GreenEdge storm the European cycling castle

Overnight, Australia's professional cycling team, GreenEdge, stormed to victory in its first ever competitive team time trial in stage one of the week long Tireno-Adriatico. This tour, often called the Race of Two Seas, is a seven stage tour held early in the cycling season and is generally the lead up race to the San-Remo classic.

GreenEdge blew away rivals like the Big Bad Wolf. The RadioShack-Nissan team, featuring four time world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara, were no match finishing second a whopping 17 seconds behind GreenEdge over the 16.9km course. The manner of the victory was even more comprehensive given that Cadel Evans, last year's winner of this tour, and his BMC team finished in 16th position more than 1minute behind GreenEdge.  

If the European cycling super teams didn't think much of GreenEdge's entry into the cycling big time, they do now. Yes it is early days, but GreenEdge's intentions are clear....the boxing kangaroo on two wheels is here to shake up the establishment.

London Olympics - Athletics

Sally Pearson continued her dominant Australian summer season form last night with a blistering 12.49s in the 100m hurdles at the wet Melbourne Track Classic. It was her fourth fastest time ever and to do it so early in her personal season (she is, like all other athletes this year, tailoring her season to peak at the London Olympics in July-August 2012) sends a massive warning to her rivals.  It would have won her the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Henry Frayne also proved that Australia's long jump stocks are higher than Warren Buffets personal wealth. Last night he jumped 8.09m to prove that his 8.27m last month at the Sydney Track Classic (an Olympic qualifying jump) was no fluke.

He joins World Championship silver medallist Mitchell Watt, World Indoor Champion Fabrice Lapierre, Chris Nofke and Robbie Crowther as being the jumpers in line to represent Australia at London. Watt is already there having been pre-selected, but there is only one other spot available. I am no mathematician but 4 into 1 does not go. Frayne has already jumped the Olympic qualifying length in the Triple Jump (his preferred event). Lapierre has a longer personal best than Frayne but must out-jump Frayne at or before the national trials to push Frayne aside for the second jumping role. Nofke and Crowther are currently outside chances but have all jumped over the Olympic qualifying marks. To discount them would be foolish. The selectors have a tough call to make, but if only there was a long jump relay team...

Out of sports hibernation

Summer has not been a particularly sporting one with plenty of rain and and cringeworthy reality tv shows saturating people's attention. Sadly neither of these look like staying away, but the sports media industry in Australia is about to come alive and slap people out of this dreary summer daze with a triple macchiato coffee's worth of Australian winter sport.

That's right people, footy is upon us and you can feel the excitement in the streets rising. The scarves and team jerseys' are coming out along with the time honored sensual scent of moth balls. General banter between mates and opposing fans is increasing and becoming riskier than Angelina Jolie's dress split. The smell of deep heat and liniment is replacing ye old faithful 'old spice' as the dominant scent of weekend battles fought and won (if a phone number is gained).

Whatever your footballing addiction, aussie rules, league or union, the beginning of seasons 2012 are underway in a big way! Game on!

Union's Supper Rugby has started with a big bang (no not that dodgy tv sitcom)! From the first two rounds played, the average points scored in the games has been 47.6, whereas the winning margin has been a paltry 8.3 points. Already nail biting is trending on #twitter and facebook and we still have 17 rounds to go! So far the teams are still finding their feet and it is hard to say whether any particular team will dominate the competition, but so far, cue fireworks for the entertainment!

League's Thursday night kick off was a resounding success! The Knights v Dragons was a sell out, it produced a thrilling game, and it was a tv ratings bonanza. It also lulled the everyday worker into thinking that the weekend had arrived one day early! Just when the blues were setting in as the workers realised that there was still one day to go in the working week, more league was upon us with the Eels v Broncos game. Ahhhh relax again. Big things are expected from the Bennett lead Knights but the Storm,  Tigers, Bulldogs, Manly Warriors and perhaps the Bunnies might have something to say this season.

