Glory Glory Man Utd!

Manchester City's plans for world domination might have to wait a little longer...in fact their plan for domination of Manchester will have to wait a little longer after tonight's fabulous Carling Cup second leg defeat at Old Trafford.

A great footballing rivalry inadvertently created a great advert for the mostly ignored Carling Cup, the second cup competition in England after the FA Cup.  Man Utd will now go on to face Aston Villa in the final at Wembley on 28 February, while Man City will see how much they can spend in the next 4 days before the transfer window closes!

Man Utd manager Sir Alex Ferguson on tonight's win...

"It's a derby game and you like to win them. There was a lot of spice and at the end there was a special kind of celebration. We stayed patient and looked a threat when we stepped it up. I thought Wayne Rooney produced a world-class performance tonight, he played better than he did on Saturday when he scored four goals. Phenomenal."  

A lot was made of Carlos Tevez and his return to Old Trafford; again he played like a man with something to prove, but at the end of the day, this recently amended poster says it all...

Get a full wrap up of the match here...

More evidence...

This isn't a personal crusade, but I've just come across more evidence to back up my dislike for Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy...(see yesterday's post!) and it's not because he's Welsh...some of my best friends are Welsh, as indeed was my mother!  

But take a look at this incident from September last year...outrageous! 

Players you love to hate!

While watching the Man Utd v Manchester City derby today, it struck me how much I really dislike Man City striker Craig Bellamy. There's no real reason for it; I've never met the man, he may be delightful in person (although I doubt it) but there's just something about the way he plays, carries himself and behaves on the football pitch that makes want to punch him in the face! And I'm not a violent man!

Others of the same ilk include Lee Bowyer, Robbie Savage, Didier Drogba, Steven Gerrard, Joey Barton...I'm sure there's more...but it's late and it's been a long day...I'd value your views/contributions to the list though...

Anyway, on a slightly related note, I was searching You Tube to see if someone had done this job for me, and came across this slightly crazy ESPN Top 10 list of NHL players you love to hate - never heard of any of them (not being a NHL fan) but these guys would give you a real reason to dislike them - take a look at some of these hits! 

Who's your money on?

So the gig must be up for Rafa Benitez at Liverpool. The TV pundits are all weighing in, as are most media types (and bloggers!), that this must be his last season in charge of the famous old club. As I suggested here on Mostly Balls earlier this week - http://mostlyballs.blogspot.com/2010/01/is-this-end-for-rafa.html - his job is hanging by a thread. He may be gone as soon as next week if they don't get a win this weekend, but if he lasts the season, there can be little doubt that he won't be at the helm of The Reds next August when the new season comes around.

In this interesting article from ESPN Soccernet, they debate his likely successor...?  Who's your money on? My crisp $1 bill is placed firmly on Guus Hiddink. Dalglish would be a backward step; I think Mourinho is biding his time to be Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Utd; Klinsmann won't trade LA for Liverpool (would you?); O'Neill is on a mission at Villa and Rijkaard, well maybe he's an outsider...perhaps 50 cents on him. 

Who's your money on? The Anfield Contenders...

Run and Gun offense back in the news...

An update to the NBA story I blogged about 10 days ago; here's a link to that blog if you didn't see it...

http://mostlyballs.blogspot.com/2010/01/wizards-work-on-shooting-percentage.html

It seems that the superstar 'favoritism' I alluded to doesn't appear to be the case after all. Gilbert Arenas has been suspended by the league, is now facing felony gun charges and faces having his huge $$$ contract voided by the Washington Wizards.

Perhaps being an NBA player doesn't make you above the law after all...

Is this the end for Rafa?

I don't have much time today, but I couldn't resist this quick thought... Is this the end of the road for Liverpool Manager Rafa Benitez? After another lacklustre performance from his multi-million Pound team, the Reds were dumped out of the FA Cup by lowly Reading FC today.

So following an abysmal EPL season, failing to qualify for the latter rounds of the Champions League, and now losing to a lower division team in the FA Cup, surely the patience of the American owners' of this once proud Football Club must be wearing thin...

