The Sporting Day: Some Sporting Observations

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Some Sporting Observations

8. The big guns of the NFL all started well with the three clear cut favourites dominating in week one. The Indianapolis Colts opened the season with a dominant victory over the New Orleans Saints last Thursday, Peyton Manning carving up a team who played in last season’s NFC Championship game. The New England Patriots were just as impressive, destroying the New York Jets in New York. The Pats new star recruit Randy Moss was sensational at wideout while Tom Brady showed why he is rated one of the best under center of all time. The San Diego Chargers were not to be outdone. The Chargers downed Super Bowl losers the Chicago Bears in a grinding affair. Star back LaDanian Tomlinson was quiet but it showed how much depth the Chargers have. They are real threats this season and cannot be underestimated.

7. Green Bay's quarterback has added his name once more to the record books. With Green Bay surprising the Philadelphia Eagles in a scrappy affair that was highlighted, in these parts anyway, by the debut of AFL legend Sav Rocca, Favre tied John Elway for the most ever wins by a starting quarterback. Favre already owns the record for the most consecutive games started and is only seven touchdowns away from surpassing Dan Marino’s all-time touchdown record. With the Packers expected to improve this season, expect Favre to break the record sooner rather than later.

6. Roger Federer. That is about all that needs to be said. He is the greatest of all time. He equaled Roy Emerson for the second most Grand Slam victories ever in winning this year’s Open and became the first player to win four consecutive US Opens since Bill Tilden over eighty years ago. All he needs now is a French Open title and his status as the greatest ever will be confirmed.

5. Two Caulfield Cup contenders showed they are on the right track with cracking performances over the weekend. The Lloyd Williams steed Zipping got home a treat in the Makybe Diva Stakes behind Marasco and Apache Cat. He really showed some acceleration late in the race and looks primed for a profitable spring with the two major Cups his main goal. And Eskimo Queen was sensational in coming from the tail to run second to Devil Moon over the most unsuitable 1400 metre journey. She is an Oaks winner and will be well suited over the longer distances of the spring features. Both will be very difficult to hold out as the trips get longer.

4. The Geelong Cats did exactly what a hot premiership favourite needs to do in the first week of the finals; they annihilated their opponents. The Kangaroos were blown off the park by the Cats, who finished with a 106 point advantage. Geelong now move to a game from the Grand Final while the Kangaroos now have to get themselves together to face Hawthorn this weekend and keep alive an unexpectedly good season. Paul Chapman was brilliant in kicking five while the Ablett’s were a delight. The Cats are going to be near impossible to stop this September.

3. Steven Clark refereed his best game in quite a while when calling the shots in the Melbourne-Brisbane game at Olympic Park last Sunday. He was lenient with tackles up around the neck and seemed to officiate in a relatively consistent manner for both teams. That performance was in stark contrast to the effort of Paul Simpkins on Saturday evening. Simpkins crucified the Bulldogs, the penalty count favouring the Cowboys 12-4. The Bulldogs were no hope against that count. Making the matter worse for Canterbury fans was the inconsistent manner in which Simpkins refereed each team. The big calls all seemed to go to the home team. Clark will surely get a game this weekend.

2. Rugby league has entered the world of politics. A Sydney businessman and rugby league fan is attempting to form a political party called the 'Have the Grand Final at 3pm on a Sunday Party'. Purser is pursuing a noble cause. Tradition dictates the big game should be played on a Sunday afternoon and popular opinion seems to offer the same conclusion. The NRL, due to money, continues to insist that the game be played Sunday evening. One hopes that the NRL takes notice of Purser and the popularity of his cause.

1. Johnathan Thurston was the deserved winner of the Dally M Player of the Year last week. Thurston is invaluable to the Cowboys and has proved his ability time and time again for the Cowboys this season. Since leaving the Bulldogs, where he won a Premiership, he has won two Dally M awards. He is the new Andrew Johns.

Upper of the Week: The penalty try awarded to the New Zealand Warriors by video referee Bill Harrigan. The decision was entirely correct and commentators who argued otherwise showed their failure to grasp the rules of the game. Defenders who take out unmarked men before the line should always be awarded a penalty try. It was good for the game that Harrigan had the courage to make the call.

Downer of the Week: The shocking injury to Buffalo Bills back-up tight end Kevin Everett. Everett sustained “catastrophic” spinal cord injuries when making a tackle on special teams for the Bills. He may never walk again.