Aussies Rules has been the slow burner of the three main codes. The NAB Cup has been simmering away in the background in the past few weeks, whilst the main course is due start in three weeks time. The NAB Cup provides aussie rules tragics with the entrée but only really provides supporters with an indication of new talent coming through rather than the form of the team that will play regularly in the normal season. With GWS coming into the competition this year, it will be interesting to see whether they can fair better than the Suns in their first year. Many a predicting a win less season, but with Sheedy and Williams on the coaching staff, that may be a little bit naive...

Before we know it, finals footy will be upon us, but in the meantime, enjoy the emotional roller coaster of following your team(s) each weekend.

2011 - Formula 1

The 2011 Formula 1 season is just a smokey burnout away and as per usual the season will start with more controversy than a Max Mosley 'German themed home video'.


So far we've had:
1. Political unrest - the opening round in Bahrain, scheduled for 13 March 2011, was cancelled due to political unrest in the Middle Eastern State. Melbourne has been blessed by Bahrain's bad luck and will take all the publicity and glory as being the opening round of the Formula 1 season. It may just be the turning point for the much maligned Melbourne Grand Prix (it has been the subject of much political debate recently with the Victorian state government all but revealing that the race has been a massive money pit for years and hinting that it may not renew its current contract).


2. Tyre issues - Pirelli is the official tyre of the Formula 1 in 2011, having replaced Bridgestone, but throughout testing, drivers have been complaining faster than they've been driving that the rubber in the tyres just simply cannot handle the heat. World Champion Vettel wont be getting any personal sponsorship deals from Pirelli any time soon, having been the most vocal driver about the performance of the tyres and in particular stating that the tyres go bald quicker than Prince William, that the tyres will cost drivers seconds per lap and may even put lives at risk.


3. Car Performance - There has not been a day gone by without a driver claiming that:
a) his car is faster than everyone else's car - in an attempt to scare his rivals;
b) his car is slower than everyone else's car - in an attempt to lull his rivals into a false sense of superiority; and/or
c) a) and then b) or b) then a) - in an attempt to really screw with his rivals and also be a royal pain in the ar*e for journalists.
Simply, its all just smoke and mirrors from these guys at this stage. We will find out how fast the Ferrari 150° Italia, the McLaren MP4 - 26, and the Red Bull RB7 really are around the Albert Park Race track (http://www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/australia_844/circuit_diagram.html) between this Friday and Sunday. 


4. Drivers Contracts - On the cusp of this season, Vettel signed a new three year contract with Red Bull for a reported whopping AUD$16million a year. And interestingly, he has an escape clause from this deal if the RB7 is not 'a competitive car'. Just how that is measured or what that exactly means is anyone's guess, but if Vettel is not in the top four by midseason, look for the prancing horse to be circling like a vulture ready to swoop and entice him to Italy's finest. Also on Vettel's contract, if there is any question about who the number two driver at Red Bull is, you only have to look at Webber's contract extension (signed only last year) in comparison to Vettels. Webber's contract extension is for a 'paltry' AUD$8million per year. Could be a long season for Webber if he is looking for equal footing with the young German.


And these main issues are just the beginning. Wait till we get into the season itself and we have the obligatory whining about tire issues, in-fighting, contractual issues, old age (see Schumacher and constant questions as to whether he can still cut it), and dare I say anything about an Ecclestone rain idea or 'team orders during races'.


That said, looking forward to the sound of the engines and the smell of the burning rubber. Bring it on.

NFL 2011 Lockout?

It increasingly appears likely that the 2011 NFL season will be consigned to the history books as a non-event much like the 2004-2005 NHL season, part of the 1998-1999 NBA season, and the 1994-95 MLB season before that.

The collective bargaining agreement between the NFL players and the NFL owners ran out on 11 March 2011. There is no new collective bargaining agreement on the horizon and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) has since filed a lawsuit against the NFL owners.

On a very basic level, the main disputes are:
1. Games per season - currently there are 16 games per team per year (plus 4 pre-season games) but the NFL owners are proposing to extend the season to 18 games and reduce the number of pre-season games. The reason.....? Money. Pre-season tickets are usually the same price as regular season tickets but in contrast to the regular season games, the pre-season games are rarely sold out. The players, however, are not so keen on this idea as they are already burning out earlier on in their careers due to injuries. Hence the sticking point

2. Rookie wages - there are disputes about rookies signing astronomical contracts without them being tried and tested professionals.  It appears that both the NFL owners and the NFLPA agree on this but until the collective bargaining agreement is signed this may yet turn out to be a false dawn.

