Euro Hockey League

When people talk about ice hockey, they talk about the NHL

A gap exists in ice hockey in Europe at the moment. While the sport is synonymous with the NHL in the US and Canada and the rising KHL in Russia, there is currently no really big superweight league in the Eurozone, despite many of the best NHL and KHL players coming from there.

Yes, there are domestic leagues in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland of decent quality, they are not strong enough individually to compete with the NHL and KHL.

A European league could be a way of developing the sport in Europe and providing a viable competitor to the NHL and KHL.

I am not sure the Swedes and Finns will join this league as their leagues are pretty strong, have many good clubs and the cost of travelling to play clubs in Germany and Switzerland might be too much for them over a season but a league based of German, Czech, Slovak, Swiss and Austrian teams could be commercially very successful if marketed correctly.

Ice hockey is very popular in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

While it will take at least 25 years for it to compete with the NHL, due to the time zones, it would be very watchable in the European market and provide a viable alternative to football.

Here is my Euro Hockey League (EHL) sponsored by T-Mobile.

Could Berlin's O2 Arena be home to a pan European hockey league?

NORD LIGA
Berlin Polar Bears (Germany)
Hamburg Freezers (Germany)
Hannover Scorpions (Germany)
Cologne Sharks (Germany)
Dusseldorf Reds (Germany)
Mannheim Eagles (Germany)
Kobenhavn Vikings (Denmark)
Amsterdam Orange (Netherlands)

SUD LIGA
Munich Brewers (Germany)
Nuremberg Ice Tigers (Germany)
Salzburg Red Bulls (Austria)
Innsbruck Tyrol (Austria)
Slavia Praha Slavs (Czech Republic)
Sparta Praha Spartans (Czech Republic)
Plzen Hammers (Czech Republic)
Brno Moravians (Czech Republic)

OST LIGA
Wien Capitals (Austria)
Klagenfurt Hawks (Austria)
Slovan Bratislava Blues (Slovakia)
Krakow Poles (Poland)
Budapest Huns (Hungary)
Ljubljana Olympic (Slovenia)
Kosice Steelers (Slovakia)
Zagreb Wolves (Croatia)

WEST LIGA 
Bern Bears (Switzerland)
Geneva Griffins (Switzerland)
Lausanne Lakers (Switzerland)
Zurich Lions (Switzerland)
Zug Kestrels (Switzerland)
Lugano Leopards (Switzerland)
Davos Daredevils (Switzerland)
London Knights (United Kingdom)

Regular Season - 
The teams in each division play each other three times and play teams in the other divisions once. In addition, they will take on all teams from one division again, i.e. one year, Nord Liga teams will take on Sud Liga teams, and Ost Liga will take on West Liga teams twice, the following year, Nord takes on Ost, Sud takes on West, etc.

Therefore, the regular season will consist of 53 games. There will also be outdoor classics at choice stadia, e.g. Olympiastadion in Munich or Berlin, etc.

Finals Series - 

Major Finals (3 games) –

A – 1 v 8

B – 2 v 7

C – 3 v 6

D – 4 v 5

Winners get bye

Elimination Finals (3 games) -

E – 9 v 16

F – 10 v 15

G – 11 v 14

H – 12 v 13

Winners progress to next round

Playoff Finals (3 games) -

I – 1^st ranked E/F/G/H winner v 4^th ranked A/B/C/D loser

J – 2^nd ranked E/F/G/H winner v 3^rd ranked A/B/C/D loser

K – 3^rd ranked E/F/G/H winner v 2^nd ranked A/B/C/D loser

L – 4^th ranked E/F/G/H winner v 1^st ranked A/B/C/D loser

Quarterfinals (5 games)-

M – 1^st ranked A/B/C/D winner v 4^th ranked I/J/K/L winner

N – 2^nd ranked A/B/C/D winner v 3^rd ranked I/J/K/L winner

O – 3^rd ranked A/B/C/D winner v 2^nd ranked I/J/K/L winner

P – 4^th ranked A/B/C/D winner v 1^st ranked I/J/K/L winner

Semifinals (5 games) -

1 – Highest winner M/N/O/P  v 4^th winner M/N/O/P                             

2 – 2^nd winner M/N/O/P v 3^rd winner M/N/O/P

Grand Finals (7 games)-  

Winner 1 v Winner 2

Trophy (something like this) - 

Innovations - 

LED advertising boards like in football 

Lighted pucks so that TV audiences can see the puck on ice

New Zealand Sevens Team for Rio 2016?

The NZRU has been hard at work enticing some of the best stars not just in rugby union but rugby league to sign on with the union and feature for the New Zealand Sevens team at the 2016 Rio games.

While the current New Zealand Sevens team led by DJ Forbes is pretty good as it is, with an Olympic gold medal at stake, the NZRU realizes that it must get the best players it can get to strengthen its bid to achieve gold in Rio in 3 years time.

Hence, it is stretching out even to the rival NRL to find players who will be brilliant at Sevens rugby - Benji Marshall and Shaun Johnson have been targeted along with its former charge Sonny Bill Williams.

But what are your thoughts on the ideal New Zealand Sevens team to win gold in Rio in 2016?

Here's mine -
1.DJ Forbes
2.Liam Messam
3.Sonny Bill Williams
4.Benji Marshall
5.Hosea Gear
6.Julian Savea
7.Cory Jane

Subs
8.Tanerau Latimer
9.Fritz Lee
10.Tomasi Cama
11.Tim Mikkelson
12.Charles Piutau

British & Irish Lions v Wallabies 2nd Test Review

It wasn't a pretty game - far from it indeed with far too many handling errors and scrummaging penalties making this the beast to the beauty that was the 1st test in Brisbane. Yet, it was still gripping to watch and in the end had a blast of a finish which somehow saw the Wallabies keep the series alive and take it to a decider in Sydney, having been behind for much of the 2nd half.

