This week features the race that stops a nation, the nation that stopped our cricket team, Four Nations, and confrontation.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION – NASCAR STYLE
In a time where F1 loses four cars from it’s grid, with other poor outfits crying poor and threatening boycotts, and discussion about three car teams and what to do to fix it being put into the too hard basket by boss Bernie and everyone, maybe it’s time to look to NASCAR for advice.

NASCAR like to keep things simple, drivers only have to turn left, only race in certain states, and if they have a problem they are allowed to punch each other.

Enjoy the link below in the knowledge that this is how things get done in Nascar. No penalties applied to either driver too, giving the thumbs up from the governing body. A different world from F1 where interfering with air of the car behind can lead to a penalty.

Never fear, with Marcus Ambrose leaving Nascar to return to V8’s we’ll need to care just that little bit less about the left turners next year. But hopefully he can bring that taste of DIY Justice to our motorsport circus next year. Here’s the link to his best work earlier in the year.

FOUR NATIONS RUGBY LEAGUE
What looked on paper as a who-gives-a-f*** sporting event has been a surprising success. With all the talk about who wasn’t playing in the 4 way shootout before the tournament started, the on field games have more than made up for the lack of Australian stars.

Biggest surprise thus far would have to be Samoa’s compeditiveness, the best performed 4th nation of any in this format. NZ handing a terrible Australia a lesson in the first round also set up a tournament that means Aussies have not yet qualified for the final, and look as likely to beat Samoa as they had NZ and England. And they were only a bigger, stronger fingernail away from an exit last weekend.

With all games live (on TV and competition -wise) this weekend, it is a welcome addition to an otherwise dull week of sport.

AUSTRALIAN CRICKET (INSERT PUN HERE)
We could have gone for “in a spin”, “spun out” or “SOS for Shane Warne” in the pun department. But the real apt description without the pun would be “Australia awful, arse kicked, terrible batting and bowling”.

It is always easy joining a bandwagon, lord knows it’s easy in general, let alone when your sporting side allows an opposition players to score the fastest century ever, allows 9 centuries in 2 tests, and includes Glenn Maxwell.

On the subject of Maxwell, he joins an elite band of cricketers we put in the NATP class. A NATP or Not A Test Player is a person who despite all the skill and promise and potential, and no matter how good an idea you think it is, are just not cut out for test cricket. Or should never be selected.

Sure, sometimes they’ll do something brilliant, but it is usually a bookend to very empty shelf of achievement in between.

Here’s a few of our favourite NATP’s from back in the day.
Glenn Maxwell
Andrew Symonds
Tim May
Gavin Robertson
Paul Wilson

MELBOURNE CUP ROUND UP
First of all, a hearty Ausgezeichnet to Protectionist on winning the cup. Rarely before has a horse won so easy, and made the field look second rate. Never mind the fact that the Gurgler picked it for first, it was impressive all the same.

Also, worth mentioning is Red Cadeaux who has now finished second in three consecutive Cups. No mean feat given the quality of local and overseas horses in the last three cups. Some could feel sorry for the connections, although the sacks of cash that accompany a second place should make them feel better.

Now, the sad tales of the horses that were put down are worth mentioning. But unlike other people around the interweb and social media, we won’t be going into a diatribe about the evils of horse racing and cruelty to animals, providing stats to amaze friends and family about how bad it is.

It is a really sad story, and anyone with a fraction of a heart couldn’t be moved, but it is horse racing, and if this wasn’t the favourite of the biggest race of the year, then no one would give a shite. These things happen in sport and life, and horse racing has plenty of checks in place to ensure that animal welfare is an important factor. At the end of the day it was a freak accident for one horse, and questions about the connections interests of their horse that led to the other horses’ downfall. It is sad truly.

And having been at a track where a horse has broken it’s leg and tries to get up but can’t and is euthanized in front of the crowd on the main straight, it could have been much worse. There was little more than a paragraph or two for that moment at Eagle Farm. Certainly no Facebook updates.

But unlike other nay-sayers we aren’t going to blab about the evils of racing. We know full well that well before the next race that stops a nation we’ll have some interest in a horse race.

People are free to give their opinions, but we challenge anyone who felt the need to point out how bad horse racing is, to never ever put another bet on, enter a sweep, or attend any other race meeting or read anything related to racing for the rest of their life. Would be interesting to see if by the time the nation stops again whether all is forgiven.

Enough of the seriousness, it’s time to attempt to win serious money with out Gurgler Super Multi.

GURGLER SUPER MULTI – $1 gets you $155
CRICKET – TEST – BANGLADESH to beat Zimbabwe
F1 – MASSA Top 6 Brazil
SAMOA +20.5 start v Aust
ENGLAND + start v NZ
BRISBANE ROAR to beat Melb City
CHELSEA to beat Liverpool

VIC OAKS TIP
GO INDY GO

SPORT ON FTA TV
THU 5:30AM SBS – CHAMPS LEAGUE – MAN CITY V CSKA MOSCOW
THU 10:30AM CH7 – RACING OAKS DAY
THU 11:05PM SBS – CHAMPS LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS
FRI 6:30PM CH9 – T20 AUST V SAF
FRI 6:30PM SBS – ALEAGUE ADELAIDE V SYDNEY
FRI 9:30PM ONE – NBL
SAT 10:30AM CH7 – RACING STAKES DAY
SAT 4:55PM GEM – RLEAGUE NZ V ENGLAND
SAT 6:30PM SBS – ALEAGUE BRISBANE V MELB CITY
SUN 1:30AM ONE – F1 BRAZILIAN GP QUALY
SUN 2:30PM CH9 – RLEAGUE AUST V SAMOA
SUN 6:30PM CH9 – T20 AUST V SAF
SUN 10:00PM SBS2 – ALEAGUE EXTRA TIME
MON 1:30AM ONE – BRAZILIAN GP