This defeat is reminiscent of a famous game at Anfield in 1994 (video below) in which lowly Bristol City sent mighty Liverpool out of the FA Cup; that defeat saw the end of then Liverpool Manager Graeme Souness. I was lucky enough to be at that game, supporting my local team at the time, the mighty Bristol City! 

So what money on Rafa being gone before the end of January? And if so, who's next in the hot seat?

Read the BBC match report Liverpool 1 - Reading 2

The Cards rock!

Possibly the greatest ever game of NFL football was played this evening; the greatest number of points ever scored in one play off game - 96. The most touchdowns ever scored in one play-off game - 13. This game had everything.

For the first quarter it looked like a Cardinals blow-out; then we had a come back from the Green Bay Packers, then like a couple of heavy-weight boxers they traded blows until the game was tied at 45-45. Arizona then get the ball one more time and drive it down the field for a simple 34 yard field goal to win the game with 14 seconds left, and the kicker, Neil Rackers misses it.

Overtime. The Packers win the coin toss and get the ball first - and as the winner in overtime is usually the team that wins the coin toss, bad news for AZ. But one minute into the extra 15, the AZ defence suddenly wakes up and strips the ball from the Packers QB to run it in for a touchdown and the win - 51-45 - beautiful!  

A short and sweet description, but watch the highlights for yourself! Breathless!

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d815a5f0c/NFL-GameDay-Packers-vs-Cardinals-highlights

It's just a game...

Football, for all its passion and fervoured support, is only a game. It's important we remember that, and that's why I think that the national team of Togo is absolutely right to come home, choosing not to participate in the upcoming African Cup of Nations, a football tournament scheduled to start Sunday in Angola, Africa.

If you've not read about this, or seen the news, the Togo team bus suffered a deadly attack on the way to the tournament on friday. An assistant coach, press officer and the bus driver were killed; two players were also shot and injured in the attack. 

Their highest profile player Emmanuel Adebayor, team captain and Manchester City striker was on the coach, but was unharmed physically, if not emotionally. On Friday he said many of his team-mates wanted to go home.  He told BBC Afrique: "It's a football game, it's one of the biggest tournaments in Africa and a lot of people would love to be in our position but I don't think anybody would be prepared to give their life. If I am alive I can still play football tomorrow and in one year maybe even another Cup of Nations but I am not ready to pass away now."

The Togolese government has instructed the team to return home, abandoning the tournament; you have to wonder if other teams will follow?  Hull City Manager Phil Brown has led calls for Premier League players to return to the UK. There are 31 Premier League players in Africa for the tournament. Brown told The Sun: "I have two players on duty and I want them home."

But the question this poses for me, is just how much this incident will have prompted other national teams to reconsider their security preparations for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa this June?  I'm sure security was high on the agenda before this incident, you have to wonder now what teams like England, USA and Argentina are thinking...?   

World Cup boss Danny Jordaan says the attack will not impact South Africa's hosting of the tournament. "It's nothing to do with it and I think everybody understands it has nothing to do with South Africa," he said, countering concerns that the machine gun attack might persuade fans not to travel to the tournament.

"I don't think the world has ever asked one country to take responsibility for what happens in another country," Jordaan added. "Every country's responsibility is to safeguard the event in their country. Our World Cup is secure and we are confident because we have employed a lot of resources to safeguard the event in our country."

Let's hope so...

Poor Old Saffers!

Recently this blog has turned it's attentions to basketball, baseball, American football, proper football and even golf; so perhaps it's time to pay a little homage to cricket...not least because England are beating (for the moment at least!) the Saffers in their own backyard.  

Trying to explain a game that lasts 5 days and can still end up in a draw to an American audience is a near impossibility; this is a country where draws are unacceptable... overtime or extra innings are played to the death in an effort to establish a victor.

So the premise of a game that can take 5 days, and still come down to the last ball at the very end of the fifth and final day of play will be mystifying to some of you - for that I don't apologize! It's part of what makes this game great!  

Without doubt, Cricket (like baseball) can de dull at times, but every now and then you'll get a finish that more than makes up for the intervening periods of dreariness. The Ashes (a battle fought every two years between England and Australia) is often the most intensely exciting cricket for an English fan. But there's something about beating the South Africans (Saffers - if you haven't guessed) that is immensely satisfying!

