Random Sporting Thoughts

I failed for the first time this year on producing a New Year’s blog making sporting predictions for the year ahead. After essentially promising Floyd and Manny would fight for the last 15 years (it feels that long), I can officially confirm that they agreed to fight this year purely because they didn’t feel the weight of expectation based on my annual blog. We may be a few months into the year, but still plenty to predict and look forward to…..and I have to write another blog for work tomorrow which I have to nail, so I need to get back into this writing business!

Manny & Floyd

We may as well start at the start. I am giddy. I have been known to get giddy about the biggest fight ever numerous times (for numerous read monthly) in the past. This is it though. This is as big as they come. So how do it see it? For once, I am sticking with my initial thought that Floyd wins on points. It is so easy to get caught up in these fights and the hype and go back and forth on them, and I have had thoughts that Manny’s workrate is too much for Floyd. However, I still just have to go for Floyd. Defence is impeccable, he’ll land with enough straight rights and his accuracy percentages will be way way higher. Manny will land more punches, but I’m dubious about how many quality shots he will land. So much will depend on the judges, but if it comes to that which I am pretty sure it will, Floyd will get any favours. It’s one of the reasons they are fighting in Vegas. Floyd on points.

Josh Warrington

You may not know the name but he’s fighting tonight at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. He’s a hometown boy, went to the same school as me, and he is good. You’ll only know him if you’re from Leeds or love Boxing, but remember the name.

Barca or Bayern?

Those two are my picks to go all the way in the Champions League this season, and I am slightly edging Barca. I do think Paris (you may still say PSG, but they actually asked UEFA to change their short name for branding purposes) could test them but I favour Barca to get a good enough result at home while Paris are without some key players in David Luiz, Thiago Motta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti and that may be a little too much to overcome.

Why Barca over Bayern? Super tough call and little to separate them. I just edge Barca because I think they have the greater individual attacking brilliance to turn a tight game, I think Rakitic has adapted so well and come strong in the last couple of months that they have recaptured their best form, and I just think Barca are tested at the highest level a little more often than Bayern domestically which may give them a marginal edge.

My only hope is that they avoid each other until the final.

Rugby League Rule Change

Saw plenty of NRL the last week which was thoroughly enjoyable. A definite upgrade in intensity from Super League, and fierce competition. The Bulldogs versus the Rabbitohs was a quality match, but there was an interesting moment when a player was forced off through a bad injury which came from a naughty knee to the head. Not pleasant. In those circumstances where a team loses a player through injury due to foul play (could be a penalty or if the referee puts a player on report), the team on the receiving end should be able to use an additional player outside of the four replacements they have on the bench. Seems harsh to penalise a team due to foul play. This goes across multiple sports, but a general frustration of mine for so much punishment that goes on in sport, is that it rarely does not benefit the team that the crimes were committed against in that specific game – it’s the team(s) their opponents play next. #rantover

A Sucker For Stories

Today at 6.30pm UK time the Ottawa Senators will play in Philadelphia in the NHL. The Sens need a point to reach the play-offs. In their last 30 matches, they have won 22, picked up a point in 4, and only lost 4 of those games – an unbelievable run and if they do manage to do it today, it will be a story in itself. The Sens General Manager is a chap called Bryan Murray – he’s been there since 2005. In November, it was announced that he has colon cancer – stage 4 meaning it has no cure, and his deterioration has visibly shown in the last few months. He’s one of those older chaps who you see and listen to and think you’d be happy enough if he was your granddad. I sincerely hope, and I think they will, that the Sens can produce the goods today and do it for him.

Speaking Of Loveable Grandad Types

Sad news of the passing of Richie Benaud yesterday. Another one who just sounded like a gentlemen, an excellent player converting into an excellent commentator/analyst. There are not too many Aussie sportsmen who have endeared themselves to the English as much as Richie – and that is as big an achievement as anything.

