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Win a Trip to the London 2012 Olympics – Sponsored Video

Here at Sports Banter we are all about promoting sports whether it’s at the grass roots level, or at the elite level. When we were given the opportunity to promote a new campaign from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), we jumped at the chance.

With the London Olympics just around the corner, the IOC have just released a new campaign which will give someone the chance to win a trip for two to the London 2012 Olympic Games. All you need to do is upload a video of yourself showing off your sporting talents, and you are a chance to win the major prize. Not bad just for showing off something that you are already good at, let’s show them what us Aussies are capable of!

The International Olympic Committee’s latest promotional campaign is asking the world to “Show Your Best”, by inviting people around the world to submit videos showcasing their talents. The grand prize is a feature in the global Olympic TV spot and a trip to the London 2012 Olympic Games!

Timo Lumme, Managing Director of IOC Television & Marketing Services, said: “Not everyone can be an Olympic athlete, but everyone can strive to be their best at something. This campaign celebrates that effort.” For instance:

Athletes can submit a video of their best pass, punt, shot, kick, goal, tackle, jump, throw, time, etc.
Tricksters can submit a video showcasing their acrobatics, hula hooping, handstands, skateboard tricks, kneeboard skills, etc.
Just about anyone can submit a video of their first time skydiving, water skiing (or skiing at all for that matter), standing up while surfing, ice skating, paragliding, rock climbing, mountain biking, etc.

You can check out the video promoting the campaign below:

Get involved and win yourself a trip to the London 2012 Olympic Games for your efforts!

This post is sponsored by the IOC.

Filed Under: Banter, Other Tagged With: london 2012, olympics

10 Worst Sporting Moments of 2011

By Steve Leave a Comment

As promised, here is our view of the worst sporting moments of 2011. There were plenty of scandals, disgraceful acts, poor team and individual performances and even a failed TV attempt in 2011. We sifted through the wreckage and picked our top 10 worst sporting moments of 2011, enjoy!

10. Shane Warne’s Failed Attempt at his own Talk Show

Shane Warne is unanimously known as the greatest bowler Australia has ever seen, he has taken 708 test wickets and over 1,000 international wickets but his career also included plenty of scandal which detracted away from his performances on the pitch. The latest of Warnie’s failures was his attempt at a self titled talk show during the summer of Cricket.

: Courtesy of dailytelegraph.com.au

After many weeks of hype and countless advertisements of the show, the ratings nosedived and it only lasted 5 weeks before it was pulled from our screens never to be seen again. I think Warnie needs to stick to commentary and the occasional playing comeback!

9. Simon Katich Axed from the Australian Cricket Team

Simon Katich was unceremoniously dumped from the Australian Test Cricket side after a few poor performances, fair enough, but the fact that he was also not included in the list of 25 players contracted to Cricket Australia was an absolute disgrace. We’ve covered the interview he gave in June here http://sportsbanter.com.au/the-simon-katich-press-conference-brilliant/ and what a press conference that was.

: Courtesy of skysports.com

Katich rightfully had a go at the selectors in regards to their ridiculous decision and it was great entertainment, he should never have been dropped from the test squad let alone the 25 man list of contracted players. A disgraceful decision and Australia have been paying for it ever since!

8. Ricky Nixon and the St Kilda School Girl Scandal

It all started out seemingly like a schoolgirl who had been embarrassed by a bunch of footballers and wanted to get her own back by releasing pictures that she had of some of those said players, however it soon turned more scandalous. It was revealed that Ricky Nixon, a player agent, had had an affair with the schoolgirl and when this became public the media could not get enough of it.

: Courtesy of the Herald Sun

While the truth eventually came out, the girl admitted on National television that everything she had said was a lie, it didn’t take away any of the embarrassment that was left at the St Kilda Football Club or Ricky Nixon himself.

7. Quade Cooper’s Poor 2011 Rugby World Cup Performances

Quade Cooper was supposed to be the next big thing in Australian Sport, a fantastic Rugby player who was being coveted by a host of Rugby League clubs to switch codes with some staggeringly large offers rumoured to have been offered. After his shocking Rugby World Cup performances most of those offers were off the table and Quade was left with slim pickings in terms of clubs to choose from.

