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Sports Bar - August 2007

What more could you want? So much sport, so little time!

August 27th 2007 08:31
Oh it is a great time to be a sports fan, the NRL and AFL are approaching finals time whilst other major sporting events are just around the corner. US Open, World Athletic Championships, Twenty20, Rugby, Premier league, its all here!

The Melbourne Storm and Geelong have dominated their respective leagues all season, but this does not guarantee glory. Will the minor premiers choke or will the perfect season continue throughout? The other major story is the transformed Bunnies, just one-win away from a historic finals berth!

Soccer fans are rejoicing with both the English Premier League and A-league back in full-swing. Manchester United’s title defence has gotten off to a shaky start, but a controversial 1-0 victory over Tottenham may rejuvenate the red devils. Liverpool are playing with real belief and might have a real shake at the premiership this year.


Rugby tragics are eagerly anticipating the start of the World Cup, with Australia a genuine chance of bring home the silverware. Buoyed by strong performances against Cup favourites New Zealand, the Wallabies only need a little luck to go all the way.

Cricket fans have the inaugural twenty20 World Cup to look forward to and no matter what it is guaranteed to be exciting. No-one really knows what to expect, but that’s what makes the prospect so enticing. Can the glorified slog-fest wrestle back credibility for the ICC?

We also have a lot of tests coming up, and fans are nervously waiting to see what life after Warne, McGrath and Langer will mean to cricket in this country. Who will get the openers position? Will we still be the best team in the world? Will Murali break Warne’s record in Australia? Are the rumours about Gilchrist and retirement true?


The World Athletic Championships are underway with Tyson Gay upsetting world record holder Asafa Powell in the ‘glamour event’ - the final of the 100m sprint. An electric time of 9:85 was quick enough to capture the gold, with Derrick Atkins 9:91 relegating Powell to bronze in 9:96.

All Australian eyes will be on Craig Mottram and whether the extremely gifted long distance runner can defeat the ever-present Kenyans.

The US Open starts tonight; as always, the hopes of Australia will rest on the shoulders of Lleyton Hewitt. The reformed bad-boy of tennis has had a great build-up and has found form just at the right time. He also has a decent draw, thanks largely to his ranking shooting into the top 20. This means he will not play Federer or Nadal until deep in the 2nd week. Does he have the game to defeat the world’s most dominating duo?

There is something for everybody! Oh, It’s a great time to be a sports fan!
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Who will win the NRL? - The pretenders and the Contenders - Smells like September

August 22nd 2007 02:32
The NRL finals are just two weeks away, it is almost September and we are now down to the business end of the competition. All season we have waited for the finals to be upon us, the weather is starting to get warmer, the contenders are awakening and we are set for the rollercoaster ride. So where do we stand?

----Melbourne ----
Let us start with the Storm, the team that has been unbeatable, irresistible and unstoppable all year. They have an embarrassment of riches in their playing roster and are extremely well coached; dispatching teams with ease all season. They boast stars such as; Slater, Inglis, King, Cronk and Smith who are all match winners and can turn a game on its head with individual brilliance. Olympic Park is the most feared football venue in all of Australia, put simply it is a graveyard ground - the Storm have only been beaten there once in two years. This has kept them in good stead and they have been seemingly cruising to the minor premiership for months..

All-stars
Lately the Storm have been ‘struggling’, they are lacking their fluent, charismatic game play. The aura that has defined their season is dwindling; teams are no longer defeated even before setting foot onto the ground. Having said this, Melbourne have only lost once recently; to the Roosters. The ease of their victories may have stopped, but the wins have not. Good teams find a way and although they are not playing to their potential the Storm are finding ways to win matches. They have learnt how to grind out victories and this will come in handy in September. So the Storm are struggling but are still winning, some slump! This is a scary reminder to the would-be contenders; if you cannot beat them when they are down, what chance do you have when they play at their devastating best? The Melbournians fell short at the final hurdle last year after dominating the league throughout 2006; this perhaps is the big question lingering over them – will they choke again?

----Manly ----
No team divides opinion quite like the Sea Eagles, are they the real deal or pretenders simply waiting for the bubble to burst? All year people have waited for the Warringah boys to fall; much in the same way the Sharks inevitably fall from grace, year after year. But under Des Hasler the Eagles have resolve, they have belief and they play for the full 80 minutes, week in week out.

