Category Archives: Sports

Punting, Sports

Sydney Colt’s Horses To Follow In 2011

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Happy New Year to the Sydney Colt’s groupies and Punt Drunks. I really hope you read my post for the meeting of 18 December and punted hard on my Xmas super special, Swift Alliance which was the only tip handed out that day as it looked a case of bookies giving money away. It paid $6.7 on the NSW TAB and better with corporate bookies.

Anyway, enough of the past. I have not posted for the past few meetings as 3 of the 4 people who are kind enough to pass on the good oil were taking a well deserved Xmas break. What I do have for you is 3 neddies who should be followed in January.

KARUTA QUEEN Being set for the Magic Millions at the Gold Coast. Beat Schifer at Wyong running lightning fast sectional times. Schifer then came out and led all the way at Randwick.

LIQUORICE LOVER Won over 900M at Newcastle on Boxing Day when it came from well back and trotted in after it looked like it may miss a place at the 300M mark, owing to it running about. The young jock had difficulty riding it and the win was super sensational. May still be a price next start.

SOMEDAY SOMEHOW Trained by Gai, so do I really need to say any more? This neddy is being set for a first up win. Don’t miss out!

Money lost, nothing lost. Confidence lost, everything lost.

News, Sports

Rose Bowl decides nothing

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For the record let it be known that the TCU Horned Frogs (from the Mountain West Conference and ranked #3 in the NCAAF rankings) defeated the Wisconsin Badgers (from the Big 10 Conference and ranked #4) 21-19 to take out the prestigious Rose Bowl.   Also for the record, TCU had a perfect season and finished with a 13-0 win loss record.

Only the vagaries of the NCAA/BCS (Bowl Championship Series) system could allow an undefeated team to not play for the #1 spot. Currently there are three undefeated teams in NCAAF play.  Auburn, Oregon and TCU.  Auburn and Oregon play off for number one spot on the 10 January 2011 in the ‘so called’ BCS Championship game.

My question to both the NCAA and the BCS is “How can the winner of that game possibly be crowned number one?”.  If nothing else, at least the game will eliminate one of those teams from contention as one will suffer defeat and that will leave only two teams with perfect records.  No amount of computer or human prediction will ever be able to tell us whether the TCU Horned Frogs could beat the other undefeated team.

Countless people, including President Obama have called for urgent change to the BCS system…and with good cause.  The BCS is the equivalent of an exclusive club – in this case six BCS conferences who are guaranteed automatic berths to the big money Bowl games.  These six BCS conferences are supposedly ‘stronger’ than the other conferences and therefore somehow have a greater entitlement. Let me say that in my years following NCAAF, that assessment can only possibly have been made on an historical basis.  Clearly, that is not the case today.

Let’s for a moment take a look at the BCS Conference Wisconsin hails from – the Big 10.  In Bowl games yesterday that Conference went 0-5 – a big duck egg!!  If we now take the time to also review the Mountain West Conference, they are 4-1 in Bowl games this year, the fourth consecutive year they  have sent five football teams to bowl games, posting the best win percentage among the eleven FBS conferences for the fourth time in seven years.  The MWC will also claim the 2010-11 Bowl Challenge Cup, becoming the only Conference to win the trophy four times since the award’s inception in 2002-03.

So you tell me…on those figures alone, are the Big 10 stronger than the MWC?  The answer is a resounding “No”!  Do the Big 10 deserve preferred treatment over the MWC?  The answer is also a resounding “No”!

As I see it there is only one solution to this impasse.  Change the system!  Bring in a playoff system between the top ten ranked teams.  This could be done within the current Bowl calendar.  It would also mean that many of those Bowl games would gain some relevance rather than be as they are now, a match between Colleges who managed to scrape together a .500 season.  Hardly riveting, prime time viewing! 

Fairness demands that parochial vested interests be set aside for a fairer system.  Will it happen?  Not unless the sporting public brings pressure to bear on the people controlling the system.  Aside from the vested interests of the BCS conferences maintaining the status quo and hanging on to the big money Bowl games, perhaps more worrying to those Conferences is the spectre of being required to regularly compete against MWC colleges in the big games!

I am certainly looking forward to discussing this topic with our US correspondent, Dan Butterly, when Sportzfan Radio resumes on 16 January 2011.  Our show won’t rest until the system is changed for the better!

Sports

Australian cricket needs a revamp and quickly!