In such a stale game with much of the game played between each other's 22 m lines, it was always going to take a bit of brilliance to break open this game and the Wallabies were the ones to deliver that. Granted, it was a dogged team effort that eventually saw Adam Ashley-Cooper continue his hot-streak of scoring tries in tests at the Docklands stadium - no matter what name the stadium has.

Even so, it needed a conversion kick for the Wallabies to take the lead from the Lions - up stepped Christian Leali'ifano, injured in the 1st test in Brisbane, to curl in a beauty from a difficult angle and give the Wallabies a one point lead going into the last 5 minutes.

Yet, the Wallabies seemed to want to give up that lead and two penalties gave the Lions who looked certain to win this game, the opportunity to snatch victory at the end - although it was a very difficult opportunity coming from the 50 m line. Leigh Halfpenny whose kicking was near perfect up to that point, couldn't quite get the ball to cross the bar and the Wallabies avenged their close defeat in Brisbane to take the series to Sydney.

It was good news for Deano and his skipper James Horwill - although his participation in next week's decider is questionable after the IRB decided to overturn the judiciary's decision that he was not guilty of stomping in the first test. It is bad news for the Lions - and Ewen McKenzie who might still very well end up as Wallabies coach in the near future - who must now rebuild and head to the cauldron of the Olympic Stadium in Sydney to end a 16 year drought without a series win.

In a way, the Wallabies deserved to win for their endeavour and courage but there are still too many question marks over many key players, i.e. James O'Connor's control of the game at first five, Kurtley Beale's hands and kicking. However, the scrummaging is definitely up there and will give them confidence and as always they have quality in the back row and in the backs.

The Lions could still very well have Jamie Roberts available for the decider in Sydney and Mike Phillips and Alex Corbisiero might be in line for a recall after missing out on this game due to injury. However, the Lions will have to wait on the results on Sam Warburton's injury to decide if the inspirational skipper who was badly missed in the end is fit for the decider.

In the end, it might very well be Welsh flair that could save the day for the Lions and end years of misery - and very well seal their survival as a relevant rugby team today.

Moment of the game - George North gives Israel Folau a piggy-back while running with the ball

Bauer Watch - Tour de France Day 1

Corsica delivered excitement and chaos on its first ever Tour de France stage. Argos' German rider, Marcel Kittel beat a group that included Kiwi Greg Henderson in the sprint to the finish that almost didn't quite happen after Orica Greenedge's bus was stuck on the finish line - had the bus not managed to be moved, the stage would have finished 3km earlier.

Kittel was blissfully unaware of the chaos in Bastia - the Aussies must have been too busy celebrating the Lions win a couple of hours before that they placed their bus in such a precarious position. Not that he will care as he sleeps in his yellow jersey tonight.

20km to go a massive crash took out tour contender, Alberto Contador, Mark Cavendish, Tony Martin, Geraint Thomas and Peter Sagan, amongst others. The crash ruined Cavendish and Sagan's chances of getting the yellow jersey on day 1. It also meant that everyone was given the same time as the winner.

What about Jack?

Jack finishing Stage 1 (he's the left most light blue cyclist)

Jack Bauer is classified 142 at this time, having finished physically in the pack with Alberto Contador's Saxobank team. He was one of the many cyclists affected by the crash although he wasn't involved in the crash thankfully.

So day 1 is over and the tour moves into the mountains of Corsica. Stay tuned for more updates!

Is the End of Sky Nigh?

It was always going to happen. Remember the pigeon, newspaper, telegraph, radio, cassette players, VCDs? They were all superseded by something better and after a seemingly prolonged time, the humble old television box might be about to lock its name on that list.

With internet improving so quickly - even in humble old New Zealand - and broadband networks capable of shifting more bandwidth than ever before, suddenly our computers and mobile phones are able to show video in quality often better than TV itself.

You've been able to watch NFL games on your iPad for some time now

In terms of sports broadcasting, the likes of the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and EPL have already started making their games available on mobile phones and laptops in many parts of the world - they have embraced the internet at last after a rocky start when piracy was a big concern.

What we've seen in the last week with the EPL rights in New Zealand just indicates that New Zealand has come rather belatedly to the party and I think we will see more sports follow the way of the EPL - and Sky's glory days could be over - a shame really as it has been a tremendous broadcaster until now - unless it changes the way it operates.

For me, this is a great thing. The trouble with Sky is that you are chained to whatever they show. Now, sports viewers can just tailor make and pay for what they want to watch and when they want to watch it.

There's too many programmes on Sky that I don't watch but have to pay right now

I don't care so much for the darts, canoeing, snooker and fishing that is on while I'm not watching Sky - yet I still have to pay for that under Sky's current model.

However, pretty soon, I could just pay to watch my teams' games in the EPL for a season plus the highlights packages which we'll see more on free-to-air TV as the likes of TVNZ and TV3 can now afford to buy those from the broadcasters who hold the rights rather than engage in an expensive war with Sky.

While I love my sport, nowadays I can't really watch every EPL, Super Rugby and NRL game so highlights shows are my bread and butter.

I think the next high profile sport that could follow the EPL's trend in New Zealand is the NRL as Sky has very limited control over the broadcasting rights and with the money the ARL has now, they have as much bargaining power as the EPL and can choose whoever they want to sell the rights to.

Super Rugby can already be watched on the Internet outside NZ

And Super Rugby's time could come in NZ sooner rather than later too - SANZAR like the ARL and EPL will want to sell the rights to the best party and would have looked with interest at the way the EPL has gone to another party and realise that they may not be stuck with just Sky.