3. TV revenue - a number of the NFL owners are arguing that the players are receiving too much of the TV revenue. This appears to be a strange argument as from all reports the players are asking for the same cut that they received under the old collective agreement, which the owners signed off on. Seems the owners have had a change of heart!?

As yet there is no discussion or preparation for pre-season training camps let alone talk of a new collective bargaining agreement. Could be a long year for the pigskin faithful......

NBA regular season climax....

The 2010-2011 NBA regular season is 4 weeks from expiration and explosion into one of the most anticipated finals series on record.

The Miami Heat, with the holy trinity of James, Wade and Bosh, talked the talk 7 months ago, but have failed to consistently walk the walk. Yes they have qualified for the post season, but after a recent run of 5 losses (including some very public crying) followed by 3 wins, they do not at this stage have the aura of invincibility that the Celtics, Lakers, Spurs and the Bulls have.

Speaking of which, the Bulls have excelled under the supreme leadership and performances of Rose. He is currently the MVP favourite and justifiably so. He is currently generating 40.5 points a game (averaging 24.9 points and 7.8 assists) and involved in clutch after clutch play. The last two seasons the Bulls finished with 41-41 win loss ratios and this year they are back to Jordan-esque results. Barring a catastrophic run in to the finals, the Bulls should finish with at least 55 wins and will be neck and neck with the Celtics to be the number 1 ranked eastern conference team.

Despite the naysayers arguing that this year's Celtics will reach for walking frames before they reach for the Finals trophy, the Celtics should still shake up the post season. KG, Rondo, Allen, Shaq and Pierce all on court at the same time will be a force that most teams will struggle with - if they can all keep fit and healthy - not to mention that they have all been there, done that and smoked the celebratory cigars before.

The Lakers, the reigning champs, are as consistent as celebrities 'accidentally' releasing sex tapes/photos, and the finals would not be the same without them. Kobe, whilst he is getting on a bit (being a 14 year veteran) he is still averaging 24.8 points a game and has lead the Lakers at this stage to a 49-20 win loss season. Like the Bulls, with four weeks to go they should also reach at least a 55 win season and with the experience from last season and the four other recent championships to boot, the Lakers will be tough to beat.

If the Lakers are to repeat, they will, however, have to get past the multi-national, multi-talented, tight-knit Spurs who have the leagues best record with only 13 losses to date. With 4 weeks to go, the Spurs have already betted their last season's performance and as a team there are no better. They have 9 players who have played 50+ games so far this season and those 9 players average a minimum of 19 minutes on court. They are much like the dutch total football masters of the 1970's with all players being multi-dimensional and able to shoot, pass, rebound and give out good trash talk (in 4 languages no less).

The other teams in the mix for the finals are the fast finishing Knicks (with Melo being the injection of inspiration) and Thunder (currently on a 6 game winning streak), the Magic, the Mavericks, and the Hawks, but they should not really test the top five. Then again, stranger things have happened, I mean who knew Elin Nordegren could swing a 1 wood so well?

Bring on the finals series......

Long Break......

Hey people,

After a hiatus almost as long as Tiger Woods, I am back. My hiatus however was not as dramatic as Tiger's as my normal job does not involve 'discussing golf' with adult film stars. Nevertheless, with the Australian football seasons upon us, the European football leagues and the NBA coming to a climax, the NFL looking like it will take an annual break because of pay disputes, with 12 days until opening day of the MLB season, Formula 1 about to spin onto our tv sets, not to mention tennis, cycling and much more on the go, what better time to get back into it.

Quade to fly the coop?

Will he or wont he? The rumours are coming thick and fast that Wallaby number 10, Quade Cooper, is actively entertaining the idea of switching to rugby league with the Parramatta Eels allegedly leading the charge.