: Courtesy of foxsports.com.au

Things went from bad to worse for Quade as he ended up injuring his knee in the 3rd place play-off match against Wales. The injury is expected to keep him out of action for another few months and he may miss the start of the 2012 Super Rugby competition as a result.

6. Pakistan Cricketers Disgraceful Match Fixing – Bans and Subsequent Jailings

In February this year, the deliberate no-ball allegations against 3 of Pakistan’s star cricketers resulted in 5 year bans for all three players being dished out, soft if you ask me. Criminal proceedings were launched against all three players and in November this year all three players were found guilty and were sentenced to prison time. Salman Butt received 30 months, Mohammed Asif 12 months and youngster Mohammed Amir 6 months.

: Courtesy of the Daily Mail

The fact that the players only received 5 year bans is disgraceful in my book, especially in the case of Amir who would still only be 24 after his ban expires. All of these players should have been given life bans for bringing the game into disrepute!

5. Australia’s Capitulation at the Wanderers – All Out for 47!

Australian Cricket reached a new low in November when they were embarrassingly bowled out for 47 against South Africa in the First Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. At one point Australia were 9-21 and it was left up to tail-enders Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon to ensure that Australia were not bowled out for the lowest score in test cricket history, the 26 scored by New Zealand in 1955.

: Courtesy of abc.net.au

One thing that the embarrassing result highlighted was that Australia is indeed in a rebuilding phase at the moment, something that really should have been done prior to the exodus of 2006-2008 when we lost Warne, McGrath, Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist and a host of other experienced players all in a short period.

4. Qatar Being Handed the 2022 World Cup by FIFA

One of the most disgraceful decisions of 2011 was FIFA awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. The only reason Qatar was chosen was money, and there are still investigations underway in relation to potential bribery allegations against the Qatari administration. Some say this decision was a result of Sepp Blatter wanting to leave a legacy seeing as he won’t be FIFA President forever, but I can only see one reason for this decision….$$$.

: Courtesy of the Guardian

The fact that Qatar has no infrastructure, 50 Degree Celcius heat and is considered to be an unsafe place for players and fans alike, should have been enough for FIFA to overlook them, however obviously money overruled common sense on this occasion. It will be interesting to see what comes of the bribery allegations and whether Qatar is ultimately stripped of the hosting rights to the World Cup.

3. New South Wales Blues Losing Six Straight State of Origin Series

As promised, this one makes both lists. As a proud New South Welshman I was devastated when we lost the series earlier this year. It was inevitable with the imminent retirement of Darren Lockyer but that didn’t help soften the blow one bit. NSW have been going through somewhat of a rebuilding period and with Ricky Stuart back in the fold the passion returned and NSW really look to be heading in the right direction.

: Courtesy of the Daily Telgraph

Queenslanders have shown throughout the last 6 years that they are arrogant and have short memories. Just six years ago Mal Meninga was on the verge of being sacked and the State of Queensland was over Origin football. Turn the clock forward 6 years and Queenslanders have the nerve to accuse New South Welshman of being sore losers, the difference is that we haven’t given up on our team and will be there supporting them again in 2012!

2. Australia Fails to Win Back the Ashes on Home Soil

In January this year, Australia suffered their most embarrassing series defeat since I have followed Cricket, over 20 years, by losing to England in the Ashes on home soil. In the end Australia lost the series 3-1, that’s bad enough but what makes it even harder to take is that all 3 of those defeats were by an innings. We were absolutely carved up and none of our bowlers came away from that series with any credibility.

: Courtesy of totalsportsmadness.com

It was that defeat at the hands of England that got the ball rolling on the rebuilding of Australian Cricket. First the selectors were dumped, Ricky Ponting was replaced by Michael Clarke, a new generation of young stars were uncovered and hopefully by 2013 we will be ready to take back the Urn that rightfully belongs in Australia!

1. Manly Win the 2011 NRL Premiership…. Then Self Implode!

Is there anybody out there, apart from Manly fans, that actually wanted this mob to win this years NRL Premiership? I didn’t think so. The Manly Sea Eagles are the team that everybody loves to hate, and moreso when they are actually winning things. It all started back in the 80′s when there was no salary cap and the Silvertails bought there way to several premierships. People haven’t forgotten that, me included, and when they won this years Premiership I thought here we go again.

: Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph

Just as I was dreading another Sea Eagles dynasty, the board decides to self implode and the club falls to pieces. Out goes Premiership winning coach Des Hasler to the Bulldogs, and a host of players not happy with the decision considering their own futures. Only the Sea Eagles could manage to turn a Premiership win into post season controversy, couldn’t happen to a nicer club!

So there you have it, our take on the Worst Sporting Moments of 2011. Let us know if you agree or disagree with our selections in the comments section, and be sure to let us know what you think should be in the list.

Filed Under: Banter, Other Tagged With: ashes, Cricket, Cricket Australia, FIFA, pakistan cricket, qatar, queensland, ricky nixon, Rugby Union, rugby world cup, Sea Eagles, shane warne, simon katich, st kilda, State of Origin

10 Best Sporting Moments of 2011

By Steve 1 Comment

What a year 2011 has been from a sporting perspective. With so many amazing triumphs this year, both individual and team based, here at Sports Banter we thought it was necessary to go through our top 10 sporting moments.

On the flip side, 2011 was also a year of sporting scandals, infamous matches and failed attempts at tv careers. We’ll get to that one tomorrow though. For now, here are our top 10 sporting moments of 2011, let us know if you agree or disagree with any of these in the comments section.

10. Manchester Clubs Knocked out of the UEFA Champions League

I had to include this one as this was one of my highlights of the year. Both clubs were earmarked to progress quite far in the competition and I don’t think I was the only one who enjoyed seeing both teams crash out early.

: Courtesy of the Telegraph.co.uk

As an Arsenal fan, it was made even more special by the fact that supporters of both clubs had been giving it to me over the 8-2 hammering (Man Utd) and the defection of two of our best players to Manchester City.

: Courtesy of The Guardian

It really couldn’t have happened to two classier clubs or supporters!

9. Queensland Reds Win the Super Rugby competition for 2011.

2011 was a great year for Australia in the Super Rugby tournament with the Queensland Reds taking out the title defeating the always strong Crusaders in the final 18-13.

: Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph

Both areas, Queensland and Christchurch, had been devastated by floods and earthquakes respectively and you could tell it meant a lot to the players in what was an emotional send off to season 2011.

8. Kelly Slater’s 11th World Surfing Title

What more is there to say about this bloke, a true champion and despite being 39 he is still going strong, he did leave it until the last two minutes of his heat to take out the title but this just shows his character.

: Courtesy of Salt Water Dreaming

There was controversy too as Slater was handed the title prematurely and had to wait another few days for the boffins to sort out the numbers before being officially crowned for his 11th Title.

7. Barcelona Win the 2011 UEFA Champions League Against Manchester United

It seems like I’m picking on Manchester United but I truly believe that Barcelona winning the Champions League, and in the fashion that they did, is a vindication for the beauttiful game and the way it should be played. As an Arsenal fan I’m no fan of either side, in fact I probably hate Barcelona more than United due to the amount of tapping up they did to lure Cesc Fabregas back to Barcelona.

: Courtesy of Sport360

However, the way that Barcelona plays the game on the pitch is something to behold and it would have been a travesty had United got the better of them with their boring style of football.

6. Six Series Wins in a Row for the Queensland State of Origin Team

This would have been higher up my list if I was not a proud New South Welshman, and the fact that Queensland probably had 4 future immortals making up the spine of the side in Billy Slater, Darren Lockyer, Jonathan Thurston and Cameron Smith. Still a mean feat to go 6 series wins in a row in this day and age so it definitely warranted a spot in my top 10.

: Courtesy of the Courier Mail

You may see this pop up again in the worst sporting moments of 2011 though, it may even rate higher in that list!

5. Black Caviar – 16 Straight Wins

Wow, what more can I say about this magnificent creature, many already consider Black Caviar to be the best sprinter in the world and I would not disagree with that. Pharlap had 14 straight wins, so I think you can see why there is so much hype about this horse!

: Courtesy of foxsports.com.au

We now have to wait until the end of January to see her in action again when she takes part in the Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley. There are also plans to test her out on the International stage, with a run at Royal Ascot planned for mid 2012.

4. Brisbane Roar – 36 Match Unbeaten Streak in the Hyundai A-League

The Brisbane Roar made Australian sporting history just a few weeks ago when they passed the total of 35 matches unbeaten set by the Eastern Suburbs Rugby League club, now known as the Roosters, on their way to 36 matches unbeaten in the A-League. The Roar’s run was ended in early December by Sydney FC at Kogarah in atrocious conditions.