We're entering the age where consumers pay for what they use rather than pay for whole packages with things that they are not likely to use - Air New Zealand does that for onboard food and drinks, meaning it is able to deliver higher quality products only to those who want it, and cut down on waste.

Soon, sports followers will be able to cut down on the waste they have been paying and just pay for what they're really interested in.  

I say bring it on!

For the record, if I could tailor make my sports broadcasting package, I would only pay to watch the following -

Air New Zealand Cup games featuring Otago, finals & weekly highlights
All Blacks games
British & Irish Lions series
International rugby highlights
Super Rugby games featuring New Zealand sides, finals & weekly highlights
A-League games featuring Wellington Phoenix
EPL big games
EPL, Championship, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga weekly highlights
England v Australia cricket
Blackcaps games
Tour de France
NFL games featuring Patriots, Sunday/Monday night games and weekly highlights
NBA highlights
NHL highlights
MLB playoffs and World Series

Crunch Point: British & Irish Lions 2nd Test

So it may very well come down to this game in good old Melbourne, the sporting capital of Australia. For once Aussie Rules and Richmond won't be the centre of attention when it comes to sport in Victoria's capital, with Docklands and the Etihad hosting the game of the weekend, and what could be the decisive game in this series.

Blame the Asics. 

The winner of this game will win the series albeit at different times. The Lions are 1-0 up after Kurtley Beale failed to put on the right type of boots for the overused Suncorp Stadium surface and allowed the Lions to escape with a narrow 23-21 win against a Wallabies side forced to play their openside flanker at inside centre.

The Wallabies will be hoping their bad luck with backs was left behind in Queensland as they do not have many options left while the Lions have options galore, including a shock return for Tommy Bowe who fractured his hand only weeks before - Ireland's quality utility back slots straight into the starting team along with a very Welsh looking forward pack.

It is imperative that the Lions come out guns blazing to win this game and I think they will - the 1st test was always going to be a bit of a lottery for both sides and the Lions will feel that perhaps lady luck is on their side this year.

Last time the Lions won a series in 1997

I hope so as a Lions series win - which will be the first since Guscott's Lions beat world champions South Africa in 1997 - will be a good thing for world rugby. World rugby needs to be different from football and teams like the Barbarians and Lions need to be embraced and kept alive like the kereru and kiwi. A strong and victorious Lions side will ensure the Lions' relevance and long term survival in this day of age of professional rugby where concerns over the amount of games players play grow ever stronger.

A Lions series win would also be a fitting finale for a generation of players set to bow out after this tour - Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell deserve to have a Lions series win to add to their CV of Grand Slam, Heineken Cup victories and the pressure must be on BOD to ensure that his ginger haired mate's work in the 1st test doesn't go unrewarded - O'Connell's tour ended after sustaining a fractured hand in that epic game.

The Wallabies will be desperate for a win - Dingo Deans will certainly be desperate for one to resuscitate his Wallaby coaching career but the odds may very well be stacked against him. The Wallabies are world beaters when they are at full strength but when they're not, they are the most vulnerable side in world rugby as seen with shock defeats to Scotland and Samoa and big defeats to England and France in recent times.

One glimmer of hope is the performance by the tight forwards at the end of the 1st test in Brisbane - it was quite possibly the best display of scrummaging ever by a side in green and gold but the pack will need to do that for a full 80 minutes against a Lions pack who would have learnt not to take this supposedly weak Wallabies pack for granted.

My tip? Lions by 5 - it will be close again.

Teams for the 2nd test -

British and Irish Lions: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Tommy Bowe (Ireland) Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), Jonathan Davies (Wales), George North (Wales), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Ben Youngs (England); Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Sam Warburton (captain, Wales), Dan Lydiate (Wales), Geoff Parling (England) Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), Adam Jones (Wales), Tom Youngs (England), Mako Vunipola (England),

Reserves: Richard Hibbard (Wales), Ryan Grant (Scotland), Dan Cole (England), Tom Croft (England), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Conor Murray (Ireland), Owen Farrell (England), Alex Cuthbert (Wales).  

Australia - Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Christian Lealiifano, Joe Tomane, James O'Connor, Will Genia, Wycliff Palu, Michael Hooper, Ben Mowen, James Horwill, Kane Douglas, Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson

 Replacements: Saia Faingaa, James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, Rob Simmons, Liam Gill, Nick Phipps, Rob Horne, Jesse Mogg

Steven Adams Goes Oklahoma!

Rising Kiwi basketball star, Steven Adams has been drafted to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

The Pittsburgh alma mater and half-brother of Olympic double gold medallist, Valerie Adams was the 12th pick in this year's NBA draft.

Besides the high salary he will get for being such an early draft pick, Adams will get the chance to learn his craft alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

And if he's lucky he might even become only the 2nd Kiwi to win an NBA title - Sean Marks did it for the Spurs. 

Good pick and great stuff!

Bauer Watch: Tour de France 1

At long last. A dream has come true.

For bass strumming Jack Bauer of Takaka, New Zealand, that dream was racing in the grandest tour of them all - Le Tour de France. 

28 year old Jack Bauer will start the race in Corsica on Saturday for Garmin-Sharp and support the likes of Giro winner and Tour contender, Ryder Hesjedal in his quest to upset the Team Sky juggernaut led by Chris Froome and get amongst Alberto Contador, Cadel Evans and Andy Schleck.

Jonathan Vaughters' team is hoping that Jack can rediscover the magic they enjoyed when reigning champ, Sir Bradley Wiggins was at the team in 2009. Last year's Tour was a massive disappointment for the American outfit after the highs of the Giro where Ryder Hesjedal was triumphant - Jack Bauer was superb in his first ever Giro and key in victories in the team time trial.

For the next month, this blogger and personal friend from Jack's Otago and Elim days will aim to give you daily updates on Jack's first ever Tour de France.

