London 2012 Day 3

Lots of sport and the event is kicking along but I only want to concentrate on 2 points.

When is it appropriate to interview an athlete?  After seeing the interview that the room wrecking hack from Channel 9 did with Emily Seebohm after she won the silver medal, one can only have sympathy for the athlete and no respect for the interviewer. One could easily see she was upset, distressed and very emotional. Common courtesy and professional etiquette should have have occurred so that she could compose herself before a mic was shoved in her face and her image beamed across a nation. It is time that producers at Channel 9 started to show a little more compassion, although once Eddie McGuire and co were given jobs at the Olympics, we knew that was never going to happen.

The biggest talking point though will be one that rages on for quite awhile. The wearing of a non-olympic uniform to an event by boxer, Damien Hooper.  Or was it because of the flag on the shirt that the debate is raging and he is being forced to apologise as it is seen as a political statement. What will be interesting is how this pans out. Personally I can see both sides of the argument. But here you have an athlete proud of his heritage and he did not actually fight in the shirt. Also he has stated that he wore it for motivational reasons and for his culture. The Aboriginal flag is an official flag of Australia and therefore it should not been seen as a political statement. Maybe the AOC should seriously consider uniforms for indigenous athletes that showcase both their heritage and their nationality. What has made it a political statement is the reaction of the media and the AOC in the manner they have handled it. Let the man stand tall and fight for his nation and do his people proud. We all know that if he wins gold, everyone in the country will be heralding his performance.

London 2012 Day 2

Well to be honest I am not catching as much of the games that I would like but there are still some interesting talking points.

The biggest talking point on day 2 was in the pool and the supposed failure of the Australian Men 4x100m freestyle relay. Maybe it is time that the Australian public stopped expecting our swimmers to win every event just because they have placed them on the pedestal that they so quickly want to pull from under them. I also find it interesting that they are blaming one person, Magnussen, for the result of four swimmers and at the end of that particular swimmers leg Australia were coming second. Regardless of how well he did Australia would not have won.  But if and when he wins a gold medal watch them milk him for every bit of glory and a mandatory 1000 replays for the next few days.

If you are upset about any of your favourite Aussie athletes or athletes from other countries not doing too well then take heart. Spain had the unbackable favourites in the football. World champions , European champions and number one team in the world and they have been bundled out with 2 losses straight up. Spain is a country that takes it for granted their team will win on a football field of late but will not be able to stake claim to holding the 3 major titles.

Unfortunately the drug tests keep rolling in and more are being sent home every day. The big talking point evolves around whispers in the pool surrounding the Chinese team. Whenever China wins in the pool people will question the legitimacy of their talent and when a 16yo wins a 400m medley with times that compare to the mens it is no surprise. Even though she is innocent until found guilty, I for one question the Chinese due to their constant run of athletes getting caught. The shame will be if it is shown that drugs were a major player and the medal is removed. You still have a situation where the rightful winner has not had the opportunity to revel in the moment and receive the accolades when deserved..

What I would like to see is the World sporting community unite and take a hard stance against countries. Firstly life bans need to be in place for all drug users in all sports. A 2 year ban still enables them to come back for the next Olympics and win gold, like we have already seen in the Men's Road Race. Also why should a country that continually has athletes test positive in a sport be allowed to field teams. Maybe they should have a three strike policy. If three athletes test positive in a time period then that country is banned from that event at the next Olympics. It may be harsh to those athletes doing the right thing but anything is better than what we are seeing at the moment. When you see the same countries with positive tests in the same events every year it seems hard to believe that no officials or team mates are unaware of what is happening.  If the world won;t take a hard stance a happy compromise should still be at the least, life bans.

London 2012 Day 1

After all the hype and the spectacle of the opening ceremony the athletes are finally centre stage.  Although the footballers started a few days ago.

First of all the opening ceremony must get a mention.  Whilst it has some good moments and Rowan Atkinson as Mr bean for one was a highlight, some of the other pieces didn't do much for me, or it may have just been how the coverage showed it. Where I think they missed the opportunity was to showcase the kings of English comedy. Monty Python.  Imagine how good it would have been to see each flag bearer come out representing the Ministry of Silly Walks.  This would have ensured a glued audience and been talked about for years to come.  Or at the start, have something boring or way to left field that is suddenly squashed by an oversized foot as the stadium lights up with a message of "And now for something completely different".  In the end it was a missed opportunity.

