Pele a God? I think not

Is it just me or are we all fed up with the egotistical, self indulged rumblings of the former Brazilian footballer, Pele.  Pele, who has never shied away from a chance to promote himself, recently made headlines again, when at the conclusion of Barcelona's impressive Champions League triumph over Machester United at Wembley, clamied that despite Lionel Messi's heroics, he was a much better footballer in his prime than Messi.  Messi 24, has now won three Champions League trophy's, five La Liga titles and two Fifa World Player of the year awards, yet Pele claims, to be better then him he must better his mark of 1280 goals.  This is a joke, as most of these so called goals have been completely unaccounted for and not to mention scored in inferior leagues, during an inferior era.

Firstly, what we need to understand here is the difference in era's.  Sure, Pele was a great player in his day who stood out above others, although we need to put into context the era's in which they played to properly assess who is better.  There is no arguing that the dawn of the professional sports age completely revolutionised the level of skill we now appreciate in many popular games like football. We can also not forget the role technology has since played in enhancing performance.  During the fifties and sixties (when Pele came to prominance), players were less conditioned, most had jobs and in some cases did not even wear gloves when in goals.  Not just Messi, but players like Christiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho have all been players who have won trophies, scored a tonne goals and most importantly stood above the rest in an era where all players are professional and have access to the modern technology and leading training methods.  So would Pele's style of play be as dominant in this day and age, I highly doubt it.   

Pele claims that his feat of winning multiple World Cups is something that will set him apart from Messi.  Sure, Messi probably needs to lead his nation to World Cup glory similar to what Maradonna did in Mexico in 1986 to be considered the greatest, although there are many variables to this notion.  Winning a World Cup is arguably the toughest thing to accompolish in sport, which often takes a lot more than individual brilliance.  You need a strong well balanced team, stable coaching staff, good preparation and of course luck.  When Pele won his World Cups there was a great division between Brazil and the rest of the world.  Brazil were by far the best football playing nation during this time as proven by their domination during the 1970 World Cup where they defeated Italy 4-1 in the final (the largest winning margin in a World Cup final).  Argentina have been far from a stable unit in recent years but at just 24, you would assume Messi might even get another three cracks at stamping his familiar mark on the tournament. 

Pele played for two clubs throughout his entire career, that was Brazil's Santos and US outfit the New York Cosmos.  Yes, Pele did score a mountain of goals for these two sides, however how great is this feat considering the standard of the leagues he was playing in?  As is the case today, Europe was still the pinnacle of club football back in the fifties and sixties and never would we consider a player the greatest today if he did not make the transition to Europe, so why is Pele's situation any different?.  While fellow greats like Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer were consistantly playing against the best the world had to offer in Europe, Pele never left the comforts of the inferior and less challenging Brazilian First Division.  How can the greatest footballer the world has ever seen, be a player who never accpted the many offers to join European powerhouses like Real Madrid and Juventus and truly test himself week in week out?  The answer in short is he can't.

Let us put Messi aside for a second and compare Pele to another great player who's prime was a little closer to Pele's era, Diego Maradonna.  Now, Maradonna like Pele is a World Cup winner, however where they deviate is their achievements at club football.  Following success at national level, Maradonna moved to Europe where he tested himself against the best defences the world had to offer.  His spell at Italian club Napoli in the late eighties can only be described as brilliant, as he elevated the traditionally struggling club to their only league championships in 86-/87 and 89/90 as well as to victories in the Uefa and Italia Cups in 1989.  These club accomplishments no doubt separate the two footballers, as one had the fortitude to test himself against the best whilst the other stayed true to familiar surroundings. 

Pele is not the player he thinks he is and the quicker he stops his regular rants about how there will never be another player like him and his constant referencing to himself in the third person, the better off the game and his reputation will be.

Will we ever see the likes of this 7ft genius again?

Basketball is a sport which inevitably requires tall athletes to move, jump and shoot a ball through a hoop over an extended period of time.  Generally your creative players who can move well and shoot the ball consistently are under 6 ft 6 and your players that are above this height usually occupy their time under the hoop, gathering as many rebounds and finishing off easy possessions.  So how do you describe a 7ft German who has the finesse, vision and shooting ability of a great guard?  The truth is you can't and all you can do is label the Dallas Mavericks leader Dirk Nowitzki a freak of nature.

On the back of his side's remarkable sweep of reigning champions the Lakers in round 2 of the playoffs, Dirk amazingly took his game to yet another level, leading his beloved Mavs back to the promised land of the NBA Finals with a 4-1 victory over highly fancied Oklahoma City.  Many critics predicted the Mavs would be lethagic following their long lay off after sweeping the Lakers but Nowitzki burst out of the gates recording a massive 48 points and setting a playoff record by hitting a mammoth 24 consecutive free throws in game 1.  This performance inevitably set the tone for the series and it was his prescence alone that become too much for the young Thunder side.  In each of the three series the Mavericks have contested this post season many have not held back in predicting, even anticipating their demise.  However, these critics severly underestimated the drive, passion and ability of the Mavs captain who has averaged 32 points per game throughout these playoffs. 

