SportBlog Roundup #3
Good evening everyone, and welcome to the third edition of the SportBlog roundup. As ever, it hopes to bring you the best in sports blogging from around the world; no matter what shape the balls, what colour the shirt or what tune the chant. Please keep emailing me suggestions; the aim is to show people what they've been missing - the address is sportblog at googlemail dot comFirst up this week is Chris Young who blogs at JABS, with this piece about sports owners and what they could do in the era of mass communications to make their teams stronger. Chris also deserves special thanks for pointing me towards this set of photographs, which followed the Stanley Cup on its summer tour. For the non-(ice)hockey fans among you, the Stanley Cup is awarded to the winner of the NHL playoffs every year, and tradition has it that every player who gets their name inscribed on the cup gets to look after it for a day.
Sticking with the NHL, Eric McErlain voices his opinions on recent rule changes, and the displeasure of some established stars. His site is also worth checking out for the weekly "Bleacherguy radio", which is well worth a listen. His partner in crime on that show, the Bleacherguy himself, has this piece on the Detroit Lions firing Steve Mariucci. Mooch may have lost his job, but it's not all a bad deal.
Peter at A Voice From the Shed writes about how he grew up admiring Pakistani cricketers, seeing em in the flesh at Gloucestershire.
An Englishman in New York demonstrates how blogging (and a competitive spirit, by the sounds of it), can be good for your health.
Colby Cosh writes his view of the Grey Cup in Canada.
The Obscurer was resigned to the fact that his Manchester City team were destined to let Peter Crouch break his scoring drought - a case of false pessimism, as it turned out. On the subject of Peter Crouch, though, apparently some wags are launching a campaign for him to be Sports Personality of the Year, and as of the weekend he sits in second! It may well point out the ridiculousness of many of these polls.
Chucker Canuck shows the adverse effect that splitting the Canadian ice hockey team into Canada and Quebec would have for both entities. Go Finland!
The Burnt Bail analyses why seemingly solid batsmen turn to jelly when faced with a quick bowler like Brett Lee or Shoaib Akhtar. He also has a wonderfully bitter rant about the questionable actions of many Pakistani bowlers.
Kyle Askine answers the question all NFL fans must be asking at the moment - what should the Colts do if they continue their unbeaten run. Play their starters and risk injury, or rest them and risk the bid of the immortality of a 16-0 season? He thinks they should put perfection ahead of a championship.
Death, of course, has been in the sporting headlines recently - notably George Best. Gendergeek is unconvinced by the eulogising, however. Blog FC points out that he was by no means the best ever. Punk Football, meanwhile, mourns the passing of another figure loosely associated with Manchester United - Russell Delaney, one of the leading lights in the breakaway FC United, formed in protest at the Glazer takeover. Interesting to note that FC United decided to hold a minute's applause, rather than the traditional British silence - something which Johnnie Moore also picks up on.
Chris in South Africa comments on the growing maturity of Jake White, coach of the Springboks (rugby). SA Rugby, meanwhile, gives a run-down of the history of today's Varsity Match (damn those Tabs!). As a side note, I've been a bit disappointed as yet to have found no reports of the match. It's one thing that doesn't get due recognition from the media - today's attendance would have been greater than most Premiership matches and yet it is little more than an afterthought. Surely the bloggers can fill in the gaps!
An England fan questions the shady dealings that seem to have been behind the FIFA seedings for the World Cup.
Redsman at Elite Football Talk has some detailed thoughts on both the position of Steve Bruce as Birmingham manager, and the sacking of Paul Gascoigne at Kettering.
And last but not least, Ubersportingpundit has this excellent post on the squandered genius of Brian Lara. I wouldn't rate him as highly as Tendulkar, or possibly some of the other batsmen he mentions, but there is no doubt that he was a special, and occasionally electrifying talent.
That's all for now, but please keep the links coming! See you again in a fortnight.
posted by Ken @ 8:52 PM
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