Now the events are officially under way there will be many talking points both high and low.  Unfortunately the London 2012 Game has had it's first athlete test positive to drugs, Albanian weightlifter, Hysen Pulaku, has this dubious honour. No surprises though that it was a weightlifter from Albania,  Would have been short odds on that one.  What is good to see is that they were caught before before competing .  There will be plenty more caught over the games and harsher penalties need to be enforced. A 2 year suspension should be replaced with life bans in all sports.  Why should an athlete who cheats be allowed to compete at the next games?

Australia

Aussie Medal Winners:

(L-R) Melanie Schlanger, Alicia Coutts, Brittany Elmslie and Cate Campbell of Au... © Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay

An impressive performance and winning in Olympic record time they held out favourites Netherlands and the strong USA team.


Opinions on the Action:

The road race was a big chance for an Aussie medal but anyone who watches road racing and this event will know what a joke it can actually be as a contest. It still amazes me how so many riders who know they don;t have a shot are happy to just sit back with the pack and do nothing.  Surely if you are not a good chance you will give it everything you have and really stir things up. Why not give yourself a chance rather than have  scenic ride.  It seems the Great Britain team were not too happy with the Australian tactics and not doing what they could to win the race. The same could be said for the British team. Australia had 1 rider, Stuart O'Grady, in the breakaway group and a second, Michael Rogers, tried to join it.  If you have 1 rider with a chance why would you help another team get up to the front who has a world class sprinter. Great Britain only have themselves to blame for a poor tactical race.  It should also be noted that winner, Alexandre Vinokourov, is a convicted drug cheat of past. Until cycling takes a serious hard stance against drugs their sport will remain a tarnished one.

Swimming always gets centre stage and the first day of action made headlines.  The Australian media was able to find a few daggers when Stephanie Rice finished sixth. Although she wasn't able to retain her Olympic title you cannot expect every swimmer to be the best every time.  I am sure they will parade her like a beacon if she backs up with a medal in the 200 Individual Medley.  When you add to the night Michael Phelps not  winning then it shows that it can happen to any one.

Also of note is the poor coverage already from Channel 9 but it comes as no surprise.  I am sure we are seeing more of the hacks then we are of sport and they are just itching for medals to be one so they can bombard us with replays, interviews and stories of hardship. With more than one digital channel surely they are able to put a sport for the whole event on one channel and show a mixed package on another.  Makes sense but maybe that is why it isn't happening.  Thankfully I do not have to worry about relying on channel 89 but there are plenty of other s who cannot.

All Olympics create great funny moments and I will find what I can. From day one you cannot go past

Best Opening Ceremony meme

I have heard of Canary Yellow but it is cruel to stuff them down your pants.

Who Should Carry the Flag?

Normally a close guarded secret and one that never polarises debate but unfortunately the 2012 London Olympic Games will carry this burden.  What should normally be an honour and well deserved accolade could be tarnished by a decision to do what is wanted for political and social reason.

The person who carries the flag is someone who has an outstanding servitude to the Australian Olympic Team and embodies what the Olympic spirit is about.  This year weight has grown for the bearer to be female and the reason mainly being touted is due to so few women carrying the flag in the past and the London Olympics being the "Year of the Woman" with every nation having a female competitor for the first time. I for one have no problem with a woman carrying the flag, just as long as that is not the reason they are chosen. If that was the reason it will only detract from the honour. If a woman is chosen then they need to make sure they are the best option in the team for the team, and conversely if a male is chosen then they need to stand out as the best option.

Looking at who is available it is not an easy choice and regardless of who they choose, it would be nice to see the media and the Australian Public, in particular those on social media respect that decision. The top six contenders seem to be Leisel Jones, Natalie Cook, Drew Ginn, Anna Meares, Stuart O'Grady & Lauren Jackson and all are worthy of the honour.  Natalie Cook with her recent outbursts has surely ensured she is out of the reckoning with here recent outbursts and even though she has a long serving record at the Olympics her outbursts are not what you consider good sportsmanship and by going as far as demanding it is enough reason to deny her. Drew Ginn would be very worthy of the honour but has stated he doesn't want to carry the flag, but maybe he is more worried about the public backlash if a male carries the flag.  Stuart O'Grady has a long career and is worthy but if they want a cyclist surely Ann Meares would be the preferred option and she is a great role model with the adversity she has had to go through to get to where she is today.

