THIS SPORTING LIFE

The Daily Mash - Elderly drinkers use latest medical advice to wipe themselves

2011-06-22T17:13:00.000+01:00

The Daily Mash - Elderly drinkers use latest medical advice to wipe themselves

Synchronised What?????????????

2011-06-09T17:29:00.000+01:00

London 2012: Hard graft key to synchronised swimming success

London 2012 Olympics: Synchronised swimmer Jazmine Stansbury explains to Metro why dedication is needed to shine in a sport often written off as a novelty act.

Brits Olivia Allison and Asha Randall of England compete at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last year (Pic: Getty)

Few Olympic sports are as maligned as synchronised swimming. It used to be a bit of a laughing stock, in Britain at least, when introduced to the Games in 1984 and has largely struggled to shake off the ‘novelty’ tag.

Whereas gymnastics and diving – including the synchronised event – are seen as bona fide disciplines, artistry in the pool is still sneered at. Maybe it’s the ever-present grin.

But it is a sport on the up in the UK and the physical prowess of the elite cannot be taken lightly.

‘It’s hard work, I promise you,’ said Briton Jazmine Stansbury. ‘The smile is there to make it look easy but I challenge anyone to give it a try and to keep smiling.

Jazmine Stansbury trains for 45 hours a week

‘People don’t appreciate how fit we have to be. Core strength is vital, synchro works your whole body.’

Stansbury, 22, recently lost her place in the British team – she still harbours hopes of reclaiming her place for London 2012 – and spelled out the dedication required to stay at the top.

‘I’ve trained 40-45 hours a week and worked as a lifeguard in the evening. You need dedication.’

With most of the exertion being underwater and requiring breaths held for long periods, it requires phenomenal conditioning. Most of us would soon be gulping chlorine.

Speaking in Essex at the opening of Basildon Sporting Village, which boasts a 50-metre pool, Stansbury says the sport is on the up here.

Indeed, in March, a ten-strong GB team won bronze in the Free Combination event at the European Champions Cup meet in Sheffield.

‘Hopefully, more kids will get into it leading up to and after the Olympics,’ Stansbury said. ‘Having places like this [the Basildon venue] is brilliant to give them the chance to have a go.’

Only time will tell if Britain’s pool of talent can be deep and strong enough to challenge at future Olympics, but a strong showing at London 2012 could be a stepping stone. And really give our synchro swimmers something to smile about.

Brian Moore's Scars.........

2010-01-05T11:35:00.000+01:00

Brian Moore: scarred for life – but not by rugby

In the second of our exclusive extracts from his new biography, Brian Moore tells how a legacy of abandonment and sexual abuse has helped him to become a better husband and father.

By Brian Moore
Published: 8:36AM GMT 04 Jan 2010

Comments 19 | Comment on this article

1 of 2 Images

Brian Moore celebrates after Will Carling scored England's decisive last try in the Rugby World Cup quarter final in Paris in 1991

Having had to consider my adoption as a child in detail and its effect on my life, the thought of doing the same in respect of the abuse I suffered as a child filled me with dread. Its impact has been much harder to pin down. So much of my thinking seemed to be so conceptual that, many times, when I tried to link something to it, I found a number of alternative reasons to explain an incident or my behaviour. I wrote pages on the subject, but none of them made much sense. When I re-read them the following day, they seemed to me to amount only to a morass of confused stories, interspersed with pop psychology. As a result, they were thrown in the bin.

As I continued to struggle, I had a moment of insight in which the following thought came forward: the fact that I cannot find clarity concerning this subject means that the consequences of the abuse, even though undefined, have been dramatic but in an all-pervasive way.

The secret me, the bit I kept for myself, the bit that nobody could touch, was my defence mechanism against being harmed again. If there was something that was internal, whatever that something was, then it could not be taken away, could not be abused. In so far as it may have protected me, it also led to a crippling fear of intimacy.

Although this did not prevent physical intimacy, it still marred sex as a complete act. Both the mental and physical sides have to coincide to create total satisfaction and, because I would not risk being vulnerable and kept something for myself, that could not happen. Instead, I mistook intensity for intimacy. Anything edgy, tending to the extreme, seemed more exciting, but when experienced was invariably unsatisfactory.

In a similar fashion, my relationships, at all levels, have been imperfect. It is not just the very close relationships that have suffered. This fear has also caused me to have difficulty in social gatherings of any kind. And at the very times when I might have been expected to be happiest or most content, I have all too often felt detached and unable fully to share a moment of victory or joy. Added to this, because I did not have any insight into why this happened, I would also be angry.

This fear is also principally responsible for the self-destructive behaviour that has occurred in my past. At times, when a situation or a relationship threatened to become sufficiently comfortable that I was able to consider taking the last stride towards contentment, I would do something to wreck it, thus preventing any chance of putting my happiness in the control of another person. You will immediately have spotted the inherent irony of doing this: it made me unhappy anyway.

I believe the abandonment issue was also at work in the behaviour outlined above. Having previously been abandoned, there was no way I could risk this happening again, and I would leave before I could be left. Though this, too, made me desperately unhappy, I would console myself with the thought that it would have happened sooner or later, and at least this way I was in control.

Even now that I have some understanding of these issues, it is not as simple as switching from uninformed and unhappy to informed and full of the joys of spring. There is no guide to risking intimacy that is universally applicable. All the theories and treatises that exist can never deal with the infinite variations that make up an individual’s life and circumstances. Little by little, I am trying to trust more, invest more emotionally in things, and open myself up. With this, inevitably I suppose, there has come hurt. People let you down; they act in a disloyal way. But what is the alternative?

Either of the two issues, abandonment and abuse, would have posed more than enough problems for me. In unison they have been an ordeal and continue to be so on an almost daily basis, even though their influence has diminished. I am now much more aware of my moods and motives, and of what might lie behind a certain feeling or proposed action. As such, I have started to have some success in recognising and dealing with these twin monsters.

I am not sure the title of Mrs Moore III was especially attractive, but Belinda overcame any misgivings and we married in December 2008, a year after she gave birth to our daughter, Larissa Holly. We are getting on with the most important task of all: raising a decent, healthy and happy family. I try to give the benefit of my experience to Larissa Holly and Imogen, the daughter of my second marriage, and worry about their future, as do all parents. I try not to resurrect my former life through them and am always mindful that, while they have part of me in their persona, that persona is not mine to control.

One of the most difficult things about parenting is knowing when to keep quiet and not to interfere, and realising that some lessons have to be personally learnt. Both my daughters seem to have my argumentative and spirited nature; I just hope that it can be tempered, or at least directed, in positive ways.

I am, at last, beginning to understand my thoughts and actions, which at times still border on the pathological. I have had to accept that my extraordinary experiences gained through rugby were exactly that, and they were not meant to last in perpetuity. In fact, one of the things that made them special was their transient nature.

The most common question I get asked is: “Do you miss playing?” I used to trot out a stock answer, saying that I did not, because I realised that I could no longer play due to the passage of time, and anyway my life had many different strands, all of which kept me busy.

I no longer say this, because it isn’t true. And pretending that I do not miss my playing days is not to face the consequences of retirement. I miss that life more than I usually admit. It is not just the crowds or the acclamation; I miss the thrill of direct physical confrontation. I wish I could still enjoy the fantastic repartee and solidarity generated by competitive matches and the banter outside those moments of stress. And I miss my mates. Whenever I meet any former team-mate, it is as if our past glories occurred only last week, and I get twangs of nostalgia.

I wish there were more events or occasions at which I could meet the boys, but we all lead busy lives that have too little time for enjoyment anyway. I now try not to yearn for those days, and instead to be grateful that I have had them. Not many other people have had the chance to experience something similar.

I am in the process of setting down my personal and professional goals for one, five and 10 years hence. It occurs to me that this document should also include plans for a limited number of achievements in areas that interest me. I have matured enough to know that these need not, and probably should not, be things such as climbing Everest or walking to the South Pole. If they were that extreme, it would be a firm indication that I continued to chase something that was ultimately impossible to attain, that is, a life permanently filled with adrenalin.

Although such a life would continue to provide thrills, it would ultimately bring me much unhappiness because in the end I would fail in my quest. The elements of controlled danger in activities such as skiing couloirs and motorbike-track days give me an adrenalin fix but they are wants and not needs.

It has taken too long for me to recognise that the maxims by which I tried to live my sporting career do not work when applied to normal life. The fact that I instinctively still associate normal with mundane is to misunderstand the proper meaning of the word: that it also means healthy and occurring naturally. The truth that has escaped me is that there are enough real challenges within everyday life to occupy anybody. The difficult tasks of being a good father and husband are faced every day, and they are not made any easier by their frequency. I failed in the past to attend to important matters because I judged them to be of lesser importance than chasing my dreams.

The commonplace challenges, plus the odd chance to campaign, do charity work or take an opportunity to make a difference, all these are more than enough for a normal man, which, in the end, is all that I am.

Over the years, the advice from lay and professional confidants – to “put it all behind me” in order to achieve some sort of peace with myself – was not unreasonable or unrealistic, but to do so I had to find out what “it” was; which was in itself difficult. I have been trying for some time now to deal with “it”, and occasionally I feel I have made great progress. More often than not, though, I feel progress is slow. I suppose that to unravel 40-odd years could not be done any other way but I wish it were not so. I now realise that my constant search for the one explanation that will solve all my problems is itself part of the problem.

The fact is that, as far as my personal life is concerned, this “key’’ probably does not exist. My legal background taught me to analyse facts and consider every detail of an issue and this led me to do the same with my past. However, doing this means that I constantly dragged experiences from my past into the present, and although they were not as viscerally felt as when they first occurred, they were nevertheless upsetting, and they could not be left to rest. I have had to learn to see them as things that I cannot alter or make better; they will always be painful. What I have to do is deal with their effects.

Crucially, I am now able to see that I should not define myself as an abused, abandoned man; rather, I am a man to whom abuse and rejection happened

Brian Moore

2010-01-05T11:32:00.000+01:00

The revelations of Brian Moore in his new book are heart-felt.

Great news for Cycling! Sky's the Limit!

2010-01-05T11:27:00.000+01:00

Tour de France triumph on the agenda as Team Sky take to the road

One of the last great challenges still facing British sport got under way in earnest on Monday when Team Sky, formed with the express purpose of producing a British Tour de France winner in the next five years, rolled off the ramps amid much pomp and ceremony.

By Brendan Gallagher
Published: 10:18PM GMT 04 Jan 2010

Sky's the limit: Team Sky intend to be big players on tour this season, as shown by their last-ditch signing of the promising Ben Swift Photo: GETTY IMAGES

An early-morning promenade down the Mall, flashing bulbs and cameras everywhere, foreign journalists demanding instant translations, this was Britishcycling moving into new territory – and the madness has only just begun. A new decade, appropriately enough, is starting with an odyssey that could become one of the biggest sports stories of the years ahead.

Not untypically for a team who have already delighted in springing the occasional surprise, Team Sky produced a final rabbit from the hat to mark the occasion, announcing the last ditch signing of outstanding British prospect Ben Swift, 23. He has been racing with Katusha and had another year to go on his contract until the wealthy Russian outfit were made an offer over the weekend that even they could not refuse.

Barring Mark Cavendish, whom Columbia-HTC would not trade for all the tea in China, Sky’s team principal, Dave Brailsford, has managed to assemble just about every British road racer capable of competing competitively, on one form or other, at the highest level.

That is eight in total – in a team of 27 – a percentage he hopes will grow steadily as outstanding youngsters earn their spurs and are fed into the system.

Following on from the high-profile and costly recruitment of Bradley Wiggins as team leader from Garmin last month, Swift’s signing sent out another loud message to opponents across the world. New kids on the block they may be but Team Sky intend to be big players from the off, a team to reckon with from their opening race at the Tour Down Under in Adelaide in less than two weeks time.

And why not? British sport generally has a new found confidence and Britain’s cyclists have been at the forefront of that with their eight Olympic gold medals in Beijing. Brailsford and his backroom team believe that winning culture can be transferred from one branch of the sport to the other.

Sean Yates certainly sees it that way having recently signed on for Sky as adirecteur sportif. “Some people think that we are going to ease our way into racing on the Pro-Tour and in the Grand Tours but they are wrong,” insists Yates, who completed 10 Tours de France, nurtured the young Lance Armstrong, taught him how to ride down mountains and then acted as one of his directuer sportifs during the glory years. “Having now seen the quality of people involved first hand – riders and backroom staff – we will be hitting the ground running.

“Winning the Tour will be a massive and difficult thing but I think we have got as much chance in the first year as the fifth. If you have a strong team leader, prepare right and everybody plays their part you have always got a chance.

“At the moment Alberto Contador is the strongest rider in the world, no question, but he has not got as strong a team as he had last year.

“Lance is a year older and I don’t believe he will get any stronger, he will at best retain the form and fitness of last year. Andy Schleck can get better, Levi Leipheimer will be racing again after injury and he is quality and Bradley Wiggins can definitely improve and we will have a strong team riding for him all the way. I don’t know Brad well yet but I see a Tour winner in him.”

“Knowing Lance so well and Johan Bruyneel who has helped him to all his Tour titles I can tell you this: Team Sky are well and truly on their radar. When I worked with them at Astana last year the rider they were most worried about was Brad Wiggins because they could see his untapped potential.

Wiggins, the three-time Olympic gold medallist who finished fourth in the Tour last year, was playing things down. “It takes a great team to win a big Tour. This time last year there were no expectations on me, I was just worried about losing a few pounds and getting competitive for the Paris-Nice prologue, doing a few decent rides in the Giro [d'Italia]. I wasn’t even the team leader at Garmin. It worked for me, I want to keep thing low key.”

That could be difficult Bradley!

Where to see Team Sky in 2010

Jan 17-24: Tour Down Under. 31: GP Cycliste la Marseillaise.

Feb 3-7: Etoile de Besseges. 7-12: Tour of Qatar. 14-19: Tour of Oman. 20-21: Tour du Haut Var. 21-25: Vuelta a Andalucia. 27: GP dell’Insubria-Lugano. 27: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite. 28: Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne. 28: GP di Lugano.

March 3-7: Tour of Murcia. 6: Strade Bianche Eroica. 7-14: Paris-Nice. 10-16: Tirreno Adriatico. 20: Milan-San Remo. 22-28: Tour of Catalunya. 27-28: Criterium International.

April 4: Tour of Flanders. 5-10: Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco. 7: Scheldeprijs. 11: Paris-Roubaix. 18: Amstel Gold Race. 21: La Flèche Wallonne. 25: Liège-Bastogne-Liège. 27-May 2: Tour de Romandie.

May 8-30: Giro d'Italia.

June 2-6: Tour of Luxembourg. 6-13: Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. 12-20: Tour of Switzerland. 16-20: Ster Elektrotoer.

July 3-25: Tour de France.

Aug 1-7: Tour of Poland. 4-8: Vuelta a Burgos. 18-22: Tour of Ireland. 22: GP Ouest France-Plouay. 28-Sept 19: Vuelta a España.

Sept 10: GP Cycliste de Quebec. 11-18: Tour of Britain. 30: World Championship time trial.

Oct 3: Paris-Bourges. 10: Paris-Tours. 16: Tour of Lombardy.

Team Sky in full

Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Norway) age 34

John-Lee Augustyn (S Africa) 23

Michael Barry (Canada) 33

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway) 22 (world ranked 6)

Sylvain Calzati (France) 30

Kjell Carlstrom (Finland) 33

Dario Cioni (Italy) 34

Steve Cummings (GB) 28

Russell Downing (GB) 31

Juan Antonio Flecha (Spain) 32 (ranked 58)

Chris Froome (GB) 24

Simon Gerrans (Australia) 29 (ranked 25)

Mat Hayman (Australia) 31 (ranked 95)

Greg Henderson (New Zealnd) 33 (ranked 109)

Peter Kennaugh (GB) 20

Thomas Lovkvist (Sweden) 25 (ranked 55)

Lars-Petter Nordhaug (Norway) 25

Serge Pauwels (Belgium) 26 (ranked 178)

Nicolas Portal (France) 30

Morris Possoni (Italy) 25

Ian Stannard (GB) 22

Chris Sutton (Australia) 25 (ranked 207)

Ben Swift (GB) 23

Geraint Thomas (GB) 23

Davide Vigano (Italy) 25 (ranked 113)

Bradley Wiggins (GB) 29 (ranked 39)

Happy Xmas

2009-12-24T19:00:00.001+01:00

Image by Pieter Musterd via Flickr

Clint gets it wrong.......