: Courtesy of foxsports.com.au

As is usually the case with these sorts of records, once they end the team tends to go on a bit of a downward spiral and it seems that the Brisbane Roar have been affected, with 4 losses in a row now since they broke that long standing record.

3. New Zealand All Blacks Winning the 2011 Rugby World Cup on Home Soil

Favourites right from the start of the competition, the New Zealand All Blacks got the job done albeit in a tight finish against Les Blues at Eden Park. Like the Crusaders before them, the All Blacks were doing it for a Country in mourning after the devastating earthquakes in February of this year.

: Courtesy of the Mirror

The All Blacks had not won the Rugby World Cup since it’s inception in 1987, a 24 year gap between wins, and did it with Captain Richie McCaw playing on a bung foot for much of the tournament.

2. Novak Djokovic Going 43 Matches Unbeaten in the ATP

What a year for the Joker as he swept all before him, including Federer and Nadal. on his way to an unbelievable 43 match winning streak which only ended in June at the hands of Roger Federer in the French Open. Clay obviously isn’t his forte so it was no surprise that he was eventually undone on that surface.

: Courtesy of tennis.si.com

I think it will be a while before we see that sort of winning streak again, an amazing achievement by the Joker and at his age he will be around for many years to come!

1. Cadel Evans – 2011 Tour de France Winner!

I think this easily rates as the best sporting moment of 2011. Cadel Evans finished runner-up in the Tour de France on two previous occasions, that alone would be enough to hang up the bike and call it a day. Not for Cadel though, at 34 years old, the fifth oldest winner in the Tours history, Cadel became the first Australian to win the event in it’s 108 year history.

: Courtesy of news.com.au

I personally can’t think of a better achievement in the sporting landscape that was 2011. To come back and win the Tour de France after numerous setbacks is an outstanding achievement. To think of all the setbacks that he has endured, being born with a broken nose, kicked in the head by a horse as an eight year old that put him in a coma for weeks, then to finish second in 2007 and 2008 by less than a minute…. Anyone else would have given up!

Let us know your thoughts on our 10 Best Sporting Moments of 2011 in the comments section, and be sure to check back tomorrow for our 10 Worst Sporting Moments of 2011.

Filed Under: Banter, Other Tagged With: a-league, AFL, ARL, Barcelona, Champions League, Cricket, EPL, football, Manchester City, Manchester United, NRL, premier league, rugby league, Soccer, State of Origin

Sportsbanter’s Weekend Sports Wrap-up – 28 November 2011

By Steve Leave a Comment

Another cracking weekend of sport has just come to its conclusion with the EPL and Formula 1 bringing everything to a head this morning. Here is a wrap up of this weekends action in the EPL, A-League and a variety of other sports.

Week 13 of the 2011/12 Barclays Premier League turned out to be a corker, plenty of interesting results to sink our teeth into starting with the action from Saturday night.

The weekend kicked off at the Britannia Stadium with Stoke City recording a comfortable 3-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers who dropped to the bottom of the table for the first time this season. Rory Delap headed the Potters into the lead just prior to the half-hour mark before Glenn Whelan and Peter Crouch put the home side ahead by three by the72nd minute, Ruben Rochina got one back for the Rovers but it was only a consolation as the damage had already been done by that point.

Everton overcame ten-man Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at the Reebok Stadium with Marouane Fellaini and Apostolos Vellios the goal scorers, David Wheater had an afternoon to forget with a 19th minute red card for a reckless challenge on Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

Chelsea finally returned to some form after a rough few weeks with a controlling 3-0 win over Wolves at Stamford Bridge. First-half goals from John Terry, Daniel Sturridge and Juan Mata were enough to seal all three points.

Manchester United and Newcastle United played out a dramatic 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. The reigning champions scored a lucky goal through Javier Hernandez early in the second half before the Magpies responded via a Demba Ba penalty which came about from a questionable call against Rio Ferdinand for his challenge on Hatem Ben Arfa. Manchester United have had plenty of questionable calls go there way in recent years, as reported on this very website, so one could assume this is some form of Karma. Newcastle lost Jonas Gutierrez to a second yellow card late but the visitors held on for a vital away point.