On paper, their squad is modest, they are a team of hard workers – lacking so-called superstars, they are a team that believes they belong at the top. The Manly boys have been quoted as saying they haven’t achieved anything yet; a dangerous reminder to the competition that they mean business. The old silvertails see nothing short of making the final as good enough. They have played all season with September in mind and deserve their spot as outright second.

Led by inspirational stalwart Steven ‘Beaver’ Menzies the Eagles have brought the good old days back to Brookvale. They boast the most dynamic and in-form prop in the competition Anthony Whatmough, not to mention the try-scoring machine Brett Stewart and the sublime skills of Michael Monaghan at hooker. This has been the nucleus of their success all season, a team of hard workers, a team that never gives up. But just how far can the determined Eagles go in 2007?

----Cowboys ----
How on earth are the Cowboys in 3rd position on the NRL ladder? It simply defies belief, they are one of the most inconsistent teams in the competition; hot one day – freezing the next. They are Jekyll and Hyde and have more personalities than Matty Johns. I can not see much difference between their side and the Panthers outfit which is surprisingly languishing on the bottom of the ladder. Penrith are also an inconsistent team, nobody knows how the Cowboys are so high, and nobody knows why the mountain men are so low. It has been a strange season indeed!

2-man band?
Attacking wise the Cowboys possess a lot of flair and can rip any team apart. But are they, as many people argue a 2-player team? This stigma has dogged the Cowboys – they rely way to heavily on Jonathon Thurston and Matt Bowen. Without these two players firing, the Cowboys become cannon fodder and have conceded some huge scores this season. They live by the mentality that they can outscore any team. Games with the Cowboys often become a shoot-out, end-to-end, very exciting to watch but generally, not how finals football is played. The Townsville boys will also have to rectify their poor form in Sydney if they are any chance of winning the competition. If they manage to finish in the top 4 the Cowboys will be a real threat with a home final, if they falter in the last two weeks the opportunity will slip through their fingers.

----Bulldogs ----
SBW- just awesome
September is coming, which means the Dogs are on the march. The team with the most intimidating pack seems to revel in finals footy and are never to far away. It is the business end of the season and always brings out the best from the Belmore boys. Buoyed by Sonny Bill Williams and Brent Sherwin in career best form, the Dogs are looking ominous. It will take something special to knock them out come finals time.







----Warriors ----
The dark-horse of the competition, the boys from across the Tasman are in scintillating form. They have lost only two games in their last ten outings and are almost unbeatable at home. The Warriors, like the Cowboys will be desperate to clinch a top 4 berth. Led by Steven Price the Warriors will be hard to stop come September, can they go all the way?



----Parramatta ----
Young Gun
The Eels have looked strong all year, but have a history of chocking in September. This of course was under Brian Smith, a very nervous and psychological time-bomb waiting to erupt. Michael Hagan however, has tasted finals glory twice as a coach and knows what it takes to go all the way. Young-gun Tim Smith will need to step up and play out of his skin if the Eels are any chance of tasting the coveted silverware.



----The Rest ----
The Tigers play an attractive brand of football and have a genius coach in Tim Sheens, they face an uphill battle though, likely to face the Sea Eagles or Storm in week 1 of the finals.

South Sydney! What a thrill it is to see them in contention for September! Who would have thought they could have transformed themselves so quickly? Russell Crowe, and Jason Taylor have revitalized the legendary club and who could begrudge them a finals berth? Like Tigers however, the glory may be short lived with a road-trip to Olympic Park or Brookvale Oval likely to end in defeat.

The Broncos can still make it, but are dogged by injury. They have the heart and determination but their decimated line-up doesn't have the points in them to compete with the major contenders.

The Titans have had a stellar first season, and making the finals would be massive for the newboys on the block. They rely way to heavily on Scott Prince to be a threat, but should be happy with their first taste of NRL.

