Random Sports Babbling Post 2

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In the CFL, the Calgary Stampeders have been getting Headlines for the over the top touchdown celebrations. Including imitating a Relay, a Bobsled team and an excercise bike. Really hilarious. But they can't take it when the shoe is on the other foot. The BC Lions embarrassed them hardcore and they complained about them running up the score, accused the one player of having a lame (well actually they called it gay, but after the fiasco in AoDA, I'll stick with lame), and claiming that there were bounties of a steak dinner paid for injuries.

It's entertaining. Not enough to get me to watch the games, but enough to make me wait until the commercials on Sportscenter to go to the Can...

 

Here's mine Barmy a little different from yours

Test Team

Mike Hussey
Rahul Dravid
Ricky Ponting (Capt)
Mohammed Yousuf
Jacques Kallis
Andrew Flintoff
Kumar Sangakkara
Shane Warne
Makhaya Ntini
Gelnn McGrath
Muttiah Muralitharan

For me Mike Hussey is a fantastic utility player can bat anywhere 1-6 and with Dravid great opening partnership. Ponting, Yousuf and Kallis are much the same aas each other if you don't get them early they will hurt you with hundreds, quite often big ones. Flintoff batting at 6 is intimidating add to this his bowling and that he is probably one of the best slip fielders in the world. Sangakkara not the greatest keeper in the world but the best batting keeper in world cricket. Warne best wrist spinner ever and tenacious batsmen, Ntini termendous strike bowler when used well, Mcgrath the control bowler still the best at that; and Murali the best at his craft.

Thought Processes:
Kevin Pietersen v Jacques Kallis, Kallis won due to his bowling
Michael Vaughan v Ricky Ponting without a doubt the 2 best tacticians in world cricket, with Vaughan being the more astute, Ponting won though as he's playing at the moment.
Makhaya Ntini v Brett Lee v Shoaib Ahktar the most dificult choice of the lot, in the end I based it on rankings, but any of them would do a good job
Glenn McGrath v Simon Jones If he was fit and healthy I would pick Jones everytime, good control bowler, moves the ball well, good slow ball and yorker and the best proponent of reverse swing in the game, but not fit at the moment so Mcgrath gets in.


ODI Team

Chris Gayle
Mike Hussey
Steohen Fleming (Capt)
Kevin Pietersen
Andrew Symonds
Kumar Sangakkara
Daniel Vettori
Shaun Pollock
Brett Lee
Shane Bond
Muttiah Muralitharan

The only one to explain there is Daniel Vettori rather than Abdul Razzaq or Shahid Afridi. vettori is the best left-arm slow bowler in the world and the best slow bowler in one day cricket, picks himself.

 

Kevin Pietersen is probably the most overrated player we've got. When he first came onto the scene, I thought he was brilliant. 'Woah, look how far he can hit a ball, nice!' soons wears off. He's just a bit of a kid really, he goes out there and just swings his bat at the ball for a few overs, sometimes gets runs, sometimes doesn't, it's all the luck of the draw with KP. Does he get caught after swinging his bat like an axe, or does he get dropped and make a few more runs? The guy can't stay in and build an innings. You've got to know when to switch on the big hits and when to just play cricket and that guy doesn't seem to.

Good choices otherwise though. To be fair, a lot of the players pick themselves (Murali, Yousus, The Wall, Hussey). Not too sure about Ntini though, quite a few batsmen have climbed all over him in his time. A bit like Harmy, when he's good he's very good, when he's not on form he's a liability and gets whacked allover the shop.

 

That's why I have 2 all-rounders, also i have to disagree about KP, he can build an innings I saw him do it at the Oval last year.

 

No what you saw was the guy get pretty damn lucky half a dozen times or so

He's got great talent but doesn't use it correctly.