Norwich City edged QPR 2-1 at Carrow Road in the battle of the top-two teams from last season’s Championship with Russell Martin and Grant Holt scoring either side of Luke Young’s 59th minute strike. Norwich leap frogged QPR with this result and are pushing for a spot in the top half of the table.

Wigan Athletic came from behind to defeat Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. Sebastian Larsson opened the scoring early for the Black Cats before Jordi Gomez converted from the penalty spot and then Franco di Santo slotted a late winner for the Latics in dramatic fashion, making up for the late minute penalty that saw them drop 2 points last week.

Tottenham left their run late but managed to record a 3-1 away win at West Bromwich Albion with Emmanuel Adebayor netting twice and Jermain Defoe providing a brilliant individual effort following Youssuf Mulumbu’s opener for the Baggies.

Arsenal managed to claw their way out of jail with a 1-1 draw against Fulham. Thomas Vermaelen scored an own-goal which gave the Cottagers the lead just after the hour-mark before the Belgian defender headed home to equalise for the Gunners eight minutes from time. A late surge from Arsenal beared no fruit and 2 points could be considered dropped here at home when really the 3 points should have been secured.

On Sunday, Swansea City and Aston Villa went out to battle at the Liberty Stadium despite the tragic death of Wales national team manager Gary Speed earlier on Sunday morning. News of Speed’s death filtered through before kick off and even had Ireland’s Shay Given in tears during the minute’s silence. The match ended in a 0-0 draw but the news of Speed far overrode the performance of both sides who seemingly ran through the motions.

And at Anfield the news also hit home with Craig Bellamy requesting to be left out of the squad prior to kick off, obviously shaken at the news of Gary Speed’s death.

The match ended all square at 1-1 with all the goals coming in the first half and substitute Mario Balotelli sent off with eight minutes remaining. “Why always me?” Balotelli could probably be heard saying as he walked down the tunnel, great player but with a very questionable attitude, can Mancini control him?

City took the lead just after the half-hour from skipper Vincent Kompany who headed home David Silva’s corner.

Roberto Mancini probably hoped the league leaders would kick-on from that goal but instead found themselves pegged back within a couple of minutes. Charlie Adam had a hopeful punt at goal from distance and Joleon Lescott stuck out a foot to divert the ball past Hart.

City maintain their five point lead over rivals United at the top of the Premiership and remain unbeaten in the league, there is still a large contingent of clubs from 3-7 chasing that all important top 4 spot.

On Friday night Adelaide United and Newcastle Jets kicked off proceedings playing out a tense 0-0 draw in what can only be described as a dour affair.

However, after a lacklustre opening, the Reds started to get on top early in the second half, before Boogaard’s decision to backchat the referee – after having already receiving a yellow card earlier – saw him exit to the showers and create several hairy moments for United.

On Saturday afternoon, Central Coast scored a 3-1 win over the Melbourne Heart at Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford.

Matt Simon put the Mariners in front in first-half injury time before the Heart rallied brilliantly in the second half to equalise through replacement Eli Babalj. The last 10 minutes were frantic as both sides tried to get the all important second goal, the Mariners the side to do so going ahead in the 81st minute when referee Gerard Parsons awarded the home team a penalty for handball in the box.

Veteran Daniel McBreen stepped up and made no mistake from the spot kick.

With time almost up Patrick Zwaanswijk then finished off the match when he headed home a corner in the 87th minute.

However, the weekend belonged to the Roar, making Australian sporting history extending their magical unbeaten run to a record 36 games with a quality 4-0 demolition of Perth at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.

The defending Hyundai A-League champions were never in doubt against the Glory, executing the same untouchable pass-and-move football that has left the rest of the competition in their wake for over a year.

The Roar led 4-0 at half time through 2 goals each to Besart Berisha and Issey Nakajima-Farran, they never looked back and now look forward to a meeting with Sydney FC at Kogarah next weekend to try and extend that to 37.

On Sunday, Wellington Phoenix got a much need win with a victory over Sydney FC. Paul Ifill opened the scoring in the 7th minute to give the Phoenix the perfect start but it was Tim Brown’s 45-metre dipping volley in the 59th minute that sealed the much-needed win, which ended a five-match run without a victory for Phoenix.

Bruno Cazarine’s scrambled a goal in the 70th minute to keep everyone on their toes, Sydney FC have a reputation this season of coming from behind, but it was as close as the visitors got.