2009-12-13T14:00:00.000+01:00

Directed by Clint Eastwood, with Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, the movie purports to tell the story of how Mandela used the Springboks and the tournament as a mechanism to unite a divided nation.

The thesis of the film is that Mandela planned the campaign a year out from the World Cup to the extent that there are scenes of him in the film poring over the various qualifying groups, trying to work out who the Boks will face in the quarter-finals.

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Cape Town: A sporting spectacularThat much is poppycock. Those close to the Springbok camp at the time insist that Mandela's involvement was much more spontaneous, though no one doubts the sincerity of his approach and the close bond he eventually formed with Pienaar which continues to this day.

Mandela's first meeting with the South African squad came at a Bok training session in Cape Town before the opening game, which was when Hennie le Roux presented him with the Springbok cap Mandela would wear at the final.

Mandela's other iconic item of clothing, Pienaar's No 6 shirt, was almost an afterthought. It was the idea of Mandela's bodyguard who called the Springbok camp on the morning of the final against New Zealand to request a shirt. The Boks were given two jerseys per game, one to wear and one to swap, and Pienaar gave his spare to Mandela.

Far from a regular presence, Mandela actually only called Pienaar on a couple of occasions throughout the tournament, once before the semi-final with France, but the two men went on to become good friends with Mandela becoming a godfather to Pienaar's son.

How are Swansea doing in the Championship?

2009-12-13T13:53:00.000+01:00

Image by chrisjohnbeckett via Flickr

Swansea FC are doing well this year.......Until they came up against Nottingham Forest.......

Dwain the main man.......

2009-12-10T20:09:00.000+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

It was the year when Dwain Chambers completed his tortured journey from “suicide bridge” to the brink of redemption. “It was like hanging on to a gust of wind,” is how he described trying to beat Usain Bolt in the 100 metres final at the World Championships. “Then I saw the clock and started laughing.”

There has been little to laugh about in recent times for Chambers, a man whose doping past means he is routinely termed a disgrace, pariah and cheat.

However, he is nearing the end of a remarkable year in which, handicapped by a ban from all leading meetings, he secured a gold medal, shattered a European record and came sixth in the fastest race of all time. Now, after recuperating from an injury effectively caused by Bolt, he says he is “grateful and humble”, and wants more. “I’m in love with my sport again,” he said.

Chambers, 31, has put any thoughts of retirement on hold and is aiming for gold medals at the World Indoor and European Championships next year. Like the Olympics, he is banned from the Commonwealth Games, but there will be no more legal challenges, just an acceptance of his lot and an empathy with other fallen heroes.

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He has watched the media furore surrounding Tiger Woods’s domestic issues with interest. While not equating their problems, he knows what it is like when the tide turns and opprobrium ensues.

“We are all human beings and what defines us as humans is how we pick ourselves up from our mistakes,” he said. “It’s a personal affair that should be dealt with behind closed doors because it involves his family. He’s made a mistake and I hope he can resolve it.”

Meanwhile, Marion Jones is trying to come back from a jail term for lying to investigators over her drug use. The woman whose “drive for five” at the Sydney Olympics was, literally, fuel-injected, wants a basketball career in the Women’s NBA, mirroring Chambers’s ill-fated attempt to gain a rugby league contract with Castleford Tigers last year. “If the basketball federation think she’s been honest enough and are prepared to give her a second chance then all I can do is wish her the best of luck,” he said.

“I hope she can re-establish herself. And I hope she sends out the message that the road we both went down was never the right one.”

Victor Conte, the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative founder and president, who provided drugs for both, said he opened Chambers’s eyes when he first met him. “He came to me and was like, ‘So this is what Marion Jones does?’” Having revealed this year that he once contemplated suicide when he drove beneath an infamous bridge in Archway, North London, it is understandable that Chambers would back an outsider.

His journey towards acceptance has been tough, comprising a failed High Court attempt to get his Olympic ban overturned, being picked for Great Britain while knowing the selection panel was unanimously opposed to him, and having Lord Coe, Britain’s most influential athletics icon, say he would hold his nose when watching him run.

“I’ve learnt that in life, success and failure come hand in hand, so treat those impostors the same,” he said. “I don’t get as mad as I used to. I’m having to re-educate myself in the sport, but it’s more fun than it’s ever been. I feel a lot, lot happier now. I can walk into an environment with my team-mates and people are not pointing the finger.

“There is not that animosity now. Most people have chosen to let it go. I’ve had a lot of support from Charles van Commenee [the head coach of UK Athletics] and the team. They’re people I hold in high regard and they are not throwing punches.”

Chambers has had a good year. He broke the European record on the way to the indoor 60 metres title in Turin in March. He missed out on the sub-10sec run he craved but reached the final of the 100 metres at the World Championships. However, Euromeetings, an umbrella body of promoters, has maintained its stance against booking those convicted of serious drug offences, and the inaugural Diamond League is also off limits.

“There’s no point crying over spilt milk,” Chambers said. “There’s no point chasing wild dreams and I’m just focusing on myself and encouraging others.”

The others include the younger members of the Britain team as well as those at his academy, which is designed to find future Olympic stars. “More youngsters in the GB team are looking up to me, seeing my struggle and wondering how I did it,” he said. “I want to drum it into their heads that drugs aren’t an option and will only hurt them and their sport.”

The sport is on a high thanks to Bolt. Chambers trained with the triple world and Olympic champion in 2006 in Jamaica and admitted: “I knew he was going to be special but never in my life expected him to be this good [at the 100 metres]. He always talked about running the 100 but Mr [Glen] Mills, his coach, wouldn’t let him. He’s just shown what was brewing inside his system.”

It was the sight of Bolt disappearing in 9.58sec in the World Championships in Berlin that led to Chambers’s injury. “I tore my left calf in the last 40 metres of the final,” he said. “I was in the fastest race in history, clinging to his coat-tails, and that was the result on my body. I remember seeing him at 60 metres, thinking, ‘He’s gone’, and, in that moment, my concentration went. I tied up because I tried to run his race.”

After three months out, his calf has healed and he has started training again. Still condemned to running in low-profile races until the major championships, he says it has taken time to digest a dramatic year and get himself mentally right.

The tattoo on his back says “Deal Wid Da Matta” and references past problems, but the man, himself, is looking ahead. “The past is the past,” he said, “but the future’s bright.”

Back in the fast lane

6 Dwain Chambers’s place in 100 metres final at World Championships in August.

12 Men who ran faster than him this year.

0 Europeans who ran faster this year.

6.42 Seconds it took to become third-fastest 60 metres runner in history in March.

1,500 Pounds made in six months in 2008. Now he says: “I get different rewards — by getting the trust of the public and putting something back into the sport.”

49 Months since his drugs ban ended.

4 British sprinters to have dipped under 10sec — Chambers, Linford Christie, Jason Gardener and Mark Lewis-Francis.

Invictus

2009-12-09T23:42:00.000+01:00

Invictus

Tiger Woods and the overdose theory

2009-12-09T22:24:00.001+01:00

Did Tiger Woods take something and then be involved in a curious car collision with himself? How did his car crash? What sort of state was he in?

Tiger Woods and the President.....

2009-12-09T22:20:00.000+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

Tiger Woods has not been seen for days. Is he all bunkered up ready for the onslaught that is bound to come.Following his car crash and his emotional crash will there be a financial crash? Tiger Woods is certainly in a pickle jar and his current actions don't seem to be helping........Here he is at better times advising the President.Obama......

2009-12-09T22:11:00.000+01:00

Where is Tiger Woods hiding out? Possibly in a jungle somewhere or in a favourite hotel or in a bunker? Certainly Not at home if the whispers are to be believed. I understand he's in conference with his accountant. Now, what can they be discussing?

Rugby

2009-12-09T21:02:00.000+01:00

Sport & Rugby

BBC Sport - Football - Defender Sol Campbell keen on joining Manchester United

2009-12-09T18:47:00.002+01:00

BBC Sport - Football - Defender Sol Campbell keen on joining Manchester United

Post Mortem - 'Thatcher has died ...'

2009-12-06T17:20:00.000+01:00

Post Mortem - 'Thatcher has died ...'

Olympics 2012 -fullstory of the arrests

2009-12-06T13:13:00.001+01:00

Want to get the Olympic village finished on time?
Got a problem with local skills?
Don't want to pay the full rate?

Get in the immigrants! Oh no you can't - Full story of the arrests below...............fullstory

Money Central - Times Online - WBLG: Ten mind-boggling statistics from the credit crunch

2009-02-10T16:19:00.000+01:00

Money Central - Times Online - WBLG: Ten mind-boggling statistics from the credit crunch

Ghostbuster needed to banish spirit of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea - Times Online

2009-02-10T16:04:00.001+01:00

Ghostbuster needed to banish spirit of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea - Times Online

2009-02-10T16:04:00.000+01:00

Ghostbuster needed to banish spirit of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea - Times Online

Who's next for the Dirty Harry sacking club? Feel lucky? Well do ya, punk? - Times Online

2009-02-10T16:03:00.000+01:00

Who's next for the Dirty Harry sacking club? Feel lucky? Well do ya, punk? - Times Online

Mauro Bergamasco assists England on their journey - Times Online

2009-02-10T16:00:00.000+01:00

Mauro Bergamasco assists England on their journey - Times Online

West Indies humiliate England - Times Online

2009-02-10T15:59:00.000+01:00

West Indies humiliate England - Times Online

BBC - 606 - - A46842348 - Six Nations, one passion

2009-02-02T14:55:00.000+01:00

BBC - 606 - - A46842348 - Six Nations, one passion

Barry John up for Auction!

2009-02-02T14:51:00.001+01:00

Barry John puts rugby memorabilia up for sale

Feb 2 2009 By Darren Devine and Steffan Rhys

WELSH rugby legend Barry John last night explained his decision to sell off the most prized items of memorabilia from his glittering career by revealing: “Nostalgia means nothing to me.”
The fly-half, considered one of the greatest players of all time, said that while he regarded being picked for Wales as the most treasured honour in his career, the collection of mementoes amassed during his playing days held no great importance to him.
Just days before the start of this year’s Six Nations, John, known simply as “The King” to generations of Welsh rugby fans, is preparing to auction off items including his first Welsh cap, the jersey worn in his final appearance for his country, and a Lions shirt worn in the team’s only series win in New Zealand.
The items will be auctioned in Bonham’s, Chester, on February 25, and are expected to spark a bidding war among rugby fanatics that could send the total price spiralling towards £50,000.
Speaking to the Western Mail, John who was born in Cefneithin, Carmarthenshire said he had consulted his family over the decision, and explained that he hoped the mementoes would be acquired by someone who would truly value them.

He said: “I saw that former footballers including Geoff Hurst had put their memorabilia up for auction and I saw one or two rugby players doing it,” said John, 64, who lives in Cardiff Bay.

“I spoke to Jan [his former wife] and my four children about it. I asked Jan if she knew where my Welsh cap was and she said: ‘It’s in a drawer upstairs – somewhere’.
“I talked to two great friends of mine – I won’t say who but one is a former Lion – and asked what they would think if I did it. I thought there might be something wrong with doing it.
“But they said, ‘Do it’.

“I spoke to my children and thought about what I could leave to them. I’ve got four children and nine grandchildren but I only played 25 times for Wales so I haven’t got enough to go round.
“In an ideal world I would like to see all of them go to a museum. It’s far better than being in a ‘drawer upstairs’.

“I hope they go to a good place.”

He added: “Friends have asked about nostalgia and, amazingly, there isn’t any.
“Playing for Wales is the greatest thing to happen to any sportsman but I don’t feel that much nostalgia.
“When I handed them over, I just didn’t get that gut feeling. I felt it was the right thing. Why take them to your grave?
“But perhaps my mother, if she was alive, would have said no.
“Maybe 30 years ago I would have but the game has changed so much. Since 1996, when rugby turned professional, all of us look at the world in a more professional manner. The amateur ethos has gone.”
John said he did not know how much the items would fetch, but said financial necessity was not behind the move, adding that he was not selling his “This Is Your Life” book because of its importance to the family.
“Not at all,” he said. “Why have something languishing at the bottom of a drawer if it can be shared with other people?”
The items being sold, which are all expected to attract prices of between £5,000 and £10,000, include:
- The shirt worn by John in his final match for Wales against France in 1972, after which he retired, citing the pressures of fame;
- The Welsh cap awarded to John after making his debut against Australia in December 1966;
- The Lions shirt worn in the fourth and final test in the historic series against New Zealand in 1971;
- A portrait photograph of John, originally taken in black and white and tinted into colour;
- A blue Cardiff Rugby cap awarded for making more than 20 appearances in the 1967-68 season;
- John’s official blazer from the 1971 Lions tour.
Rugby historian Howard Evans, author of A History of Welsh International Rugby: 1881-2000, said John came from a fine tradition of supremely talented Welsh fly-halves.
He said: “Barry looked as if he was slow. He scored one of the great tries in ’67 at Cardiff against England where he beat about four or five Englishmen.
“He could change pace and he made it look as if he was hardly moving. He had an art of making it look like other people were running slowly – he glided.”
Jeffery Muse, regional director of Bonhams, said: “These sort of things are always very appealing to collectors. It’s difficult to know where to place [in terms of price] unique items in the market. There is reason to believe that they will raise several thousand pounds when you think of someone of Barry John’s stature.
“I would expect there would be some wealthy people from Wales and particularly Cardiff that would have a desire to own much of this material.
“Barry John is a larger than life character known to many people and his fame extends way beyond the borders of Wales.”
The sale will also feature a pair of golden football boots cast from Welsh legend John Charles’ originals which are expected to fetch between £3,500 and £5,000.
When I handed them over, I didn’t get that gut feeling. I felt it was the right thing. Why take them to your grave?

Wales’ Number 10 debate strikes up - WalesOnline

2009-02-02T14:49:00.000+01:00

Wales’ Number 10 debate strikes up - WalesOnline

Shane vows mind games won’t hurt Wales title bid - WalesOnline

2009-02-02T14:48:00.000+01:00

Shane vows mind games won’t hurt Wales title bid - WalesOnline

King Nadal in Melbourne......

2009-02-02T14:45:00.000+01:00

On Tennis: Nadal's finale in Melbourne brings Federer to tears
By RAVI UBHASPECIAL TO THE P-I

Three years ago Roger Federer wept in the arms of Rod Laver as he accepted the winner's trophy at the Australian Open. There were more tears this week Down Under, with the Swiss not too happy this time.