That leaves Leisel Jones and Lauren Jackson, two very high profile, long serving and highly respectable athletes who could not be faulted if chosen. Betting today was suspended after Lauren Jackson shortened in the odds dramatically making it look like someone couldn't keep their mouth shut or a very good rumour was started to throw people off the real decision. I hear a lot of negative comments whenever a swimmer is mentioned due to the fact they get more coverage then any other sport when the Olympics are on due to the fascination of the commentators and Australia's long successful history. The last time a swimmer held the flag though was in 1980 when Max Metzker was a dual flag carrier with Denise Robertson-Boyd.  So maybe it is time for a swimmer to carry the flag and Leisel Jones would be a well deserved recipient with this being her 4th Olympics.  Regardless of who they choose though it will be debated but hopefully it is not debated because of the sex of who they chose.

NRL Issues of Contention Round 18

Since Origin a lot has changed in the 2012 season.

Storm & Sharks on the slide

Everyone was talking about the Storm and Sharks before Origin, now with the hapless Eels and Raiders now making light work of them, are they on the slide.  Melbourne have now lost 4 in a row, unknown territory for the club and don't look like improving and the Sharks are now very soft in defence for a team that likes its hard image.  Melbourne are the bigger talking point though. With no Slater they are only one man down but it shows how reliant they are on his attacking play.  I also think Cam Smith might be in trouble if they start scrutinising his leg work in tackles, the sort of grub acts that Melbourne are becoming the specialists for. And the Sharks really look lost without Gallen and Carney has taking his out of form kicking and attack with him back from origin. Watch both these sides slide down the eight.

The Shoulder Charge

This issue has been boiling away all season and now hits the headlines again after Inglis put on what could also be called the hit of the season. The only problem with the debate is how it changes week to week. First case in question was the hit Frank Pritchard was suspended for and the debate was split but a lot in the game called for common sense and were appalled at the suspension handed out.  After a few more round when Ben Te'o was suspended for an identical hit, the debate was split but the majority said the suspension was justified.  Then you have the game where Wade Graham flattened Josh Hoffman twice and later Beale in quick succession with identical hits and it went unscathed and no talk really eventuated in the media for the tackles. Now the situation is at boiling point after Greg Inlgis sent Dean Young from the field in a neck brace.  Do we have a situation where the officials are only reacting to the severity of the injury or are they just playing lucky dip with the outcome?  I have no doubt that Greg Inglis will get suspended but my problem then falls back to why Wade Graham was not rubbed out for the same style hit twice in one game on the same player.  Also this same player was cleaned up in the same manner by Inglis and no penalty was forthcoming.  The other dangerous concern for the game is the in balance of on-field penalty.  I have heard a statistics before yesterdays games of over 30 players having to leave the field and not return due to concussion but only 2 players being sent off for dangerous contact.  If the game wants to send a message and get tough on high contact then the penalty on the field needs to be harsher than just a penalty and being placed on report.

Frank Pritchard - 1 week

Ben Te'o - 2 weeks

Wade Graham - No case to answer

Greg Inglis - ??

Weekend Wrap

After a bit of a hiatus, the wrap is back.  And there are some interesting things happening in the world of sport. As usual I will be having a dig at match officials and maybe a crack at a few commentators.

Reds vs Kaplan

Regardless of what whether or not the Red's were beaten by a better side, the Sharks, this was a game where the officials had too big an influence on the game.  To start with the Red's were missing Quade Cooper, who was suspended for one week because the guy carrying the ball fell as he was about to be tackled and was "hit high".  In the same week we saw Sam Kasiano of the Bulldogs in the NRL charged and then let off on a very similar incident. The red's decided not to challenge but maybe they knew that things weren't not going to go there way.  Their decision may have been influenced by the fact that SANZAR appointed a South African ref and sideline official for a game where the away side was from South Africa.  Surely in a game of this level a ref from New Zealand was needed. Also the Red's were dealt a cruel blow with an injury early to Lucas and then moved Genia to flyhalf where he was not his elusive and attacking best. Once the game got started it was clear the Red's were without a chance.  Blatant forward passes, and an offside play for an intercept were missed and although the Sharks were continually penalised and warned for repeated infringements in the ruck when defending their tryline, Kaplan only seemed to remember he had a yellow card in his pocket in the 79th minute. In the 2nd half there was the disallowed try that I am still scratching my head as to why it was not allowed. For me it is at a point with this referee that if I see he is officiating a game, I will not watch it.