Possibly it's just because they are a good team, and it's always satisying to beat a good team in front of their own fans no matter what the sport. But more than likely, it's because they're just...South African!

So let me set the scene of this clip from the last day of the 3rd Test Match. England are winning the series 1 game to 0, with one other previous match tied. There is one more match to follow. England are not in a position to win this game, but if they can survive this last over, they will draw the game and prevent the Saffers from tying the series 1-1. With one match to go, a draw would mean that England cannot lose the series, and have a chance going into the last game of winning the series 2-0.

This clip shows the last over (6 deliveries or pitches) of the game. South Africa, the team bowling and in the field, need to get one wicket (out) to win the game. The English have their last (and worst) man batting; in basball parlance they are down to their final out. He needs to survive this over without getting out (protecting the stumps and not getting caught are his main concerns) for England to draw the game and avoid defeat. The tension of the crowd and the players/coaches in the changing rooms shows that cricket sometimes can indeed be nervewracking!  

For those of you (Americans!) who have not seen cricket before, notice the absence of gloves with the fielding team, other than the one guy behind the batter. The wicketkeeper (catcher) is the only player who is allowed to wear gloves and pads, other than the batsmen.  And notice how close they are standing to the bat in comparison to baseball! Makes you wonder why those baseball players need those mitts!

Enjoy...unless you're South African!

engsa 3-5-5
by meagainah

Basketball...It's just Netball isn't it?

A lot of people in the UK wonder why NBA Basketball, which according to some (thanks for the idea Newbury UK!) is just a variant of 'Netball', is so popular here in the US.

Netball is a game played predominantly by schoolgirls in the UK - You may have caught it while watching the Olympics, as it's widely played in Commonwealth countries.  But never having been a schoolgirl (honestly!), I can't comment on the excitement (or lack of) in Netball, which is essentially the same idea as basketball, but without the dribbling, without the backboard behind the net...and without the bling!  Oh and in basketball, a 6 foot 3 white guy (Steve Nash) can look like a short-arse while he would probably stand-out on a netball team!

But the Phoenix Suns are an exciting basketball team; they play with a similar mentality (for those of you in the UK) to Kevin Keegan's Newcastle Utd football team in the 90s. Led by Canadian playmaker Steve Nash (an avid Tottenham Hotspur footy fan), defense doesn't seem to really matter for this team; their attitude is 'we'll just try to score more than you!' and that makes for great games to watch, even if it doesn't make Championship winning teams. They take and make more 3 point shots (that's from a long way out!) than pretty much any other team and play at a 'run and gun' pace that looks exhausting.

For those of you who doubt what I say, watch this 3 minute highlight package from last night's game between the Suns and the Houston Rockets. I didn't see it, but it looks like quite a game, with numerous lead changes and comebacks from both teams when 10-15 points down. 

We've got to one game so far this season, but we should really try and get back down there...you can pick up re-sale seats for $15 which is good value for a couple of hours entertainment....Go SUNS!  Beats spending $100 (cheap seats!) to watch the Cardinals in the NFL...

If this 3 minutes makes you a fan, follow the Suns at http://www.suns.com/  

The Yankees are coming! The Yankees are coming!

For the first time in years the New York Yankees are back in Arizona. I may be wrong but I don't think that the Yankees and the Diamondbacks have played in Phoenix since the climactic game of the 2001 World Series. So when the 2010 schedule came out with 3 games on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd of June, I had to get tickets.  However, the Yankees are so popular that I had to put my name down in a draw for the chance to buy tickets!

Anyway, long story short...I get a call from the Diamondbacks to invite us down to the ball park for a tour and to discuss ticket packages. It seems that you can only get tickets for the 3 Yankee games if you buy a package of tickets. Sensible business!

I have to admit the tour was great; much better than I had anticipated. I thought it might just be a quick visit, followed by a hard sell on the ticket packages. It was neither.