If Cooper does switch it would be a devastating blow to Robbie Deans' plans this close to next years Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. In Cooper's recent absence due to his suspension for a spear tackle the Wallabies looked rudderless - Matt Giteau regularly overplayed his hand whilst Berrick Barnes had the confidence of a Lemming.  It is therefore clear that Cooper is an essential ingredient to the Wallabies success now and in the future. He is the milk to the cheese, the fuel to the car, and the spark to the fire.

In response to the rumours, ARU CEO John O'Neil has come out saying that the ARU would like to keep Cooper but wont pay ridiculous money to do so. On the basis that the Wallabies would undoubtedly suffer without him,  O'Neil may have to re-think his stance. This is important not only because of the Wallabies immediate success but also because Rugby Union in Australia is regularly loosing younger participants to other sports such as football/soccer and AFL. As such the future of the sport itself depends on having entertaining and successful players of which Cooper is clearly both. Look at how he turned around the fortunes of the Queensland Reds last year.

For the conspiracy theorists out there, are the rumours coming from Cooper's management in an attempt to drive up his contract price? It is a method rugby league players have used ever since Rugby Union became professional so it is not in the realms of unbelievability.

Alternatively, is Cooper bored with Rugby Union and trying to be re-inspired by a new challenge ala Israel Folau? This is not an outrageous suggestion. Rugby Union still allows a player to travel the world unlike many other codes, but because of the professional pressures just how much enjoyment these players have when travelling is debatable. Furthermore, sportsmen of any code are so well paid these days that if they want to travel and see the world they can do it during their off season, at their own pace and on their own itinerary. Also, for all of Robbie Deans' Super 14 success, he has struggled to transfer that form to the Wallabies set up and as such Cooper may be disenchanted with the Wallabies inconsistency.

Perhaps O'Neil is relying on the support the ARU gave Cooper during his recent troubles with the law to persuade Cooper to stay with the Wallabies. Whilst that may have been comforting to Cooper at that time, if he is not being paid for his ability and crowd pulling power, it may be an underlying cause of disenchantment leading to these rumours.

What is clear is that the ARU need to deal with this issue quickly otherwise the rumours will get louder and Cooper could be joining the NRL quicker than you can read 'Wallabies world cup preparations in tatters.'

Cousins last trip

Ben Cousins today announced his retirement from AFL effective from the end of this season.

Cousins career reads like a script from the Bold and the Beautiful meets Traffic. It has been as dramatic as it has been entertaining. No one has ever doubted Cousins' ability on the field but his off field behaviour in the past 3 years has overshadowed his on field brilliance. Let us not forget that Cousins is a premiership winning player and a brownlow medallist, but you would be forgiven for not recalling these feats in light of his drug riddled recent years.

To Cousins' credit he served his AFL suspension and was offered a lifeline by the Richmond Tigers. Whilst his comeback was hampered by an initial hamstring issue once that was resolved Cousins has been one of the Tigers' most consistent performers in the past two years. There is also no doubt that his leadership and experience have attributed to the Tigers' rise against all tipsters predictions. Hopefully Cousins can stay involved in football in some capacity as his flamboyance is intoxicating.

Ben Cousins' key statistics:
Age: 32 (30/6/78)
Teams: West Coast Eagles, Richmond Tigers
Playing Numbers: 9 for West Coast Eagles, 32 for Richmond Tigers
Games: 268 (238 for West Coast Eagles, 30 for Richmond Tigers)
Norwich Rising Star 1996
Brownlow Medallist 2005
Premiership player 2006

2010 English Premier League Explosion

Well the circus has begun again and it will be on a screen near you for the next 9 months. If the first weekend is anything to go by there'll be wonder goals, fumbling fingers, crunching tackles, diving divas and tricky South Americans galore.  In a regular series of wrap ups, I'll take you through the highlights of the weekend EPL matches.

Tottenham 0 v Man City 0
The millions of monopoly money that Man City threw at players over the summer has had no effect on their mediocrity as they struggled to 'achieve' a draw against Tottenham. Tottenham on the other hand were entertaining and should have been ahead on a number of occasions but for the inclusion of Joe Hart ahead of Shay Given in the sky blues goal. Hart was in inspired form as he made three finger tip saves that Buffon, Casillas and Schmeichel would have been proud of.