It hasn't always been so easy for Dirk, as he intially struggled in his first season from making the huge transition from Europe to the NBA.  But as all champions do, Dirk set his sights on NBA glory and within 3 seasons Nowitzki was an NBA All Star.  Throughout the years Dirk has formed deadly partnerships with many great players including none other than former MVP Steve Nash.  It was when Nash was traded to the Suns that many predicted Dirk would struggle but like he has done many times throughout his career Nowitzki proved the critics wrong and led the unfancied Mavericks to an inch of the NBA Title in 2006.  Now with yet another future Hall Fame point guard Jason Kidd by his side, Nowitzki will return to the NBA Finals in a bid to capture the ring which has eluded him throughout his career and truly cement his name as not only a great shooter but as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Wallaby young blood key to erasing poms world cup curse

The pain of a Johnny Wilkinson drop goal which denied the Wallabies World Cup glory on that wet night in 2003 still haunts not only rugby faithful but Australians in general.  Four years later came our shot at redemption and revenge in the 2007 World Cup however, to the surprise of many the poms once again proved the thorn in the wallabies side defeating the Australians on route to their second consecutive world cup final.  With the much anticipated 2011 World Cup only months away all eyes will be on the young Wallabies as they attempt to put England's recent world cup domination aside in their quest for glory. 

Australian Rugby has undergone quite a few changes in the last four years, we have a new coach, a new Super Rugby franchise and arguably the most promising and exciting squad of youngsters we have ever seen.  The Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is a former All Black who knows what it takes to win and nurture young talent having won five Super Rugby titles whilst propelling the careers of many world class players like Richie McCaw and Dan Carter.  However, the task of  instilling belief into many of his young Wallabies and leading them to world cup glory in New Zealand is undoubtly the greatest challenge of his career. 

A great deal of the Wallabies success in New Zealand hinges on the performance of 23 year old Quade Cooper.  Cooper's amazing form over the last 18 months has brought a smile to the faces of many Australian rugby supporters as he has dazzled at both international and Super Rugby level,  leading the Queensland Reds to the top of the Super Rugby table for the first time since 1999.  Cooper has forged a tremendous partnership with 23 year old scrum half Will Genia and Deans will be hoping they can replicate their explosive Super Rugby form to the international stage.  Along with the Reds creative duo is the explosive James O'Connor who at just 20 years of age already has 27 tests caps.  O'Connor's Force team mate, 22 year old David Pocock displaced long time Wallaby number 7 George Smith in 2009 and has not looked back since and if the Wallabies are to be successful in New Zealand they will need their openside flanker to stand up.  Finally, there is the enigmatic but super talented Kurtley Beale.  Who could forget the composure the 22 year old showed  last year when he stepped up after the siren sounded in Bloemfontein to slot over a monstrous 50 meter penalty granting the Wallabies a thrilling 41-39 victory over the Springboks, their first at South Africa's altitude in 47 years.  It feels as though Kurtley has been around for a long time given he debut for the Waratahs as an 18 year old although it is only now that we are finally witnessing what this young man is truly capable of and there is no doubt he can be the Wallabies much needed X-factor in New Zealand. 

Only time will now tell whether Deans can unite a relatively young squad with many of its key players never having played at a world cup before and instill a belief in them to overcome this curse of the poms and bring home the title for the first time since 1999.

The price of publicity may cost AFL its soul

The date was the 29th of July 2009 when Australia's sporting world was left dumbfounded and baffled at the news that representative and premiership player Karmichael Hunt had just penned a multimillion dollar deal not with the Broncos or Rugby but with new AFL franchise the Gold Coast Suns.  This seemingly bizarre deal was initially reported to earn Hunt close to $3 million dollars, a figure that many AFL executives including CEO Andrew Demetriou confessed had been recouped by the AFL in a mere two weeks worth of publicity but was repeatedly denied to be a publicity stunt.  Well we are 20 months down the track and following Hunt's less than impressive showing it is safe to assume the generated publicity from his code jumping is on a downhill slope.  

Source - Herald Sun

There is no doubt that the fight for superiority in Australia's competitive sporting market is heating up particularly with the NRL and AFL both fighting for television deals rumoured to be worth over $1 billion dollars and with Rugby Union's show piece event the World Cup to be staged later this year the footy codes will be doing absolutely anything to get one up on each other.  Code jumping has been present amongst the Rugby codes for years, although with the AFL now joining the party it seems the war will now be taken to a whole new level and there is no telling what the carnage will be.