How could he be, after dropping yet another five-set thriller to nemesis Rafael Nadal? Federer must have thought he had Nadal right where he wanted him, given the bullish Spaniard spent more than five hours on court in his captivating semifinal against another Spaniard, Fernando Verdasco, two days earlier.
Nadal's 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2 win in 4 1/2 hours denied Federer the historic 14th Grand Slam and has to be an even bigger blow to the world No. 2 than last July's Wimbledon defeat that ended 9-7 in the fifth. Federer sobbed during the trophy presentation, Laver nearby, receiving consolation from none other than Nadal, who acted like a big brother.
"In the first moment you're disappointed, you're shocked, you're sad, then all of a sudden it overwhelms you," Federer said. "The problem is, you can't go in the locker room and take it easy and take a cold shower. You can't. It's the worst feeling."
The stars seemed aligned for Federer. He landed on the gentler side of the draw, avoided defending champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals and had an extra day of rest between the semi and final.
But Nadal, not picked by many to win the title because of ongoing knee problems and Andy Murray's emergence, is a different specimen. He rallied from 4-2 down in the first set and thwarted all six break points in the third. Indeed, winning the third was the turning point. (Curiously, Federer actually won more points altogether, 174-173.)
Federer's serve always seems to malfunction against the scurrying Mallorcan, and it happened again: The first serve percentage stood at 51.
Federer felt he played a "terrible" fifth set -- Nadal didn't. Like at Wimbledon, Nadal protected his serve gamely in the decider, conceding a miserly three points.
It's now six Grand Slams for Nadal at the tender age of 22. He's a U.S. Open away from completing his Grand Slam collection.
He's the undisputed No. 1 and will be for a while.
SIZZLING SERENA: How dominant was Serena Williams in the women's final? Here are some stats that prove the point: Her unfortunate victim, the affable Dinara Safina, won only eight points the first set, and in the entire match, Safina triumphed on six points behind her own second serve.
The 6-0, 6-3 rout was so inevitable that journalists began wondering what the shortest finals in Grand Slam history were. Safina lasted 59 minutes, by the way, not close to any records.
The tennis gods were on Williams' side throughout the fortnight, too. Trailing rising star Victoria Azarenka by a set in the fourth round, the Belorussian quit in the middle of the second, succumbing to a virus. In the quarterfinals, the always-jittery Svetlana Kuznetsova couldn't finish Williams off, failing to serve out the encounter in the second set.
As usual, Williams picked up her game when it really mattered, steamrolling Elena Dementieva, the hottest player on the tour, in the semis before dispatching Safina.
After claiming the U.S. Open, a second Serena Slam is very much a possibility. Williams collected major No. 10, three more than older sister Venus.
"Well, I wanted to get to 10," Williams said.
Less important to Williams, she regained the No. 1 ranking from the disappointing Jelena Jankovic.
NOT AGAIN: Australian Open organizers had a tough fortnight. A riot broke out between rival fans, a streaker invaded a doubles match involving the Williams sisters, the extreme heat policy was called into question, and scheduling turned out be a major gripe, especially for Djokovic.
Officials blundered by making Djokovic's quarterfinal tilt with Andy Roddick an afternoon affair a round after the Serb finished extremely late. To boot, the pick of the day's matches usually features in the evening, and it didn't take a genius to figure out Federer's encounter against Argentinean Juan Martin Del Potro, which ended up being played at night, would be a dud. Djokovic and Roddick, meanwhile, had ample history following their ill-tempered meeting at the U.S. Open.
While he got shafted by the schedule, there's no excuse for Djokovic retiring -- again -- in a big match. He quit in the fourth set against Roddick, undone by the oppressive heat. Roddick didn't appear bothered by the 105-degree temperatures one bit.
A-ROD'S OZ: Roddick can't be disappointed with his exertions Down Under. He put away foes he should have -- and then got Federer. Federer reads Roddick's bullet serve well, and it's no contest when the two engage in baseline rallies.
Roddick trails Federer 16-2 in their head-to-heads, and to get a third victory he needs the latter to have one big off-day, as was the case in Miami last year.
Perhaps they'll meet in the first round of the Davis Cup world group in March, when the U.S. hosts Switzerland in Birmingham, Ala..
"Overall I think it was a good event," Roddick said. "There's a whole laundry list of positives."
SECOND SERVES: Out injured, Maria Sharapova dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since 2004. ... Federer advanced to his 18th Grand Slam final, one shy of Ivan Lendl's men's record.

Serena ~ An All-time GREAT ???

2009-02-02T14:40:00.001+01:00

Serena set to join the elite idols of tennis

2009/02/02
SERENA Williams said it was “uber-cool” to join her idols in the elite group of women with 10 or more Grand Slams on Saturday after reaching double figures with her fourth win at the Australian Open.

Williams, who is also the reigning US Open champion, said she would now aim to repeat the “Serena Slam” of 2002-03, when she held all four majors at the same time.

The American became only the seventh woman to reach a perfect 10 at the Grand Slams with a crushing 6-0, 6-3 win over Russia’s Dinara Safina at Melbourne Park.
Williams, who also reclaimed the world number one ranking, said she was thrilled to join the likes of Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova but did not yet feel comfortable being compared to such legends.
“I idolised Steffi Graf,” she said.
“When I played her I was like ‘Oh My God, it’s Steffi Graf’ and Martina Navratilova was someone who was my role model, so when I think of these greats I don’t really think of my name, I think of them.
“I think people are starting to think of me in those terms, which is uber-cool, I can’t even get my mind around that.”

Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles in her career and Navratilova claimed 18, with Margaret Court the all-time leader on 24.

Williams’ Australian win brings her within striking distance of Billie Jean King, who collected 12 singles Slams in a career spanning 20 years.

The 27-year-old said she did not know how many Slams she could win.
“I never think about it,” she said.
“I just feel I never want to stop playing. I’m playing and enjoying myself and if I win Grand Slams that’s great.”

Asked if she could repeat the Serena Slam, she relied: “The Serena Slam would be awesome to do again. With the likes of Dinara playing and all the other girls, it’s going to be tough but I’m in for the challenge.” — Sapa-AFP

Sports Commentary - Times Online - WBLG: Should Chris Hoy have been the only Olympian Sir?

2009-01-19T17:06:00.000+01:00

Sports Commentary - Times Online - WBLG: Should Chris Hoy have been the only Olympian Sir?

2009-01-19T16:47:00.000+01:00

Jan 19 (Reuters) -

Wales manager Warren Gatland named onMonday the following 28-man squad for the Six Nations. Squad:

Forwards: Gethin Jenkins, John Yapp, Adam Jones, Rhys
Thomas, Matthew Rees, Huw Bennett, Ian Gough, Alun-Wyn Jones,
Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Ryan Jones (Captain), Jonathan
Thomas, Daffyd Jones, Andy Powell, Martyn Williams, Robin
Sowden-Taylor

Backs: Mike Phillips, Gareth Cooper, Stephen Jones, James
Hook, Gavin Henson, Andrew Bishop, Jamie Roberts, Tom Shanklin,
Shane Williams, Leigh Halfpenny, Mark Jones, Lee Byrne

Federer ~ Don't count him out just yet.......

2009-01-19T15:51:00.001+01:00

ON TENNIS
Don’t count out Federer just yet
By DALE ROBERTSON Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Jan. 17, 2009, 10:56PM
Federer in recent Australian Opens• 2004 – Won title, beating Marat Safin in the final. • 2005 – Reached the semifinals, losing to Safin. • 2006 – Won title, beating Marcos Baghdaditis in the final. • 2007 – Won title, beating Fernando Gonzalez in the final. • 2008 – Reached the semifinals, losing to Novak Djokovic.
Everybody thinks this will be Andy Murray’s year and, if it’s not, it will be Rafael Nadal’s year again. Or perhaps Novak Djokovic’s.
Almost nobody seems to believe Roger Federer has much gas left in his tank after he surrendered the No. 1 ranking to Nadal in 2008. Never mind that he did take the season’s last Grand Slam, claiming a modern-record fifth consecutive U.S. Open. Or that he did thump Murray, practically a consensus favorite to claim his first major at the Australian Open, in straight sets in the Flushing Meadow final.
But Federer himself is one guy who insists reports of his demise are absurdly premature. He asserted recently — before Murray beat him in an exhibition in Abu Dhabi and again last week in the Doha semis — that “I have been dominating for several years and obviously I think I can do it again. I expect 2009 to be a very good year.”
A bout of mononucleosis got him off to a slow start last year, and Nadal’s continued evolution from being a good player into an all-time-great candidate formally spelled the end of the Swiss’ 4½-year run on top when the Spaniard emerged victorious in their for-the-ages Wimbledon final.

Ranking not priority

History and the computer-point differential between Federer and Nadal weigh against his bid to return to No. 1. In the 36 years of the ATP computer system, only Ivan Lendl in 1989 reclaimed the top spot the year after he lost it. But that’s not Federer’s front-and-center priority anymore. Rather, he’ll pick his spots carefully as he attempts to surpass Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Slam titles.
Federer, 27, remains one behind Sampras with 13. Given that Sampras won three of his after turning 27 — and Andre Agassi won five of his eight — the odds favor him accomplishing the feat, even if Murray’s for-real emergence as an elite adds a layer of complication.
The Scotsman’s entry into the who’s-the-king-of-the-hill conversation has balanced the halves of the men’s draw in the major championships. The two semifinals are now equally challenging matchups if the seeding holds up. The Big Three have become the Big Four and the likelihood that any one of them can hog three of the four Slams, as Federer did in 2004, 2006 and 2007, appears minuscule.

It’s far more probable that each of them will claim one, the democratic norm before Federer took over the ATP Tour in 2004.
Nonetheless, it would be foolish to count out Federer anywhere except at Roland Garros, where all appears hopeless for him.

Different at Wimbledon

But Wimbledon’s lawns remain a level playing field. The five sets and five hours he and Nadal battled it out there in July only spoke to their respective greatness, not to any dramatic paradigm shift or changing of the guard. Healthy, Federer remains the Wimbledon favorite. For the near term, Murray will find the pressure crushing — no Brit has won since Fred Perry in 1936 and he will be reminded of this fact hourly for the fortnight — and Djokovic lacks the right grass-court stuff.

The Serb is the defending champion in Melbourne, though, and Murray is playing the best tennis of the four right now, having defeated each of the others in ’09. (He’s also 6-1 vs. Federer of late.)
That’s why everyone has fallen in love with him.
A reasonable response. But falling completely out of love with Federer is dumb.
Sure, he could lose Down Under, even early. Still, should he seize that fourth Aussie title two weeks hence, it won’t be an upset. Not yet, not this year.

dale.robertson@chron.com

Scots robbed!

2008-11-23T15:57:00.001+01:00

Olympics robs Scots of Lottery cash

Published Date: 23 November 2008
By Eddie Barnes Political Editor

CHARITIES and voluntary groups in Scotland are facing a crippling 70% cut in Lottery funding from next April as funds are sucked away to feed the vast £10bn cost of the 2012 London Olympics.
The body which represents Scotland's charities will warn this week that the Lottery cash available to good causes next year will plummet from £90m to just £25m.The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) claims that the cut will have a "devastating" effect on charities across Scotland, many of which rely on Lottery cash to keep going.The massive cutback is being triggered after ministers agreed to plough £2.2bn of Lottery cash into paying for the Olympics. Charities, arts groups and sports bodies across Scotland and the rest of the UK warned that the raid on Lottery funds would choke off funds to themselves, but the full scale of the cutbacks is only now becoming clear.According to the SCVO, the Big Lottery Fund – which distributes most of the cash available from the weekly national draw – will feel the effects the hardest. In Scotland, they claim that BLF funding will fall from £257m between 2006-09 to just £90m between 2009-12.The SCVO says that many groups will not be able to keep going because the cuts will last right up until 2012. Only after the Games are finished in 2012 will the sums start to rise once more. However, even then, SCVO officials say it will be 2015 before funding returns to current levels.The anger in Scotland is being felt across much of England as well, where charities and voluntary groups are also complaining about the vast sums which have been diverted from good causes to build the Olympic site in east London.The cuts are also set to hit the arts and sports bodies across the UK which distribute smaller sums of Lottery cash. However, UK ministers insist that the chance to host the Olympics is a "once in a generation" chance for the whole country to enjoy.In Scotland, groups which may now face heavy cuts include the well-known charity Quarriers Village, the carers for vulnerable people, and Fairbridge, a leading charity which attempts to prevent ex-prisoners from re-offending.Lucy McTernan, acting chief executive of SCVO, said: "The scale of the cuts is truly devastating for the voluntary sector as many charities, voluntary organisations and community projects in Scotland depend on such funding for their survival, especially in these difficult times. We are strongly urging the UK Government to compensate Scottish charities for the loss of Lottery funding which was diverted to pay for the Olympics."Lawrie Russell, chief executive of the Wise Group, a charity which helps unemployed people get back to work, said that the cuts may prevent them from expanding projects."Potentially, this will have a big impact on the whole sector," he said.Sources in the SCVO said they had been preparing for a reduction in funds due to the Olympics but were "shocked" last week when the true scale of the reduction became clear.Alison Magee, Big Lottery Fund Scotland's chairwoman, confirmed: "We will have less money available in the years leading up to 2012 due to the Olympic diversion."Scottish Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell said last night: "These are very worrying figures that point to a dramatic reduction in Lottery funding for Scotland. It cannot be right that the budget for Scotland's community and charitable organisations is reduced by around 70% – more than £150m – to finance the 2012 Olympic Games."But a spokeswoman for the Department for Media, Culture and Sport pointed to the massive benefits which, she claimed, would accrue to the whole country from the Games.She said: "Hosting the Olympic Games is a once in a generation opportunity that will benefit the whole of the UK: a legacy of world-class facilities, the inspiration of a generation to get active and take up sport, as well as huge economic and business benefits with £6bn worth of contracts. "Scotland will host Olympic football at Hampden Park and 29 locations across Scotland are included in the official guide to pre-Games training facilities for foreign teams in 2012."She added: "Scotland has received over £2bn in Lottery money since 1994 and we are clear that no further diversion from Lottery good causes will go to fund the Olympics."Earlier this year, Scotland on Sunday launched a campaign to win a substantial sum of Lottery funds to help to create a sporting legacy from Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games. Campaigners point out that sportscotland, which distributes Lottery funds for sporting groups, is believed to have lost £13m in funds which will now be spent on the Olympics.

More funding ~ Not less!!!!!!

2008-11-23T15:54:00.000+01:00

Funding cut for GB Paralympians

Weir's double Paralympic gold was one of the GB highlights in Beijing
British Paralympic athletes face a cut in National Lottery funding as they work towards the 2012 Games.
UK Athletics says that future funding will be targeted towards supporting a smaller group of athletes who are deemed capable of success in London.
There are now 33 athletes who will be supported by the programme, down from the pre-Beijing total of 42.
Among those who have had their funding cut are former Paralympic champions Danny Crates and Kenny Churchill.
All of the athletes who medalled in Beijing have been given the top level of funding while a further 10 have been named in the next level and six athletes have been selected on the talent level to develop future talent.
Crates, who was the British team's flag-bearer in Beijing, was unable to compete in his 800m event at the Games because of a calf injury while javelin thrower Churchill finished out of the medals.
Beijing medallists Mickey Bushell and Ian Jones both move up from the development level to the top level of funding, along with throwers Claire Williams and Nathan Stephens.
With no major international event until the World Championships in 2009, UK Athletics say the focus for the future must be on 2012.
A new head coach for the Paralympic programme will be named shortly.
Funded athletes:
Podium: Mickey Bushell; Libby Clegg; Daniel Greaves; Sophie Hancock; Katrina Hart; Ian Jones; Chris Martin; John McFall; Stephen Miller; Kim Minett; Ben Rushgrove; Hazel Simpson; Nathan Stephens; David Weir; Daniel West; Claire Williams; Shelly Woods
Development: Brian Alldis; Martin Crutchley; Katherine Deal; David Devine; Thomas Green; Jenny McLoughlin; Kieron Murphy; Daniel Nobbs; Gemma Prescott; Bethany Woodward
Talent: Ola Abidogun; Hollie Arnold; Jonathon Adams; Hannah Cockcroft; Mark Hellard; Paul Willis

GB Athletics ~ Fighting to stay in the limelight...

2008-08-17T11:55:00.001+01:00

Athletics must fight to keep No.1 status
ASK people to list their favourite Olympic memories and the vast majority will inevitably include athletics. Daley Thompson, Kelly Holmes, Bob Beamon, Cathy Freeman, Coe and Ovett – track and field moments dominate the proceedings.

