THE
HUMILIATION of winning only one vote from FIFA’s 22-strong executive committee this morning caught Australia’s 2022 World Cup bidding team off balance.
Bid leader Frank Lowy and his team were confident of at least making a strong showing but seemed stunned to find that some FIFA executives reneged on their promises of support.
The embarrassing harvest of just one vote meant Australia was the first bidder eliminated from the five-way race in Zurich after a campaign which cost $46 million of Federal Government funding and could have brought Australia billions of dollars in economic activity.
Other than the fact that the ALP spent $46m to get one vote the story is a great yawn to me, being a follower of the game they play in heaven.
I wonder how much Qatar paid?
Disappointed Aussies demand an
explanation
QUEENSLANDER!!!!!
Lost the match and the fight…poor Blues
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Richmond supporters have flocked to Punt Road to see star recruit
Ben Cousins take his first steps with the Tigers.
Nearly 3000 fans packed into the Punt Road oval to watch what normally would have been a routine pre-season training session, but turned into an impromptu rally of club faithful.
His problems are not over yet as police in Victoria name him in court
Cousins has flown back into a storm of controversy amid court claims of links to an accused gangland killer.
As Cousins today begins a new life as a Richmond footballer, police yesterday named the fallen champ in court as being connected to alleged underworld figure Angelo Venditti.
Why do the AFL bother?
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As we come down from a high post Olympics it might be time to remember Don Bradman, born 100 years ago today and forever enshrined as one of the greats of cricket. In
this article we read he wasn’t just on top of cricket but excelled everywhere he competed.
Even some American observers appreciated the importance of Bradman to cricket: “He was Babe Ruth without the swagger,” Baltimore Sun journalist Bill Glauber once wrote. “Joe DiMaggio without Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jordan without the endorsements.”
Twice as good as the leading pack he set records that more than likely will never be beaten.
Another measure where Bradman’s record is superior is the performance comparison within the chosen sport. Bradman’s average of 100 (rounded off to the nearest run) in 80 Test innings makes him twice as good as the next group of batsmen, whose averages fall between 40 and 60.
In other words, he was worth the Chappell brothers, Ian and Greg, or the Waugh brothers, Steve and Mark. There were many fine players with averages in the 30s. For instance, Bradman was worth the combination of Paul Sheahan, Kim Hughes and Joe Darling, all top class, who would be selected for their country in any era.
Go read and remember how great he was.
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I’m West Australian born and bred and now live in Brisbane so with the Western Eagles (85-84) and the Broncos (15-8) taking the AFL and NRL cups respectively I’m more than happy. Both very good games of football but the Broncos win made the taciturn Wayne Bennett the most successful coach in league history (six Grand Final wins) and gives Shane Webke, a local football hero here in Brisbane, a perfect closing curtain for his football career.
It’s always good to beat our bigger southern cousins…in anything…at any time!
Ahh…Queensland…perfect one day, better the next
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Being an insomniac I took to watching the Tour de France and started doing so the night Landis hit a wall and lost buckets of time. I checked in the next night and was, like every other viewer, impressed by his comeback. He produced one of the most memorable rides in Tour history when he stormed to victory in stage 17 by almost six minutes. Having cycled a bit myself, but only to work for fitness, I was impressed with the competitors as they went through the Alpine regions. Tough guys, I thought…way tougher than me.
Being impressed with the Landis come-back and the other mountain-ascending tough guys you can imagine my dissappointment this morning to read that
Landis has failed a drug test taken on the very day of his comeback; the day he won stage 17 in such a determined manner. The day that clinched his Tour de France win.
Landis’ Phonak team has revealed that the 30-year-old tested positive for excess levels of testosterone after winning stage 17 of this year’s race.
Landis’ defence is a bit too hopeful to me;
Landis says he “can’t be hopeful” about the B test but hopes to prove he has naturally high levels of testosterone.
Sometimes I am so bloody gullible. When watching the race, drug enhancement never entered my mind and yet the Tour has been plagued with drug issues for years. I knew that but it didn’t click.
The TV has stolen some of my life again. I should stick to web surfing and learning facts I never knew instead of watching TV and confirming facts I already know.
Another fallen idol.
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I’m less than happy with soccer – we play well for 89.5 minutes and we loose because an Italian fell over and got a free kick for his dramatics. They are clearly better at the “fall over and appeal for a penalty” tactic than we are.
I’m definitely over soccer.
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I’m not a soccer fan but I am Australian and I’ll watch any representative team on the world stage. I flicked back and forth last night for 80 minutes but got bored with the 1:0 score and gave up thinking, “Oh well, they tried”.
I flicked back just a few minutes later and had missed two goals. I saw the third goal and I applaud the team. If they go no further they have been further than any previous team and they deserve our praise for that.
At 2:00 am while conducting JP work for the local police, I was chatting with the guys and the conversation turned to rugby and the Wallaby win against the Poms on saturday night. My point was that much was made during the game, of the 20 phase play by the Poms, but more should have been made of the answering 20 phase defence by the Aussies. The entire 20 phases were played with one promotional sign – ‘Bundaberg’ in the background. 20 phases over a 20 metre square doesn’t bode well for the Poms. The game was rivetting and I would never dreamt of flicking channels – I would have definitely missed a try, a near try or some clever play. With the Socceroos, to return after 20 minutes woud normally present no change and that made last nights game so different.
The rugby was a scrappy game but we did win and it bodes well for us in the future. Let’s see how the Poms come back next Saturday night at Sydney.
As for the Socceroos, I’ll try and stick to watching the entire game next time
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WELLINGTON Hurricanes forward Chris Masoe allegedly punched a patron in a bar before being hit with a handbag by teammate and former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga.
Masoe, an All Black with a hardman reputation, was reported to have burst out crying when centre Umaga hit him.
They were then tossed out on the street by the bouncer….you guessed it, a woman.
Captain uses handbag in fight……forward cries like a girl….both evicted by a girl bouncer….no wonder they lost the Super 14 rugby final in Christchurch on Saturday night
.And was that “punched a patron” or “slapped a patron”
Tee hee hee
UPDATE: Pic above just in from Reon, a Kiwi mate. At least they can laugh at themselves…..roll on Bledisloe
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I’m not a soccer fan but I do appreciate skill, team spirit, lasting the distance, courage and any Aussie team winning.
I watched the whole game, something I have never done before, and I mostly enjoyed it. I say mostly because I still find a score of 1-0 at full time fustrating. The game is too defensive in my Aussie Rules and Rugby tainted mind but I cheered with everyone else when John Aloisi gives Australia an unassailable 4-2 lead.
Not only did they win but the Socceroos clearly deserved to win. For most of the game they were in control and were the fitter team.
Well done.
(At least they won, unlike my beloved Wallabies, who have lost their last seven matches….mumble…bitch…moan)
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