So the finals are only two weeks away, it has been a weird season and perhaps there will be a couple of surprises in the run-in to the Grand Final. It would be fitting that such a bizarre season has a few twists in the tail left in it. Melbourne have been the best all year, but come finals time, this counts for nothing. Bring on the footy, bring on the finals, where dreams are shattered and made in 80 minutes of sheer excitement. You have to love September!
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India are coming; Life after Warne & McGrath

August 16th 2007 06:06
Leader of the Streak - Steve Waugh
Flashback: Under the astute leadership of Steve Waugh the all-conquering Baggy-green’s had demolished everyone in their wake. The new ‘Invincibles’ were on a world record streak, surpassing the mark set by the immortal West Indies side of the mid 80’s. The Aussies travelled to India, full of confidence, buoyed by a side brimming of exceptional talent. What happened next has been billed as one of the greatest series in test match history… Funny how the greatest series in history revolve around Australia losing – see the infamous Ashes series.

Australia won the opening match with ease to enhance their streak to an incredible 16 victories in a row. The Aussie’s were seemingly well in control of the 2nd match, forcing India to follow-on; the 17th win was an inevitability, Australia were cruising and unstoppable right? WRONG! In one of the all-time great comebacks, India defied belief by not only saving the game, but winning it. The streak had ended, it was always going to take something quite remarkable, but nobody expected VVS Laxman to score 281, least-of-all the Australians. The 3-match series was heading for a decider and in a heart-stopping finale, India amazingly won to claim a famous victory. Not only had Australia’s streak ended, they had lost a series as well!

It was declared the final frontier, Australia set out to defy the record books to defeat India on home-soil, it was stalwarts Warne and McGrath’s last chance to win on the sub-continent; without skipper Ricky Ponting it seemed like a tough ask. The series never lifted to the lofty heights of its predecessor and the Aussie’s won the series comfortably. The previously impenetrable Fortress India crumbled like a house of cards, much like the ‘unbeatable Windies had done in 95.

Move forward to the present, India has always been seen as a team shaky on foreign soil. They have always had the talent but never seemed to realise it away from home. This was the old India, one that lacked self belief when the going got tough. The new team (new in attitude, not players) has just beaten England in England and have boldly declared they can beat anyone, anywhere. The Indian’s have moved to 3rd in the ICC test rankings, with only England and Australia above them.

The tables have now turned and it is India with their elder statesmen set to have one last tilt at the world champions. Australia has not been beaten on home soil since 1992-93, to beat them at home is cricket’s version of mission impossible. There is however a noticeable difference this time round. This is a new team; the air of indestructibility is waning. Namely, it is a team lacking Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. In the matches they played together (104), they took 1001 wickets at an average of 23. No wonder Australia has dominated for over a decade, captains would kill for that sort of combination. Whilst Australia has constantly had an embarrassment of batting riches, the bowling stocks have always been the concern. How do you replace two of the best bowlers of all time?

When India last toured here in 2003, McGrath was out injured and Warne was serving a suspension for ‘those’ damn diuretic pills. The Australian’s were a shadow of their usual selves, lacking teeth and short of strike-power; India almost stole the series. It was a scary reminder to fans down-under; this was the future prospect of our team, a side devoid of of Warne and McGrath.

Litlle Master
The 2007 battle will start at Melbourne on Boxing Day and would be a perfect swan song for some of India’s most prestigious stars. The ‘little master’ Sachin Tendulkar will be 34 and the series is shaping up as farewell tour, much in the same ilk as when Brian Lara was last here. Also in the likely line-up is former captain Sourav Ganguly (35), Rahul David (34) & VVS Laxman 33. It is an experienced middle-order, a prolific run-scoring machine. They have tasted success against the world champions and after defeating England away from home have a newfound self-belief. If these stars find form it could be a long summer of chasing leather for Australian bowlers.

Best pair ever?
This series is has all the makings of a titanic struggle. It is the old guard with one last crack at glory against the champions in a rebuilding phase. We will finally learn what the future holds; life after McGrath & Warne. It also marks the start of a new opening partnership, one that will not be as threatening… Justin Langer has retired and thus ending arguably the best opening partnership in the history of the game. Langers and Haydos piled over 5000 runs together at an average of 51, this has been the solid platform for the middle order to dominate and then decimate opposition teams. It will be interesting to see who replaces Langer and if they can fill the most courageous boots in cricket.

The series could also be the curtain call for Adam Gilchrist who has hinted he wants to spend more time with the family. The charismatic keeper who has entranced the cricket world with his brutal batting may indeed retire at the end of the series.

There is a lot to keep the pundits happy with all these sport narratives set to collide in the upcoming series. It will be a fitting way to bid farewell to some of the best and most engaging stars of all-time. The scriptwriters will be working overtime to give everybody the fairytale ending; I just hope it can live up to the hype!

