning up to anything including the opening of an envelope. Mondays night’s attendance of 55,000 to what [Read more]
LINK: Mascot Hall of Shame
May 26, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The Alamanac editors once knew of a St Kilda Ruckle who got into a fully fledged punch-on while still in uniform (although the head fell off during proceedings). But this pales when compared to some mascot misadventures overseas. The Independent has compiled a photo gallery of the Mascot’s Hall of Shame. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/the-best-and-worst-sporting-mascots-1977011.html?action=Popup&ino=1 Almanac Admin
LINK: The True Cost of Sporting Festivals
May 26, 2010 by 1 Comment
As governments around the world clamour to host the world’s great sporting events, do we ever stop to consider who really wins from these deals? The Guardian Sportblog takes a disturbing look at the social dislocation resulting from New Delhi’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/may/25/commonwealth-games-delhi Almanac Admin
Momentum
May 15, 2010 by 1 Comment
The Best of Van Halen has a quote on the liner notes: “what is understood need not be discussed”. I can’t remember the attribution, but it makes a certain amount of sense. In sport, there are a few things that are known. A week is a long time. The boys on the winning team really [Read more]
Regional Communities and Sport: A Comment
May 14, 2010 by 6 Comments
by Bill Walker One only has to only look via any of the plethora of mediums for sourcing, processing and transferring news to see that the basic values and foundations of sport today have been swept up and pummelled by fast and diversely evolving business tsunami. Either through design or chance the status quo has [Read more]
Urban Legends: Flynny’s out!
May 12, 2010 by 15 Comments
by Chris Riordan High-profile Almanacker, Peter Flynn, was humbled by “security” last Thursday night in Warrnambool and refused entry to fabled “Whalers” bar and nightspot. Under intense questioning, the uniformed bear (No.15) defied Peter’s logic with “I’ve already made my decision!” and made it clear that no further correspondence would be considered. It seems that [Read more]
WINTER
May 6, 2010 by 8 Comments
by Damian O’Donnell I hate winter. It’s cold and dark and depressing. Everyone goes a little bit pale and adults get a little bit fatter. To make things worse, the fat bits that accumulate around your midriff in winter look whiter than your summer skin so there is no doubt that its winter fat. Winter [Read more]
Almanac Rugby League – Real Storm surprise is that people are surprised
April 29, 2010 by 18 Comments
It has been a most tumultuous week in Australian sport. Well, in Australian professional sport. You have to be specific because I reckon professional sport and normal, everyday, garden-variety sport are actually quite different. One is about commerce, the other is about the game. The tumult comes from the exposure of the flagrant salary cap [Read more]
Almanac Rugby League – Question: The Storm over The Storm
April 24, 2010 by 15 Comments
What does the Almanac community think of the Melbourne Storm drama? Just deserts or overly harsh? Is this the end of NRL in Melbourne? If so, do we care? Are there any AFL implications? Fire away folks. Almanac Admin
GRACE AND GRACELESSENESS UNDER PRESSURE
April 11, 2010 by 8 Comments
The past week in world sport has presented leading players, coaches and teams in a fascinating array of lights and reminds us of why we react to the sporting performances with such emotion and passion. Of particular interest has been the way a number of champions have handled the limelight, adversity and pressure and what [Read more]
Golf: Mastering Augusta
April 9, 2010 by 18 Comments
by Peter Flynn The second weekend of April is always a special (I’d even go as far as to say a delicious) time for golf fans. It’s US Masters time. It’s like Christmas when you were a kid. The challenging Augusta National layout in conjunction with the tournament’s mystique and quirky traditions present a thorough [Read more]
Stawell: The Gift that keeps on giving
April 7, 2010 by 11 Comments
by Damian O’Donnell A boy, perhaps sixteen years old, works the pedals of his bicycle as he struggles with the blustery wind that is blowing across his right shoulder. It threatens on several occasions to blow him off the bitumen. The undulating road carves its way through the tough dry country of north western Victoria. [Read more]
Stawell Gift: The Call of Stawell
April 6, 2010 by 5 Comments
by Rod Oaten As it turned out I was very happy I didn’t go to the Fish Bowl behind Spencer Street railway station for the Don’s game against a team called Fremantle. I even had a free ticket but no one in their right mind would want to see a game against a corporate team [Read more]
Extreme Sports: Common newspaper puzzle injuries
April 5, 2010 by 21 Comments
by Andrew Gigacz In recent weeks there have been some vicious rumours, spread mainly by some of our young whippersnapper Almanackers, that I once broke my nose whilst completing a Sudoku puzzle. I would like to use this forum to set the record straight about such unfounded, malicious allegations. These charges have been extremely hurtful [Read more]
Baseball: Fanatical Phillies fans to rejoice in 2010
April 5, 2010 by 2 Comments
by Tim Ivins 10am Monday morning, Eastern Standard Time, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will step out, not onto the turf of the SCG as was suggested by the Daily Telegraph to the shock and chagrin of American baseball fans everywhere but rather the history steeped Fenway Park. Over the coming 6 [Read more]
On the sidelines, in the outer
April 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment
By Patrick O’Keeffe I am frustrated. The immediate source of my frustration is an injury that is preventing me from running. For me, running is like addiction. Let’s be frank, running is my life. I haven’t run for 6 days and I’m experiencing major withdrawals. Running keeps me balanced. I need to run. I am [Read more]
Two Kings
April 2, 2010 by 7 Comments
by Andrew Starkie Down the phone from his home in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, Jack Rennie has a softly scoured, Brando like voice. He is welcoming, patient and as he speaks, his memory opens and he joyously recounts one of our great sporting moments. ‘He was king of Australia at the time,’ recalls Jack, former trainer [Read more]
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