Football: Portsmouth's Plight

There's a good round up on on the BBC website of the consequences that Portsmouth face, assuming they enter administration in the coming days. Unless a very wealthy owner who is willing to take a significant loss is found in the next couple of days (a highly unlikely prospect), the club will be facing certain relegation from the Premier League and after that, the unknown. It will seem like a long summer for Portsmouth's fans, as they wait to see if a viable business can be extracted from the ruins of the club, one which will be able to take part in the Championship.



Avram Grant is unlikely to be in Portsmouth next season

Also of interest is this piece, linked to by Matt Slater in the comments, which provides more details on the challenges faced after a club goes into administration.

Football: English Refereeing Standards

There's a good article on the BBC website about the role that English referees are playing in educating their counterparts from around the world. Referees get a hard time in the Premier League week in and week out, and it might be hard for many fans, players and managers to believe that they are the best in the world, but it is true nonetheless. Imagine what the standards are like elsewhere in the world, and how apoplectic Neil Warnock or Alex Ferguson would be if they had to coach in another country.

Recent criticism of Howard Webb has suggested that he would embarrass England at the World Cup, and whilst the risk of a Graeme Poll-esque mistake is always possible for any referee, it is far more likely that Webb will be one of the best most qualified referees at the tournament, especially when it comes to dealing with the pressure of a big game. It is worth remembering complaints at past World Cups about the standard of refereeing from other countries' representatives, which suggests that, despite the odd mistake, those in the English game should be thankful for what they have.

NFL: Myron Rolle - Scholar, Sportsman, Chosen One?

With attention turning to the 2010 NFL draft, college footballer Myron Rolle has been getting increasing attention in the American sports media, and he is profiled in this fascinating article courtesy of ESPN.

The draft, where the teams take their pick of the best young talent from the college game, is the culmination of a ruthless process which leaves no stone unturned in the assessment of the student athletes pursuing their NFL dreams. Through the NFL Combine, where the top prospects are worked out and interviewed for the scouts; the pro days held by the major colleges, offering largely the same process; the video analysis; personal visits with interested teams; and endless media speculation, the hopefuls will have their lives dissected by franchises who want to be absolutely sure they are choosing the right candidate for the multi-million dollar contracts on offer.


Rolle (left) intercepting a pass for Florida State

Rolle will attend this year's combine, and the scouts will have video footage of three seasons of football at Florida State, one of the biggest and best college football programmes in the country. They won't have much footage of his fourth season though, apart from an appearance in the Senior Bowl, an end of season all star game, but they will have plenty to discuss in his interviews, because Rolle gave up his 2009 season at Florida State to study at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. This was no small decision, the defensive back was already a college star being tipped as a high draft choice, and putting those ambitions on hold for a year was a gamble, as there was the risk of losing his status to the next wave of players, all of whom would have recent playing time and no rustiness.



Professional football is only one of Rolle's ambitions though, alongside a medical degree and an eventual career as a neurosurgeon. As the ESPN article shows, everyone he comes into contact with seems to invest a new set of hopes in him, whether in the fields of medicine, science, politics or something else. For him it seems, football is not the be all and end all, although that is not to say that he does not take it seriously, as the preparation work he has put in shows. There is also scope for crossover, with concussion being a hotly debated topic in the game at the moment, he has co-designed a helmet that reduces the risk of head injuries.

Rolle appears to have the potential to be a genuinely successful polymath, and takes his status as a role model very seriously, but with such great expectation comes the pressure to live up to it. One hopes that he can successfully balance all his commitments, and find a way to achieve his goals, rather than those other people have in mind for him. First among those goals is being drafted and establishing himself as an NFL player. After that, anything seems possible.

Rugby: Lions 65 - 72 Chiefs

A remarkable game of rugby took place in Johannesburg tonight. 18 tries and 137 points were scored in the Super 14 clash between the Chiefs and the Lions, which ended with a 72-65 win for the Chiefs, who amazingly were down 25-17 until just before half time. Read the match report here. Astonishing.

Cricket: Afghan Success Part II

Following on from Afghanistan's qualification for the World Twenty20, as blogged about last week, the Guardian's weekly cricket roundup, The Spin, has a good piece about the various contributors from the cricketing world who have helped them get to where they are today. As the author Andy Bull points out in the comments below the piece, the team itself should get the bulk of the credit, but there are many people from the international community who have pitched in, and their work deserves some attention as well.