Scott Chokes??

Will Adam Scott forever be remember in the same vain that Greg Norman is. A choker.  With four holes to go and a 4 shot lead the British Open was his to lose and with 4 consecutive birdies he did.  But golf is a game where you can go back to any shot over 4 days and maybe his bogey on the 18th in the first round that would have given him the course record was the key moment.  Either way he still played a great 4 days and this may make him more determined in the future and could be the catalyst he needs to win a lot of majors.


Magic Win 

Congratulations to the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic on winning the ANZ Championship and becoming the first New Zealand side to win the title.  Whilst I did not watch the game personally, I was getting constant updates on social media and understand it was a very exciting match. What is disappointing is the coverage in the media today. Any details on the game are well hidden on sports sites and the game of Netball deserves more.  While the media focuses on the bigger entities of football and is over-focused on the Olympics they are missing the opportunity to grab hold of and dominate a very large market. It was not until I wrote my first article on Netball and then saw how big the following is online and in social media that I realised the marketing potential. It is just a shame that the large media companies do not give the credit that is deserved in their write ups in the following days.

Only a short wrap but stay tuned for some interesting articles on NRL and a story or two on the Cane2Coral Fun Run which will be held on the 5th August and will be raising money for Cancer Council Queensland, Bundaberg Surf Life Saving, Ronald McDonald House and many local charities in the Bundaberg region. .

State of Origin 2012 Game 3 Preview

The banter & jibing is at fever point and kick-off is not far away. Once that ball is in the air all current arguments will be settled after 80 minutes of play and new arguments will start. All that remains is who will be the team holding up the trophy in glory.

The biggest question that remains unanswered is how much the refs will affect the game. No matter how you look at it the refs will ultimately decide the game, it is just matter of whether it is because they are consistent and allow the game to be free flowing and don't let the talk in the media and from the teams influence how they control the game or the opposite happens the teams are allowed to stretch every letter of the rules and turn it into a slow, game and plenty of mistakes occur.

The Teams:

NSW:

Greg Bird, Todd Carney, Robbie Farah, Paul Gallen (c), Tim Grant, Jarryd Hayne, Michael Jennings, Brett Morris, Josh Morris, Mitchell Pearce, Beau Scott, Brett Stewart, James Tamou,  Interchange: Luke Lewis, Ben Creagh, Anthony Watmough, Tony Williams

QLD:

Greg Inglis, Darius Boyd, Dane Nielson , Justin Hodges, Brent Tate, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Matt Scott, Cameron Smith (c), Petero Civoniceva, Nate Myles, Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker Interchange: Matt Gillett, Ben Te'o, Ben Hannant, David Shillington.


NSW and QLD have both been forced to make changes due to injury and both have made changes due to form. Will these be where the game is won or lost?  Maybe but also one cannot debate the fact that Queensland have not played at the top of their game and it would be a brave man that backs them to not play well at Lang Park.  The interchange benches also will play a big part in the game, especially if there are injuries. Both teams have gone for a complete bench of forwards, so injuries can play a very big part. This is where I see Queensland having the advantage.

Also of note is the nerves factor. There is a big question mark over the NSW halves and if they can stand up to the pressure in the game that is being talked about as one of the biggest in history. Carney is known for his nerves and it won't be a surprise to see him crack in game 3. Also in both games so far the kicking game has been substandard from the pair and another poor kicking game will be costly.  For Queensland, things haven't been at the normal standard but with the return of Thaiday and Inglis at fullback, NSW will have their hands full in defending the fringes. With Inglis at fullback, he has the ability to pop on anywhere on the field and soft defending could be exposed very quickly.

All I want to see is a game where the ten metres is controlled and neither team is allowed to get away with slowly the play down beyond the ridiculous. The refs will have a lot on their plate, tensions are high and plenty of cheap shots will be happening. If the refs are not careful, this game has potential to boil out of control and it won't be surprising to see a player sent off in this game. It may be origin but there will be no place for a player that takes out a player with a malicious cheap shot.

Queensland to win, Greg Inglis to score a double and stamp himself as the greatest try scorer in the game. Just look back to the first 20 minutes of game 3 last year and I think it will pan out much the same. NSW are under a lot of expectation and I can see a few of their players struggling with controlling the adrenalin and aggression.  After the Game yet again you will see an ungracious acceptance of defeat by the NSW captain and coach.