So stay tuned to 2 Minutes for all the news on our favourite Kiwi cyclist and the happenings on Tour.

TVNZ To Broadcast EPL Football From 2013-14

It appears that Sky New Zealand may have lost the right to broadcast English Premier League games for the upcoming season. The announcement was made on Sky Sports New Zealand's Facebook and Twitter pages this evening -

Attention football fans. Regarding EPL on SKY Sport: http://t.co/ZD9ZJpPea5.
— SKY Sport NZ (@skysportnz) June 18, 2013

2013 has been so far been a year where Sky's domination of the New Zealand subscriber TV market has been severely challenged after high profile failures to secure vital sports, including MotoGP and now the EPL which must surely rank as Sky's biggest slap to the face yet.

For so long, EPL football had formed the backbone along with rugby of Sky Sports' coverage - Sky now finds itself with a massive hole in the rugby off-season.

Of greater concern is how New Zealand fans will follow the EPL. Thankfully, the EPL is probably the most widely followed sports league in the world, meaning it is heavily available on the internet to stream - and highlights packages are quite easy to get.

And it appears that a consortium called collosseum led by former Sky boss, Craig Heatley, has bought the rights from MP & Silva to screen not just for the EPL but Serie A and Ligue 1 football in New Zealand. A football channel based on the internet is quite likely to be on the cards now - New Zealand football fans will have to wait with bated breath as to how much it will cost, although they might very well have some spare cash in their pocket if many cancel their Sky subscriptions following this latest news.

I guess this is really a sign of the times and a positive thing for consumers - the trouble with Sky's EPL coverage is that we are restricted to watch whatever they show. It looks like with this new deal, viewers will have greater choice and control on what games they can watch - there is also an outside chance that highlights packages could end up being sold to free-to-air terrestial channels.

A Football Channel would be nice and if it weren't for the rugby - and Jones! - would have made me cancel my Sky subscription ages ago.

And even if I can't afford it, there's always footytube.com.

EDIT (Wednesday, 19 June 2013)
It has just been announced that Colisseum Management, the consortium that bought the rights to broadcast English Premier League football to New Zealand have sold the rights to TVNZ. More details below from TVNZ -

In a first for NZ sport fans, all English Premier League football matches will be shown online, with select games and highlights on TV ONE.

Coliseum Sports Media, which won the rights to the New Zealand broadcast of the league yesterday, today announced a dedicated pay-per-view online platform.

PremiereLeaguePass.com, which will be launched on August 1, will be showing all 380 games of the season live, with 250 of those available on-demand for just under $150 for the year.

TV ONE will also deliver 38 "Match-of-the-Week" games every Sunday, as well as a Highlights Show aired on Monday evenings.

Jeff Latch, TVNZ's Head of TV ONE and TV2, said he was thrilled to bring the premiership back to TV ONE screens after a gap of many years. 

"We're excited to be working with Coliseum to give TV viewers a chance to see the world's most watched and closely followed football competition. We know football fans are passionate supporters of the beautiful game.

"These are exciting times to be in the media business and this is a fascinating development for premium sports content that we expect to be welcomed by New Zealand viewers."

CSM chief executive Tim Martin said: "PremierLeaguePass.com will give football-loving Kiwis the power to watch the most competitive and compelling league in the world of football when they want to."

The website will use adaptive streaming to ensure broadcast quality and uninterrupted viewing.

Martin said the collaboration with TVNZ was to try and connect more fans directly with the sport.

"We think it's great that New Zealanders will get the opportunity to get involved with the Barclays Premier League, for free, at a time they can watch it on the weekend and on Monday night," Martin said.

"Nowhere in the world is the entire Barclays Premier League free to viewers. Now is the time for New Zealand sports fans to literally set the rules and join in the global game."

Mr Martin said the pay-per-view website would be available on Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablets, through Apple TV or by connecting their laptop to TV using an HDMI cable.

Packages for the online service are $24.90 for a day pass, $149.90 for a season pass, or $239.90 for a season pass platinum with extra features. There will be no advertising on games live or on demand after kick off.

CSM outbid long-term rights holders SKY Television in their move to secure the EPL.

Sky chief executive John Fellett said the company's subscription prices would remain the same despite not being able to show the competition.

"Our sports rights are more expensive now than they were a year ago, even without the EPL," he said.

Fellett said Sky would instead be showing more All Whites, Football Ferns and Wellington Phoenix games to compensate for the loss of the EPL.

At 2pm Sky's share price had fallen by more than 5% since the start of trading today, down to $5.38 a share.

Final Countdown - British & Irish Lions XV for the 1st Test

The Lions have played the Waratahs and the side for the Brumbies has been named. This means most of us should now have some idea as to what the side for the 1st test against the Wallabies will be -

Here is my prediction -
1.Mako Vunipola
2.Richard Hibbard
3.Adam Jones
4.Al-Wyn Jones
5.Paul O'Connell
6.Dan Lydiate
7.Sam Warburton
8.Jamie Heaslip
9.Mike Phillips
10.Jonathan Sexton
11.Alex Cuthbert
12.Jamie Roberts/Brian O'Driscoll
13.Brian O'Driscoll/Jonathan Davies
14.George North
15.Leigh Halfpenny

16.Rory Best
17.Ryan Grant
18.Dan Cole
19.Richie Gray
20.Sean O'Brien
21.Ben Youngs
22.Owen Farrell
23.Manu Tuilagi

Is There Room for Cheerleaders and Podium Girls in Sport?

As I watched the Warriors shock the Roosters on Sunday night, one thing stood out which made me think - and it wasn't about how the Warriors could go from a team thrashed 62-6 in one game to one that has won its last 4 games in a row.

