Circling the Drain – The Gurgler’s Week O Sport

Welcome to another week of the sporting week in review and preview, summing up what took our fancy for the sporting set of seven.

KEVIN PIETERSEN 326 NOT IN

As Andrew Strauss moves into the hierarchy or English Cricket, the well timed triple century put KP’s name back in the spotlight at just the right time for chaos for English cricket.

Despite the triple century and plenty of runs in Australia’s Big Bash a return was unlikely before Andrew Strauss’ arrival to the board, and virtually zero once he was chosen. For Andrew Strauss had once put a big C beside the name of KP in a TV commentary for Sky, and he wasn’t talking about captaincy.

Happily with an Ashes series looming England are sticking to the guns and confirming they are not selecting Kevin Pietersen. Somehow the leading English run scorer from the last series in Australia, and the only batsman who looked like troubling the Aussies won’t be considered.

Maybe they think they are covered after their unconvincing tour to the West Indies or their tremendous performance at the World Cup earlier in the year.

Sure he comes across as a dickhead, and that no one within or outside the team really likes him, but that hasn’t stopped Australia and Channel Nine persisting with Michael Slater.

It doesn’t matter us as Aussies, but we’ll sure sleep easier knowing one of the biggest dangers won’t be able to play. Especially in England where we have been off the pace in recent series.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
As QPR and Burnley are relegated it is time for the occasional UK non EPL fan to look downwards as the importance of the lower teams become greater as three of them are allowed to join to the EPL each year.

If one has made the effort to keep an eye on the lower three tiers playoffs  they have been rewarded with some great games.

The Championship saw two great games one a 2-1 win to Middlesbrough over Brentford and fierce local rivals Ipswich and Norwich played a 1-1 draw. The Ipswich equalising goal’s importance was highlighted by the celebration by a man on twitter who showed the hole in his roof caused by overly excitable celebration. As an Ipswich fan, I can relate. The goal scorer offered to pay the damages. Man of the people that Anderson.

Check out the full story here.

Another game worth noting amongst them all was the final semi final of League One between Swindon and Sheffield United. Swindon took a 2-1 lead into the home game, and at the end of the second 90 minutes there were another 10 goals scored and a 5-5 score line. Just goes to show that anything can happen lower down in UK Football. Swindon will meet Preston to go up to the Championship, whilst that division and League Two still have their second legs to go.

A LEAGUE FINAL
Melbourne Victory are playing Sydney FC on Sunday. Sure the detractors will remark that it’s only A League and sometimes they are right, but this should be as good as it can be this weekend with two of the best teams who don’t like each other very much. It will be more than likely better entertainment than the NRL on Sunday.

SPORTING VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

With the NRL showing little interest in sending anyone off for some very ordinary foul play, we want to highlight just how easy it is to send players off in other sports.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-SEpBTqWmI

ASK DR SPORTZ

With the looming A League Grand Final, do you have any ideas for A League Expansion? Frank North-Star, Doboy, Qld

Not really, any more teams will only make the competition weaker than it already is, and the only cities that could sustain more teams – Melbourne and Sydney – don’t really need a third. Neither do next big cities Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth need a second given their current attendances.

Only possibilities within Australia would Tasmania or Canberra for geographic reasons, or another regional Vic or NSW side.

One out there solution would be rewarding the non League team in the FFA Cup that get the furthest in the competition for the next season. That or a team from a South East Asian country like Singapore or Malaysia.

What do you think of Deflate-Gate in the NFL? Beryl Pocket-Rohde, Wantima, Qld.

Sometimes cheats prosper, but the actual incident doesn’t bother me, it’s the use of gate in all media. Although in this case it rhymes, the use of gate is usually a lazy way of highlighting an issue instead of using a carefully constructed pun.

BEST OF SPORTS UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS

GURGLER SUPER MULTI
$1 pays $48

UK FOOTBALL – League 2 Semi SOUTHEND to beat Stevenage
MOTO GP – Marquez to win French GP
AFL – WEST COAST to beat Gold Coast
AFL – WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.5 start v Fremantle
COLLINGWOOD to beat Richmond
MELB VICTORY to lift ALeague trophy
UK FOOTBALL – Conference Playoff Final – BRISTOL ROVERS to win

LONGSHOTS
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMINEZ to win Spanish Open Golf @ $51
MICHAEL CARUSO to win R1 V8’s at Winton @$751