For how much longer, though? Athletics has always been the No.1 Olympic sport, but in the eyes of the British sporting public the traditional hierarchy could be turned on its head if the GB athletics team fail to deliver in Beijing.

Britons in other sports have come out firing on all cylinders during the first few days of the Games. As I write this, Nicole Cooke has become Britain’s first “gold pedallist” of 2008 and her team-mates in the GB cycling squad are expected to continue the medal rush this weekend when the action in the velodrome begins.

Elsewhere, in the pool earlier this week Rebecca Adlington became Britain’s first Olympic women’s swimming champion for almost half a century. British cyclists, swimmers, rowers, sailors, triathletes and boxers will only be stronger in 2012, too.

So the message is clear to British track and field athletes this coming week. You’d better get winning, or athletics’ status as the premier Olympic sport will be under serious jeopardy.

And he's dome it!

2008-08-17T11:50:00.001+01:00

Michael Phelps wins another gold today to bring his total to 8!

Greatest swimmer ever!

Greatest Olympian ever!

Greatest athlete ever?

Lighning BOLT

2008-08-17T11:47:00.000+01:00

The child is Father of the Man

2008-08-10T18:31:00.000+01:00

Walking the Walk

2008-08-10T18:30:00.000+01:00

Rowing to Gold

2008-08-10T13:45:00.000+01:00

GB rowers backed to strike gold in Beijing.................

Sir Steve Redgrave thinks Britain's rowers will win seven medals in Beijing. GB Rowing's target is more modest: four rowing medals, of any colour, will secure their Lottery funding

Stabbing in Beijing............

2008-08-10T13:36:00.001+01:00

The father of a former American Olympian was stabbed to death while sightseeing in Beijing with his wife on Saturday, stunning tourists and local residents.
A knife-wielding man attacked the two U.S. tourists at a popular Beijing attraction, killing Todd Bachman, the father of volleyball 2004 Olympian Elisabeth "Wiz" Bachman.
Elisabeth Bachman's mother, Barbara, was also attacked. She survived but suffered life-threatening injuries and is in hospital. The Bachmans' tour guide was also injured and taken to hospital.
The Bachmans are the in-laws of U.S. men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon, their daughter Elisabeth's husband.
Their attacker, a Chinese national, committed suicide after the incident. He threw himself off the second level of the Drum Tower, a 13th century structure about eight kilometres from the main Olympic site.
"For all intents, it appears to be a random attack by a deranged man," an American member of the International Olympic Committee, Jim Easton, told The Associated Press.
"The only thing we've heard is they were not identifiable except for a small volleyball pin which would probably be invisible to a guy."
American tourist Lynn Ledford said she hoped the incident did not take away from China's hospitality.
"I hope something like this doesn't end up being a stain on how China has been to us," she said.
Denise Carpenter, a Canadian tourist visiting the area, said Beijing was no less safe than any other major city.
"It doesn't matter if you're in Beijing or Toronto or London," she told CTV News. "Things like this are going to happen and you just have to be careful."
The attacks have devastated the U.S. volleyball team.
"They are deeply saddened and shocked," Darryl Seibel, a spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee said.
Team member Logan Tom broke down crying while discussing the attack.
"God, we all love Wiz," she said. "It's hard to put it in words. That's not something that's supposed to happen."
The midday attack is considered particularly shocking because violent crime against foreigners is rare in China, although Canadian model Diana O'Brien, 22, was murdered in Shanghai a month ago. Security in Beijing itself has been further tightened for the Olympics.

Xinhua, China's official news agency, identified the attacker as Tang Yongming, 47, from the eastern city of Hangzhou.
Interpol told AP that Tang appears to have been recently divorced. The news service reported he had not been seen by relatives for two months.
With a report by CTV's Lisa LaFlamme in Beijing and files from The Associated Press

Which Canadian won the most medals at a single Games?
Test yourself

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Video
CTV News: Lisa LaFlamme on the fatal knife attack
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2:02
CTV News: Steve Chao reports on the Olympic protests
document.write(format_clip_duration('00:01:34.00')); // see common.js
1:34

Michael Phelps ~ What an athlete!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-10T11:49:00.001+01:00

Michael Phelps ~Athlete Profile

On track to win 8 golds in the Beijing games!!!!!

Set four individual world records and won seven gold medals at the 2007 World Championships to become the winningest athlete in World Championship history.
In 2004, became first athlete ever to win eight medals (six gold) at a non-boycotted Olympic Games.
His eight medals tie 1980 USSR gymnast Alexandr Dityatin for most medals by an athlete in a single Olympics.
2003 Sullivan Award winner, becoming the 10th swimmer to be honored as the top amateur athlete in the country.
Only man to win five U.S. National titles at the same Championships.
Only man to ever win a U.S. National title in three different strokes at one national championship.
Youngest male Olympian since 1932 (2000 Olympics).
Youngest man (15 years, nine months) to set a world record, breaking 200m fly mark at the 2001 Spring Nationals.
Earned the award for Swimmer of the Year for a third time in 2004.
2004 - Gold 100m FL, 200m FL, 200m IM, 400m IM, 400m MR, 800m FR-R; Bronze 200m FR & 400m FR-R

Cooke caters for British appetite!

2008-08-10T11:42:00.001+01:00

Cooke serves up British gold
Welsh cyclist becomes 200th Brit to top the podium at Olympics
Last Updated 10th August 2008

Cooke: First British gold in Beijing
Also see
Results
Schedule
Medal Table
Team GB News
Betting

Nicole Cooke claimed Great Britain's first gold medal in Beijing with an impressive victory in the women's cycling road race.
The 25-year-old from Glamorgan came home first in a sprint finish involving five competitors following a 126km ride.
Cooke's victory makes up for her disappointing fifth-placed finish in Athens four years ago and means she is the 200th Brit to win Olympic gold.
Sweden's Emma Johansson won the silver and Tatiana Guderzo of Italy finished third to claim the bronze.

No title needed

2008-08-09T15:21:00.000+01:00

Something wrong here ~ Gavin case raises serious issues & questions

2008-08-08T19:45:00.001+01:00

Gavin withdrawal under scrutiny

Gavin has now flown home from Team GB's training camp in Macau.
UK Sport is to launch an investigation after Great Britain medal hopeful Frankie Gavin had to pull out of the Olympics at the last minute.
The lightweight world amateur boxing champion was one of Britain's brightest medal hopes in China but he withdrew after failing to make his weight.
The 22-year-old had benefited from Lottery funding worth £70,000 a year in the run-up to the Olympics.
UK Sport said it was the boxer's responsibility to make the weight.

Gavin's Lottery funding included a £25,000 annual payment with the rest going on support services such as coaching, sports medical expertise and dietician's advice.

"We will review the sport post-Games as a matter of course, and not about just one individual," said the UK Sport spokesman.
"Clearly, this will be an issue for the boxing review.
"We do think he has trained incredibly hard and always had the right support but ultimately only he has responsibility for the weight that he is."

GB boxing coach Terry Edwards refuses to apportion blame.

Britain's boxing head coach Terry Edwards defended his decision to withdraw Gavin after the fighter was 3lb (1.36kg) over his 60kg mark.
"I felt if I pushed it any further there would have been a serious health risk," he said. "It was the hardest decision I have ever had to make in boxing."
But nutritionist Kerry Kayes, who had worked with Gavin in the build-up to Beijing, said team officials should be blamed for his early exit.
"It's simply criminal that he's not going to the Olympics," Kayes, who has also worked with Ricky Hatton, told The Guardian. "I can only guess that some real errors have been made and that Frankie has been let down."
"What happened has cost Frankie Gavin a million pounds. That's how much they were saying an Olympic gold medal would have been worth to him if he turned pro straight after the Games. And it's just been ruined now."

BBC OLYMPICS BLOG
All that is certain is a young man will be flying home now with a bag full of regrets rather than the gold medal many thought was his for the taking

BBC Sport's Matt SlaterKayes said he had been denied the chance to work with Gavin in Macau by British amateur boxing officials and was sure he could have helped the fighter reach his weight.
"I guarantee that I would have got Frankie Gavin to make the weight," he added.
"I'm the guy who starts working with Ricky Hatton when he rolls into the gym, weighing 185 pounds, and I get him to shift 45 pounds in time to make the weight every time before every fight."
Amateur Boxing Association chief executive Paul King said: "ABAE will launch an internal investigation into the circumstances leading up to [Gavin's] withdrawal, which is a massive blow to our gold medal hopes, and to our essential UK Sport and lottery funding."

US Defeated in China........

2008-08-07T13:22:00.001+01:00

Norway 2, United States 0

Olympic Competition Opens With a Defeat for U.S.
The first appearance by the Americans in a major international tournament under Coach Pia Sundhage ended disastrously on Wednesday with a defeat to Norway.

By JERÉ LONGMAN
Published: August 6, 2008

QINHUANGDAO, China — When Pia Sundhage became head coach of the United States women’s soccer team late last year, she serenaded her discouraged players by singing “The Times They Are A-Changin’.”

Apparently they are not changing quickly enough.

The first appearance by the Americans in a major international tournament under Sundhage ended disastrously on Wednesday with a 2-0 loss to Norway in an opening-round match of the Beijing Olympics.

BBC TV Olympics Schedules 2008

2008-08-07T13:19:00.001+01:00

BBC TV Olympics schedule
All the details of what you can watch, where and when from the Olympics with BBC Sport.
Click the links below to download our planned daily coverage from Athens on BBC One and Two, and also on our interactive service via the red button on your remote control.
If you cannot access these documents, we will also be offering a detailed daily listings service on our Olympics website when the action gets under way in Athens.
TV SCHEDULES
Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Download the reader here
The complete schedule for the whole Games (3.2MB)
Friday 13 August (128KB)
Saturday 14 August (212KB)
Sunday 15 August (231KB)
Monday 16 August (226KB)
Tuesday 17 August (221KB)
Wednesday 18 August (229KB)
Thursday 19 August (221KB)
Friday 20 August (234KB)
Saturday 21 August (238KB)
Sunday 22 August (212KB)
Monday 23 August (232KB)
Tuesday 24 August (223KB)
Wednesday 25 August (216KB)
Thursday 26 August (234KB)
Friday 27 August (237KB)
Saturday 28 August (219KB)
Sunday 29 August (191KB)

GB's prospects!!

2008-08-07T13:13:00.002+01:00

The Olympic games are all about participation we are told.
It's the taking part etc etc etc ...............

How many medals do you think GB will win?

Philip Studd looks over the GB athletes as they limber up for the Games.

2008-08-07T13:11:00.000+01:00

Philip Studd
7 Aug 08, 03:55 AM
Macau
I hopped down to the Macau Athletics stadium on Tuesday, eager to check on the progress of our track and fielders.
This branch of the British team have taken their fair share of flak over recent years; by and large medals have been hard to come by.
Performance Director Dave Collins is expecting five in Beijing, and hoping for more.
The chief Gold medal hope is triple jumper Philips Idowu, freshly crowned world indoor champion, world leader and in the form of his life.
It is a rest day for the new star of the team, but it's not long before another name on Collins wish list rocks up.
Kelly Sotherton is a world class hepthathlete and a proven performer on the big stage.
She's won World Championship and Olympic medals before, and she well knows that in the absence of the all-conquering swede Carolina Kluft, it could be gold this time, but there's a slight flaw in the cunning plan - the javelin.
Sotherton struggles to throw the damned thing much further than 30m.
That's a serious hinderance in getting to the top of the rostrum and it's long been a sore point for Kelly, who shoots a suspicious glance at the media as we assemble our mini gazebo trackside to shelter from the searing sun, before she jogs off into the distance.
While Kelly limbers up, the men's 100m relay team are practicing their baton changes.
Standing two-a-breast and running (or rather walking fast) on the spot, they shuttle the aluminium tube back and forth with aplomb.
Realistically, the chance of an invdividual 100m medal is non-existant - none of these guys have run under 10 seconds - but Simeon Williamson, in the absence of Dwain Chambers the fastest Britain can muster and not short on self-belief, is sure they can retain their Olympic relay title.
"Were not as fast as the Americans, but we're better with the baton"
Before too long, another pair of medal contenders make their entrance.
Christine Ohuruogu looks reluctant to be filmed as she continues her quest to add Olympic 400m gold to the world title she won in such sensational fashion in Osaka last summer, when she just managed to hold off teammate Nicola Sanders, who trots onto the track with her.
Christine hasn't done much 400m running of late, preferring to work on her speed in the 200m, and frankly, it showed at last month's Crystal Palace Grand Prix where she beat Sanders, but by her own admission was "rubbish".
Then again her chief rival, americas Sanya Richards hasn't exactly been pulling up trees this year either, so all things are possible in Beijing.
Gerry Sutcliffe certainly hopes so.
The Sports Minister is braving the heat alongside us, and when I asked him about the importance of British success, he was rather more insistant than BOA Chief Executive Simon Clegg about the need for Britain to reach, and preferably exceed UK Sports stated target of 41 medals in China this summer.
There has been what Sutcliffe describes as a "massive investment" in Team GB and it's payback time. "Success is vital", he tells me." We'll evaluate immediately after Beijing."
Besides, I suspect Prime Minister Brown could do with an Olympic feel-good factor right now.
Philip Studd is a BBC reporter and commentator based at Team GB's pre-Olympics holding camp in Macau. Our FAQs should answer any questions you have.

Frankie Gavin leaves the Olympics

2008-08-07T12:54:00.003+01:00

Even before the competition starts, our most promising of young hopefuls Frankie Gavin is leaving the Olympics. This superb boxer with a quality of performance which made him a certainty for a medal ~ probably a gold ~ has received a knock-down punch without even getting in the ring.

And the problem is not drugs, nor fitness but the simplest of things ~ getting his weight right for the competition.

He has weighed in too heavy for the division!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ask you.....can you believe this? We send an athlete, a brilliant boxer to the Games and the coaching staff can't even enter him for the appropriate weight devision and/or can't prepare him to fight at that weight.

The mind boggles!!!!!!!!!!

Frankie Gavin ~ Weighs up his Future!

2008-08-07T12:48:00.001+01:00

What Gadget does Frankie Gavin need more than any other?

Gavin fails in Games bid ~ British Gold Medal hope to miss Beijing after failing to make lightweight limit!

Gavin: Out of the Olympics

Frankie Gavin's Olympic dream is over after the world champion failed to make the lightweight limit. The 22-year-old had been one of Team GB's big gold medal hopes in Beijing having become Britain's first ever world amateur champion in Chicago in November.

However, Gavin had only boiled down to the 60kg division having campaigned at light-welterweight - even winning the European Amateur Championships at 64kgs in June. It was hoped he could drop down again for the Olympics. However having stayed at the Great Britain holding camp in Macao in a desperate bid to lose the final few pounds ahead of Friday's weigh-in, I’m afraid all his attempts were in vain.

So, the British Olympic Association faced with an overweight boxer, has now decided to pull Gavin out of the event with the Birmingham boxer still short of the limit. Terry Edwards, Gavin’s Olympic coach said, “It is the nature of our sport that we try and get our boxers to the top of their weight and it has been well documented that Frankie has struggled with this over recent months”.

So what does Gavin need ~ apart from a more alert Coach?

If Gavin’s a "gadget" person, he might appreciate the Tanita BC554 Ironman Innerscan Body Composition Monitor Elite (*est. $130) .

This pricey digital scale measures weight, body fat, body water, muscle mass, bone mass, metabolic age, visceral fat, physique rating and daily calorie intake. By the user's programming in age, gender, height, current weight and activity level, the Innerscan can calculate accurate measurements. The weight capacity is 330 pounds and the scale measures in pounds, kilograms and stone. Useful for a coaching staff that seems to have a very limited ability to read anything.
The scale can store data for up to four people. So, appropriate for the GB Boxing team which is around that number and getting smaller each day. The Innerscan also has a guest mode for visitors and an athlete mode for those on a rigorous fitness regimen. For most people this scale is probably overkill. Owner opinion is mixed, but mainly positive. A few owners complain that there really isn't a manual to show you how to use all the various features.
So what does Gavin need? ~ His very own Digital scale and a manual for the coaching staff.