Bring on the Cricket!
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Who'd be a referee? Where does technology fit in?

August 14th 2007 06:31
Whistle Blower
Remember a time when video technology was new, when a replay could only be seen from one angle and at one speed, when referees made decisions and the game continued? As technology improves, we now see replays in slow motion and from multiple perspectives, but is this a good thing? The technology that was 1st introduced as a means to review great plays has become a tool to decide the outcome of matches. Look at sport today, we have video referees, 3rd umpires and the newbie on the block; Hawkeye. The debate is whether or not this technology should be utilised and if it is effective.

Play to the whistle is the credo of every junior team ever to grace the field - officials have always made mistakes, of course they have; their human. Is sport losing its charm? At a young age we are taught to accept these mistakes because it will all even up in the end. The world of professional sport however is completely different story, it is a cut-throat, multi-billion dollar industry and results are paramount. A player’s livelihood and career could be ruined by one bad decision.

The Video Ref in the NRL has become a highly contentious point of conjecture. Every week fans stare at the screen in disbelief as the video ref dissects footage with a fine toothcomb. Some of the decisions have left players, commentators and fans alike totally bemused. Which raises the question, if you can have 10 replays and still not be sure of the correct decision, what is the point of technology? Three weeks ago, video official took over 5 minutes to make his decision, this is ridiculous. A joke! Let the referee on the field make a decision and get on with the game.

The modern day video official started with cricket with Sachin Tendulkar making history by being the 1st batsmen in the world to ever be given out by the 3rd umpire. The run-outs in cricket are fair enough, everything happens so quickly and the technology usually delivers a definitive answer- usually…

Hawkeye, whilst not actually used to make decisions is taking over cricket! It is not being used for lbw decisions, yet, but it is putting unbelievable pressure on umpires. Decisions are scrutinised more thoroughly in cricket than in any other sport known to man. This is due to the long nature of the sport, every decision is analysed to the umpteenth degree. Hawkeye however is constantly making umpires look 2nd rate, it really has placed them firmly under the microscope.

Federer against the system
Tennis has recently embraced Hawkeye and for the most part, the players seem happy with the ‘challenge system’. However, Roger Federer has publicly questioned the use of technology and regards it as a blight on the game. Ironically, the technology almost cost the Fed Express a record 5th straight Wimbledon title. After a number of highly questionable Hawkeye decisions against Federer he was visibly rattled and was famously heard lamenting to the umpire; “How in the world was that ball in? I men it’s killing me today, look at the score!”

The Fed Express commented later this year; "It's a weird thing I still don't trust 100 percent, I probably never will.” For one of the highest profile athletes to be questioning the use of technology and its infallibility, obviously not all is what it appears.

There are sports that have defied the technology craze and for the most part – satisfied to leave decisions on the ground. AFL and soccer have ignored the hoopla of video technology to adjudicate decisions, preferring the umpires on the ground have all responsibility. In a sense, these sports are some of the purist left. But is use of technology a mere formality? Are sports clinging on to traditional values delaying the inevitable?

Ultimately there are two arguments;

1) Traditionalist Approach: Referees make mistakes; we should accept them and move on.
2) If you have the technology and the ability to get the decision right; utilise it.


Sports fans and players are divided on the issue, if you could guarantee that the technology always go t the answer right, there would be no debate. However as we have seen with rugby league this week, the video ref seems to get it wrong 50% of the time. Until we remove the doubt associated with technology the debate will always be on the horizon…


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WOMEN DISADVANTAGED IN SPORT - The Stats, The Figures & The Inequality

August 9th 2007 04:09
Matildas
Is Australia really an egalitarian society free from discrimination, bias and prejudice? Is everybody really given a fair go? On the surface it would appear that we are all treated as equals. However, in reality, there are a number of groups whom are severely disadvantaged. This becomes obvious when examining women’s sport. There is far less; money, sponsorship, coverage in the media, awareness and opportunity for women in sport than their male counterparts. Often, the standard of the female athletes; rivals or even surpasses that of the men and the gap between the two sexes is constantly shortening. So why then are women so disadvantaged? The media is highly influential in this matter; however the blame must be shifted towards government officials who have the power to change this. It is a deep-seeded problem which starts with young children in primary schools and spans the breadth of sport, all the way to elite athletes and the media’s portrayal of them. The problem needs to be addressed to ensure the longevity and survival of women’s sport. This is not to say that all female sport is floundering. There are some high profile sports such as; golf, tennis and swimming, where the rewards are substantial, however these do not balance the inequalities suffered by the majority of female athletes. The question that needs to be addressed is firstly; why do these inequalities exist and secondly, what can be done to address them?