The signing of league superstar Israel Folau to the newly established Greater Western Sydney franchise almost a year after Hunt's defection as well as the heavy speculation linking Greg Inglis with the Essendon Football Club in late 2010 further illustrated the AFL's strong intention to lure league's best with promises of money and fame.  This approach may generate short term hype and interest for the AFL's newest franchise's although what is to happen when a year or two from now both Hunt and Folau prove to be complete flops?  Do they get dropped despite the fact that they both signed three year deals and occupy a large portion of the clubs salary cap?  Judging not only by Hunt's debut and Folau's first taste of the sport where he failed to record a single disposal, these questions unfortunately seem to be an inevitable proposition for Demetriou and his staff responsible for both athletes defection to the AFL. 

With great young talent such as Nick Naitanui, Daniel Hannebery and Anthony Morabito it leaves many passionate AFL fans wondering why the games powerbrokers are not only pursuing but throwing major money at athletes who have never even kicked an AFL footy in their lives.  At the moment the outlook seems bleak for the game's first League-AFL converts but only time will tell whether this obsession of chasing down the flashy short term headline will ultimately cost the code its soul and integrity?    

Private ownership, the way of the future or a path to league oblivion?

First it was the Delmege family with Manly, then came the much publicised acquisition of the Rabbitohs by Hollywood figure Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes, now this week it has been confirmed that Newcastle's beloved Knights will be the property of mining magnate Nathan Tinkler.  As the game of Rugby League moves forward into the new decade one must pose the question, is private ownership of foundation and regional clubs the right step forward for a code fighting for dominance in Australia's competitve sporting market?  The answer is quite simple, YES.

Club's financial reliance on Leagues Clubs and revenue generated from poker machines has gone on long enough and it is now time for private ownership to ensure what many of these institutions haven't, survival.  If any doubt exist one needs only cast eye over the impact Russell Crowe's prescence at South Sydney has made in recent years.  Since acquiring the so called 'peoples club', Crowe has not only ensured financial security at the once cash strapped club but more importantly has began to turn around its losing culture which has plagued the bunnies since their reinstatement into the competition in 2002.  Crowe has been influential in attracting big names such as Sam Burgess and Greg Inglis to the Rabbitohs in recent seasons but perhaps his biggest contribution to the game is using his star power to promote and publicise the game any chance he gets, whether it be in Europe or the United States.

The terms of Tinkler's takeover deal ensures that the club's current debt of $2.75 million is immediately resolved but more importantly will commit $10 million of sponsorship to the club each year for a ten year period.  Such a deal can only have a positive benefit on a club who have long represented the rugby league mad region of Newcastle and can now bask in the glory of the fact that their club will now live to see the next decade.   

In a week where the Knight's financial head aches have been put to rest, the Cronulla Sharks represent a club on the cusp of oblivion as its recent development to merge its struggling Leagues Club with the Sutherland District Trade Club has spectacularly fallen through.  This further demonstrates that complete reliance on Leagues Clubs for financial support is not the way forward for embattling NRL franchises but rather the extensive prescence of passionate committed owners like Crowe and Tinkler will ensure this great game and the clubs we love to thrive in the future.

Answers to quiz questions.....

1) St George Illawarra Dragons & Collingwood Magpies


2) Melbourne Rebels


3) Thomas Muller


4) Mark Webber & Sebastian Vettel


5) Australia, New Zealand, England, Papua New Guinea


6) 3

Hope you did well!!!!!

Games are more than just Australia's domination

                                              
                                                                 Photo Source: smh.com.au

Im sure im not the only one who throughout some stage of the Commenwealth Games looked at the medal count and thought what a joke, is anyone going to challenge Australia?  Yes it was true Australia once again made a mockery of these games by dominating almost every aspect of every event from start to finish, obviously in the clear absence of many powerhouse nations.  However, Jack Kerr's article made me realise something else, it made me realise that the games are not only a chance to see Australia continue to dominate but rather pay attention to the ability of many smaller nations raise above themselves and reach heights they never would have thought possible.

Kerr's article focuses on specific memorable performances of nations like Samoa and Tonga who achieved great success.  The article is fairly well structured with Kerr clearly elaborating on specific achievements of these athletes although it may have been best to lead the story by highlighting Samoa's amazing weightlifting feat's which inevitably saw them walk away with not only their first ever gold medal but also their second and third as opposed to making reference to this towards the article's end.  Samoa's success is definitely the most appealing aspect of the article as within the space of 3 days the nation went from last on the medal count to 11th, yet Kerr saw this success as less newsworthy than other minnow nation competitors who merely achieved personal bests. 

Kerr's use of sources are not extensive as he only seeks the opinion of Samoa's Chief de mission Shelly Birch, however her quote about the prime minister's jubilation is definitely effective in giving the reader insight into how much it means to such a small island nation.  Kerr could have added to the quality of the article by gaining a comment from any of the athletes he mentions in particularly the gold medal winning weightlifter's from Samoa. 

Despite a few deficiencies the author did produce fair online article that touches on a different and refreshing aspect of the games with a good portrayal of certain characters that are far from household names in Australia. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/14/3038514.htm?site=thedrum