(Also in the comments is a fantastic response from one reader to the idea of Brian Blessed playing Mike Gatting in a film: "WHAT? Gatting's ALIVE!". Well it amused me anyway.)

Elsewhere in The Spin is the remarkable tale of New Zealand's Ewen Thompson and the kebab which hospitalised him, but not before he bowled 10 overs with it stuck in his throat. Much like the story of Afghan cricket, you couldn't make it up.

NFL: High Five Super Bowl

A little out of date now, with Super Bowl media day long gone, but with the game fresh in the memory, even a week later, this video made me laugh. If nothing else it's fun trying to identify all the NFL-related people who feature.

HIGH-FIVE SUPER BOWL! - watch more funny videos

Football: Hard Times

With Portsmouth standing on the edge of collapse, the first Premier League club to come so close to financial disaster, and Crystal Palace the latest Football League club to go into administration, there's a piece on the BBC website about the state of football's finances. It is a worrying sign when even the Premier League, supposedly the most lucrative in the world, cannot generate enough money to fund its clubs. It will make for a worrying few years for fans due to the debt-laden nature of many clubs.

NFL: Peyton Manning

Before last Sunday's Super Bowl, there was speculation that a win would secure Peyton Manning's place as the greatest quarterback of all time. A second title would put the 2006 Super Bowl MVP in an elite group with other winners of multiple titles, and combined with his unprecedented four MVP awards, and numerous records, this was enough for many experienced watchers of the game to crown him.

The knock on Manning was his record in the playoffs. Many feel that despite that Super Bowl three years ago, his dominance of the regular season, his talent, and Indianapolis' eighth season in a row with with ten or more wins, he should already have more than one title to his name, or at least a more competitive playoff record than 9-8 before Sunday's game.

Following on from defeat by a smart and adventurous New Orleans side, the media has rounded on Manning, labelling him a choker, the tag that followed him around during the early part of his career.

It is ridiculous to swing from one extreme to the other on the basis of one game, or even one pass, intercepted by Tracy Porter and returned for a fourth quarter touchdown. Manning did not play a bad Super Bowl, passing for over 300 yards, more than Drew Brees. He was not helped by his receivers, with Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne both dropping the ball at key moments, and he was the victim of a smart play by Porter, who successfully gambled and jumped Wayne's route for the interception.


Manning lies on the ground as Porter returns his interception for the game-winning touchdown, sparking Saints celebrations

Manning is one of the greats, and needs to be in any conversation about the greatest of all time, his achievements leave that in no doubt. That does not mean that he is the greatest, but you would have to at least discuss his credentials before moving on to other candidates. There is plenty of evidence that Manning is not a choker, with numerous big game wins, many of them in the fourth quarter or inside the two minute warning. This season's nail-biting win over New England or the comeback against the Jets in the AFC Championship game bear witness to that.

There have been those playoff failures, it is a serious issue when considering his career, and the Super Bowl defeat is a setback, but there is a difference between underperforming and choking, and between losing and choking. Some days a player underperforms, sometimes they get away with it and sometimes they don't. Some days the opponent plays a good game and there's little to be done about it. Playoff games and Super Bowls in particular, are especially unforgiving in their nature. The Saints played a smart and bold game, and they won the game, rather than Manning losing it.


Manning will forever be compared to Brady, his contemporary and rival, who has three titles to his name

Even Tom Brady's 14-4 postseason record does not reflect the fact that of his eight trips to the post-season, Brady has eventually failed in five of them. In the NFL there can be only one winner, so to tag any player as a loser for failing to be the one out of 32 who wins every time, is an unrealistic assessment of the player's worth. Of course, winning is the most important thing in professional sport, but failing to win the only prize on offer does not invalidate a player's other achievements.

What Manning has done on the field, calling his own plays, from a no-huddle offense, is unique in the modern game, and even in the old days when quarterbacks did call plays, the league was dominated by running, and the passing game was less complex. Manning is performing the most remarkable feats on the field week after week, and deserves credit for it. As a result, he is the victim of his own high standards. Many believe that Kurt Warner will one day end up in the Hall of Fame, but last year he too threw a costly interception in the Super Bowl. Because it happened early in the match, and Warner had an up and down career, he was not hauled over the coals for it. No-one expected super human feats from him as an underdog, like they do from Manning. Fans have been spoiled by his achievements, and mistakes that would be tolerated from others, are not from him.