American cyclists apologise!!!

2008-08-06T17:07:00.001+01:00

Beijing Olympics: American cyclists apologise for 'smog masks'
Four American cyclists who arrived at Beijing Airport with their faces covered by black respiratory masks have been forced to apologise to the Beijing Olympic organising committee (BOCOG).

By Simon Hart Last Updated: 12:51PM BST 06 Aug 2008

Controversy: Michael Friedman was one of four US cyclists who arrived in Beijing wearing a black respiratory mask. Photo: Reuters
"Those athletes regret that action and have written an apology to BOCOG on their own behalf," said Jim Scherr, chief executive of the United States Olympic Committee. "They now realise and understand how their actions were perceived by the host nation and by the organising committee".
He added: "It probably wasn't the most opportune time for these athletes to wear these masks. They were overly cautious."
Images and TV footage of the four riders - Mike Friedman, Sarah Hammer, Bobby Lea and Jennie Reed - were beamed all over the world on the day the International Olympic Committee went on the front foot on the subject of Beijing's pollution problem by claiming it had been exaggerated by the media.
The cyclists were later summoned to a meeting with the US Olympic Committee's head of sport, Steve Roush, where they agreed to apologise to their Chinese hosts.
Roush said: "Unfortunately, you never want to go to somebody else's place and cause any embarrassment, but in this case I think they did."
One of the four, track cyclist Lea, said that he and his colleagues had not intended to make a statement or protest about the air quality.
"We didn't realise the impact that wearing the masks would have," he said. "From our standpoint it was to take care of a perceived health risk. In reality it came across as offensive. We don't want to insult BOCOG or the Chinese public."
Sherr said that around 200 of the 596-strong American team had been issued with masks through their governing bodies but he believed improvements in the air quality in Beijing would mean they would not have to use them.
He added: "We would not prevent athletes if they want to wear a mask and feel it is in their best interests to do so. It is their right to do so."
The city remained covered with a murky haze for the third successive day today, with temperatures reaching a stifling 34C, though the official Air Quality Index rating of 85 was a slight improvement on the previous day.
A BOCOC spokesman said: "The conditions are not unfavourable at the moment and my understanding is that we are not going to be taking any extra measures."

Terrorist arrives from USA to Beijing Olympics

2008-08-06T17:02:00.003+01:00

When I first saw this photo I thought an American terrorist had landed in Beijing to do his utmost at dispoiling the games. But hang on ~ he's an athlete ~ protesting against the pollution levels!!

Dalai Lama speaks about the games

2008-08-06T16:58:00.000+01:00

Dalai Lama

2008-08-06T16:55:00.002+01:00

Dalai Lama offers good wishes for Olympics
Press Trust of India8/6/2008 7:24:00 PM

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Wednesday offered prayer and expressed good wishes for the success of Beijing Olympics starting on Friday.

"I would like to offer my greetings to the People's Republic of China, the organisers and the athletes participating in the forthcoming Olympics games in Beijing," said the Tibetan temporal head in a message released from the headquarters of Tibetan government in-exile Dharamsala.

"Right from the time of China's application to hold the Olympics Games, I have supported China's right to host the mega event," he said."This is a moment of great pride to the 1.3 billion Chinese people. These games should contribute to promoting the Olympic spirit of friendship, openness and peace. I send my prayers and good wishes for the success of this event," the Tibetan Noble laureate said.

The Tibetan leader's message for the success of the Olympics came at a time when his followers are holding agitations for permanent solution to the vexed Tibetan issue.Faced with widespread protests by the Tibetans, Chinese authorities had charged the Dalai Lama with instigating violent protests to sabotage the Olympics.

Link to the Olympics.......

2008-08-06T16:47:00.001+01:00

May I suggest a link related to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games?

Our site:URL: http://www.2008chinaolympics.com

Title: Beijing Olympics

Please let me know if you want a link back.

Many thanks for your reply.Best Regards,Donchinaolympics8@gmail.com

August 6, 2008 12:06 PM

Ping Pong ~ Not what it used to be.

2008-08-05T18:09:00.000+01:00

Beijing, August 5: China still dominates the world at table tennis and its supremacy is unlikely to be challenged at the Olympics but the seeds of a decline may already have been sown in the parks and playgrounds of Beijing.
For many Chinese like 72-year-old retiree Xu Tianwu, table tennis is more than a game.
It is the national sport that brought glory to China from as early as the 1950s and even played a major role in international relations during the ping pong diplomacy period of the 1970s.
National team members are lionised, and former stars like Olympic and world champion Deng Yaping are household names.
"The reason so many Chinese consider our table tennis players to be heroes is because they bring honour and glory to China," said Xu.
"For me, ping pong keeps me happy and healthy," he said as he played his daily three-hour stint at one of the tables found in every Beijing park.
"I hope I'll still be playing when I am 80."
However, not far from the park where Xu plays his daily ping pong marathon, others are enjoying a different, more edgy experience in the Dongdan open-air basketball ground just east of central Tiananmen Square.
"Basketball lights up my life, it's the only fun for me and I play as much as I can," said Zhao Chao, 18, who says he puts in at least an hour on the court each day.
Image matters to younger Chinese -- and table tennis is seen more and more as the game of an older generation who had no other leisure choices.
The British-born game was imported into China in the early 20th century and became so popular that many Chinese believe that it is their own invention along with gunpowder and printing.
"Ping pong expresses the dexterity, speed and agility of the Chinese," said Xu.
Easy to learn and cheap to play, the sport gained a wide following after the founding of communist China in 1949. It brought China its first taste of international sporting glory with a world title in 1959.
Under late strongman Mao Zedong -- who launched the 1950s slogan "Develop a sports movement, stengthen the physical condition of the people" -- table tennis was the diplomatic tool for a rapprochement with Washington.
In 1971, Mao invited the US table tennis team to China for a series of friendly matches that ended a lengthy period of enmity and set the wheels in motion for the 1979 normalisation of US-China ties.
At the Beijing Olympics, table tennis, with four gold medals almost assured, is also the sport the could help the host nation dominate the medal standings for the first time ahead of the United States.
Even though Chinese basketball superstar Yao Ming is likely to get widespread media attention, Pierre Justo, head of media and research at CSM Media Research/TNS Sport, says it is too early to write ping pong's epitaph.
Table tennis has to face up to some serious challenges, including the younger generation's growing affluence and their taste for other sports.
"But table tennis is still a major sport because unlike football and basketball, it touches every single Chinese person," he said.

Our Charlotte wants to build sandcastles with our Gavin ~ but they don't know where!

2008-08-05T18:05:00.001+01:00

Charlotte Church to Marry on The Beach

By Adam Nutburn, August 5 2008

Charlotte Church will marry boyfriend Gavin Henson on the beach, she has revealed.
The singer-turned television presenter, 22, says although she and rugby player Gavin have a location in mind for the wedding, they haven't set a date.
She tells Britain's Hello! magazine, "We just don't want to [get married] at the moment. It will come in time – when we want to do it, not before. All those reports about Gavin being seen shopping for rings are completely untrue.
"I can confirm that we both think a wedding on a beach somewhere would be very romantic – when the time is right."
The couple, who have a ten-month old daughter, Ruby-Megan, are expecting another baby in November.
Charlotte added, "I knew that Gavin would be a good dad, but not this good. He's very focused. He even gets up when Ruby has a feed at night. I love everything about him. He's practically perfect – nice, kind, considerate, funny and serious when he has to be. He's got an amazing body, as well. I wait on him hand and foot. His mother spoiled him and now I spoil him too."
The former child star won't be stopping at just two children, though. "I'd like to have more children, a big family. Four or six, maybe," she said. "Gavin wants eight! Maybe he wants his own rugby team. I’m 22 now, and like to think that I’ll stop having babies in about ten years time. That seems sensible.”
Charlotte then went on to reveal that she and Gavin like to grow their own vegetables. "I love gardening. Gavin and I grow a lot of our own vegetables and we have some hens for fresh eggs," she said. "We've got dogs and geese as well. It's all very 'River Cottage' Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall would be very proud of us. We'd love to get an allotment as well."

Bush & his views on China

2008-08-05T17:58:00.002+01:00

Bush Says It's 'Important to Engage' China

A Mixed Appraisal on Eve of Visit

Bush said that he speaks candidly with Chinese President Hu Jintao about human rights, particularly religious freedom, and that he has shared his religious beliefs with Hu and Hu's predecessor, Jiang Zemin, urging them to lift restrictions on underground churches.

"My main objective in my discussions on religious freedom is to remind this new generation of leadership that religion is not to be feared but to be welcomed in society," Bush said in an interview. Asked whether he thinks he is making an impact on Hu, he replied: "Oh, I think he listens, absolutely. I think he's interested. . . . He absorbs, he takes in, he listens."
Bush said China must do more to pressure repressive governments in Burma and Sudan, where he suggested Beijing's interest in acquiring raw materials to fuel China's booming economy is conflicting with an interest in stopping the killing in Sudan's Darfur region. But he skirted a question about a pre-Olympics security drive by Chinese authorities that human rights advocates call a crackdown on dissent.

"They're hypersensitive to a potential terrorist attack," Bush said. "And my hope is, of course, that as they have their security in place, that they're mindful of the spirit of the Games, and that if there is a provocation, they handle it in a responsible way without violence."
The president has been criticized by some lawmakers and human rights groups for his decision to attend the Games. He explained his rationale: "One of the reasons I'm going is because I want to show respect to the Chinese people, and this is a proud moment for China."

Bush also grappled with how to gauge openness and freedom in China today. "I mean, this is a closed society in many ways," he said. "The Internet provides interesting opportunities for people to express themselves. Sometimes it's open, sometimes the filters are there. I've talked to the evangelicals who go there who feel like the underground church movement has gotten a few steps forward, a step-and-a-half back. It's really hard to tell."

During a half-hour interview in his private office aboard Air Force One, Bush emphasized that it is "important to engage the Chinese" -- a striking comment for a president who came to office with aides depicting China as a "strategic competitor" and surrounded by hawks who looked suspiciously upon the Chinese government. Even critics of the president say he has emerged as an unexpected diplomat with China, conducting a personal campaign to woo the senior Chinese leadership.

The president was on his way to Alaska for a brief rally with troops before flying to Seoul for the first stop of a seven-day trip to Asia, culminating this weekend with an appearance at the opening ceremonies in Beijing, attendance at athletic events, worship at a Chinese church, and meetings with Hu and other officials.

Bush's planned meeting with Hu at the Olympics this month will be his 15th meeting with a Chinese president. His visit to China will be the fourth of his presidency; no other U.S. president has visited China more than once.
Over the course of his administration, Bush has delivered for China in important and unexpected ways: A president who in his early days made a guarantee to defend Taiwan later warned the island against declaring independence and has established what China experts see as a de facto freeze on arms sales to Taiwan. After angering China by labeling North Korea part of an "axis of evil," Bush led a diplomatic initiative aimed at cooling tensions on the Korean Peninsula. While critical of China on human rights, Bush has not hectored authorities in Beijing. authorities.
He and his advisers say his approach has paid off: The United States has secured Chinese help on North Korea and Iran while avoiding a blowup in the Taiwan Strait, despite the intense passions and military buildups on both sides.

Where have all the protests gone?

2008-08-05T17:39:00.000+01:00

Protest Zones, In Theory, At Least

The Chinese government has designated three Beijing parks for approved protests. Would-be demonstrators must apply at least five days in advance. Expect plenty of open space in those parks during the games.

Best Chinese athletes.

2008-08-05T17:36:00.001+01:00

Pressure On Chinese Athletes Liu Xiang And Yao Ming
Peter Parks

Liu Xiang electrified China when he won the 110-meter high hurdles in Athens, becoming the first Chinese male athlete to win a gold medal in track. He became a huge national sports hero, right up there with NBA basketball star Yao Ming.But he's been struggling with a hamstring injury — and his world record was shattered by Dayron Robles of Cuba. China, of course, is hoping for a storybook finish, with the trailblazing star capturing a second gold medal in front of the adoring home crowd. But the speedy Robles and Liu's balky hamstring could ruin the storyline.

Yao Ming is just getting back into shape after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot during the past NBA season. The Chinese men's team isn't expected to win a medal. But as the great global crossover star in China, Yao needs to play well for home country pride.

CHINA Versus USA ~ Who will win the Golds?

2008-08-05T17:31:00.002+01:00

The New, Big International Sports Rivalry — U.S. Vs. China

The U.S. has won the most gold medals at every Summer Olympics since 1996. Now it's China's turn. At least, that's what forecasters are saying. The time and place of the games will make for some intense competition between the two countries.

The first big showdown is the men's basketball game on Aug. 10. The advantage there clearly goes to the U.S. Also, women's gymnastics could be especially dramatic. The two teams are the best in the world.

My monies are on the Host nation to win most medals. They have home advantage, have put plenty of preparation into their athletes and USA are over the top!!

Looking forward to the Olympics

2008-08-05T17:05:00.002+01:00

I'm really looking forward to the Olympics ~ after all I've been waiting 4 years since the last one!

I'm sure China will put on a great games ~ their preparation has been meticulous. I have been a China-Observer now for about 10 years and I have watched a nation in the painful process of change and development ~ and so much has changed for the better.

Good Luck China in your Games!!!!!!

Andy moves to Number 6 in the ratings

2008-08-04T15:01:00.000+01:00

Murray wins at Cincy

2008-08-04T14:59:00.000+01:00

Murray fights off Djokovic for Cincy title

Mason, OH (Sports Network) - Eighth-seeded Scotsman Andy Murray scored an upset of third-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic in a heated battle at the $2.615 million Western & Southern Financial Group Masters tennis event on Sunday.

Murray won in straight sets 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5), but the feisty Djokovic forced a tie-breaker in each before Murray ultimately pulled out his third ATP title of the year. It was the sixth title of his career in just his 10th career ATP final. The Scotland native notched victories at Doha and Marseille earlier this year.

Murray pocketed $420,000 for the hard-fought victory.

"I mean, it's huge to win your first sort of major tournament, and to do it in a match like today makes it more special," said Murray. "I've been in the semifinals four times before this week, and lost every time against tough players. This week I played well the whole week, and even though he had the chance to when he get back into the match, I was really happy with the way that I fought and stayed in there. I put in a lot of work off the court to be able to win these sort of tournaments, and it makes it all worthwhile."
Djokovic owned a 4-1 advantage in head-to-head matchups coming into the match including a win this year at Monaco. Murray, however, was victorious in their last meeting, a quarterfinal matchup at the Rogers Cup just two weeks ago.
Murray advanced to the final with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over 16th-seeded Ivo Karlovic in a match that lasted one hour and 21 minutes.
Djokovic ousted second-seeded Rafael Nadal in the semifinals with a shocking 6-1, 7-5 upset of the soon to be No. 1 ranked player on tour. The Serb failed in his bid for a fourth title this season in his 15th career ATP final.
Despite Djokovic's snapping of Nadal's 32-match winning streak, the Wimbledon and French Open champion will dethrone Roger Federer as the No. 1 ranked player on August 18th. Federer has held the top ranking a record 235 consecutive weeks (since February 2, 2004), while Nadal has been No. 2 for a record 158 straight weeks (since July 25, 2005). The last player to rank No. 1 before Federer was Andy Roddick.
Nadal will become just the third Spaniard to take hold of the No. 1 position, joining Carlos Moya (1999) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003).
08/03 20:24:40 ET
Powered by The Sports Network.

Vaughan ~ Should have gone earlier!

2008-08-04T14:51:00.003+01:00

When one thinks of Vaughan's poor and unspirited recent displays, his inability to see through his own worth to the team and his lack of muscle and consistency as captain, the question to be asked is : Why wasn't he sacked a year ago?