In the final match, AAMI Park dished up yet another intriguing match that has me thinking that the ground may be jinxed. 3 penalties, a red card and plenty of goals again continues the tradition of excitement at Victory’s home ground.

After a disappointing start to the season on the field Victory looked to have put that behind them when they shot to a 2-0 lead after 22 minutes thanks to penalties from Harry Kewell and Carlos Hernandez.

But the match took an interesting twist when Melbourne defender Rody Vargas was sent off for a reckless challenge after 33 minutes. That allowed Gold Coast to get back into the contest through a penalty by Dylan Macallister on the stroke of half time, and a goal from Peter Jungschlager two minutes into the second half.

Just when the Victory looked destined to have given up two points from a 2-0 lead, Hernandez rose to head home 11 minutes from time and give Victory their second win of the season and their first at home.

A cracking match to end what was a great weekend of A-League football.

Overnight, Mark Webber secured 3rd place in the Formula 1 Drivers Championship with a brilliant win in the Brazillian Grand Prix. He took out the race after team mate Sebastian Vettel suffered mechanical problems, finishing 16 seconds ahead of the Champion in this race. Below are the final positions for the Drivers Championship. Congratulations must go out to Mark Webber, despite a frustrating season he still managed to finish third which is a credit to his new-found consistency.

Drivers’ Championship Standings

1. Vettel, 392 (clinched championship)

2. Button, 270

3. Webber, 258

4. Alonso, 257

5. Hamilton, 227

6. Massa, 118

7. Rosberg, 89

8. Schumacher, 76

9. Sutil, 42

10. Petrov, 37

A forum post has been put up to discuss any of the weekend action, see you in there!

Join the forum discussion on this post

Filed Under: Banter, Other, Soccer Tagged With: a-league, Arsenal, Chelsea, EPL, Everton, formula 1, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, premier league, Soccer, Tottenham

Deciphering US sport – help please!

By Phillip 1 Comment

As some of you may be aware, 2 members of the Sports Banter team are embarking on a trip to the USA at the end of the year. As a long time lover of US sport, it was a certainty that we would try to fit in a few games, whether it be NFL, NBA or NHL.

Unfortunately, the NBA has rather inconveniently found itself in a lockout – so no joy on that front.

With the NFL entering playoffs at that time of year, with no way of knowing when or where games would be, we looked to College Football. The Sugar Bowl kicks off on the 3rd of January in New Orleans, and I’m happy to report that high up in the nosebleed section, yours truly will be covering the game (or getting drunk).

I love US sport, and regularly watch College Football games on ESPN, however how their conferences and bowl games work has always been a bit of a mystery. In order the try to predict which teams we would be watching in the Sugar Bowl, I decided to undertake a bit of research. I arrived at several conclusions, one of which was that US sport is bloody confusing!!! There are a bunch of different conferences, umpteen bowl games, 5 major bowl games, and who knows what else!

As far as I can make out, there are 5 major bowl games, the Sugar Bowl, the Rose Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and the BCS Allstate Championship Game.

Someone, dont ask me who, decides who goes in to the BCS Allstate Championship Bowl, which is effectively the best two College Football teams in America – I believe there is a ranking system, although how this works, considering the thousand different conferences, I have no idea.

The Sugar Bowl pits the best team the the Southeastern Conference (SEC) against another at-large BCS team. Who or why, no idea. However, if the SEC Champions are selected to play in the BCS Allstate Championship Game, then a replacement is chosen, another at-large BCS team. History leads me to believe that if this happens, the second best SEC team would be chosen.

Seeing as one of side of the draw is a mystery, I decided to concentrate on the SEC side of things, seeing as this would be the home team anyway, that’s probably the bandwagon I’d be jumping on.

At the moment, it appears to me that the best two teams in the SEC are LSU and Alabama. These teams faced off against each other a few weeks ago, and LSU got up in a close game. My thoughts are that LSU will probably go through to the BCS Allstate Championship Game, leaving Alabama to be selected for the Sugar Bowl game. Georgia also appears to be a chance. So, with that in mind, go Crimson Tide!

As you can probably tell, I am hopelessly out of my depth here – so if anyone out there can give me a hand, please do, because I need help!