Up to a point, the change in the media is because those who support him were the loudest voices before the game, whilst the critics had nothing to discuss. Now theirs are the loud voices, whilst those who believe he is the greatest quarterback of them all have kept quiet. It has been good to see however, that some have stepped forward to defend him, and inject some reality into proceedings, notably John Clayton and Tim Keown on ESPN.com.


Elway did not win his first Super Bowl until he was 37

Whether or not Manning is the greatest can never truly be objectively measured, and one might ask why it even needs to be discussed, rather than just appreciating the individual merits of all the greats, instead of ranking them. Regardless, it is a debate best left for after his retirement. After all, many consider John Elway the greatest quarterback, yet he lost three Super Bowls before his first win, which came when he was signifcantly older than Manning is now. Sean Payton, Drew Brees and co. played a great game last Sunday, give them credit for their win, rather than apportioning blame for the Colts' loss.

Cricket: Afghan Success

A week that began with an underdog success story, the New Orleans Saints, ends with one too, as the Afghan cricket team has qualified for the World Twenty20 championship which takes place in the Carribbean this April.

Afghanistan's cricket team is a rare feel-good story for that country in recent years, and is the subject of a documentary due to be shown on British television screens this year. The team was formed in 2001, having spread into Afghanistan through the Afghan refugees who took up residence in Pakistan during the Soviet invasion that began in 1979.

Fans celebrate their side's World Cricket League Division Three title

The side has quickly risen through the ranks of the minor nations of international cricket, and although it failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup, ODI status was secured, and a place at the Twenty20 championship will give Afghanistan's cricketers a first taste of the big international stage. The resulting boost in attention should lead to more funding and greater support, ensuring that the team's upward trajectory continues.

Amongst all the political struggles in international cricket and the squabbling over money, it is nice to be reminded that sport has the power to unite and bring hope in some small way. This month's cinema release of 'Invictus' should teach us that much. Afghanistan's cricketers may be a long way from being able to host major nations at home, but are on the verge of giving the rest of the world something else to associate with their country than war.



Many Afghans learned the game in Pakistani refugee camps

There is an obsession at cricket's highest levels with breaking into big markets such as the USA or China and getting Olympic recognition, yet the sport has always expanded along cultural lines, and Afghanistan has the potential to be a future powerhouse of the game. To do this, it will of course need the security situation to stabilise but it will also need support from the ICC and the international community, and it is surely a more credible target for cricketing expansion than any other nation. Given the rise of cricket in a short space of time, the country's population, and its cultural ties to Pakistan, there is a real opportunity for the game's authorities to not only expand the game, but to make a difference to a country and offer its people something to be proud of. That is surely worth diverting some effort from the latest round of squabbling over the Champions' League.

NFL: Sights and Sounds of the Super Bowl

There has been, of course, so much coverage of New Orleans' Super Bowl win this week. In lieu of going through the issues (sadly other commitments are restricting blogging at the moment), NFL Network have produced this video reliving the sights and sounds of Sunday's big game. Listening on headphones, as they recommend, does enhance it. Meanwhile, Mike Mayock breaks down the play that sealed the win.

The understandably raucous celebrations in New Orleans have also been getting plenty of attention, and rightly so.

The Saints have always felt slightly marginalised by the national sports media, but this win has propelled them to another level, as evidenced by Drew Brees appearing on Letterman this week.

NFL: The Morning After The Night Before

If nothing else, last night's remarkable Super Bowl win for the Saints proved that all predictions are just speculation, and this blog's own preview was at best, only accurate in parts. Whilst the Saints were given a reasonable chance by most pundits, they were not the favourites, but it proved to be a topsy-turvy game in many respects, not just result-wise.


Drew Brees soaks up the atmosphere following his side's triumph

Having observed that the Colts had the edge when it came to kickers, their veteran, Matt Stover, provided the only miss of the night, whilst second year Saint Garrett Hartley proved that his game-winner a fortnight ago was no fluke, becoming the first kicker to succeed with three field goals from 40 or more yards in a Super Bowl. So much for youthful inexperience.