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I often listen to Stan (@sportzfanstan) on Sportzfan Radio calling for underperforming sports administrators and coaches to be sacked. Recently, he has been critical of the Australian Test team’s performance in the Ashes series against England and I would say with good reason.

If I compare how the successful teams from other codes behave – Collingwood in the AFL and St George in the NRL, there are hallmarks that lead to that success. Discipline, elite training regimes centred around world class training facilities, an astute and experienced coach, forward planning for filling the gaps that regularly occur in the playing ranks over time, investment (money and time) in drafting replacements and succession planning.

These hallmarks are not apparent in the Australian cricket team. I am continually surprised at Australian players making comments in the media regarding team selection, injuries and batting order. At best this shows an amateurish approach by those in charge of Australian cricket. Can you imagine for one moment that Alan Didak would suggest that a fellow Collingwood team mate should be playing in place of another?…or that he should be playing on a half forward flank as opposed to the wing? It just would not happen. Please take note James Sutherland.

Australian cricket was once at the forefront of all cricketing nations in all forms of the game. Well out in front of the pack with the rest struggling to remain a respectable distance behind, let alone catch up. Instead of building and laying solid foundations for the future, leading Australian cricket administrators have taken their eye off the road ahead and it has been left to deteriorate to the shambles that it is today.

There is one thing for certain. In this crowded sporting marketplace, it takes little time to lose relevance with the sporting public….just ask the NBL. Professionalism of a high order needs to be injected into Australian cricket and quickly and this means more than changing captains, players, coaches or selectors. An attitude change is required and quickly to reverse the trend.

Punting, Sports

Sydney Colt’s Xmas Present To You!

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I’m only handing out mail for just 1 runner at Randwick tomorrow because it is a super each-way Xmas special. I intend paying off the debt of a small African nation with what I’ll win if this neddy gets up. I have managed to back it e/w and my outlay will break square if it places. So, all you punt drunks and Sydney Colt groupies, open your wallets and join in the Xmas money give away.

Race 7 n1 SWIFT ALLIANCE e/w Gai has this neddy 100% ready to win tomorrow. It was primed to win in Melb on Derby day but the track ruined any chance. Has been saved for this race, is working like a group 1 horse and you can still get $4.5 e/w with the corporate bookies.

Merry Christmas to all the punt drunks and Sydney Colt groupies. In 2011 always remember, money lost, nothing lost. Confidence lost, everything lost.

Sports

AUSTRALIA’S WORLD CUP BID DIDN’T SELL

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So, what was Australia’s point of difference to make us unquestionably the only choice for the 2022 FIFA World Cup? Hmmm… Beaches, Kangaroos, and locally known sports celebrities. No, they’re not strong enough to make our pitch unlosable. That’s a selfish and cheesy chest beat.

The question we needed to ask ourselves was, how would Australasia, the game of soccer, and the world, benefit from Australia winning?”

So how would it? That’s where the brain storming starts. That’s where we find our point of difference, that’s where we find THE ANSWER!

After we have the answer, we then work out the best way to sell our solution (the pitch process). That’s when we look at who we are presenting to, which in this case was to older, wiser and well travelled FIFA officials. That’s where we make our sell interesting for them, because they make the decision.

Bells and whistles usually means the polishing of a turd. And didn’t we polish it well. A 45 million dollar polish on a thieving cartoon Kangaroo, that reminded me of a Caramello Koala commercial.

I hope we learn from Qatar. They did it beautifully, using changing the world’s perception of The Middle East, and recycling stadiums in developing countries after the World Cup ends with the over arching idea of PEACE. Qatar’s bid sold the idea that if Qatar wins then lives will be saved. That’s powerful, that’s pitch winning. You’re not choosing Qatar, you’re choosing peace. That’s unquestionably the only choice!

What I don’t know is after the announcement was made that Qatar won, why did our bid stop. Why didn’t we have something ready to steal the lime light away from Qatar to make us favourite for the next bid and already show that we are committed to bringing the World Cup to Australia?

Scott Hall
Art/Design Director
McCann Erickson Melbourne

News, Sports

From the colony to the colonised….Football’s not coming home but to new frontiers….and without a dose of “Fair Play” (Part 2)

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So, too 2022….

Millions of football fans around the world are still wondering how Qatar ultimately won the rights to host the 2022 World Cup. Yet in the end FIFA was seduced and “sold” by Qatar’s promise of a high-tech tournament. 