England's results will be better without him dragging the team down!

Pietersen gets the England job!!

2008-08-04T14:49:00.001+01:00

Pietersen appointed England cricket captain
The Associated Press
Published: August 4, 2008

LONDON:

Kevin Pietersen's remarkable career took its latest and arguably most dramatic turn Monday when he was named England cricket captain.

The South African-born batsman will lead England in test, one-day and Twenty20 matches, starting with the fourth test against South Africa this week.

The appointment came a day after Michael Vaughan's sudden resignation and caps a remarkable rise for the 28-year-old Pietersen, who was viewed as the enfant terrible of English cricket when he made his debut against Australia three years ago.

He has since toned down his outspoken comments — and outrageous haircuts — to become one of the team's most reliable members.

"I will always respect what has happened in the past and I will always respect what Michael did and what my predecessors did," Pietersen said. "I will always look for advice because I'm new in this job.

England Rugby in decline

2008-07-10T15:01:00.001+01:00

ITN - 10.07.2008 13:56

Rugby stars fined over misconduct

© ITN 2008

England rugby players Topsy Ojo and Mike Brown have been found guilty of misconduct following an investigation into the tour of New Zealand.

The inquiry was conducted Jeff Blackett, the Rugby Football Union's chief disciplinary officer, and found David Strettle and Danny Care not guilty of misconduct.

Ojo was fined £500 and reprimanded after he was found to have stayed out all night.
Brown was fined £1,000 and reprimanded after also staying out all night and arriving late for a physiotherapist appointment.

Ojo, Brown and Care were at the centre of sex allegations following England's 37-20 defeat by the All Blacks in Auckland.
But no official complaint was made against the players, who denied any wrongdoing.
In a report, Blackett said: "All the players I have interviewed vehemently deny any criminal wrongdoing.
"I have seen or heard no evidence which has been tested to gainsay those denials."
He revealed Strettle was not in the list of people the New Zealand police wished to interview.

Add Your Personal Review of http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sci/tech/7498878.stm

2008-07-10T11:48:00.000+01:00

Add Your Personal Review of http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sci/tech/7498878.stm

BBC NEWS | Business | Tale of two towns on house prices

2008-07-10T11:35:00.000+01:00

BBC NEWS Business Tale of two towns on house prices

Federer V Nadal at Wimbledon

2008-07-09T14:45:00.000+01:00

James Lawton: Why Federer v Nadal was simply the greatest sporting event I've ever seen
Tuesday, 8 July 2008

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Yes, you're right, it could be that the emotion of the moment distorts, and perhaps devalues, the glories of the past. True, also, that all attempts to make some absolute judgement on the superiority of one passage of sport over another are always going to be arbitrary and perhaps easily flawed.
So does this mean we are bound to revisit Wimbledon on Sunday night and concede we might just have got a little carried away when Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer fought out what John McEnroe and Rod Laver believe to be the best Wimbledon final anyone has ever seen?
You may think that it needs to be done, if only as a mark of respect to all those who had gone before, men like Laver and Borg and McEnroe and Sampras and, perhaps not least, Goran Ivanisevic, who came as a wild card after three final defeats and distilled all his passion for the game into an unforgettable victory over the formidable Australian Pat Rafter. But then I don't.
Indeed, the stronger inclination is to return to SW19 and hoist a flag or plant a tree and reaffirm that here, on Sunday 6 July 2008, we not only saw the greatest tennis match ever played, we were also given, cleanly, beautifully, the very essence of all that is best in sport and in a way I had never quite seen before and do not confidently expect ever to see again.
Maybe we should try to define the best of sport. It can come in a variety of forms but always it must be underpinned by a purity of effort, a refusal to hold back on anything of yourself, even in the most discouraging circumstances, and when we see this, as we did on Sunday as the day stretched into the night, we can only hope for one ultimate bonus. It is that the competition is so balanced, and so intense and brilliant, that it is only in the very moment of victory that we can draw a line between the victor and the vanquished and that even when this has happened, we know as surely as we have known anything of what we have seen in any sports arena, that if the prospect of defeat had become unbearable the one who suffers the pain of it is not diminished in any eyes but his own.
Who could not say this of Roger Federer after he brought himself back from the possibility of annihilation so superbly that the obituaries being penned even before he stepped on to the Centre Court against his strong and magnificently competitive young challenger were made to seem premature to the point of bad taste?
No, we do not know how Federer will respond over the months to the loss of his Wimbledon title, but it should not be forgotten that, at the age of 26 and after recovering from a bout of glandular fever, he long ago negotiated the challenge that now faces the precocious boy-man from Majorca. It is the one that comes when you have exceeded all your hopes and then wake up one morning wondering about the health of your appetite – and your eagerness to go on repeating all those days of self-sacrifice, of continuing to see your sport as the core of your life. If Roger Federer proved nothing else on Sunday, he did that, and then when you consider the scale of his recovery and the fineness of his eventual defeat and all the searing virtuosity that had preceded it, is it not fatuous to believe that this was the end of something that for so many years was unique?
You could see on the faces of Nadal and Federer how much this match meant to them, both at the start and the finish. Nadal had ecstasy at the end and Federer, it seemed, the deepest resolution to revisit this place and make a different result. Yet even as you speculated on how they would readjust to their new situations, you could not but return to the astonishing inspiration and facility of the tennis they had produced under pressure that, plainly, neither of them had quite felt before.
Nor, when you left Wimbledon, could you ignore the question that beat in your brain and tugged at your heart: had anything you had ever seen of sport before touched you so deeply, not so much in the spectacle of it – though heaven knows it was breathtaking enough – but in the spirit and the conduct and the ambition of the men who made it?
Of course, there are more than a few contenders and perhaps the one which is closest in the intensity of the head-to-head competition, and the profundity of the commitment of both men, is the great world welterweight title fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns in Las Vegas in 1981. It ended in the 14th round and it was titanic. It shifted in turns subtly and violently and you could never be sure of the outcome until Leonard, whose wife Juanita had been crying from ringside, "No more, baby, no more," finished it in the fashion of the street fighter he really was beneath the glitter of dazzling skills.
That fight was great in the way Nadal-Federer was great because when Hearns was taken out of the ring, hanging on the shoulders of two beefy security men and his feet trailing in the dust, you knew that you had just seen two hugely talented men go to the very edge of their ability and their courage.
It was haunting to see Brazil lose to Italy in the Sarria stadium in Barcelona in the 1982 World Cup and some of the images of the game, you knew, would last for ever, Falcao volleying in for an equaliser and Paolo Rossi, lurking like the assassin he was, scoring three goals, but the contest was flawed because the Brazilians lost their discipline and found instead vanity and, unlike Federer, had too many reasons for regret in a shattering defeat.
Sebastian Coe's 1500 metres gold in the Moscow Olympics will always rank high because that too was the result of an extraordinary recovery of will. When earlier he lost in the 800 metres to his fierce rival Steve Ovett, he was so distressed his father and coach Peter had to hold on to him when he left the stadium. He was, at least psychologically, as ravaged as Tommy Hearns.
Yes, when you think about it, there is no shortage of claimants to the high ground occupied by Nadal and Federer.
There was England winning the World Cup as a team in 1966, and Maradona claiming it virtually on his own 20 years later, and England's cricketers, in one shining, lost summer winning back the Ashes in 2005, and Steven Redgrave making Olympic history on a diamond of a morning in Sydney, and Lester Piggott bringing home The Minstrel at Epsom with such conviction that you had to wonder where he found his hauteur and his resolve. Manchester United winning their European Cups, particularly the one that came a decade after Munich and the other prised out of the ether in Barcelona have a place, obviously, as does Tiger Woods winning his first major at Augusta by a mile and his last one in California last month by an inch despite the acute pain from a wounded knee.
Yet, still, the belief here is that there was something unique about what happened on the Centre Court last Sunday.
A lot of it was to do with the balance of the match and how that was recreated only after Federer, who had come over his years as Wimbledon champion to represent so much more than mere versatility, had to remake himself under the gaze of so many who had arrived convinced that it was to see him crack. Well, he didn't crack; he was broken for a while and it was the sight of him recovering his game and his pride that was the most compelling ingredient of all.
Partly this was because it meant that no one could say Rafael Nadal had merely presided over the disintegration of a great player. No, in the end this ferocious and engaging young sportsman was not pushing aside a parody of possibly the most naturally gifted champion tennis had ever seen. He was engaging him on the highest ground their sport had ever occupied, and he was doing it with phenomenal power and skill and application.
The warming effect will certainly last this one lifetime.

Star Wars (The Force)---Vrs----Zidane

2008-07-07T18:39:00.001+01:00

Alabama 3 - U Don't Dans To Tekno Anymore

2008-07-07T18:30:00.001+01:00

Name & Shame

2008-06-22T13:24:00.003+01:00

Should England Rugby Management name the players who have been involved in various sexual incidents whilst in NZ recently?

Yes ~ for the sake of all team members! At the present time all of the players are under scrutiny for the wrongdoings of a minority.

NAME & SHAME the few , I say!! For the sake of the good names of the majority.

Rob Andrews in the spotlight

2008-06-22T13:22:00.002+01:00

Rob Andrews has been accused by his own players of being a little too lax in discipline on the recent shameful tour of New Zealand.

The suggestion is that " The players call the shots".

And they certainly drink them.........according to my sources in certain Auckland bars.

Rugby Players could be named!

2008-06-22T13:20:00.001+01:00

England tour of New Zealand: Implicated players could be named as gloom deepensBy Paul Ackford

Last Updated: 10:06am BST 22/06/2008

The identities of four England rugby union players alleged to have had some involvement in a serious sexual assault in the Hilton Hotel, Auckland, could be disclosed on their return home.

Match report: Battered England in freefall
In pics: England suffer Player ratings
Paul Ackford: England's reputation has been hammered

Senior Rugby Football Union figures, concerned at the damage done to the reputation of individuals not implicated in the incident, are considering setting up an internal disciplinary investigation and are prepared to name names.

Under fire: Rob Andrew's ability to maintain discipline on the England tour is under the spotlight
The matter will be decided by Jeff Blackett, the RFU's disciplinary officer and the Judge Advocate General. "Clearly we have to do something," Blackett said. "The team can't come back and nothing happens. Something's got to happen and something has to be made public. The consideration that there are a number of entirely uninvolved players, and that unless others are named those innocent players may be tainted by association, is a consideration we have to think about."
To deepen England's gloom, they suffered their second-worst margin of defeat against the All Blacks when they went down 44-12 in Christchurch yesterday, and in doing so lost the Test series 2-0.
Speculation has been intense around England's Christchurch hotel as to which of the squad may have been party to the alleged assault. Fourteen names have been mentioned, and several players are aggrieved that no one is above suspicion.
On Friday, RFU chief executive Francis Baron said he expected internal disciplinary procedures to begin once the police investigation had run its course. However, on legal advice, England players refused to talk to members of the Auckland police who flew to Christchurch on Thursday, and there is still no indication as to when, or if, a formal complaint will be made.
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The matter is further complicated in that there are a number of incidents alleged to have taken place at the team hotel on the morning after that first Test. "There are bound to be internal disciplinary issues," Blackett said. "It wouldn't be a question of did X have sex with Y? It would be more a matter of did anyone put themselves in a situation by breaking team rules where those allegations could be made?"
At present there are no specific regulations in England's disciplinary protocol which refer to female company. However, on July 1, when Martin Johnson officially takes over as manager and the new agreement governing England's top 32 players begins, players will have to sign a code of conduct which is considerably more detailed.
Blackett may also come under pressure to examine the leadership of Baron and Rob Andrew, the RFU's elite director of rugby and the team's temporary manager. On Thursday, one of the England coaches let slip that tour discipline had been lax, that players were effectively calling the shots and that this had been the case for a long while.
Baron and Andrew have already attracted adverse comment. Before England left for New Zealand, at a RFU council meeting, both were criticised for their handling of the appointment of Johnson as England's new team manager and the demotion of head coach Brian Ashton. Council members expressed disquiet at Baron's style of management, which was described as "unnecessarily confrontational".
Allegations were also made that Baron had unilaterally sold 1,000 debentures in Twickenham's new South Stand to commercial operations, raising around £6 million. Under RFU regulations, most matters relating to ticketing come under the remit of the Council. Some Council members are so incensed at the way they have been treated that they are determined to get rid of Baron within 15 months.

Calendar: Full list of rugby union fixtures
David Kirk: All Black side built on twin axis
Matt Stevens: We're bitter about what happened

Yesterday, Andrew was back in the hot seat and at pains to play down suggestions that England had been on another 'tour from hell'. The original 'tour from hell' was in 1998, when Clive Woodward's under-strength England suffered two hammerings at the hands of the All Blacks and heavy defeats to both Australia and South Africa.
"This was certainly not a tour from hell, by any stretch of the imagination," Andrew said. "We wanted to learn about our younger players, and we have learned some really good things."
Read the latest from Paul Ackford

Shame on you England rugby players

2008-06-22T12:58:00.001+01:00

Have you heard that England players score more off the field than on. But it still takes 4 of them to do it!

Pikeys in the news....at the F1

2008-06-10T16:24:00.002+01:00

In view of ITVs recent commentator's......comments, I think we need a few Pikey jokes............

A group of pikeys arrive at Heaven, and St. Peter is waiting at the Pearl Gates. "We want to come in." One of them says.

St. Peter replies, "One moment please. God has a thing about pikeys coming in to Heaven.

"He visits God and tells him about the pikeys. "No way!" God shouts. "Go back to the Pearl Gates and tell them to piss off!

"St. Peter goes back to the Gates and then back to God.

"They're gone." He says.

"The pikeys?" God asks.

"No," St. Peter replies, "The Gates."

Williams Try - South Africa v Wales - Rugby 07/06/08

2008-06-08T15:53:00.001+01:00

Shane Williams proves it can be done!

French Sport ~ Rugby or Boxing?

2008-06-08T15:50:00.001+01:00

Wow...........I blame the referee!!

Bitter Pill for Wales to swallow......

2008-06-08T15:34:00.002+01:00

Ieuan Evans: Warren Gatland's quest for Wales skills to reach new peak

By Ieuan Evans
Last Updated: 1:33am BST 08/06/2008

Have your say Read comments

The stony face of Warren Gatland told the story of Wales's afternoon in Bloemfontein. It was disappointing for the players and supporters and shows how far the team has to travel to produce consistent performances. It was pretty ominous at times.

Wales reduced to tatters by Springbok blitz
In pics: Ireland edged out by All Blacks, Springboks hammer Wales
Stats: Summer Test teams and stats

The fact remains - despite Wales having won the Six Nations Championship - that the skill levels of the players are still not good enough to compete fully against the bigger and better southern hemisphere players.

It's good to talk: Warren Gatland gives out instructions ahead of Wales' defeat in Bloemfontein
Gatland knows this and has talked often about the subject. He unexpectedly engineered instant success this season but he is aware the team are far from the finished article.

It may be a case of one step forward and two steps back. It was always going to be a fierce examination in a city where South Africa rarely lose. The odds were against the visitors because of the conditions and the altitude.

Gatland knows that to improve Wales he must challenge the players and this Test series is expected to stretch everyone.

Wales have improved but the Springboks remain too powerful. Their bigger men like John Smit, Bakkies Botha and Pierre Spies have excellent, all-round skills.
At least Wales showed they have the capability of scoring. They produced two well-worked tries where they held on to the ball and showed the breathtaking ability we know they have. But overall they were well beaten.

Wales must realise that they cannot harness the talent of Shane Williams and co until they can hold on to possession for sustained periods in which they make no errors. Against the Springboks yesterday, they just made too many mistakes.