On offense, the Colts passed a great deal as usual, but they had success with the running game too, with Joseph Addai picking up 77 yards and a touchdown, as well as several critical runs. Yesterday this blog explored the importance of the run for Indianapolis, but no-one expected it to be the factor that it was in their offense.

Meanwhile, on the New Orleans side, the defense defied convention by blitzing Manning early in the game, then again late on, when pressure aided the fatal interception.




Porter runs in his interception to seal victory

One prediction that did come true is that a big play from the Saints' secondary could prove decisive, and so it was, with the hero of the NFC Championship game, Tracy Porter, providing the game's signature moment again.

Amongst all the failed predictions it is worth pointing out that Corinthian Spirit picked the Saints to make the Super Bowl back in September, but as runners up. Not bad. The rest of the predictions in that article are best glossed over however

Dwight Freeney's ankle, the subject of so much speculation before the game, turned out to be up to the action in the first half, with the defensive end producing the game's only sack. However, he faded as the game went on, and by the end he was unable to put pressure on Drew Brees. The New Orleans offensive line, so good all season, did its job again, justifying their crowning by John Madden as the league's best line.

Another prediction was that red zone failures would prove extra costly in this game. Whilst the Saints had their failure early in the game, they kept chipping away at the Colts, and it was Indianapolis' turn late in the fourth quarter, when they failed on fourth and goal. It was marvellously disciplined defense from the Saints that rendered their opponents unusually impotent at a key moment, although in the end it was a simple drop from Reggie Wayne that cost them the scoring chance.

Just like in the NFC Championship game, Reggie Bush was not a major factor, although he was a useful target in the short passing game. Instead it was Pierre Thomas entrusted with the key running downs. On special teams, where Bush had the chance to be a difference-maker, he was well covered by the Colts.

Match officials dig through a pile of bodies to determine which team has recovered the ball following the Saints' onside kick - the New Orleans side would come up with possession and go on to score their first touchdown

If there is one big lesson to learn from this Super Bowl, it is that you make your own luck. Sean Payton made the bold call to go for it on fourth down in the second quarter, but backed it up with some unusually conservative play calling and the gamble failed. His decision to try an onside kick at the start of the second half paid off spectacularly however, as the resulting possession allowed Brees to drive the Saints downfield and put them ahead. The fact that there was a large stroke of luck involved, as the ball rebounded off a Colts player before being recovered by the Saints, merely enhanced the impression that fortune favours the brave. After a second quarter which New Orleans had dominated, but in which they had only scored two field goals, Payton made a bold call, seized the initiative, and never looked back. Soon afterwards, his decisions to go for a two point conversion following Jeremy Shockey's touchdown, and then to risk losing a valuable time out in order to challenge the decision not to award it, both paid off, and forced the Colts to be aggressive in their next drive, which in turn helped the Saints' defense put pressure on Manning and seal the win.

NFL: Keys to the Super Bowl

With Super Bowl XLIV only hours away, everyone knows the game plan for both the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints will focus on their expansive passing offenses. Assuming the two cancel each other out, here’s a look at some other factors that might separate the teams. Whilst the Colts are rightly considered to be favourites due to the assured way they have negotiated the entire season (even their defeats were almost part of the plan), and their experience, it promises to be an evenly-matched encounter.

Indianapolis Colts:

Indy have the lowest ranked running game in the league. Not because they are incapable of running, but because they choose not to, preferring to keep the ball in the hands of Peyton Manning. Against the Saints, establishing some semblance of a running game would force the New Orleans defense not to focus on pass coverage. However, the Colts are unlikely to use more than the odd burst from Joseph Addai to keep the defense honest.

Addai could be a difference-maker for the Colts

While the Saints’ Garrett Hartley showed great poise to kick the game-winning field goal in the NFC Championship game, as a second year player, he is still an unknown quantity. The Colts meanwhile have Matt Stover, a 42 year-old with 20 years of NFL experience and a Super Bowl ring. If it comes down to a late kick to win it, you would favour Stover over Hartley, although should the latter repeat his trick from the last game, he will get a reputation of his own.

Will the officials allow the Saints to hit Peyton Manning like they hit Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game? They were lucky not to be flagged in the late stages against the Vikings, and had those calls gone the other way, they might have lost. Defensive Co-ordinator Gregg Willams has made it clear that he will pursue the same tactics, but after two weeks of media scrutiny, it is unlikely that the officials will let them get away with it in the biggest game of the year, against the most high-profile quarterback in the game. Even if they are allowed to get to him, Manning rarely gets shaken, and indeed often chooses to duck out of the big hits, in favour of living to fight another day.