Blackpool 4 v Wigan 0
Blackpool marked their return to the top flight (for the first time in 39 years) with a shellacking of a woeful Wigan. Until Chelsea flogged West Brom, Blackpool were top of the league and the Tangerine supporters were all too happy to shout about it. Reality will undoubtedly hit next weekend when they face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Till then, the Tangerines will revel in their early season form.

Chelsea 6 v West Brom 0
Chelsea restored their pride after loosing the community shield last weekend with a flogging of old-blue boy Roberto Di Matteo's West Brom. At best West Brom looked like the Eric the Eel of football without the sentimental support. At worst, West Brom were no better than 11 ancient chinese terracotta soldiers. Drogba hit 3, Malouda 2 and Lampard 1 past the hapless Carson. West Brom on the other hand could not hit a barn door.


Aston Villa 3 v West Ham 0
It was surprising that Aston Villa not only won their opening day fixture, but more so that they won in such emphatic fashion. Surprising because of the weeks they had had prior to kick off, that is, after Martin O'Neil walked out five days earlier and with the James Milner to Man City transfer still on the boil. Who knows what will happen when Milner finally moves to the sky blues. As an aside, former US coach Bob Bradley and Argentinean legend Maradona have been names mentioned as taking over from O'Neil.


Wolves 2 v Stoke 1
Two of the least popular teams in the league fought out an entertaining opening day match which resulted in Wolves registering their first opening day victory since 1999. Stoke's record summer signing, Kenwyne Jones ($17 Million), was lively in the initial stages until a serious injury forced him off and placed his immediate playing future is in doubt.


Sunderland 2 v Birmingham 2
Birmingham staged a remarkable comeback from two goals down to gain a valuable point from the match. They were assisted by Sunderland's Lee Cattermole being sent off but that said they left their run late scoring the two goals in the last 13 minutes.    


Bolton 0 v Fulham 0
Nil - Nil. Enough said really. The only interesting fact from this game was Mark Schwarzer's absence from the team sheet, adding further weight to the rumours that he wants to move to Arsenal for Champions league football.


Blackburn 1 v Everton 0
A howler from keeper Tim Howard gifted victory to Blackburn. Howard appeared to catch the ball with ease and then all of a sudden it was like a bar of soap in jail. Everton failed to create any real chances and the game was settled because of Howard's butter fingers.


Liverpool 1 v Arsenal 1
The butter fingers were clearly infectious for Merseyside keepers. Liverpool, in spite of Joe Cole's harsh red card, appeared to be headed for victory on the back of David Ngog's opener (his fourth in 3 games) until Reina fumbled Marouane Chamakh's header into his own net in the 90th minute. 


Man U 3 v Newcastle 0
Man U crashed Newcastle's welcome back to the premier league party by slotting 3 big ones past the swiss cheese Newcastle defence. Grumpy Bulgarian Berbatov opening the scoring. Shortly afterwards, Fletcher took advantage of the led footed and seemingly lost Rooney to scuff the ball into the back of the net. Even Man U evergreen/geriatric Ryan Giggs got on the score sheet with a delightful volley that flew past Harper's outstretched hand.

Tour de France winner admits doping

Today 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has finally admitted to doping. Not only has he admitted to a single incident of doping, but he has admitted to doping in numerous forms for lengthy periods beginning with his time with the US Postal team.

Landis was sensationally stripped of his 2006 Tour victory whilst riding for the Phonak team shortly after tests revealed that he had taken more amounts of testosterone than a Chinese female swimmer. It is the only time that a Tour winner has been stripped of the title.

This positive test was no surprise to many as he had crumbled dramatically in stage 16 of the 2006 Tour only to explode in stage 17 effectively riding a 125km time trial to win the stage and surge from 11th position in the general classification to 2nd place, only 30 seconds behind yellow jersey wearer Oscar Pereiro. Landis then rode on to gain the yellow jersey and hold it coming into Paris securing an unimaginable victory.

The media at the time hailed Landis as a modern day hero after a herculean effort. Secretly, however, there were rumblings in the cycling fraternity that his feats were not natural. His tests later revealed these rumblings were true.