In the first half, Wales committed 10 unforced errors and no coach can plan for that. They simply did not do this in the Six Nations. Against the aggressive defence of South Africa, Wales struggled. A lot has been said about the Springboks, but when it came time to find the top gear they really put the pedal to the floor. For Wales, William's try was a stand-out moment, but before then the Springboks had won the contest in an area where Gatland's team often excel. They have made the offload one of their best aspects but the likes of centre Jean de Villiers and Juan Smith, the flanker, were too good. In fact, they were brilliant in helping to make the four tries for South Africa.

Wales will ponder their preparations. They had taken medical advice and trained in Cape Town until a day before the match. The idea was that by remaining at sea level until the last moment, the affects of the high altitude in Bloemfontein would be negated. The All Blacks and Wallabies have followed this pattern and won games.

Mick Cleary: NZ's pros and cons
One aspect they might question, however, is the lack of a warm-up match. Wales have not played competitively for three weeks. Gatland has talked about going back to introducing traditional tour games but this is a tricky decision that depends on the availability of players.
South Africa produced a professional performance. If you consider all the changes from the World Cup then it was impressive.

Wales must consider making changes, but there is little time to turn things round. Gatland must look at the scrum-half situation and consider giving Warren Fury a full debut. Some people have suggested playing Williams at No?9 but he is a world-class wing. I'm loathed to move players from their best positions.

Welsh gays in the scrum .....

2008-06-08T15:32:00.000+01:00

The Gay world Cup in Ireland

2008-06-08T15:30:00.000+01:00

Top gay rugby team's world cup battle
Jun 8 2008 by Sarah Miloudi, Wales On Sunday

TRY GUYS!

WHILE Wales’ rugby stars fight it out in South Africa this summer, another Welsh squad jets off to Ireland this week for a very different tour – the gay world cup.

Kicking off on Friday, the contest will play host to more than 30 sides from around the globe.
Some will have travelled as far as Australia to take part in the contest, which will be preceded by a lavish opening party on Thursday.

And just eight months after the real Rugby World Cup, the Welsh squad is hoping they won’t repeat Wales’ dismal performance last Autumn, when the side was knocked out in the pool stages after losing to Fiji.

The Cardiff Lions last year came fourth and this year are hoping to lift the Bingham Bowl.
Fly-half and former captain of the squad Justin Gyphion, of Llandaff, Cardiff, said: “The tournament kicks off on Friday and the finals will be held a couple of days later.
“We are hoping to do better than last year when we finished up in the top third of the teams in our level.”
According to the 27-year-old recruitment consultant, there is no difference in standards between gay and straight rugby teams.

He said: “In terms of the game and the rules, there is absolutely nothing different between the rugby teams, and in terms of the standards of the sides, these can be very high in teams playing in the upper leagues.

“Certain people just feel happier playing in circumstances where they won’t be discriminated against.”

Currently Nigel Owens is the only gay official working in the sport’s highest ranks.
In 2007, the 35-year-old referee from Pontyberem, West Wales, spoke of his mental struggle before admitting publicly he was gay.

The Bingham Cup will run from Friday June 13 until Sunday June 15 at Dublin University. A total of 34 teams from America, Australia, Ireland and Wales will compete in the tournament.
sarah.miloudi@mediawales.co.uk

G.Henry can do no Right!!!

2008-06-08T15:27:00.000+01:00

Henry can do no right
By MICHAEL LAWS

Sunday Star Times Sunday, 08 June 2008

Last night the All Blacks played their first test of 2008. I doubt that, in the history of New Zealand rugby, so many rugby supporters have actually supported the opposite team. For there is an insurrection under way in the rugby heartland that no onfield success will quell.
But then New Zealanders are an odd people. We're not really happy unless we're miserable.
We eschew colour in our dress and our outlook: we are our ancestors, brown or white.
Let's be honest, neither's antecedents were anything wonderful. The Maori got lost and have their civilisation carbon-dated by rats. And the Europeans were very much the fag-end of their generation: if they had been any good, they would have stayed at home.
We are a nation composed of the eject of others.
Maybe that's why we really don't like ourselves. After all, we've always looked elsewhere for inspiration and affirmation whether from the Home Country, Hawaiki or Hollywood. And it's still true Scott Dixon and the Conchords were nobody until they did something overseas. We are now obsequious in our deference.
So is that why Graham Henry is the most reviled man in New Zealand? He lost us the 2007 world cup our collective statement to the world and, short of winning the 2011 contest, he remains the OJ Simpson of the oval world to a good proportion of rugby fans. Their blame remains the guy took our best chance, blew it, and now we have neither the pity nor the compassion to forgive.
And let's make no mistake here: we are still bloody serious about our rugby. It remains the most tangible expression of our nationhood. Sure, Hillary climbed Everest and Jackson won an Oscar, but that's peripheral stuff. Our identity rises and falls on the backs of our All Blacks.
Then there is Robbie Deans. St Robbie. Always smiling like some village idiot who strayed too near the transformers. Who never says anything remotely inspirational or insightful and perhaps because of that, has been elevated to the pantheon. Again, it took the interest of another nation for him to be properly valued.
Yes, you could buy into the nonsense that he is the best coach ever, of any sport in any generation. Or you could be a tad more realistic and say that your dead great-aunt could have coached the Crusaders, such is their talent and esprit de corps.
None of this vaguely excuses, though, the sedition of this past week. It ostensibly began with a treasonous column by the New Zealand Herald's sports writer Chris Rattue, declaring that he would neither watch nor support the All Blacks while Graham Henry remained at the helm. It was the literary equivalent of booing John Hart's horse at the Addington raceway after the metro gnome had blown New Zealand's other best chance in 1999.
Of course, Rattue could have just been stirring. It is not that unusual for some columnists to take an antsy angle just to gee up their readers. (Fortunately, I am not one of those. My prose is measured and moderate and it is my mission to be optimistic and complimentary about the human condition.)
But the reaction to Rattue has been interesting. A sizeable chunk of the New Zealand sporting populaton agrees that the All Blacks versus Wallabies epic this year, which includes four tests, is actually a contest between Graham Henry and St Robbie, and only one of them has horns and a swishy tail.
Even television newsreaders are opining "Go Robbie" in much the same asinine way that Americans think they have found a black Kennedy in Barack Obama. Indeed that is the analogy the ABs are coached by George W and the Wallabies by the junior senator from Illinois.
This level of fan antipathy is not necessarily a unique thing in the history of New Zealand sport. Rugby has seen darker days and the Springbok Tour of 1981 was an instance. We have also had our coaching feuds John Hart versus Grizz Wyllie and John Hart versus Laurie Mains. But this is the first time, surely, where a coach's opprobrium has spilled over and affected support for an entire national team.
But then one might argue that this is the Henry way. He has an unfortunate demeanour with a half smile that suggests the questioner is a loon. His offsiders aren't from the Carnegie charm school either "Shag" Hansen a gruff Cantabrian and Wayne Smith exuding an unsettling evangelism about quite ordinary players. The three horsemen of the apocalypse Pestilence being detained somewhere in Albanian soccer.
In many ways, they are your typical All Black coaches. If they were fully rounded individuals, they would be doing something else, but this is sport. It has always been completely mad. Elevating a recreational pastime to the moral equivalent of war does addle one's sensibilities.
But that New Zealand's national sport is inciting so many to insurrection so insidious that we would rather the Wallabies won than our national representatives that is more than madness. That it is fanned by the rugby media is also bizarre.
But then these are many of the same sports journalists who declared that Henry must go in the wake of the Rugby World Cup thinking that he would. It did not enter their minds that his services would be retained. Now that he has been reappointed, they have nowhere else to go. Henry must start the 2008 international season as their villain.
So if the All Blacks do lose this year, it will not be because of bum refereeing decisions, players dropping their bundles or because many of our best players are off chasing skirt and the euro on the Riviera. It will be Henry's fault. Pure and simple. Except if they win. Then it will be despite the former headmaster's leadership.
For the first time in my life, I feel genuine pity for a guy earning 10 times the average salary. The man who can do no right.

Stagnation in Rugby Union........

2008-06-08T15:21:00.002+01:00

By Peter Bills

The stagnation of world rugby, a reality confirmed by the recent World Cup and the Six Nations tournaments in the northern hemisphere, could be resolved in 2008's Tri-Nations
Championship.

The arrival of Robbie Deans as the new coach of Australia this week and Peter de Villiers's innovative hand on the controls in South African rugby, offers the game the opportunity to make overdue progress.Deans can lead the way in kick-starting international rugby in his first job as a national coach. Of the other countries in world rugby, only South Africa under Peter de Villiers looks to have much of a chance of matching Deans' likely progress, perhaps kicking off on Saturday against Wales in Bloemfontein.
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Like Deans, De Villiers understands the need to broaden his country's game, to expand players' personal horizons. The Springboks won the 2007 World Cup with blinkers on, playing a rigidly constructed game that had little vision or intuitive skill attached to it. It seems to me that one man can lead a much needed campaign to take rugby union on to a brighter, better plateau. That man is Robbie Deans. True, his Crusaders team won last weekend's Super 14 final through a watertight defence. But Deans has the vision, the capacity in his embrace of the game to play another way, in another style.The Crusaders' success has been hallmarked by the players' phenomenal support for the ball carrier. Options are myriad for the man in possession; to his left, his right or behind. Passes are given in the secure knowledge that a colleague will take the ball and make further progress.Under Deans, the Crusaders understand the great value of off-loading in the tackle, of extending the movement by seeking width and ensuring continuity through a pass. Support is axiomatic and this continuity is the key to breaking down modern day tight defences. Deans will bring a vibrant, challenging mind to the job of coaching the Wallabies. He will ask questions of players, demand they accept greater responsibility and make their own decisions on the field. All of which De Villiers is already demanding of the Springboks. He is right to do so for this is surely the way forward.Ironically, it could be New Zealand who will lag behind this year, as their southern hemisphere rivals seek to broaden their horizons. New Zealand has lost some talented players of the highest calibre and the loss will be keenly felt, not least during this Tri-Nations campaign.

If ever South Africa had an opportunity to win in the All Blacks' backyard it is surely next month.

I fear we will look in vain to the northern hemisphere to lead the game out of this current pit of mediocrity.

France are all over the place, a disparate group of players under a new coach.

Wales are Six Nations Champions but their pragmatic coach Warren Gatland admits he still does not yet know the extent of their capabilities, despite a Grand Slam in his first season in charge.

Ireland, too, has a new coach, or will have in September. Declan Kidney has replaced Eddie O'Sullivan but he isn't on the end-of-season tour to New Zealand and Australia. How wonderfully Irish is that? Wouldn't he have learned something about some players had he made the trip?

England remains an enigma, driven by internal strife. Like Kidney, Martin Johnson is not touring to New Zealand this summer; hence, his future impact remains unknown.

None of these nations is equipped to forge a new path for the game worldwide.

For that, we must look to innovative coaches, men of proper vision steeped in rugby knowledge. The rugby played by Graham Henry's teams in the past would suit but elsewhere, only Deans and De Villiers look remotely qualified on that front.

We must hope that the intrinsic pressures of their respective posts does not inhibit them in this task.World rugby urgently needs a new order, a new way. Australia and South Africa could lead that charge by the excellence and innovation of their play in 2008. Whether New Zealand can join them, given such significant changes in playing personnel, will be fascinating to discover, maybe starting on Saturday morning against Ireland in Wellington.

When North meets South ~ South will win!!!!!!!

2008-06-08T15:18:00.000+01:00

South Africa Defeats Wales in Rugby Test; N.Z. Wins (Update1)
By James Cone

June 7 (Bloomberg) -- World champion South Africa crossed for four tries in a 43-17 rugby Test victory today against Six Nations winner Wales.

New Zealand defeated Ireland 21-11.

Conrad Jantjes, Jean de Villers, Pierre Spies and second- half replacement Percy Montgomery touched down in Bloemfontein in coach Peter de Villiers's first match in charge.
De Villiers was named as the first black coach of the Springboks in January following the exit of Jake White, who last year led South Africa to its second World Cup title.
Butch James put the Springboks ahead after six minutes with the first of his five penalties today, and doubled the home team's lead two minutes later. He also converted all four tries.
Stephen Jones replied for Wales soon after before two more successful kicks for James put South Africa ahead 12-3. Fullback Jantjes got the opening try in the 30th minute, collecting a pass from Adrian Jacobs before touching down under the posts.
A Jamie Roberts try, converted by Jones, kept Wales in contention, but another penalty from James gave the Springboks a 12-point advantage at halftime.
De Villiers and Spies got tries as South Africa took control in the second half, though Shane Williams broke through to touch down for Wales. Montgomery's try, converted by James, completed the scoring after 70 minutes.
Both teams ended the match with 14 men after CJ van der Linde and Richard Hibbard exchanged punches.
Sitiveni Sivivatu, with his 22nd try in 22 Tests, and Ma'a Nonu touched down in Wellington for New Zealand against Ireland, which was aiming for its first win against the All Blacks in 103 years.
Fly-half Daniel Carter added a conversion and three penalties for New Zealand in its first Test since a quarterfinal defeat at the World Cup.
Paddy Wallace got a try for Ireland, which was tied at 11- 11 with 20 minutes remaining at the Westpac Stadium. Ronan O'Gara scored two penalties.
Elsewhere, Argentina beat Scotland 21-15 in Rosario. Chris Paterson, who tied Scott Murray's record of 87 Test appearances for Scotland, kicked all the visiting team's points.

Safina Success

2008-06-02T18:15:00.001+01:00

Safina powers her way forward in the French Open........

THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET.Versailles.

2008-06-02T17:55:00.001+01:00

Paula ~ The best about sport

2008-05-28T10:44:00.000+01:00

Radcliffe bronze still 'awesome'

Yelling and Radcliffe are friends and share the same coaches

An Olympic bronze for Paula Radcliffe would be an "awesome achievement," says British marathon team-mate Liz Yelling.

Radcliffe, 34, was favourite to win Olympic marathon gold in Beijing but now faces a fight to be fit after suffering a stress fracture to her leg.

"She wants to win the gold," said Yelling. "But it would still be an awesome achievement if she came away with the bronze medal.

"People shouldn't give up on her and ask her to throw in the towel."

Radcliffe's plans for a fourth Olympic Games suffered a major setback when she was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her left thigh last week.
Despite medical experts saying the injury could take six to eight weeks to heal, the marathon world record holder plans to start running again in a fortnight.

If she says she will be fit enough to go to the Olympics then so be it - let her go

Radcliffe insists she is "90-100%" likely to run in Beijing and has returned to her French training base in Font Romeu to continue her preparations.
And Yelling says her former training partner must be allowed to make her own decision about whether she could compete in China.
"I think everyone should just give her room to make her own decision," said Yelling, who will be making a second successive Olympic marathon appearance.
"She needs a chance to prove her fitness and that she can get there.
"She'll know next month where she stands and only Paula can answer that question."
Radcliffe is determined to make up for her Athens heartache, when she was forced to pull out of the Olympic marathon at the 23-mile mark.

However, if she is not fit enough to compete in Beijing, Scotland's Hayley Haining has been nominated as a reserve to join Yelling and Mara Yamauchi in Britain's female marathon squad.
The women's Olympic marathon in Beijing is on 17 August and starts from Tianamen Square to the finish point in the National Stadium.

Euro ~ 2008

2008-05-28T10:42:00.000+01:00

Euro 2008: Who will you support?

Would you want to work for the Russian?

2008-05-28T10:38:00.002+01:00

Mark Hughes, Roberto Mancini and Felipe Scolari are among those on Chelsea's shortlist for the managerial job.

Stay where you are guys ~ The Chairman's a Russian without any idea of loyalty or fairness........and doesn't really know much about football either.

BO HO Manchester!!

2008-05-28T10:35:00.001+01:00

Manchester United have threatened to report Real Madrid to Fifa over their interest in signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
A United statement read: "We have watched with growing irritation the comments attributed to Real Madrid over their alleged desire to sign Cristiano.
"We will have no alternative but to report Real if it continues to behave in this totally unacceptable fashion."

BUT HE WANTS TO PLAY FOR THEM ~ NOT MAN UNITED!!

Carl ~ Do your best!

2008-05-28T10:32:00.001+01:00

Crystal Palace midfielder Carl Fletcher will captain Wales in Wednesday night's friendly against Iceland in Reykjavik.

Fletcher, 28, takes the armband because Craig Bellamy is not fit enough to reclaim his captain's role, while stand-in Simon Davies is out injured.

West Ham striker Bellamy could play some part, but boss John Toshack will turn to his youngsters against Iceland.
The hosts will be without star striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who has been blocked from playing by his club Barcelona.
The 29-year-old former Chelsea forward was set to captain Iceland in Wednesday's friendly at the Laugardalsvollur Stadium.
But Iceland were dealt a huge blow when the Spanish giants refused to release talisman Gudjohnsen.
Wales, meanwhile, are missing Davies, David Cotterill, Brian Stock, Paul Parry, Craig Davies, Jermaine Easter, David Vaughan and Carl Robinson.
Wigan forward Cotterill has withdrawn from this week's friendly double-header against Iceland and the Netherlands, on Sunday, for personal reasons, as has Oldham striker Craig Davies and Cardiff's Parry.

606: DEBATE
Give your thoughts on the Wales squad

Fulham midfielder Davies has an ankle injury, Stock picked up a back injury in Doncaster's play-off final win on Sunday against Leeds, while Easter has tendonitis and Vaughan has a leg injury.
Bellamy has been out since 2 February with an abdominal injury but Toshack is hopeful that his regular skipper will be able to take a place on the bench.
Robinson is also set to miss Tuesday's friendly with Iceland as the Toronto midfielder is playing against Montreal on Wednesday.
Hull duo Boaz Myhill and Sam Ricketts will not feature in Iceland after playing in the Championship play-off final on Saturday.
But Toshack will have them back for the visit to Rotterdam on 1 June.
That means Fletcher will be the old hand leading a bunch of talented youngsters into action against Iceland.
Ched Evans, Sam Vokes, James Collison, Joe Jacobson and Aaron Ramsey could all win their first caps.
"There has been a massive change in this squad since my first cap four years ago," Fletcher said.
"But only for the better, there are a lot of really good kids here now and they are in the squad on merit.
"You can see it in training, they have great talent and will give Welsh football a great future.
"There are so many - usually you see two or three coming through but we have loads and that is very refreshing to see.
"It looks good for the World Cup campaign, we have a good blend of youth and experience and if it keeps going like this the sky's the limit."

Wales squad: Wayne Hennessey (Wolves), Boaz Myhill (Hull City), Lewis Price (Derby County), Darcy Blake (Cardiff City), Neal Eardley (Oldham Athletic), Steve Evans (Wrexham), Chris Gunter (Tottenham Hotspur), Joe Jacobson (Bristol Rovers), Craig Morgan (Peterborough United), Lewin Nyatanga (Derby County), Sam Ricketts (Hull City), Ashley Williams (Stockport County), Jack Collison (West Ham), Andrew Crofts (Gillingham), Arron Davies (Nottingham Forest), David Edwards (Wolves), Carl Fletcher (Crystal Palace), Mark Jones (Wrexham), Owain Tudur Jones (Swansea City), Jason Koumas (Wigan Athletic), Joe Ledley, Aaron Ramsey (both Cardiff City), Carl Robinson (Toronto), Craig Bellamy (West Ham), Craig Davies (Oldham Athletic), Freddy Eastwood (Wolves), Ched Evans (Manchester City), Daniel Nardiello (QPR), Sam Vokes (Wolves).

Drugs bust in AussieLand

2008-04-17T18:19:00.001+01:00

Olympian, rugby great's son in drug bust

April 17, 2008 - 6:30PM

Olympic silver medallist Scott Miller and the son of Wallabies legend Ken Catchpole are facing criminal charges after Sydney police raids allegedly uncovered drug manufacturing equipment.
Police allegedly found a pill press capable of producing up to 27,000 pills an hour, and a professional tablet counter when they searched a storage facility in Brookvale, on Sydney's northern beaches, at 11am (AEST) Wednesday.
Officers arrested Miller, 33, and allegedly seized OC (capsicum) spray and steroids after raiding his Dee Why unit at 2pm Wednesday.
Mark Catchpole, 40, was arrested at his Seaforth home at the same time.
Catchpole faced Manly Local Court Thursday on 11 charges, including possession of a tablet press, four counts of possessing a prohibited drug, firearms offences, possessing ammunition, possession of equipment to administer a prohibited drug, supplying a prohibited drug and dealing with proceeds of crime.
Police charge sheets allege that during the Seaforth raid, officers found an Amadeo Rossi brand .32 calibre revolver loaded with five Smith and Wesson bullets.
They also allegedly seized ecstasy, the illicit drug ice and three glass pipes used to smoke it, which are also illegal, as well as cocaine and cannabis.
Police also allegedly seized bundles of cash totalling almost a quarter of a million US dollars, suspected of being the proceeds of crime.
Catchpole elected not to appear in court during a brief mention of his matter, and a bail application was foreshadowed for his next appearance via audio-visual link on April 22 at Sydney's Central Local Court.
Bail was formally refused by Magistrate Andrew George and the former Sydney club rugby player and state representative was remanded in custody.
Outside the court, Catchpole's solicitor Ian Rolfe said his client was embarrassed by the charges.
"He's fine in the circumstances, a little embarrassed," Mr Rolfe said.
Miller has also been charged with possession of a tablet press, two counts of possessing a proscribed restricted substance and possessing an offensive weapon.
He was granted police bail on Wednesday night to appear at Manly Local Court on May 7.
The 33-year-old has gone into hiding and had yet to contact his family Thursday afternoon.
"I don't know anything about it mate," Miller's father Barry told AAP.
"The first I heard about it was on the news.
"I rushed in and tried to call him but he is not answering the phone.
"I expect he's inundated.
"I haven't spoken to him, but if I did, I would advise him to fight the charges."
Miller won a silver medal in the 100m butterfly and bronze in the men's medley relay at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Mark Catchpole's father Ken played 27 Tests for Australia - 13 as captain - and is widely regarded as one of rugby union's greatest scrum halves.
In 1961, he became one of only nine players to make their Test debut as captain when, aged 21, he led the Wallabies in the three-Test series against Fiji.
A medal in his name is awarded annually to the best and fairest player in Sydney club rugby.
Mark Catchpole won that award twice - in 1994 then in 1998, the first year it was named in honour of his father.
© 2008 AAP

Take that in Paris

2008-04-16T19:05:00.000+01:00

England Rugby ~ What a shambles....

2008-04-16T17:26:00.001+01:00

Rugby Has Gone Mad!
Six Nations England
by cwatts81 (U8942103) 16 April 2008

The rest of the Rugby World must be loving this. Its a shambles and we clealy dont have a clear view of where we are going next.Surely we are not going to have a review after every tournament and create this media circus!We are going to have a Manager now? one that chooses tactics and teams but does not play a hand in training? We have an "Elite Director of Rugby" who makes one decision, then goes back on it despite finishin second in the World Cup and second in the Six nations all in less than two years.This is mess and the Rugby World is laughin at us.One man is responsible, not Ashton, not Ford, not Baron......Rob Andrew, get that clown out of there and lets get back to basics....cos this is horrible.

humour football

2008-04-03T13:08:00.001+01:00

You gotta love British humour

2008-04-03T13:04:00.001+01:00

Does Shaun have a point?

2008-04-02T11:09:00.001+01:00

Johnson has management mettle, but chemistry with Ashton?

Any euphoria over Martin Johnson's return must be tempered with understanding that management and coaching are very different beasts

Shaun Edwards
March 28, 2008 12:30 AM

Can he do it? Absolutely. It obviously matters that Martin Johnson hasn't managed a side before. A little experience is always helpful. But if you had to pick a man to lead England - not coach them - then I see no problem.
Managing and coaching are different. No matter how good a player you were, you go straight down to the bottom rung again when you choose to coach. The learning process starts all over again, so it's best to be humble, stick to what you know and pick up the bits and pieces as you go along.
Coaches never stop learning. Being with Wales has made me a better coach, no doubt about it. Test rugby is a hot-house environment, but ideas come from many sources. In the early days guys like Brian Ashton and Clive Griffiths were incredibly helpful and I owe them a lot, but one of the best ideas I've heard about rucking and counter-rucking came from a bright young coach involved in junior rugby.
Management is different. Part is about putting things in place to ensure that the team have the best possible chance of success.
Depending on the budget, it's about finding the best medic, physio, kit man, masseur, media guru and chef, and putting them alongside savvy coaches - forwards, back, defence, set-piece fitness, however you want to carve it up - assistant coaches and video analysts. And Johnson had a good teacher in Sir Clive Woodward. England's squad of 30 for the 2003 World Cup - 31 when Simon Shaw was added - were supported by another 18 backroom staff, including a visual awareness coach in Sherylle Calder, a South African who went on to work with Jake White's World Cup-winning Springboks in France last year.
Johnson hasn't been away from rugby that long. In fact he seems to have spent the last couple of years in the international rugby orbit, so he will know the right people. But it's also about setting the right tone and getting the chemistry right.
I've only met Johnson socially, so I've never experienced the man at work. Those that have say he has an uncluttered mind, speaks directly and without the mumbo jumbo that too often confuses messages. In the heat of battle a brooding look often seemed enough and I know a journalist who insists that a Johnson scowl was enough to cut short any idea of asking whether he intended to prolong his international career after 2003.
But go back to the chemistry thing. I've been lucky since I moved into coaching after rugby league. My first boss was Nigel Melville, who knew his way around, had been in place at Wasps since the start of the professional era and was prepared to give me a chance.
Under Nigel I developed my own ideas, but it was not until he brought in Warren Gatland, before leaving for Gloucester, that I had someone to bounce them off and found that we were in agreement about things like the blitz defence and keeping the ball in play longer.
The chemistry was so good that when we independently drew up lists of what needed to be done at Wasps they were frighteningly similar. They were put into action and the result was three league championships and one Heineken Cup before Warren went off to Waikato, to be replaced by Ian McGeechan, very much my rock when Warren got the Wales job and asked me to help.
Ian, above everyone else, understood why I wanted to do it, argued my corner when necessary and had the faith to believe that Wasps would benefit. Chemistry.
That's why you can feel for Ashton. He - and Andy Robinson before him - has struggled with a structure that probably hasn't been right since Woodward resigned. Both men asked in vain for a manager to work with them on matters beyond their obvious skill sets.
Can Ashton now work with Johnson? They did so successfully with England eight years ago, but that was a player-coach relationship. Whether a new manager who has total control can work with a coach who got to the World Cup final only five months ago is something else.
If Johnson's England go one better in New Zealand in 2011 you can bet on one thing: that his first piece of management will have been to get the right men around him.

Can Arsenal win in Europe? YES OR NO?

2008-04-02T11:00:00.001+01:00

Big debate: is Arsenal's squad strong enough to win in Europe?

Charlie Nicholas has faith in Arsène Wenger's young guns while Frank McLintock believes they lack experience
guardian.co.uk
April 2, 2008 12:45 AM

Yes
Charlie NicholasFormer Arsenal and Scotland striker
The way in which Arsenal beat the champions, Milan, to get to this stage proved to me that this group of players is good enough to win the Champions League. That Milan team are up among the best I have seen since the days of Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit - their players might have been ageing, but Arsenal made them look old. Arsenal proved to themselves and the doubters that they could beat any team on the planet on their day. They have 17 or 18 players in their squad who are all good enough at this level and on the run-in to the season I would expect the likes of Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott to feature strongly, as well as Tomas Rosicky when he returns from a hamstring injury.
These players may be young but they have the experience required to do well in Europe. Arsenal had a team with greater experience in 2006 and reached the Champions League final but were defeated by Barcelona. The squad players from that time have since been groomed in the Carling Cup before being exposed to a higher level of football and that has allowed them to gain an understanding of how to play the beautiful brand of football we have seen this season. The recent poor run did not stem from a lack of experience, rather that the players struggled to adapt when the game went against them.
Criticising Arsenal for relying on one or two players is unfair. The partnership between Mathieu Flamini and Cesc Fábregas is probably the best in European football and Alexander Hleb can produce moments of genius and Rosicky adds that extra threat with the ball at his feet. When you add in the potency of Bacary Sagna and Gaël Clichy the options Arsenal have going forward are enviable. Perhaps there has been an issue in terms of relying on Adebayor as a goalscorer but, with Van Persie back, that will change. There are six or seven players who can change matches intuitively.
Arsenal will go into the tonight's quarter-final with a lot of confidence because they are a better footballing side than Liverpool. Rafael Benítez is very aware of the tactics required to win at this stage of the Champions League but I feel that he will be tempted to over compensate for Liverpool's shortcomings with tactical changes. Arsenal will stick to what they do best, pass and move, pass and move, and if they get caught on the counter attack so be it. They will not be drawn into making changes to the formation, whereas Liverpool could make five or six over the two legs, and I would expect Arsenal to come out on top.
Arsenal got a lucky break at Bolton last weekend, which they probably deserved after their luck deserted them at Stamford Bridge, but to come back from two goals down to win and avoid their worst run under Arsène Wenger can only be a bonus. It allows them to say: "We've come through that, we know where we went wrong and now we can go forward."
Arsenal have a great chance because the four English teams are the favourites to win the Champions League. Barcelona do not seem quite so powerful this season or to have quite such a belief in their system and, with Lionel Messi injured and Thierry Henry being played out of position, they are there to be beaten.

No
Frank McLintockDouble-winning Arsenal captain
Anything can happen in a cup competition but usually the best team wins the Champions League. Arsenal are probably not sufficiently equipped yet in terms of height, strength and experience in key positions but I have been overjoyed with the way they have played some teams off the pitch this season. They have done remarkably with a squad of mostly very young, unknown players that Arsène Wenger has brought in.
I doubt if they will win the Premier League. When you look at the strength of Manchester United and Chelsea, they have two internationals playing in most positions. When Arsenal have had injuries to key players they have had to bring on guys who have experienced maybe only 10 Premier League games. United brought in Nani for £14m and Anderson for £17m last summer ; Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves have been sitting on the bench. There can be no argument that they are much stronger as a squad.
Arsenal do have a slightly better chance in the Champions League. When the competition is about passing and technique they tend to do better than when they come up against players in the league such as Didier Drogba, who disrupts them because they lack a bit of height and strength at the back. However, they have to play Liverpool over two legs in this round and even if they go through they may then draw Chelsea, and Drogba, in the semi-final.
And success in the Champions League at this stage can still come down to the strength in depth of the squad. With so many games, players are beginning to get tired and injuries are more common. Arsenal have already suffered with Robin van Persie out for a few months, and when they lose a player of that calibre it is the equivalent to United losing Wayne Rooney or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Liverpool look ordinary in a lot of areas but Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano have had a great season. You cannot forget either what Jamie Carragher brings to their side, but overall they have been disappointing and it is defi nitely possible for Arsenal to beat them over two legs. And if they go further and come up against United, Alex Ferguson's team are stronger all round.
Arsenal have perhaps greater longterm potential but they do need to strengthen. The two centre-halves, William Gallas and Kolo Touré, are fantastic players but they are both second centre-halves. At United, Nemanja Vidic is a No1 centre-back and both Gallas and Touré would be wonderful alongside him. When Arsenal's two come up against a player with sheer physical strength they do sometimes get bullied.
There is also a need for greater depth in the wide positions. Abou Diaby is a central midfielder and when he has been played on the left he has been cutting back inside. Emmanuel Eboué is the same. Playing in midfield, he is not going to score more than two or three goals a season; the likes of Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg were scoring 12 or 16 so Arsenal lack a bit of threat down the flanks. I admire everything they have achieved this season. What they need to do now is dip into the transfer market in the summer because I don't think the little bit extra will come from inside.

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