In a society that (for the most part) considers both sexes to be equal, it is strange how this outlook dramatically changes in reference to the sporting field. The media when it does actually cover female sport, still focuses on the costumes and off-field antics of the elite female sport stars rather than their sporting performances and accomplishments. When examining the broadcast networks framing of sport, one quickly becomes aware that male sports are given the highest priority. This priority often leads to females receiving no coverage whatsoever. Channel Ten focuses on the AFL, NRL and motor sport. If there is time left after that, female golfers, tennis players or surfers may get a mention. In general, however this occurrence is exaggeratedly low. It is the same theme across the board with only the ABC giving a decent amount of coverage to female sport (due to its ongoing coverage of the netball). Is this lack of coverage promoted by the media, or is the media simply responding to society’s demands? For it can be argued that the two are intrinsically linked (media and society), both rely on each other, thus both define social values.

Sex sells, but at what price?
Considering that females comprise 53% of the world population it becomes clear when noting they only receive 5% of sport coverage, that their sport experience is tangential to the male experience. This reveals the male dominated nature of sport and the manner in which the media covers this. It also lays insight into modern culture and portrays society’s values and stereotypes. The lack of representation of girls and women in sport conveys an undeniable message about the sanctioning of sport as a male preserve, and this message deters female participation (Duncan & Hasbrook 1988). This continues the catch 22 that is females in sport; the media have little coverage of it because there is modest demand, there is little demand because the public have no awareness of it. This leads to lack of motivation in girls, which inevitably leads to lower participation rates.

“Sport is one of the most crucial contexts in which gender differences are stressed and promoted (Hanrahan, S et al. 1996).” This is how sport is framed in modern society. Women are treated as distant seconds behind their male counterparts. With little to no coverage of female sport, it will take a considerable amount of time before news values and the priority of women in sport evolve. Dr Phillips' 1996 survey showed that women's sport coverage on specialist TV shows Sportsworld, Wide World of Sports and Sports Tonight made up 1.2%, 1.6% and 5.7% of the total coverage, respectively. These stats help to prove the void left by media coverage of women in sport. This is further highlighted by the 2000 Illusory Image Report (Australian Sports Commission, 2000) which showed that television coverage of women's sport was just 2.0% of total sports broadcasting. Radio coverage was surveyed for the first time, showing a figure of 1.4% of total sports broadcasts while sports magazines registered 6.8% of coverage devoted to women's sports.
“During the past 20 years, women have revolutionised their performance records and developed incredible skill and expertise in competitive sports. However, the media have barely acknowledged the existence of female athletes; they remain for the most part myopically focused on male athleticism” (G, Cohen 1993).

The face of women's sport
Television both shapes and reflects the attitudes of society. The way in which television covers, or fails to cover, women engaged in sport affects the way in which female athletes are perceived” (Duncan et al. 1990). The media’s role in society can not be emphasised enough; it represents and reflects society’s values. For women to be covered in the media they need to be exceptionally talented, or provocative and controversial. When reporting on women in sport the media will often focus on off-field antics rather than the sport itself. Anna Kournikova is an obvious example of this; she is known the world over and has made millions of dollars, despite retiring without ever winning a singles’ title. However, tennis is a mainstream sport for women alongside golf; other sports however are not so generous when it comes to the media. Off field antics are often the main focal point of a story in women’s sport “From the catwalks of London, Paris and New York to the courts of the Women's National Basketall League is a long shot, but Melissa Moyle has made the jump” (Hurst M. 2006). This is the only coverage of women’s sport, and it is only there because she is a model. The whole angle of the story is superfitial and reinforces stereotypes of women in sport.

