Archive for the ‘Sports’ Category
I don’t read sports pages – this Athers Times piece caught my eye
In his book on the decline of amateurism in sport, D. J. Taylor quotes the porn star Randy Spears. Spears, a star of almost a thousand pornographic films, reckoned that he was able to work up genuine lust for about one in three of the girls he was asked to bed. For the rest, he said, “he was just being professional”.
Cricket season opens!
MCC and Durham launch English season in Abu Dhabi! with a floodlit first-class game in the desert under floodlights and using a pink ball.
The match is the most high-profile and the culmination of two years testing a pink cricket ball for use in first-class and Test cricket. The results of the experiment will be closely monitored not just by the MCC, who have spent time and money developing the concept, but also the ICC and governing bodies around the world.
Last year the MCC commissioned a survey of cricket supporters in India, NZ and South Africa with, on average, at least half of the respondents confirming they would be more likely to attend Test matches if they were floodlit and played later in the day when many more are free to watch after work.
But the major hurdle to clear has been the quality of the ball. The red ball is hard to pick up under floodlights. The white ball loses its colour and shape quickly. Orange has been trialled but the MCC and scientists at Imperial College believe the development of a pink ball offers the best way forward.
Durham and MCC will wear traditional whites with discussions continuing on whether the sightscreens will be white or black. The heat in Abu Dhabi will be an issue for both sides as the temperature touched 34C on Sunday, further evidence. The traditional season curtain-raiser, normally four days spent watching it rain at Lord’s, will never be the same again.
East End boxer to give up jellied eels
Dagenham lightweight Kevin Mitchell is using his fight against Ignacio Mendoza at Wembley Arena on 13 February to raise publicity for the plight of an East End favourite… jellied eels.
Reports suggest that the eel population in the River Thames has dropped by up to 98% in the last five years.
SPOTY – Jenson a shoe in
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year top-10 shortlist has been revealed.
It features F1 champion Jenson Button, cyclist Mark Cavendish, diver Tom Daley and MU’s Ryan Giggs.
Athletics is represented by two more world champions, heptathlete Jessica Ennis and triple jumper Phillips Idowu.
Boxer David Haye, cricket captain Andrew Strauss, tennis ace Andy Murray and gymnast Beth Tweddle.
The 10 nominees will be put to a public vote live at 7pm on Sunday 13 December on BBC1.
Dallas Desire beat LA Temptation in Lingerie Football
Members of the Dallas Desire prior to their game against the LA Temptation for a Lingerie Football League game on 23 October 2009 in Texas. Dallas won 24-12 and moves to 3-0. The 10 team league features women playing full contact football on a 25 yard wide by 50 yard long field dressed in very little.
Fit of Piquet!
The FIA has confirmed it will investigate claims that Nelson Piquet was ordered to deliberately crash during last year’s Singapore GP.
After Piquet’s crash, and while Alonso was in the pit, the safety car was brought out and allowed Alonso to reposition and win the race.
"I lost the rear of my car. I hit the wall heavily," said Piquet at the time, but he has since been booted by the Renault and is furious at his treatment.
During the broadcast of Sunday’s Belgian GP, the a Brazilian TV network said it had received information that Piquet was asked to crash on purpose. A spokesman for the FIA confirmed to media that an investigation is underway.
Patriotism is a dirty word but Andy No. 2 now
Scotland’s Andy Murray faced his toughest test of the Montreal tournament but still prevailed over Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro in a gruelling 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 marathon tonight in the final of the US$3 million Rogers Cup.
The third-seeded Murray, 22, matched his career best from last season with his fifth tournament win of the year -becoming the first Briton ever to win in Canada – and improved his record to 11-4 against top-10 players this season.
Del Potro, 20, was looking for his second straight tournament victory after winning in Washington, D.C., a week earlier, and he also squandered an opportunity to jump past Andy Roddick into fifth in the world rankings.
The match turned when Del Potro called for the trainer while up 6-5 in the second set. After the medical timeout, Murray held serve at love and then won the tiebreak to extend the match.
Looking good
Lewis Hamilton clocked the quickest lap of the day during the second practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix.