Today In Sport

Throughout the history of the modern Olympic Games many sports have come and gone.  Some events were merged or incorporated with others, but other sports were banished altogether.  There are many sports that were given a go and either through lack of participating countries or just flat out strangeness, they had to be let go.

Here are some of the strangest, including some weird demonstration sports at the Olympics.

TUG OF WAR - This was contested at six Olympics and now at every church picnic.  I am certain there was the most unathletic looking fat guy walking around with a gold medal after he was used as an anchor by the winning team.

ROPE CLIMB - This race to the top starred at five Games.  I wonder if there was a short, stocky guy with a tight shirt and a whistle standing at the base of the rope calling the competitors names for doing it too slow?  Mr Reid, how I miss you… (continue reading…)

  The 2010 FIFA World Cup has been hit by a spate of at the very least, questionable decisions being made by the match referees.  Sure, the actual football has at times been on the wrong side of good but the officials are making it hard for teams to play. (continue reading…)

Well, the first round of matches in this years World Cup are done and dusted and there were a few thrills and some bigger spills, especially from big guns Spain and England.

Best Performance - Argentina’s defeat of Nigeria - It would be easy to say Germany’s demolition of Australia but two of their goals came after Cahill was sent off (more on that later).  Argentina monstered the Nigerian team with some slick movement and if not for some outstanding heroics from goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama they would have won by about 6-0.

Worst Performance - France’s draw with Uruguay - Uruguay are not a bad team, but France were just ordinary.  They only just scraped into the World Cup and on that performance they are really lucky to be there.  They will have to pick up their game a whole lot to make something happen in this tournament.

Worst Goalkeeping Blunder - Rob Green v USA - I think enough has been said about this monumentous gaffe so I will let Rob slink away in peace to the end of the bench while Calamity James takes his spot.

Best Goal - Maicon v North Korea - Whether he meant it or not is up for debate but there is no doubt it was an amazing shot with this new ball.  I choose to believe he meant it.

Worst Decision - Tim Cahill’s Red Card - I don’t know what Marco Rodriguez saw in the incident but he was very harsh on the Aussie midfielder.  It was a sliding challenge from behind but Cahill pulled his leg out of it and his momentum helped slide his knee into the leg of Schweinsteiger.  Even Bastian said that it was not a red card offence.  Let’s hope that FIFA do the right thing and leave it at a one match ban.

Biggest Controversy - The Jabulani Ball - It was a toss up between the ball and those damn horns but the ball is really affecting the quality of play on the pitch and the number of goals being scored.  Too many times the ball has played an integral part in a botched move.

Biggest Surprise - North Korea - I could have said Switzerland or the US or New Zealand for their performances but North Korea proved that they will not be the pushover that everyone thought they would be before the tournament.  I look forward to seeing how they go against Portugal and Ivory Coast.

So far it has been an interesting tournament and I look forward to some more exciting play than we have gotten so far.

Just when England were looking to go into half time a goal up, a speculative shot by US midfielder Clint Dempsey made England’s goalkeeper Rob Green look extremely silly.  Say what you want about the crazy ball, this was just a massive howler.

As the Chicago Blackhawks were parading their newly won Stanley Cup around the ice after Game 6 in the NHL playoffs, former Hawk Jeremy Roenick was savouring the moment as he expressed his pride at their acheivement to the TV audience.  And that moment was ruined by Mike “The Mouth” Milbury.

As JR choked back tears when he answered the question about why he was so emotional at this win with “It’s the Chicago Blackhawks, man.”, Mike Milbury swooped in with a lame joke and a rambling anecdote that went nowhere.  You can see in Roenick’s eyes that he was angry at Milbury and if it had been about 15 years ago and at center ice, he would have punched the living stuffing out of him.

JR deserved that moment and it was ruined for him.  Way to go Mike Milbury.  Jackass.

Last week all 32 nations involved in this months World Cup had to submit their 23 man squads to FIFA for the tournament.  North Korea’s manager Kim-Jong Hun decided to try and see if he could “play” with the system.  His plan failed. (continue reading…)

Every now and then sport gives you the opportunity to not only prove yourself as an athlete, but as a human being as well.  This week, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga took that opportunity.

On Wednesday Galarraga was chasing that most elusive of feats, not just in baseball but in all sports, the perfect game.  Only 20 players in MLB history have ever achieved this.

A perfect pitching game requires you to have successfully retired 27 consecutive batters, three in each of the nine innings without allowing a hit or surrendering a walk.  Gallaraga had 26 outs when history was interrupted. (continue reading…)