Manning is unlikely to punished as Brett Favre was two weeks ago

Big game experience. Only one Saints starter has been to a Super Bowl before, and that appearance by Darren Sharper was a defeat 12 years ago. Meanwhile 19 members of the Colts’ roster were present at Super Bowl XLI, including many of their starters. The Saints froze up at times in the NFC Championship game, even Drew Brees struggled to get going in the second half, and there is a chance that they will be overawed by the occasion.

New Orleans Saints:

It is widely held that the way to beat Peyton Manning is not to blitz him, since his release is so quick that he rarely gets sacked or hurried, but to confuse him. That is not to say that he is easily confused, there is no smarter quarterback in the league, but much like bodyline bowling made Don Bradman merely a very good cricketer instead of a legendary one, it is the only way to cause his production to drop to more manageable standards. Manning adjusts faster than any quarterback in the league, so it is critical that if the Saints manage to confuse him, they capitalise and put points on the board. Manning will soon adjust, and the chance will be lost.

Because of his productivity against the blitz, and the fact that the strength of the Saints’ defense lies in their secondary, what pressure they do get on Manning must come from their defensive line only. They cannot afford to bring extra men, for fear of exposing their defensive backs and compromising their best defensive weapon.

That secondary has made big plays all season, and led the league in interceptions returned for touchdowns. No-one is more important here than the veteran Darren Sharper. If Sharper can come up with a big play against Manning, it may turn the game and get under his skin. For all his success, Manning does not have the record in the postseason that he should have. If Sharper can cause him uncertainty, it might give his side an opportunity.

Dwight Freeney’s ankle has, for the last week, been scrutinised like Beckham’s metatarsal in 2002. If the Colts’ premier pass-rusher cannot play, or can only in a limited capacity, it means less need to provide extra blockers, giving Drew Brees more targets and more time to throw.



Freeney's ankle has been subject to constant speculation this week

It would help the Saints to establish the run early. Not only will it set up the passing game, but if Reggie Bush in particular, can run with real power, as he did in the divisional playoff against Arizona, there is a chance of wearing the lightweight but speedy Colts defense down and keeping Manning off the field. Neither side is known for its running game, but the Saints have more ability than Indianapolis, and need to capitalise.

Bush could be the deciding factor. The Colts are unspectacular on special teams, and kick and punt coverage has never been a strength. This is one area where New Orleans have an advantage. If Bush can produce one or two big punt returns, it could make the difference. If he can return one for a touchdown, it might just win the Super Bowl.

A remarkable part of Indianapolis’ success has been the ease with which their rookie cornerbacks have slotted into their team this season, but they are still rookies nonetheless, and even the relatively unproductive Jets passing game burned them a couple of times in the AFC Championship game. If Brees can isolate them, Marques Colston and co. will have a big game.

Brees and Payton will attack the inexperienced Colts secondary

Both teams:

In what is expected to be an end-to-end encounter, with two high octane offenses, it is critical that neither side has any red zone failures. Should the Colts fail to score on a visit to the Saints’ red zone, Brees might well march the Saints up the other end and establish a lead. Meanwhile, should the Saints fail, Manning will do the same. With both sides expecting to score on every drive, whoever fails first will be at a huge disadvantage, much like with a break of serve in tennis.

These are just some of the interesting match-ups that await us in tonight’s game, and this is why the NFL is so fascinating – the way that both sides will scheme and attempt to create mismatches in their favour. Super Bowl XLIV features the league’s best offensive game planner in Sean Payton, against its quickest mind in Peyton Manning. Whoever wins, there will be plenty of points on the board come full time.

The Effects of Steroids

Amongst the coverage of various doping scandals around the world of sport, the side-effects of taking steroids are often overlooked. The various baseball players, cyclists and athletes who have, over the years, gone down this route in the pursuit of success, have done so at a personal cost, and in a revealing article at Esquire.com, one writer details his own experiences of steroids.

The unpleasant physical and psychological impact of one 16-week course of steroids would be enough to put many people off for life, and it is clear that those who do take them are probably paying a greater price than any ban or fine that could be handed out to them by the relevant authorities.