 

Test Team

Mike Hussey
Rahul Dravid
Ricky Ponting
Mohammed Yousuf
Sachin Tendulkar
Andrew Flintoff
Kumar Sangakkara
Shane Warne
Shaun Pollock
Shane Bond
Muttiah Muralitharan


ODI Team

Adam Gilchrist (he's still the man)
Sachin Tendulkar (on reputation)
Mohammed Yousuf (complete batsman)
Ricky Ponting (one of the greats)
Mike Hussey (still in stunning form)
Andrew Flintoff (best all rounder)
Shaun Pollock (gets better with age)
Brett Lee (zoom)
Chaminda Vaas (deceptively good - but bowled a few wides this year)
Shane Bond (might get a good over in before breaking down)
Muttiah Muralitharan (the freak)

My main problem with my ODI team is the reasonably long tail (for supposedly the best ODI team in the world - but that's a relentless bowling line up and Bond will get injured halfway through anyway)

Also, these teams are also pretty old. Not much young dazzling talent in show here, it's all veterans.

 

Flintoff's not the worlds best all-rounder IMO. Kallis wins that particular accolade by a country mile.

I nearly put Ponting in both teams, but his current form prevented it. Basically, he's playing like a twat these last few months.

 

Yeah, Kallis should probably be in there. It's hard picking on form because I can never remember who is playing well, unless they are involved in a current series with NZ.

 

You remember who Yousuf is now? (Yousuf Youhana?)

 

Yeah, I remember now that he did a Cat Stevens on us. Previously, I used to get him mixed up with Younis Khan.

 

Easily enough done back then. Both good middle order batsmen with similar techniques. But now he's got the full Muslim beard and Younis Khan is clean shaven, so it's easy to tell 'em apart. Nice fellow as well actually is Yousuf. He's actually signed on at my local team Derbyshire as our overseas player, but hasn't yet played a game for us...

 

Darren McCarty's Stanley Cup rings are going to be sold in an auction because he is bankrupt. This just seems wrong to me.

I can understand selling the guy's house, cars, t.v.s etc but those rings were won through athletic achievement and represents obtaining the pinacle of success in his sport - to say that they are common property that should be stripped from him is truly sad. I respect McCarty's creditors claims and feel thay should be compensated to the extent that McCarthy's other properties have value but taking those rings is going too far. Would they take an Olympic athlete's gold medal?

 

Probably they would. And they'd probably sell for a huge amount because there are people with more money than brains.

Personal bankrupcy limits the total value of personal belongings you may retain. When I saw that amount when I filed for my own bankrupcy, I felt that I'd wasted my debt...

 

Australia beats India easily, setting up a New Zealand v Australia semi final on Wednesday. Good night, Black Caps, we'll be coming home on Thursday.

 

I wish Australia would sod off. Just as you think their players are getting old and over the hill, a few youngsters come up and instantly make runs and take wickets. I don't know what it is about that country that breeds superb cricket players. Mind you, India were always going to need 300+ on a flat track like that with the dibby dobby medium pacers that they have...

 

India should be completely unbeatable at cricket, especially at home, but somehow they manage to be mediocre more often than they should.

Can't believe that Damien Martyn is still scoring runs. It feels like has been their 5th best batman for about 30 years now.

 

If we play both our spinners and Bondy's fit we might have a good chance. Aussie can block Vettori out for 10 overs, but they won't block Patel as well. Plus they have a few left handers in their lineup which is perfect for a right arm off-spinner who gives it a fair rip. To be honest I think we should look at playing 2 spinners more regularly especially as Oram seems fit to bowl these days as 3rd seamer.

 

The UW Badger women's volleyball team wore out their ass-kicking boots at home this weekend, where, just a day and a half after sweeping #2 Penn State (formerly without a single loss), they swept #5 Ohio State 30-15, 30-23, & 30-20. Badger fans are going out of their minds with these upset victories, and even I couldn't restrain myself at the Fieldhouse today. So long #14 rank, hello 13 or even 11 or 12.

In other Wisconsin sports, as of the time of this post, the Green Bay Packers had just kicked a 42-yard field goal to go up over the Cardinals 31-14. Raynor is really looking like he'll be the next Longwell for my favorite NFL team, and with this (likely) victory right after the win over the Dolphins last week, Green Bay may just be on the road to recovery.

 

The Kentuky kid (Nicky Hayden) is the new Moto GP World Champion; Valentino Rossi has never made a mistake in about 4 years, today he hit the grown, giving Hayden the title. Great race.

 

Remind me again what Moto GP is?