Some Sporting Observations

6. The New York Yankees season appears finished after losing the first two games of their series with the Boston Red Sox. In game one Alex Rodriguez went 0-for-5, among a shower of boos, including hitting into a bases loaded double-play as the Yanks went down 7-3. Game two was no better for Yankee fans with New York losing 11-3. The once-powerful Yanks now seem destined to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1994, the Bronx Bombers now 10 ½ games off Tampa in the East and 7 games off Boston in the wild-card race. The decision to sack Joe Torre, the long-term Yanks manager who breathed success, appears to have been a bad one.

5. The LPGA’s decision to suspend the card of players not proficient in English is the most culturally chauvinistic decision made by a sporting body in many years. The LPGA has instituted the policy as a matter of business practice designed to assist with the marketability of the sport. What the organisation has done, however, is widen the cultural divide between English speaking players and non-English speaking players, forcing those from a non-English speaking background to carry the extra burden of having to learn a new language. No mention has been made as to whether English speaking players will be forced to learn Thai, Korean, Japanese, Chinese or Indian if they were to win one of the LPGA events held in those particular countries. It is a disgraceful condition and the LPGA deserves the entire backlash headed their way for creating such a culturally insensitive rule of membership.

4. The New York Giants suffered another blow in their bid to defend their Super Bowl title this week when legendary defensive end Michael Strahan rejected an offer to come out of retirement after the Giants lost key pass-rusher Osi Umenyiora for the season with injury. Strahan, who holds the record for most sacks in a season, was the key component of the Giant’s defense for fifteen seasons and was courted by the Giants to come of retirement. The surefire hall-of-famer rejected the offer, preferring to keep his gig as a Fox Sports analyst. The key to the Giants success last year was their pass rush and with no Strahan or Umenyiora this season, they may struggle to even make it to the playoffs in what is the toughest division in the NFL.

3. Next year will not be a year for failure in the AFL with the new Gold Coast franchise set to get the first three selections and nine picks in the first fifteen in the 2010 draft. The team that finishes last next season will only get pick number four instead of pick number one, as per normal. Teams on the slide will be aghast at the decision by the AFL to treat the new franchise so generously with clubs like Melbourne, already hanging by a thread, and West Coast now expecting longer rebuilding periods than they had hoped for. While the AFL had to ensure that the new Gold Coast team is successful, its generosity at the expense of more traditional teams will no doubt cause some resentment throughout the game’s strongholds who already believe the AFL treats Melbourne teams differently to interstate sides.

2. The loss of star Tigers rake Robbie Farah to an ankle injury has severely cruelled the Tigers chances of continuing their stellar run against the Sharks and in the process, keep their finals hopes alive. Robbie Farah has not come up from an ankle injury and is out of the Sharks contest while skipper Brett Hodgson is also in doubt with a persistent leg injury. The Tigers have not lost to Cronulla since 2003, a streak spanning nine games. They are hoping to continue that run but without their star in Robbie Farah, the Tigers are going to do it tough.

1. Frank Pritchard has seemingly been to the Manny Ramirez School of getting out of your contract by refusing to play. It has been reported that Pritchard refused to go back on the field after leaving the Melbourne Storm game claiming his shoulder was too sore to go back on. Club legends Greg Alexander and Mark Geyer both questioned Pritchard’s commitment to the club in the aftermath of the suspected faking of an injury. The Panthers should remain firm. They should force him to see out his contract and if his attitude continues to be so poor, he should be subject to the same rules as everyone else and be sent to play for the Windsor New South Wales Cup teams. With the Panthers finals hopes on the line this weekend against the Warriors, the real commitment of Pritchard to the Panthers will be on show for all to see. Don’t expect him to play.

Upper of the Week: The many celebrations of Australia’s greatest sporting icon, The Don, in what would be the week of his 100th birthday. As the years tick by the reverence for Bradman does not fade like it does for most. If anything, his legend has grown. His name is synonymous with unparalleled greatness and even today the number 99.94 has but one meaning and the debate of who is the greatest cricketer ever has only one ending and has for well over half a century. No man in any popular sport has ever been as dominant as Bradman. It has been wonderful remembering his extraordinary deeds a century on from his entry into the world.

Downer of the Week: The heart-wrenching injury to Newcastle and New South Wales skipper Danny Buderus that will see him finish his Australian rugby league career on the sideline. Buderus will be remembered as one of the Knights greatest, a champion who played 24 Tests and 20 Origin matches along with 222 first grade appearances. Buderus will now finish his career with Leeds in the Super League. It was wonderful, however, to see Newcastle retire the number nine jersey for the remainder of the season in honour of their fallen captain. The Knights will be fired up to win for Buderus this weekend and playing at home, an upset against the Storm is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Nostradamus Corner: Terry Campese will be selected in the Australian World Cup squad. Campese has gone from relative obscurity to a probable Australian jersey in the space of two months. His form has been first-rate and with the five-eighth ranks depleted even further by Greg Bird’s indefinite suspension, Campese is more than a runner to make the team as Lockyer’s back-up.

The Weekend Super Special: The Canberra Raiders at $1.93 (Lasseters, Sportsbet, Betchoice) in their match with the last placed North Queensland Cowboys. The Raiders are the form team in the NRL. The Cowboys are last. The Raiders have been firing on all cylinders in attack. The Cowboys leak points like it a style going out of fashion. The Raiders are a super price and those with a kick should put plenty on them.

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© 2008 Punting Ace.