The most ridiculous aspect to Landis' admission was that he spent approximately $2 million in legal fees arguing that he had not used performance enhancing drugs when all along he knew that he had. Who knows the reason behind his seemingly pointless and financially ridiculous argument, but it is clear that Landis went to the same school of honesty as sprinter Marion Jones. Whatever his reasoning, to the outsider he must be a dead certainty for a Darwin award.

The story, however, does not end there. Not satisfied with having wasted approximately $2 million in legal fees fighting to 'clear his name' Landis starting throwing mud in all directions and most obviously at former US Postal teammates Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie. These two have dismissed the claims saying Landis has no credibility and after having fought his legal fight dishonestly, you tend to agree with them. What's for sure is that after Landis' comments this years Tour will not necessarily be about the riding but more about who's clean and who's not.

Twenty 20 World Cup - England's fun in the sun

The West Indies was anything but "cool marn" for Australia last night in the T20 final. Australia's attempt to claim the one international trophy that has eluded them, started and ended with a whimper.

Paul Collingwood, the England T20 captain, won the toss and sent Australia in to bat. His decision paid immediate dividends as Australia was reeling at 3 for 8 after 13 balls, with Ryan Sidebottom the chief destroyer (2 for 26).

Shane Watson wafted at a wide ball early on and sent the edge flashing to the keeper, Craig Kieswetter, who parried the nick into the air, goalkeeper style, for Graeme Swann to dive and take a simple catch at first slip. Michael Clarke then arrived at the crease and proceeded to run out David Warner and almost run out Brad Haddin in the space of an over. Haddin was then unlucky to be given out attempting to glance a ball down the leg side. At first glance it looked like he had nicked it, but the replay showed that the ball had clearly hit his waist and he even showed the red mark to his teammates when he arrived back at the dug out. David Hussey (59) and Cameron White (30) added some respectability to the score, but Australia ended with what looked like a reachable target of 6 for 147.

The English started like Betty White from the starting blocks, losing one wicket (Lumb) in the second over, but then exploded with Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen putting on a second wicket partnership of 117 runs including 14 boundaries. With that in the bank, the English only needed a little interest to roll slowly to the finish line and eventually won by an easy 7 wickets. It was fitting that Collingwood hit the winning runs to send English cricket into ecstasy as he has been the mainstay of the shorter forms of the game for some time and ended England's chase of a major trophy at the fifth attempt (3 ODI world cup losses and a loss in the Champions Trophy).

No doubt these cricketers will be welcomed home by the Queen and perhaps knighted ala the 2005 Ashes victors. Or perhaps Her Majesty is a traditionalist and does not enjoy the bastard child of cricket? Either way, England were comprehensively the better team and perhaps Nasser Hussein was correct in his pre-match interview with Clarke when he said that many believed Australia's final was the miraculous semi final win against Pakistan. All that together, it should make for an explosive ashes series coming up this Australian summer.

Monaco GP - Mark Webber's Principality in 2010.

Mark Webber started from pole for the second time in two races and despite having to restart the race more times than he would have liked due to crashes that took place in his rear-view mirror, he recorded fastest lap after fastest lap and stormed to victory.

With 3 laps to go in the race, Trulli and Chandok came together in a horrible crash just meters in front of Webber at the La Rascasse corner, and viewers and Red Bull supporters heart's were in their mouths. As a result of that crash, the safety car came out for the fourth time in the race and it was feared that Webber may not have the honour of racing over the line at full speed. However, the safety car came off the track with one corner before the finish line and Webber burnt the last of his tyres traction over the course of the following 300 meters. Despite the safety car incursions during the race, with 10 laps to go Webber was leading by nearly 6 seconds and was so far in front of second that the coverage had to go back to the field to find more viewer friendly competitive driving.

It was imperious driving from the Australian and when he crossed the finish line he became the first Australian to win the Monaco grand prix since 1959 (Sir Jack Brabham) and now finds himself equal leader in the F1 along with his teammate Sebastian Vettel. Webber has now picked up 50 points in 8 days and with Red Bull apparently making further changes to their car for the next race in Turkey it probably wont be the last points he picks up this season.