Filed Under: Banter, Other Tagged With: College Football, NBA, NFL, NHL

Parkour – extreme sport Bond style! (part 2)

By Steve Leave a Comment

In Part 1, we learnt what Parkour is all about and a few warm up tips. Now that are warmed up and ready to go, let the training begin.

In this video the President of the Australian Parkour Association, Chippa takes us through a few fundamental movements used in Parkour: the roll, climb ups & balancing. He demonstrates techniques on how to position your body when doing the movements, what you need to look out for, and how to avoid injuries when training.

Always remember to practice Parkour safely and use the right techniques. These videos allow you to go back over and over and over again until you get it right. You can keep yourself covered simple and easy with Frank Health Insurance. http://www.frankhealthinsurance.com.au/

Stay tuned for the next video on how to put the movements you’ve learnt in this video together. Remember, practice makes perfect!

Filed Under: Banter, Other Tagged With: extreme, parkour

Parkour – extreme sport Bond style!

By Steve Leave a Comment

Parkour from the French “parcours du combattant” meaning obstacle course – is an extreme sport of quick movements though urban landscapes using pure strength and the objects in the surroundings to get from one place to another.

Yep, just like Bond chasing his suspects through construction sites in Casino Royale and almost all the blood-rushing action scenes in Prince of Persia. Minus the explosions.

If you can run, jump and climb; you too can do parkour.

Parkour is more than just a physical spectator sport. It incorporates a discipline that encourages people to push their physical and mental boundaries at their own pace and become stronger and more self-assured to use what they have learned to help others.

Frank Health Insurance has partnered with the Australian Parkour Association (APA) to create a mini-series of “how-to” Parkour tutorials hosted by the APA president and parkour pro himself, Chippa. These videos cover parkour warm-up tips, training methods as well as the fundamental movements to help teach newcomers how they can participate in the sport.

Be sure to get the right training and coaching from proper parkour instructors before you try this at home. The APA runs parkour lessons across Australia http://www.parkour.asn.au/. Also while you have fun experimenting the various movements and develop your mental and physical strength, keep yourself covered simple and easy with Frank Health Insurance http://www.frankhealthinsurance.com.au/.

Filed Under: Banter, Other Tagged With: extreme, parkour

Cash, Money, Cars, Clothes, not the way all ‘Ballers Roll

By Pancho Leave a Comment

“Cash, money, cars, clothes, this is how true ballers roll”. These are the lyrics from Ruff Endz’s 2002 hit R’n'B single – one of my favourite tracks back in high school.

According to urbandictionary.com (great source, right?), the term ‘baller’ refers to “A thug that has “made it” to the big time or professional ball (basketball, football, baseball etc.) players that made it out of the streets to make millions as a professional ball player”.

Now, as sports fans we live in a world where the elite athletes in their respective sports get paid an exuberant amount of cash. You’ve got the likes of Tiger Woods, Kobe Byrant and LeBron James each earning in the tens of millions each year.

It’s made me wonder at times, whether or not these athletes are some what detached from the fans of the game. Do they still play for the love of the game and its fans or do they play for the green?

In recent years the NBA has seen some of its brightest stars such as Josh Childress cross the Atlantic for a stint in the European Leagues for a bigger payday and less taxes. I personally don’t quite understand why an athlete would rather chase money than test himself in the best league in the world. We’ve also seen it happen here domestically with the defection of Karmichael Hunt, Israel Folau and SBW to other footballing codes.

You’ve then got Miami Heat Superstar and part owner of Liverpool F.C LeBron James publically claim “The first time I stepped on an NBA court I became a businessman”. Really? I would have thought you became a professional basketball player living his dream.

In saying all this though, I’m not against sporting superstars making the dosh and I fully understand their motives to go out and brand themselves but I guess it’s legitimate to ask what truly motivates and drives today’s athletes. Championships or money? Fans or brand recognition?

Last week, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, at 22 years of age, become the youngest Most Valuable Player in the history of the league. Yesterday, he lead the Chicago Bulls to one game away from the Eastern Conference Finals. As a Chicago Bulls fan from the days of Michael Jordan, I couldn’t have been any happier for him. Some of you reading this may have not seen or have even heard of him before but from what I’ve see on T.V and from what I’ve read he’s very much a shy person who never attracts any unnecessary attention – a far cry from the bravado displaying, harlem hoodlum suit wearing ballers from Miami and Boston.