I always maintained Australia was arguably punching above its weight in trying to secure the hosting rights to 2022, yet I also consistently argued we had a solid bid and our real and only rival, and favourite, was the United Sates of America.  Exactly how the tiny Emirate state which has a climate conducive to hell on earth and its capital, Doha, is according to Lonely Planet, “the dullest place in the world” secured the rights over the mighty United States is about as impressive and moreover, believable as me getting lucky with Megan Gale.

And Jennifer Hawkins.

On the same night…..

Not only did the win leave me breathless, but more so, the gravity of same – 11 votes in the first round to the United States’ 3….14 votes in the fourth round to the United States’ 8!

Some of the reasons why I was, and will continue to be shocked by the Qatar win include:

-Heat – the average temperatures in June and July are a whopping 41 and 46 degrees celsius, respectively;

-Potential terrorist attacks/threats;

-The fact there will be ten stadiums within a 25 kilometre radius of Doha which was deemed incapable of hosting the (2016) Olympic Games only last year; and

-Restrictions on the consumption of alcohol. 

To counter these problems Qatar has promised, amongst other things:

-Airconditioned stadiums which will be solar powered and therefore, carbon neutral.  What effect will airconditioning have on the “ball”?  It may make the Jabulani (which was used at this year’s last World Cup and branded by many as like playing with a beach ball), appear “normal”?!; and

-Fans will be able to drink alcohol in specially designed areas called “fan zones”.  Will Doha, I mean Qatar, have room to fit these fan zones? Will they be air conditioned too?!

I’ll believe it when I see it. 

For now, it is a fictional tale. 

Just like Qatar’s bid video which was largely set in the future and the country shown as it “might” be in 2022.   

The abovementioned concerns are shared by many, including FIFA.  In fact, Qatar received the worst technical report of all the bidding nations from FIFA (for instance, FIFA labelled the punishing heat “a potential health risk”) and was the lowest ranked by FIFA’s own independent inspectors.

Yet FIFA still awarded Qatar the World Cup!

In the words of Paul Dalligan, “I have now seen it all”.

So, too the conspiracy theories…..I’m no investigative journalist but the following just doesn’t wash with me:

-How secretive was the voting when Qatari state owned broadcaster, al-Jazeera reported the result before Sepp Blatter opened his envelope and informed the world? And what of Qatari officials who were reportedly seen embracing one another and appeared relaxed in the lead up to same whilst Frank Lowy looked like he needed a year’s supply of Gastro Stop to curb his anxiety?

-What did Mohamed Bin Hamman say to Reyanld Temarii (the Oceania member who was suspended from voting for his part in an undercover newspaper sting) when he met him in Kuala Lumpur last week and shortly thereafter, Temarii stated he would proceed with his appeal, thereby allowing Oceania not to be represented in the ballot? Lest we forget that Temarii was quoted as saying he would have voted for Australia.  To add salt to the wound, Hamman supported Temarii’s decision (to proceed with his appeal).  

-The fact the Qataris were able to sponsor the Confederation of African Football Congress on 29 January 2010 and in doing so secured “exclusive” rights to make presentations to African delegates, including FIFA executive committee member, Issa Hayatou.  Does that name sound familiar?! If not, read my last blog!  In short, he has been accused of accepting bribes in the past! Australia, and the other 2022 bidding nations, could only attend the event as “observers” and could not organise press conferences.

Which brings me to my final point….

The integrity of the World Cup bidding process has been damaged and the system of bidding within FIFA ranks must change.

Transparency is needed. 

In awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar (and the 2018 World Cup to Russia) does FIFA really care about the fans who have made the game what it is today? It would appear not.  FIFA does not appear concerned if a supporter is subjected to a violent racist attack in Moscow or another dies of heat exhaustion whilst playing, “Let’s find the nearest watering hole” in Doha. I have no doubt that any of the other bidding nations would have delivered a better experience for the football fan than the eventual winners.

The “beautiful” game and its loyal fans, stands to lose.  

Mark “The F Word” Fiorenti

News, Podcast, Sports

From the colony to the colonised….Football’s not coming home but to new frontiers….and without a dose of “Fair Play” (Part 1)

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“And the host of the 2018 World Cup is….Russia…

And the host of the 2022 World Cup is….Qatar”

 When the abovementioned hosts were announced just after 2am last Friday morning, I no longer needed my shot of espresso to wake me up. Rather, I needed something to drown my sorrows.

