The Sporting Day: Some Sporting Observations

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Some Sporting Observations

8. The Atlanta Falcons have every reason to feel aggrieved at the sudden departure of head coach Bobby Petrino. Petrino, who signed a five-year $24 million contract only last year, fled the hapless Falcons after only thirteen games to return to the college ranks, this time as the mentor of the Arkansas program. Atlanta Falcons boss Arthur Blank stated that he felt "abused” and “betrayed and let down” by Petrino at the lowest point in the organisations history. This season, star quarterback Michael Vick was indicted and jailed on dog fighting charges. While most of the players, many whom believed Petrino was aloof and arrogant, are not upset to see him go, there is a feeling internally that they have been abandoned in their hour of need. It is doubtful whether any NFL team would look at Petrino in the near future.

7. Packers icon Brett Favre broke yet another NFL record on Sunday when he passed Dan Marino to become the all-time leader in yards passed in the NFL. In another stellar performance that saw the Pack record their twelfth win of the season, Favre completed nineteen passes from thirty attempts for 227 yards and two touchdowns. In the process, Favre threw a 7-yard pass on a slant play to his favourite receiver, Donald Driver, and broke the record. It is another milestone for one of the all time great throwers.

6. The Mitchell Report was finally handed down last week and it has rocked the world of Major League Baseball. The report stated that steroid and HGH use has been prevalent at all thirty big league clubs and has been for a number of years. The report also named 85 players as being involved in doping including seven MVP’s and two Cy Young winners. Among those listed were Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Eric Gagne and Miguel Tejada. This was baseball’s darkest day since the revelations that the 1919 White Sox tanked the World Series. The impact of this report will be felt for decades and this era of baseball will forever be tainted.

5. A number of former Broncos have revealed that Wayne Bennett receives a six-figure payment, on top of his Broncos contract, from a wealthy benefactor keen to see the Broncos do well. Former centre Steve Renouf called on Bennett to explain himself after a number of players over the years have stayed at Brisbane for less out of loyalty to Bennett. In the U.S, these wealthy patrons are referred to as boosters and have become a major thorn in the side of the NCAA. Whilst there is no problem with Bennett receiving any cash, there is certainly an issue of players receiving undeclared cash from boosters. The NRL needs to seriously look at this issue and lay out stern punishments for offenders whilst providing a more transparent system for player earnings. If not, rugby league will be hit with a major scandal in the very near future.

4. Exciting Parramatta duo Jarryd Hayne and Krisnan Inu have shown great loyalty to the Eels and each other by promising to remain at the club, together, for a long period of time. Both are tremendously exciting prospects and could have fetched a tidy sum on the open market yet both have decided to place friendship and loyalty above the almighty dollar to stick together in the blue and gold. Such actions are rare in today’s game, where contracts mean very little and players will go anywhere to get the big money. Parramatta fans must be thrilled that their backline is secure until at least the end of the decade.

3. Unsurprisingly, Robbie Deans was appointed coach of the Wallabies. And the ARU made the right choice despite the hypocrisy of the likes of John O’Neill, who criticised former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones for working with South Africa. Robbie Deans was clearly the best available option and is panels ahead of broadcaster Alan Jones, Wallabies assistant John Muggleton and Super 14 coaches Laurie Fisher and Ewen McKenzie in terms of technical knowledge and an ability to field teams that can win consistently. David Nucifora was the only other candidate with any legitimate claims for the job. The real positive in hiring Deans, however, will be his detachment from the politics of rugby in Australia. He will be able to clean house and establish the Wallabies in his own mould, something previous coaches have not been able to do. The Wallabies should be on the up-and-up over the next four years.

2. Bryce McGain must be chosen for the Boxing Day Test. He furthered his chances on the weekend with another fine display in the domestic one-day competition. McGain took 3-32 in his full compliment of overs, tangling up a Tasmanian side who have been very good. McGain can turn the ball a mile and gets tremendous flight and can cause a great deal of trouble for an Indian team adept at playing spin. Brad Hogg will not cause any damage and a four pronged pace attack would be disastrous. Hopefully Australian selectors will have as much courage as they did when they selected Bob Holland a quarter of a century ago and pick Bryce McGain.

1. Cricket Australia’s exploration of day-night Test matches are embarrassing and insulting to a game and a format that has stood the test of time. Cricket Australia have determined that day-night Test matches would appeal to a wider demographic and would thus, be good for cricket. What they fail to recognise is how many genuine fans would abandon the game for such silliness. The experiment failed in Shield cricket a few years ago and would fail again at Test level. Cricket Australia needs to get back to ensuring Test cricket remains the focal point of each summer.

Upper of the Week: Danny Green winning the WBA light-heavyweight world title. Green destroyed Croatian Stipe Drews and is worthy of the gold.

Downer of the Week: The attempted compromise deal put forward by the NRL of a 5pm Grand Final kick-off. How ludicrous. The public is crying out for a 3pm Grand Final and David Gallop should show some mettle and realise that rugby league is a game of the people and insist on a 3pm kick-off in the game’s centenary year.