Roberto Martinez

Soft Bobby has left the room and here comes Ruthless Robby. I’d sack him personally. Sounds harsh after a record points tally last season, but I’m not convinced by a number of his fundamentals. Transfers are questionable, tactically struggles to change a game in-play, has struggled to juggle his players and prioritise the right games at times this season, and more than anything else, his excessive praise of the players – ‘amazing, incredible, fantastic’ – even in defeat, is beyond believable. Harsh, but I think we continue to decline with him in charge.

I think that....

….I do not like the fact that in the last few years, a number of foreign athletes have been nationalised and will compete for Great Britain in the Olympics. I don’t think anybody will accuse me of being racist – I would have no problem if it was not so blatant, but it smacks of desperation to boost GB’s chances of reaching their medals target. If any of them win, nobody will complain, and history will only show the medals table, but I can’t think it is right.

….one of my favourite sports writers is Peter King of Sports Illustrated. He knows his NFL inside and out, and in turn, he helps his readers know a fraction of it inside and out. Along with Kevin Iole at Yahoo, Steve Kim at Maxboxing, and Thomas Hauser at Seconds Out, they are my favourite sports writers. For some reason, I have yet to find a favourite football writer – maybe I trust my judgement better than theirs.

….I will not be attending the David Haye v Derek Chisora fight. How the Luxembourg Boxing Board can sanction this fight in England demonstrates how poor and disjointed the administration is in the world of Boxing. I’m staging a mini protest for that reason…..and because I don’t think it will be a great fight.

….Pep Guardiola has done a fantastic job at Barcelona, but I cannot be convinced about him until he proves himself elsewhere, and I think that will be extremely difficult. The players were largely in place before he took over and the system certainly was. His transfer record was not the best. And I think he is largely overrated despite having a sensational record. That all said, watch Chelsea or another rich team throw stupid money at him, which he will eventually take. As an outside shot, I wouldn’t rule out him returning to Barca after one season….you heard it here first!

….as sad as it is for Rangers fans, they have an opportunity to rebuild the club from almost scratch and start again – managing the club and playing squad correctly. Unfortunately, I think it will be negative for the league, and will reduce the quality of Celtic too. Motherwell will be knocked out of Europe pretty quickly next year, and Scottish football could suffer further. What Rangers misery does mean, is that they will likely be forced to give young home grown talent a chance, and may be that is a blessing in disguise….if there is one.

….the example of a manager’s impact on a team cannot be emphasised enough when you consider Chelsea under Andre Villas-Boas and Chelsea under Roberto di Matteo. Perhaps even more importantly however, it shows the impact an owner or chairman can have in supporting his manager also – something AVB ultimately did not have.

….my feelings on Tim Bradley potentially upsetting Manny Pacquiao in June are still the same as my blog back in January….i think he has the stamina, speed, and toughness to cause Manny some serious problems. This is the first time in some time that I think Manny is fighting somebody at his peak, and in his natural weight class – and I think Manny will find it extremely difficult. Bradley is far from great to watch, but I think he is an extremely talented and solid boxer with a very good defence…so much so that I may even have a bet on him as there is usually value on anybody fighting Manny or Floyd. As much as the whole world wants to see Floyd v Pacman, I think there may be a spanner in the works at some point, and this could be it.

….the American businessman who is investing $20m in recruiting American heavyweight boxers, will pay them to train at his facility, and he will subsequently get a share if the profits from future events involving those boxers, could be on to a winner. If this is done correctly and they scout talent well at a young enough level, and they look at it as a long term investment, this could be a fantastic idea and concept. One thing is for sure, Heavyweight boxing is desperate right now and has been for some time. The only other sure thing is that there is big money to be made in it. I saw calculations that a Manny/Floyd fight would generate $300m. If this guy has hundreds of millions, then I think it is worth a shot. One of the most innovative ideas I have come across and I like it.

…..i was involved in a slightly bizarre interview this week and was asked a question that I have never been asked before. The candidate asked us ‘Why would you pick me over the other people?’ A strange one considering she was the second of nine people that we were interviewing, and a stranger one considering her profile. She did not make it, but she wins the award for best ‘asking-you-the-question-you’re-supposed-to-ask-the-candidate question!