If that wasn’t enough, I became nauseous when I learnt:

  1. England was out in straight sets and finished dead last in the voting for 2018;
  2. Australia was out in straight sets and finished dead last in the voting for 2022; and
  3. The icing on the cake….the results was allegedly known approximately one hour before the tournament.  So much for a secret ballot….

I can read the headlines already…. FIFA president Sepp, or should I say Gall, Blatter is remembered as the man who took the World Cup to Eastern Europe and the Middle East (along with Africa). 

What won’t be widely reported is that Qatar’s victory gives him a reprieve, for had the World Cup not gone to Qatar, Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed bin Hammam (Qatar’s bid chief, no less) would have allegedly challenged Blatter for the FIFA presidency.  Blatter will now serve a fourth term as FIFA president.

So Hamman gets the glory of winning the World Cup for Qatar (a nice ego check) and Blatter gets to keep his job (and leave a “legacy” behind).

Nice wok guys – ego and political aspirations first, most logical choice and delivering fans a better footballing experience, a distant second.

To 2018….

Russia won the vote in a landslide victory in as early of the second round of voting, whilst England, a favourite, was miraculously sent packing after securing only two votes!

Nevertheless, in the weeks leading up to the vote, Blatter himself stated, “England can organize the World Cup tomorrow” boasting of its numerous world class stadia and the necessary infrastructure to deliver the world’s biggest sporting event.

And what of Russia…? FIFA’s own inspectors graded the bid as a “medium” operational risk and did not appear concerned by:

  1. Travelling distances between host cities;
  2. The need for extensive investment in infrastructure; and
  3. The problem of racism amongst Russian fans (read – the banner erected by Lokomotiv Moscow supporters that abused Peter Odemwingie when he moved to West Bromwich Albion).

I can only guess FIFA didn’t appreciate England’s media recently uncovering new evidence about bribery claims regarding four of the men who voted last Friday morning.  Three of those men, Cameroon’s Issa Hayatou, Brazil’s Ricardo Teixera and Paraguay’s Nicolas Leoz were accused of accepting bribes in the 1990’s and the fourth, CONCACAF President, Jack Warner was treated to a renewal of old allegations from earlier this year when he allegedly sold thousands of World Cup tickets on the black market for personal gain….but more on the issue of bribery and these shady characters, namely Hayatou, in Part 2….

It’s a travesty to think that the country which gave the world the beautiful game and continues to give so much to the world through its highly successful league – the most widely followed in the world, no less, scored so miserably in the voting last Friday. 

England must now wait in excess of 60 years before football comes home.

I’m all in favour of FIFA’s legacy argument and desire to sail into unchartered waters, but in order to move forward one must also acknowledge and pay respect to our past.  Further, a nation should be awarded the World Cup on its respective merits.

England would have been a logical, fair and timely choice.

It appears reputation means nothing in FIFA’s murky corridors of power. 

Mark “The F Word” Fiorenti

Punting, Sports

Sydney Colt’s Mail For Rosehill 4 December

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I am encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by those who contribute to our Saturday morning mail chase. I always contact 2 pro punters, a trackman and a ratings expert.

Race 1 n7 ICE BABY The Gimcrack run was great, has been given time to develop and has trialled strongly.

Race 2 n3 UPON THIS ROCK e/w It is ‘D’ Day for Gai’s neddy. It should get a soft lead against this unimpressive bunch. Sensational e/w value

Race 3 n5 FLYING SUCCESS This is the pick of the bets today. She is returning to mares grade and will appreciate the soft track.

Race 7 The suggestion is to have a little on 2 horses here. They are both on pace runners which has been an advantage at Rosehill lately. n 7 GIRL HUSSLER and n10 GIGAS. Both have good reports from the track and are marked by our ratings man.

Money lost, nothing lost. Confidence lost, everything lost.

Sports

Australia comes last in World Cup 2022 bidding

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I suppose the good thing about all of this is that we can stop talking about the World Cup until it comes time for the Socceroos to qualify for 2014.  Rather than give my own thoughts I thought I’d include some from my fellow Sportzfan radio panelists that have crossed my desk since the decision was made earlier today.

Daniel Eade – With Australia unsuccessful after its $45million bid was rejected by the FIFA voting panel, will the A-League survive?