It was about the cheerleaders that welcomed both Warriors and Roosters players onto the field and who kept parading themselves as they were meant to during the game, apparently satisfying the men in the crowd.

They may be hot, but do we really need to see this at the footie?

Ok, I'll admit when I was a bit younger that I might have quite enjoyed the sight of cheerleaders dancing in quite tight and revealing outfits, waving their long hair around like cousin-it, as it would for most heterosexual young men.

But now it seems that cheerleaders are a bit of an anomaly in today's age especially when nowadays, more women are going to universities and colleges, appointed CEOs and leaders of government than ever before. Indeed, the idea of cheerleaders seems to contradict the trend of today, i.e. women can do the same things men can do and can often do it better and where old preconceptions of women are now considered sexist.

In fact, let's go back a few months ago in 2013 to the podium ceremony at the Tour de Flanders. As part of a practical joke, cyclist Peter Sagan pretends to pinch the bum of the podium girl kissing Fabian Cancellara. His act is caught on camera, and Sagan is instantly criticized and rebuked for being highly unprofessional and sexist.

No, no, Peter, bad boy! 

The Slovak rising star did quickly apologize to defuse attention from his naughty act but this act only shed more light on what is still quite a male-dominated sport; even though there are plenty of women cyclists of high calibre like Marianne Vos, Laura Trott, etc, there is no sign of a Grand Tour for the women, and women still cannot compete in the Tour de France and two big races of the year.

Female athletes like Laura Trott are trying to shed the sex symbol image associated with their gender 

Cycling is not the only sport that seems to be designed just for men - Formula 1 hasn't had a female racing driver in 20 years and American football and rugby league are considered too brutal and requiring too much testosterone for women to take part. So, the only way they can take part is to be cheerleaders and since all the men are watching, why don't we just dress them up in tight outfits and get them to dance so that the male crowd get all excited?

I think it's time we binned cheerleaders as they've had their time, and start to acknowledge that there are actually women who do follow the same sports men love and show the respect that they deserve - or allow men to be involved in cheerleading squads which American colleges now encourage (hence the show, Glee).

Many high profile sports and teams have scrapped cheerleaders. The Premier League did use cheerleaders in its first season but they have been long forgotten - most fans care about the game rather than the girls. The Green Bay Packers do not have a cheerleading squad as they consider themselves to be a family based franchise and feel that cheerleaders are not appropriate for the younger fans.

After all, do we go to the footie to watch a couple of guys chase a ball or a couple of girls jump up and down with their pom-poms?

NSW Waratahs 17-47 British & Irish Lions

This was billed as the last dress rehearsal for the Lions starting XV for next Saturday's first test against the Wallabies in Brisbane. While there are set to be a few more changes before that squad is announced, it is quite clear who will be in the running for the 23 at Suncorp Stadium next weekend on the basis of this game.

While the side from Sydney are not quite the force they were in Super Rugby, NSW always provides a stern test for the tourists and the final scoreline of 47-17 to the Lions was more to do with the quality of the Lions' performance on the night rather than with any lack of performance by the hosts.

It was clear from the outset that the Lions were out to make one big final statement to the Wallabies - yes they play Super Rugby leaders, the Brumbies on Tuesday but the side to play them in Canberra will consist of players who will miss out next weekend, meaning this game was going to be 'it' for the Lions. They only just missed out on scoring the fastest try in British & Irish Lions history - Simon Zebo just denied by Drew Mitchell after only 30 seconds.

Alas it was a sign of things to come, as brutal Lions defence wore down the determined and young Waratahs side and pounced when they had the ball. They kicked penalties that were kickable just to keep the margin in check.

Leigh Halfpenny who had a superb night with the goalkicking and at fullback will be the starting fullback against the Wallabies in Brisbane barring injury - it was a performance to remember for the ages for the Welsh no. 15.

His fellow winger, Simon Zebo, drafted in as a replacement for Tommy Bowe, may also have something to say about his involvement in the test side after a scintillating display tonight. While Alex Cuthbert and George North are billed by many as the wingers for the 1st test, Zebo has definitely given Gatland food for thought.

The one negative from this test was the health of Dr Jamie Roberts, who limped out of the game holding his hamstring. Roberts was always going to be the starting inside centre for the Lions so this will be a big concern - although the form of Jonathan Davies and Brian O'Driscoll on tour so far has been reassuring and the Lions have also called on Billy Twelvetrees and now Brad Barritt.

Jamie Roberts is possibly one of the world's best centres so losing to injury would be a huge blow for the Lions and himself.

But for now, the Lions can look back fondly on a great performance all round and with full confidence that they can win their first series in 16 years.

New Zealand 30 France 0

Yes your eyes do not deceive you. The All Blacks have kept their Gallic nemesis scoreless for the first time ever in their history.

It was not as if the French played badly - in fact, they showed plenty of flair in difficult conditions but ultimately were second rate to a brilliant All Blacks side who did everything well - defend, tackle, scrummage, lineouts, breakdowns, kick, etc.

This was a performance that this All Blacks side were hoping to deliver after a mediocre effort in the first test and boy did everyone from 1 to 23 deliver. No wonder they stopped awarding the man of match award - it would be quite hard to isolate one person for performance of the game as every man in black played a blinder.

And thus, they deservedly retained the Dave Gallaher Cup in front of a capacity crowd in Christchurch.  Their performance was capped by two of the best counter-attacking tries you'll ever see - the first one was a beauty with the French going 30 phases with the ball in the ABs half without being able to breach the red line, then turning over the ball after a failed drop goal attempt by Freddie Michalak, and breaking out quickly before Ben Smith capped a wonderful move that involved Kieran Read, Dane Coles and the rampaging Julian Savea.

If this was a statement game, then this was one statement written in the largest font size, in bold and underlined twice.