Chase Field is a great complex; it holds about 50,000 fans and the retractable roof (partially open when we were there) allows for the best of both worlds when it comes to the hot Arizona weather. For early season games in April and May, they open the roof and one entire  side of the ballpark to give fans an outdoor game experience; then once the heat of summer arrives, they close the roof, turn on the air conditioning and keep 50,000 people in 78f comfort.  The roof takes just 4 to 5 minutes to open and the advertising panels either side of the giant HD screen  fold back like a concertina to open up one side of the stadium.  That screen by the way was the largest in the country (at a baseball stadium, but now is second only to the Kansas City Royals).

This slightly blurred image is the clubhouse, or what we would have called a changing room in the old days! Directly across from where we were standing, the huge facility continues on into a weight room and various training rooms, and they have full indoor batting cages off to the left. We were lucky to get in! As we were walking past the entrance, Peter Woodfork, assistant General Manager of the Diamondbacks said 'hi', asked if we were taking the tour and showed us in. Tours don't normally get access to the clubhouse, so even Duane, our guide, was impressed! Peter told us that star pitcher Brandon Webb was in the clubhouse; he tried to find him to see if we could say hello, but Brandon was working out on one of the treadmills so unfortunately we didn't get to meet him. Still very cool to see the inner sanctum nonetheless!

Next stop was the field, by way of the home dug-out. It was great to see the stadium from this perspective and imagine what it must be like to ply your trade in front of 30/40/50,000 thousand people.

This is possibly the most interesting snippet from the tour. This is the area just down the steps from the dug-out, out of sight of the cameras. The double doors lead towards the the clubhouse;  bolted to the wall is the 'frustration tire'!  This is where players vent their frustration after a mistake or bad umpiring call, by basically smashing the hell out of the tire! Apparently it saves the light fixtures, pipe work and water fountain from continual repairs. I'm thinking of installing one in the office!

Down on the field, you get a great feeling of the scale of the place. My brief visits to batting cages have shown me how hard it is to hit a fastball, let alone do so with a massive audience watching your every move! It really must make it so much more difficult! Still that's why they get the big bucks and the first class clubhouses I guess!

When the new season starts on April 5th, (I bought a 6 game package by the way) we'll be in the crowd looking down and can now say 'I was there', and when Mark Reynolds disappears from sight after striking out, we'll know that he's gone out back to kick the hell out of the tire! Everyody should have one! 

And finally this is what it's all about. The 'World Championship' trophy! I know that us Brits find it amusing that the winners of a competition comprising only 29 American (and 1 Canadian) teams get to call themselves 'World Champions', but let's face it, if they win this trophy they probably are the best team in the world. This is the one and only World Championship trophy that the Arizona Diamondbacks have won, but they've only been in existence 12 years. By contrast, the Yankees won their 27th World Championship just last November. The Diamondbacks won their trophy by beating the Yankees over 7 great games in 2001. I'm looking forward to seeing the re-match in June, although as a supporter of both teams it's difficult to know which cap to wear...literally! 

Health & Safety gone mad again in the UK

Two major football matches were cancelled in England today because of poor weather; snow and below freezing temperatures were responsible. Man City Chief Executive Gary Cook said "We pursued every avenue possible in search of a solution and while the pitch is still playable, what was paramount in our thinking was the safety of fans travelling to and from the game especially in light of the sub-zero temperatures forecast for Wednesday."  Can people no longer make their own minds up about what is or isn't safe?  Another example of Health and Safety in the UK gone nuts!

Check out this from Buffalo, New York this past Sunday...leave the game on and let the people decide!

How come this NFL game was playable in front of a packed house just 2 days ago? Kick off temperature was 12f/-11c, but with the wind chill it was -2f/-19c, and yet the game went on... At some points, by all accounts, fans couldn't see the other side of the stadium because of the snow...but somehow they managed to get there...and home... Just watch this video and tell me the UK hasn't gone safety crazy!

Wizards work on shooting percentage...!

2 members of the NBA Washington Wizards alledgedly brought a whole new meaning to the term 'an NBA shoot-around' on Christmas Eve. It's been widely reported that 2 of the team drew handguns on each other in the locker room. According to the New York Post, their premiere player Gilbert Arenas and Jarvaris Crittenden almost turned the Wizards locker room into the OK Corral during a dispute over a gambling debt. Who knows if it is true, but it's quite ironic that the Wizards' owners changed the name of the team from the 'Bullets' in the 90s! 