Do we blame Julia Gillard? The Computer Animated Kangaroo? Paul Hogan? The Marketing Department who green-lit the ‘Bid’ video?

So once again, Sportzfanradio made the correct call before everyone else.  Well the Professor and Fiorenti called it.  They just made sense to me so I agreed with them.

Paul Hogan appeared in the commercial and he got the Taxman off his back. Coincidence?

Sean Callanan – For mine it was always a long shot but I think it is a bit like the old sporting adage you have to lose one to win one. Or in the case of Qatar have so much money no one will care about sunburn.

Paul Dalligan – I don’t think it is far removed from the AFL with their planned $300 million kitty to conquer Western Sydney

I know the Olympics bid was public money, whereas the AFL’s riches have been raised from the game but you can’t conquer new seas if you are afraid to turn your back to the shore

For Mr Democracy Obama to describe the 2022 decision as “wrong”, perhaps we didn’t lose on merit but were defeated by much more sinister forces!

Mark Fiorenti – Disappointed but like I said yesterday and will continue to say, I don’t think the financial report was the be all and all.  If it was Qatar wouldn’t have won the bid – in a landslide, no less.  The report placed them at 2nd last, yet they scored 11 votes in the first round!

 

…and you can add to that “no one cares about not being allowed to drink alcohol at the world’s biggest sporting event”.

 

I agree with the comment “you have to lose one to win one” quote Sean.  How many times did Sydney/Aust lose the Olympics before they/we actually won it? Three times from memory.

Some tweets from last nite –

  • Doesn’t Russia constantly Snow? If movies have taught me anything, it’s that it’s always snowing in Russia.
  • I won!! Soccer is so boring. Give me AFL.
  • Andrew Demetriou is laughing and smoking a big fat cigar.
  • LeBron James is taking his talents to Qatar.
  • This might be a silly question, but does Qatar even have a soccer team?
  • Is Chewbacca from Qatar?
  • Both ‘Quatar’ and ‘Katar’ are trending. People are stupid
  • The AFL should’ve expanded to Qatar instead of Western Sydney.
Sports

Australia’s 2022 World Cup bid becomes a Greek tragedy

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Professor’s Rant #4

I’ll start this rant by repeating what I said on Sportzfan Radio last Sunday (see show #181.2) – I would love Australia to get the 2022 World Cup (a view shared by The Gelding, but not Daniel or Stan – is that OK Daniel?). 

The report on the assessment of finacncial return to FIFA  from each of the bidding countries, which has only been recently released (more about that later), seems to be a fatal blow to our chances. 

Given the findings of the report, what are the chances of Australia getting the nod when the vote is held in the early hours of tomorrow morning?  Zero, zilch, zippo, naught, nil, zip.  Get the picture?

Why?  It comes down to simple mathematics – which Board would vote for an option that reaps the least (that’s right, the least) profit for it?  Think about that question for a second or two…now roll it around……easy to answer when you consider it.  Let’s for good measure add that the favourite in this five horse race is the USA ,who just happens to be the country that reaps the most reward for FIFA if they are to be successful with their bid.  The answer becomes a no brainer!

Even if I am wrong and the USA aren’t successful, there are still three other bids that make more money for FIFA.  I can’t see a kangaroo, Hoges and Julia Gillard making up for the giant cash shortfall. 

Ask yourself this further question should you still be struggling with the economics of the situation.  If you were a share holder in FIFA Inc., would you want the voters to vote for a bid that would give you the least money in your pocket to pay increasing mortgage rates and rising electricity and gas bills?

Yet another question.  If FIFA had released the report much earlier (ie when bidding opened) would Australia have run as hard or invested as much money.  I think not!  Synics like me wonder why the findings of this report have only come to light in the last week of the process.  You don’t need to be a Rhodes scholar to work that one out.  Why would FIFA reveal findings that would stifle the competition?  Another no brainer – they wouldn’t.

On Sportzfan Radio, we have queried from the start the wisdom of making such a large investment in a bid that was against the odds from its very beginning.  We felt the money would be far better spent putting resources into growing the game at the grass roots level and enhancing the A League and its teams.  Make no mistake, the local product needs to improve significantly if we are to be rated a credible force in world soccer.

So in the end, what will we have?

Nothing for $45 million dollars.  Shareholders just love that sort of equation!

To quote Paul Dalligan “ah, yep!”