One wonders now if Dan Carter and Richie McCaw can actually get back into the side with their younger understudies performing so well. The same question must be asked of Keven Mealamu, Andrew Hore and Cory Jane - New Zealand rugby is truly well and alive.

The only negative now, is can anyone find $100,000 to buy out Rene Ranger's contract with Montpellier?

2nd Test, All Blacks v France Preview

Improvement is the main objective for the All Blacks this week as they play their 500th test - after unconvincingly opening their international campaign in Auckland last Saturday with a flattering 23-13 win over Les Bleus.

With an unchanged side laden with players who ply their trade in red and black country, one hopes that Crusaders Wyatt Crockett, Owen Franks, Kieran Read and Israel Dagg can fire up their fellow countrymen to play another 10-20% better at least than last week.

While Christchurch has not quite been a home fortress like Eden Park has been, it is still quite a tough place for touring sides to win at - it often dips below 0'C at night in what was once the most English city outside of England and Canterbury rugby fans are probably the most one-eyed and parochial in the country. Even when the ABs have struggled, i.e. 2004 against the Boks and last year against the Irish, the ABs have by and large triumphed at the end whether it's in Addington or Opawa.

The Q-word may still be at large, and the roads remain bumpy, in disrepair or partially shut to traffic, but Christchurch has somewhat regained its role as one of New Zealand's most important sports cities - although I still have doubts that it will hold topline tests like the Lions test in 4 years time without a proper permanent stadium - let's not forget that the set up at Addington Raceway is still very much temporary while CERA continues to um and uh about what to do with the now dilapidated stadium at Lancaster Park.

It was probably good that Steve Hansen settled on an unchanged starting XV in what is his homecoming test match - continuity is what is needed for this young side even if they had lost to France last week. The bench has changed with Tony Woodcock and Piri Weepu back in the side having recovered from injury.

The French have rung in the changes thick and fast though with Freddie Michalak back in the starting lineup in place of Camille Lopez who misses out completely. Experienced prop Nicolas Mas also makes his return while Mathieu Bastareud is in line for his first action in New Zealand since he left shrouded in controversy in 2009.

Teams -
France: 15-Maxime Medard, 14-Adrien Plante, 13-Florian Fritz, 12-Wesley Fofana, 11-Yoann Huget, 10-Frederic Michalak, 9-Maxime Machenaud, 8-Louis Picamoles, 7-Bernard Le Roux, 6-Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 5-Yoann Maestri, 4-Christophe Samson, 3-Nicolas Mas, 2-Dimitri Szarzewski, 1-Thomas Domingo.

 Replacements: 16-Benjamin Kayser, 17-Vincent Debaty, 18-Luc Ducalcon, 19-Sebastien Vahaamahina, 20-Yannick Nyanga, 21-Brice Dulin, 22-Remi Tales, 23-Mathieu Bastareaud.

New Zealand: Israel Dagg, Ben Smith, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea, Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read (captain), Sam Cane, Liam Messam, Brodie Retallick, Luke Romano, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Wyatt Crockett.

Reserves: Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock, Ben Franks, Jeremy Thrush, Victor Vito, Piri Weepu, Beauden Barrett, Rene Ranger.

Combined Country 0-64 British & Irish Lions

The result and winner was never really in doubt in Newcastle on Tuesday night - a XV of mainly amateur players and bench Super rugby players who call the likes of Orange and Charters Towers home was never going to challenge the cream of the crop from the United Kingdom, Ireland and the odd New Zealander and Pacific Islander.

Indeed, it was that odd New Zealander, Sean Maitland, who aspires to be as Scottish as Groundskeeper Willie who was one of the stars on a rainy night in the Hunter Valley alongside Irish stars young and old, Sean O'Brien and Brian O'Driscoll.

The Lions performance while great in the first half, probably was a bit disappointing in a second half where they were expected to double their score - poor ball handling and some interesting calls from referee Steve Walsh meant the score was kept to 64.

One positive was that the Lions defence was strong and kept an opposing side in Australia scoreless for the first time since 1989 when the Lions held Western Australia scoreless.

There were many other positives as well - no major injuries picked up this time and genuine competition for spots as well as the emergence of Scotsman utility back, Stuart Hogg as a viable first five option to Jonny Sexton and Owen Farrell. Flanker options look pretty strong with O'Brien pushing the Welsh quartet of Tipuric, Warburton, Faletau and Lydiate hard for a spot in the 23.

So the Waratahs are up next and this shapes up to be the dress rehearsal for the Lions going into the 1st test in Brisbane next Saturday night. On this performance, we may see quite a few from this team feature heavily during the test series against the Wallabies.

Tim Tebow Signs with the Pats

Tebow's dream is fulfilled at last - to play alongside Tom Brady

In quite possibly the biggest shock of the NFL offseason so far, unwanted quarterback slash running back, Tim Tebow looks set to be signed by the New England Patriots.

Unwanted by the Denver Broncos who drafted him and now the New York Jets, evangelical Christian, Tebow's last hope could very well be with Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, who Tebow worked with in Denver.

Of course, this means absolutely nothing until the final squad is named for the NFL regular season but Tebow's arrival in Foxborough might open up the possibility of him being used in some rather interesting wildcat formations.

While Brady's production has been consistent, the Patriots do need to find alternatives to ensure that the Pats remain on top of the AFC. While Ryan Mallett is certainly earmarked for the future as the main quarterback, Tebow could provide an option at running back that is quite unique.

He isn't quite as petite as Danny Woodhead but still fits rather well in the Patriots' versatile offence. Tebow's move to Boston could represent the first sign of the team moving on from the Wes Welker-based offence - Welker has now moved to Denver to receive from Peyton Manning.