A lot of reporters were anticipating an underwhelming acceptance speech from Rose due to his quiet persona. Please watch the footage below (his speech starts at 2:44).

As you can see a very humble and mature human being with awesome talent to boot, worthy of being recognised as the NBA’s most valuable player. His speech showed me that there are athletes who still love and play the game for what it is and that improving and playing the game as hard as you can is what drives them to levels only few can reach, whilst not forgetting his roots and how he got there.

Filed Under: Banter, Other Tagged With: Chicago Bulls, NBA

The US Masters Pressure Cooker

By Phillip 3 Comments

This morning saw the final round of the 2011 US Masters kick off at Augusta, with all eyes on overnight leader Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy came in to the final round at 12 under, 4 shots clear of a tight knit chasing pack, that included Choi, Day, Cabrera and Schwartzel, all tied on 8 under. Adam Scott and Tiger Woods were also placed in the top ten, ready to make a move.

With 18 holes to play, 4 shots would hopefully give you a comfortable margin. If you can finish the final round with a solid 70, someone in the chasing pack would need to shoot 66 to force a play-off, which should give you a reasonable amount of confidence heading in. Unfortunately for McIlroy, today would not be his day. After suffering a horrible back nine, McIlroy finished 4 Under, 8 shots short of South African Schwartzel who took out the green jacket.

Pressure is a funny thing. It can get to the best of us. My immediate thoughts after this mornings play was to compare McIlroy’s final round with the great disaster that was Greg Norman’s final round in the 1996 Masters. Norman came into the 4th day leading by 6, before shooting a 78 to lose to Nick Faldo. This has regularly been rated as one of the best ‘chokes’ of all time.

In 1956, Ken Venturi also shot 80 in his final round, to lose by 1. And in 2005, A. Dawson, leading with one hole to go, put 2 consecutive drives out of bounds on the 18th, to faulter at the final hurdle. These are some of the biggest golfing disasters that come to mind.

Today, McIlroy shot an 80, which included a triple bogey on the 10th, a bogey on the 11th and a double bogey on the 12th – this is going to challenge for the title.

Unfortunately for McIlroy, Schwartzel had a good day in the office, shooting a 66, which only makes his final round look all the worse. Not only did Schwartzel take out the title, but finished a full 8 shots clear of McIlroy.

McIlroy is 21, and will have a big future in the sport. Hopefully he can put this disaster behind him, and learn from the experience.

Whats the greatest ‘choke’ you’ve ever seen?

Join the forum discussion on this post

Filed Under: Banter, Other Tagged With: Golf

Sky’s the Limit for “Bones” Jones

By Pancho Leave a Comment

Jon “Bones” Jones needs little introduction to those who follow the UFC. Last March saw him absolutely dismantle Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to capture the Light Heavyweight Championship, improving his record to 13 wins from 14 bouts.

From the barbaric days of the early 90′s which saw Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialists dominate the rings of Japan and the Octagons of North America, to the early noughties which saw the emergence of the versatile, well rounded fighters we currently see face off against each other in the UFC today, I’ve been fortunate enough to see the likes Royce Gracie, Kazushi Sakuraba, Randy Couture and other great fighters come and go. This man however, is truly something else.

To put it bluntly, I can find no weakness in Jones’ game. He seems to have the complete fighting skill set – the explosive and intelligent wrestling, punishing striking and the engine of a Ferrari. This, when coupled with the charisma of Edward Lewis, the modesty of the Dalai Lama and his hunger to win, you have before you the makings of the Michael Jordan of MMA.

What sets him apart from the other champions currently ruling their respective divisions is the fact that this man does not alter his game plan to negate the strengths of his opponent . He’s got enough in his locker to nullify anything that is thrown at him. His outstanding wrestling skills have helped him out-wrestle All-American wrestlers, his razor sharp elbows have cut open the face of a former Pride Grand Prix Champion and his speed and explosiveness would terrorise anyone ballsy enough to enter the Octagon with him.

One could make a case that Georges St. Pierre is already MMA’s pinup boy and I probably wouldn’t argue, but if Jones continues his winning ways, whilst keeping a level head on his shoulders there is no doubt in my mind that he could send the profile of MMA around the globe into another stratosphere.

For Jones, the sky’s the limit and if he continues to excel he’ll take the sport of MMA with him.

Filed Under: Banter, Other Tagged With: MMA

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