So while the Wizards are not getting it done on the court (Won 10, Lost 21), they are certainly the most exciting off it, with a higher than league average 'shooting percentage' and a pretty decent 'run and gun' offense!   How can their TV and radio announcers and commentators ever use those well worn basketball phrases again without a chuckle or two!

The question is, if you or I brought a gun to the workplace (OK, probably not me as I work from home!) wouldn't we get fired instantly? Probably. That's even true here in the wild West (Arizona), where I can happily take a pistol into a bar...as long as I don't have a beer!! 

But in Washington DC, the laws are far more intolerant of carrying weapons. In fact, I'm not even sure that you can carry or store a gun in DC unless you are in law enforcement...or now, it seems a player in the NBA.

It seems that these 2 have not been reprimanded by their team or the NBA (yet), and neither have had to face inquiries from law enforcement (yet). But 2 people waving guns at each other could be construed as 'Assault with a Deadly Weapon', if that is indeed what happened. Both players insist that they have done nothing illegal and that the matter has been blown a little out of proportion.

Gilbert Arenas, speaking after a game on Saturday said that he used "bad judgment" in bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room. He also denied that he gambles and said there are misconceptions in the various stories about a dispute between himself and teammate Javaris Crittenton.

I guess we will see if they face criminal charges, team fines or reprimands; but the question is, why do they need guns in the first place? Are they so famous, so important that they need personal protection? I don't know many people who would recognise them off the court. And if they do percieve themselves to be in danger, then surely they can afford professional security or protection? I think, if this story from the Post is at all true, that it's more ego related than anything else...

I assume that this alleged incident is being investigated, but it could prove to be an expensive 'misjudgment' for Arenas. Depending on the outcome of any investigation, the Wizards could invoke a standard NBA player contract clause (on morals and behaviour) and try to void the remainder of Arenas' six-year, $111 million deal. Ouch! That might be more painful than getting shot! 

Fully Story on NBA.com

Best sports photos of 2009 - Part 4

The fourth and final installment of the best sports photos of 'last year' as determined by this blogger at the Boston Globe.  Just a couple of things to think about...

#10 - I think it's a woman...earrings...?

#11 - I think I'd claim 'lost ball' and take the penalty...

#17 - Ouch!

Best Sports Photos of 2009 - Part 4

Time to go shopping!

The January sales are on; and while there won't be many bargains around the Premier League this month, there are a number of clubs who need to do some shopping during the Transfer window.

Not least, in my opinion, Man Utd. I'm still not quite sure how they are still on the shoulders of Chelsea at the top of the Premier league when they haven't really got started yet this year!  I still think they lack a cutting edge after Ronaldo's departure; a creative presence in midfield in the mode of Beckham and Scholes, and maybe some steel (remember Roy Keane!) would be welcomed. Cloning a couple of new Wayne Rooneys would help; Wayne 1 could win the ball, pass it off to Wayne 2, and then play a great ball for Wayne 3 to finish it...because let's face it, he can't continue to do it all on his own this season...

After last season's crazy 100 million bid for Kaka by Man City in January, you wonder what those jokers at 'Middle Eastlands' will get up to this month!  Rumours already suggest bids  for Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Inter Milan defender Maicon; and the Daily Telegraph suggests that City boss Roberto Mancini is close to making Inter Milan defender Ivan Cordoba his first signing.  It seems the Italian invasion I predicted a week or two ago is likely, as other rumours include moves to City for Juventus centre back Giorgio Chiellini, Inter Milan forward Mario Balotelli and AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.

The BBC has used its local affiliations well in this report, where they break down the transfer options and gossip on a Premier League club by club basis...

Premier League Movers and Shakers

Interesting snippets from the BBC report - Van Nistelrooy to Liverpool? Viera back to Arsenal?  David Villa to Chelsea or Man Utd? Although Chelsea seem to be out of the mix after boss Carlo Ancelotti was quoted as saying "Will we sign anyone in January? Absolutely no way. Will I do a forfeit if we do? Yes, for sure. Will I run around naked in the snow? Yes!" 

We shall wait and see...! I'm back to bed after far too little sleep on New Year's Eve! Let me know if I miss anything!