Watch this space. Now I wonder if I could get a number 7 Tebow Pats top?

Worst Keeper Display Ever?

Now over the years, we've watched plenty of clangers by even the best of keepers - Petr Cech, Jose Reina, Edwin van der Saar, Peter Schmeichel, Ollie Kahn, all those legendary keepers have had one or two memorable clangers in their careers.

But even then, those clangers are as often as a blue moon. What is even rarer, is seeing 21 clangers by the same keeper in a single game!

Which makes this performance by Kuwait's woman goalkeeper quite unbelievable.

Have a watch - and watch all 21 goals.

Possible 2017 British & Irish Lions Tour of New Zealand?

Was 2005 the last time we saw the likes of Otago take on the Lions?

With the Lions touring Australia at the moment, it is quite easy to think about how their tour of New Zealand will look like in a couple of years' time. With the Super Rugby season as it is now and the nature of the NPC being nearly amateur based, will the NZRU rather have Super Rugby sides take on the Lions - especially considering that the window for such tours is slowly shrinking?

Here is a possible British & Lions tour itinerary for 2017 with only Super Rugby sides, New Zealand Maori and of course the All Blacks with the current window. A compromise could be met with Super Rugby sides playing away in the provinces meaning that only one game will be played in each city.

Note that the South Island's test has been slated for Dunedin as I'm not certain that Christchurch will have a stadium up to standard ready in 2017.

Saturday, June 10 - Chiefs, Hamilton
Tuesday, June 13 - New Zealand Maori, Napier
Saturday, June 17 -  Crusaders, Christchurch
Tuesday, June 20 - Highlanders, Invercargill
Saturday, June 24 - 1st Test, Dunedin
Tuesday, June 27 - Hurricanes, New Plymouth
Saturday, July 1 - 2nd Test, Wellington
Tuesday, July 4 - Blues, Whangarei
Saturday, July 8 - 3rd Test, Auckland

Premier League - Get these Players for Free!

Arse-shaven has left the Arsenal

The Premier League has released its list of players who have been released by their clubs and whose transfer fee would be worth $0 this summer. Yes, if you would like to take a punt on one of these former heroes who have been certified as past it by their clubs, feel free to have a browse through this list.