Desperately trying to gain attention
Football is marketed as the ‘world game,’ however it was only when the ‘Matildas’ made a nude calendar that they gained any attention (for a fleeting second). Indeed even Sepp Blatter, the President of football’s governing body (FIFA) admitted that he would ‘prefer women players to wear tighter, more buttock-defining shorts; like they do in volleyball.’ This admission from one of the most powerful men in sport is a worrying indication of female sport and how it is perceived by society. It is a clear indication of the difficulties faced by sportswomen; they are not treated equally and thus must revert to superficial acts to get recognition.
“Women may have been entering the work force, demanding equal pay, equal education and equal rights and they may have been able to match it with men intellectually but there remained one incontrovertible truth in society and that was that males were stronger than women… Men knew that their superiority was natural, their bodies told them so (Stell M. 1991).”

Football has been heralded as the world game, and is riding an unprecedented, meteoric rise in this country. The world cup has put football back in the mainstream in Australia where it has often lagged behind. But what does this mean for women? When the NSL defunct, was the women’s national league also halted? We have not heard a thing about it. Unlike the NSL and now the A-league, the women’s competition is structured as a state vs state competition. There is one team per state unlike the men’s competition which is structured with numerous teams in one state competing. They are able to do this because there are more males participating in sports and thus have more players to choose from. The women’s game can not afford this luxury and to ensure a strong competition they need a wide base to pick their players from. Crowds are almost inexistent, so are sponsors and media representation. This is the harsh reality, in modern society; time and time again women are not only playing second fiddle to men, they are playing third, forth and fifth as well.

Why is women’s sport treated with such disregard in many sectors of society? Why are we as a society and thusly the media so focussed on male sports? We can look at social constructs, historical roles of genders and consider the ‘hunters and collectors’ theory. However, there may even be a more obvious and straight forward answer to this question. Women sport is treated as inferior because it is constantly being compared to male sport. If it was treated as its own entity, female sport would be just as competitive and interesting. If there was nothing to compare it with society and sponsors would have embraced it just like they have done with men’s sport. “Games and sports played by women could be judged purely for themselves, without reference, all the time, to what are taken as the absolute values, the only yardstick of achievement – male achievement” (Willis, P. 1982). Society is structured in a way that these comparisons are unavoidable. Men are seen as more powerful and dominant in this arena and this stereotype is constantly reinforced; not just by the media, but by our own values and beliefs.

Unnoticed - All conquering women's side
There are countless examples of the differences between genders when it comes to media and corporate involvement. The Australian women’s cricket team has been almost as successful as their male counterparts, however they don’t even warrant a mention in the media or in backyard conversations. Most people would be able to tell you that Belinda Clarke is a cricketer, and some might remember Zoe Goss, not for her international career, but because she bowled Brian Lara in a charity game. If you asked the same person to name another female cricketer – from any country they would struggle. It is the same with football, apart from those who own the ‘Matildas’ calendar, most general pundits would struggle to name one single female soccer player in the entire world. ‘The world game’ appears to be directed at 47% of the population, the male population. Granted, football has made some great strides and the women’s competition is getting a lot stronger, however as mentioned above, when compared to the male’s game, it is ignored by most parts of society. “From the sand and dust of ancient Greek and Roman stadia to Augusta’s immaculate fairways and greens women have long been, and still are, unwelcome outsiders” (Haig-Muir, M. 2000).

Why is there so much disparity between men and women’s sport? The gap in ability is constantly being closed and in some sports the difference is unnoticeable. It might surprise people to learn that women actually hold 7 of the top 10 fastest ever swims across the English Channel. Indeed women are quickly bridging the difference in ability, however they are still not getting the recognition they deserve in society. Birrell argues that the media are to blame for this; “the media organize the way we come to think about sport, social relations and even ourselves” (Birrell et al. 1994). However it is more complicated than Birrell makes out, society and the media are inextricably linked. Yes, the media does focus predominately on males sport, but isn’t this what society is dictating it report? It is easy to point the finger at the media; however it is a little short-sighted to do so. The media is confined by the parameters of society. What society deems significant and socially valuable the media must reciprocate.

American swimmer Amanda Beard
What can be done to change these trends? Will women ever gain total acceptance in contemporary culture? Women have made some major strides in recent years towards equality; in tennis, golf and swimming they are represented quite well in Australian media and also that of the world media. However, these are the mainstream sports, the cream of the crop and still we seem more interested in superficial aspects then the sport itself. Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova reiterate this fact, the media focus on their off-field prowess rather than the sport itself. Michel Wie is another example; the teenager only seems to get coverage when she takes on the men’s competition which is seen as highly controversial but also as a gimmick. Female sport stars are not treated equally, they are either totally ignored, or exploited for their appearance. Women like Amelie Mauresmo have had to battle with their image and fight for acceptance in a world largely driven by male sports. But will women ever achieve equal status as they have done in virtually every other aspect of life? The problem for women is that sport is still largely seen as a male’s domain. Society’s beliefs and values are very deep-seeded and have proved hard to shake. In a world where we can have women Presidents and Prime-Ministers it is hard to fathom that they can not be accepted as the best sportspeople on the planet. If you were to ask people to come up with a list of the best athletes of all time, women would hardly merit a mention. It is easy for us to blame the media and corporate sponsors for this, sadly, this is not the case. Women are disadvantaged because society is geared towards men in sport. Our history and social construct has determined this and evolution is very slow. Apart from the mainstream sports, it is hard to see women gaining much ground on men in the foreseeable future. Minor sports will continue to struggle until these societal values change. That means a hard slog for sports such as football, cricket, league and union codes to name a few. To change attitudes and the current structure we must first accept the inequalities faced by women. If they could be treated as a unique entity without constant comparisons with the male game, maybe then women would be accepted in contemporary society.

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Morrin banned until 2008 for biting

August 8th 2007 12:05
Brad Morrin has been suspended for 8 weeks after pleading guilty to biting Parramatta’s Timana Tahu. The decision handed down by the judiciary is the highest ever given for a biting charge. The ban means Morrin will not play again until 2008.

Morrin claimed that the bite was a result of a ‘brain snap’ and that he was very sorry. However the judiciary came down heavy on the besieged Bulldog who will now potentially miss a grand final


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England Name Twenty20 Specialists

August 8th 2007 11:27
England has named a squad of twenty20 specialists to compete in the inaugural World Championships in South Africa later this year. Most cricketing fans outside of the county competition will have trouble recognising some of the names, but England hope this batch of savvy specialists will lead them to much needed glory.

Unlike Australia who is sending their world beating 50over squad, England has decided that twenty20 is a less astute game and thus dictates a different kind of cricketer. Much in the way Test and One-day sides differ, it is starting to become apparent that the short versions of the game are also poles apart


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Controversial Bonds breaks home-run record

August 8th 2007 09:12
Big hit
Barry Bonds tonight cemented his place in baseball history, hitting his 756th career homerun to surpass Hank Aaron's 33-year-old record. The controversial San Francisco Giants slugger dispatched a Mike Bacsik pitch deep over right-field to claim the highly coveted record.

Whilst Giants fans rejoice, others are questioning the legality of Bonds involvement in the sport. Controversy has always shadowed the big hitter with constant steroid allegations dogging his career. The 43-year-old is sure to come under more scrutiny now that he holds one of America’s most loved and prestigious records


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Man UTD sign 9-Year-Old from Australia - Watch his amazing talent!

August 2nd 2007 05:30
9-year-old Wonder Kid
Meet Rhain Davis, an average looking nine-year-old kid from Brisbane with extraordinary talent. The pintsized youth is living out an incredible dream after being invited to join one of the most famous clubs in all of football. Apparently he now considers superstars such as Christian Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney to be his friends, good-luck to him!

Rhain was selected to join the Manchester United Academy after his grandad sent a DVD to talent scouts showcasing his protégée’s amazing talent. The Old Trafford faithful could not ignore the potential and were quick to snap-up the youngster. Davis now has three years to prove himself and earn a scholarship, competing against the best juniors from all over the lands


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Sydney FC - JUNINHO Whisper - But what about Carney and Milligan?

August 1st 2007 06:11
Little Maestro
Have you heard the one about Sydney FC? It’s a surprise that Ronaldinho wasn’t part of the endless speculation; every man and his dog has been linked with the so called ‘Glamour Club” but as of yet, no marquee player has officially signed. Sydney has left no stone unturned and I have been reliably informed that they found Wally in their travels.

The latest player on the horizon is the little 34-year-old maestro and former world cup winner, Juninho. There is no doubting his pedigree; the pocket rocket oozes class and drips of skill. In short, he is a genius with the ball at his feet and although his best years may be behind him, there is no doubt he will draw a crowd. Just watch some of the wonder goals he has scored to reveal his pure wizardry and potential


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