The Monaco grand prix is normally as unforgiving as Scarface and today's race was no different. For the uninitiated, the streets are not widened and the advantage is always with the driver at the front. There is very little room for error let alone overtaking and if you are trailing there are few opportunities to make up time and places. One of the ways to make up time is to rely on someone else crashing, which as is sure as seeing former Prime Minister John Howard at a sporting event in the Australian summer.

The sheer speed that the drivers reached on the street circuit was awe inspiring and terrifying at the same time. When Hulkenberg slammed into the wall in the tunnel on the first lap it was the first evidence of the risks of the course and sure enough Barrichello soon followed suit.  Another driver avoiding these crashes and other hurdles such as starting in the pits, due to crashing in qualifications, was Fernando Alonso who drove so aggressively that he made his way through the field like Jonah Lomu through an English rugby union team (circa 1995 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN3KuenjmaY&NR=1) and eventually finished 7th.  Webber, however, was on another level as he tamed the circuit and after his Spanish victory last week he is clearly in a good vein of form and may be the dark horse in the championship.

World champion caught with Austin Powers Swedish syndrome...

Clearly 400m World and Olympic Champion LaShawn Merritt has been watching Austin Powers International Man of Mystery too many times. Merritt has been banned from competition with immediate effect and faces a lengthy ban by the International Association of Athletics Federations after he has been caught using a steroid.....for a penis enlargement.


Merritt won gold in the 400m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and then followed that up by winning the same event at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin but was clearly not impressed by his own 'package' in the slow motion replays and turned to medicinal assistance.


When confronted by the allegation, Merritt did not think to much about his response as he could have used some better words to defend his actions rather than the following:


"To know that I've tested positive as a result of a product that I used for personal reasons is extremely difficult to wrap my hands around."


If Merritt was not already going to be the butt of all jokes on and off the athletics track, his own comments will have definitely 'raised' his profile. Lets just hope he can 'wrap' his head around his stupid mistake and learn from it.

NRL Mexicans lose it all

Today, south of the border, the Melbourne Storm proved that they had been to the Bernie Madoff school of business over the past 5 years by fraudulently paying $1.7 million of brown paper bag payments to various unnamed players.

After the Bulldogs scandal in 2002, the Storm were always going to be judged harshly, but when NRL CEO David Gallop announced their penalties, the NRL made Judge Judy look like a fairy princess.

The penalties are:

1. Stripped of 2007 and 2009 Premierships.
2. Stripped of 2006, 2007 and 2008 Minor Premierships.
3. $500,000 fine payable to the NRL.
4. Pay back $1.1 milion won in prize money (to be distributed equally to all other NRL clubs).
5. Stripped of all 2010 competition points earned to date.
6. Unable to earn any further 2010 competition points

You could hear the jaws of the reporting journalists hit the floor and the collective gasp of all people involved in rugby league such was the severity of the penalties.

There are many questions to answer following this shocking news, not the least being:

1. Who in the club knew? Was it limited to the the executives or were the players in on it as well? What about the players agents?
2. Are the Storm destined to join the North Sydney Bears, the Hunter Mariners, the Adelaide Rams, the Western Reds and the South Queensland Crushers in rugby league obscurity?
3. What will the sponsors do? Will we see a Tiger Woods-like exodus of sponsors? 
4. What must the Melbourne Rebels (the new Super 15 rugby union team) be thinking having poached ex-Storm CEO Waldron with many people now suggesting that he was the architect in the salary cap rort.
5. Subject to the terms in their contracts, the Storm players will arguably be able to break their contracts as the Storm have breached the trust and confidence of their contractual relationship by acting fraudulently. As such, will their be a flood of Storm players on the market?
6. Will there be tax and or criminal charges following these revelations?
7. What will the players do with those large and visible premiership tattoos?

All of these questions will undoubtedly be answered, some quicker than others, but the fallout may well damage rugby league's already dart board reputation beyond repair and play straight into the hands of Rugby Union, AFL and Football seeking to strengthen their respective footholds in the competitive Australian sports market.