FULL PREMIER LEAGUE LIST

Arsenal

Arshavin, Andrey

Bihmoutine, Samir

Charles-Cook, Reice Jordan

Denilson

Eastmond, Craig Leon

Hajrovic, Sead

Henderson, Conor Alan

Meade, Jernade Ronnel

Oldfield, Spence-Neita Nigel Paul

Rees, Joshua David

Roberts, Philip James

Shea, James

Squillaci, Sebastien

Watt, Herschel Oulio Sanchez

Aston Villa

Barrett, Calum Alastair

Barton, Joshua

Cameron, Courtney Lee

Devine, Daniel Patrick

Lichaj, Eric Joseph

Marshall, Andrew John

Chelsea

Affane, Amin

Benayoun, Yossi

Deen-Conteh, Abdul Aziz

Ferreira, Paulo Renato Rebocho

Hilario, Meireles Alves Sampaio Henrique

Malouda, Florent Johan

Nkumu, Archange

Turnbull, Ross

Everton

Hammar, Per Johan Gustav

Hitzlsperger, Thomas

Kelly, Sam Alexander

Mucha, Jan

Neville, Phil

Fulham

Baird, Christopher

Davies, Simon

Diarra, Mahamadou

Donegan, Thomas David

Gameiro, Corey James

Karagkounis, Georgios

Musa, James Mzamo

Peniket, Richard James

Petric, Mladen

Schwarzer, Mark

Smith, Alex

Somogyi, Csaba

Liverpool

Belford, Tyrell

Carragher, James Lee

Stephens, James Edward

Wilson, Daniel

Manchester City

Bridge, Wayne 

Mancini, Filippo

McGivern, Ryan

Santa Cruz, Roque Luis

Toure, Kolo 

Manchester United

Brown, Reece

Cofie, John Erzuah

Fornasier, Michele

Giverin, Luke

Hendrie, Luke John

McCullough, Luke

Scholes, Paul

Van Velzen, Gyliano

Veseli, Frederic

Newcastle United

Harper, Stephen Alan

Moyo, Yven Rochild Victor

Simpson, Daniel Peter

Norwich City

Adeyemi, Thomas Oluseun

Camp, Lee 

Durojaiye, Olumide Scott

Francomb, George

Jackson, Simeon Alexander

Martin, Christopher Hugh

Sheriff, Ramil

Smith, Korey Alexander

Tierney, Marc Peter

Ward, Elliott Leslie

Queens Park Rangers

Ben Haim, Tal

Campbell, Dudley Junior

Cerny, Radek

Champion, Frederick

Francis, Adam Royston Lawrence

Hewitt, Troy Roger

Hulse, Robert 

Nelsen, Ryan 

Parmenter, Taylor Louis

Trani, Tommaso

Reading

Bignall, Nicholas Colin

Church, Simon Richard

Harte, Ian

Hunt, Noel

Losasso, Charlie Carrington

MacDonald, Angus Lees

Pearce, Alexander James

Shorey, Nicholas

Tabb, Jay Anthony

Webb, Joshua Richard Charles Darren Morgan

Williams, Brett Anthony

Southampton

Butterfield, Daniel Paul

Dickson, Ryan Anthony

Forecast, Tommy Stephen

Hoskins, Samuel Tobias

Reeves, Benjamin Neil

Richardson, Frazer

Seaborne, Daniel Anthony

Seidi, Alberto Adulai

Stoke City

Clarkson, Michael Thomas

Delap, Rory

Gledhill, Matthew Benjamin

Hall, Jadan

Lund, Matthew Charles

Musungu, Andrew

Nash, Carlo James

Owen, Michael James

Pennant, Jermaine Lloyd

Rigg, George Benjamin

Sidibe, Mamady

Upson, Matthew James

Whitehead, Dean

Sunderland

Bramble, Titus

Callaghan, Anthony

Joyce, Wade Lewis

Kilgallon, Matthew

Noble, Ryan

Reed, Adam Michael

Wilson, Ben

Swansea City

Gower, Mark

Tottenham Hotspur

Barthram, Jack Patrick

Bentley, David

Bostock, John

Gallas, William

Munns, Jack Frederick

Nicholson, Jake Charlie

West Bromwich Albion

Fortune, Marc-Antoine

Gera, Zoltan

Jara Reyes, Gonzalo Alejandro

Sawyers, Romaine Theodore

Thomas, Jerome

West Ham United

Cole, Carlton

Larkins, Jake

O'Neil, Gary Paul

Powell, Jack Patrick

Rafati, Jami

Wearen, Eoin Patrick

Wigan Athletic

Aylmer, Peter

Crusat Domene, Albert

Di Santo, Franco

Jones, David Frank Llwyd

Lopez Rodriguez, Adrian

Lynch, Jonathan Paul

Morris, Callum Neil

Orsula, Filip

Stam, Ronnie

Sumner, Joshua Andre

Watson, Ryan

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2337461/Premier-League-released-players-list-Filippo-Mancini-released-Manchester-City-Tottenham-release-William-Gallas-David-Bentley.html#ixzz2ViE21ghh
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Week 1 Outlook - Who Should Start for the British Lions against Australia?

The Lions are approaching the end of their first week in Australia and the shape of the side to play the 1st test against the Wallabies in Brisbane is still very much up in the air although we might very well have a good idea of who will be in it.

Three players who won't be in that side are Gethin Jenkins, Cian Healy and Tommy Bowe - the trio have been sent home, injured and out of the tour.

So here is my tip for the team to start against the Wallabies in Brisbane in a fortnight - you might very well see this side play the Waratahs next Saturday -
1.Mako Vunipola
2.Rory Best
3.Dan Cole
4.Richie Gray
5.Alun Wyn-Jones
6.Dan Lydiate
7.Sam Warburton (captain)
8.Jamie Heaslip
9.Mike Phillips
10.Owen Farrell
11.Alex Cuthbert
12.Jamie Roberts
13.Brian O'Driscoll
14.George North
15.Rob Kearney

16.Richard Hibbard
17.Matt Stevens
18.Alex Corbisiero
19.Paul O'Connell
20.Justin Tipuric
21.Ben Youngs
22.Jonathan Sexton
23.Manu Tuilagi

Who Should Start For the ABs v France in the 2nd Test in Christchurch?

After a mixed performance in the 1st test against France, there has been plenty of conjecture about what side Steve Hansen should put out for the ABs' next test against Les Bleus in Christchurch.

So who should be in the ABs to face France in the 2nd test next Saturday? Should Ben Smith replace the out-of-sorts Israel Dagg at fullback? Should Rene Ranger start and where? Which hooker should start?

My tip -
1.Wyatt Crockett
2.Andrew Hore
3.Owen Franks
4.Luke Romano
5.Brodie Retallick
6.Liam Messam
7.Sam Cane
8.Kieran Read (captain)
9.Piri Weepu
10.Beauden Barrett
11.Julian Savea
12.Ma'a Nonu
13.Conrad Smith
14.Rene Ranger
15.Ben Smith

16.Keven Mealamu
17.Ben Franks
18.Ben Afeaki
19.Steven Luatua
20.Matt Todd
21.Aaron Smith
22.Aaron Cruden
23.Charles Piutau

Reds 12-22 British & Irish Lions

This game was always going to be the first real challenge for the touring Brits & Irishmen in Australia - and they passed with flying colours against a very spirited and determined Reds side bereft of their Wallabies away preparing for the tests.

One Reds was desperate to show he should have been there. Quade Cooper was fired up right from the start and was at his very best and very worst. He led his team to play a fast, exhausting type of rugby in the first half but still showed many of the flaws which Robbie Deans had indicated was the reason why Melbourne Rebels James O'Connor and not Tokoroa-born Quade Cooper is his first choice pivot.

The first half was brilliant even if it went 10 minutes over time due to the overcautious TMO. Luke Morahan's marvellous individual try will be the enduring highlight from this game.

The second half was dampened by the Brisbane rain although the Reds kept pushing for a way back into the game. Halfback Nick Frisby scored a deserved consolation try to give the Reds some hope of getting away with what would have been a famous draw for the Queenslanders.

Nevertheless, the Lions showed impressive composure when the Reds were hot and attacking their goalline and ultimately deserved the win. Their forward pack still looked strong despite losing original starter and the experienced Welsh prop, Gethin Jenkins for the tournament - he joins Cian Healy as the first two injuries of the tour.

The Lions face a bit of a breather - a combined NSW/Queensland Country XV should really be the easiest test for the Lions, meaning this could be the first indication of the side to take on the Wallabies in a fortnight.

All Blacks v France - 1st Test Review

It was ugly and highly unconvincing but at least the All Blacks can say they got the result they wanted from what was always going to be a banana skin of a test, i.e. first test of the season against a French team determined to atone for a disappointing 6 Nations campaign and at the end of a long rugby season in the other hemisphere.

To be fair, the referee did the All Blacks no favours, appearing to give the French the freedom of the breakdowns without any adjudication applied. To say that the French got away with murder time from time again as balls popped out of rucks in funny fashion may be a mere whinge but watch the game and again and I think most neutrals and some of the French might feel the same way about Wayne Barnes' refereeing too.

Instead, Barnes concentrated his pedantic energy on other areas, including a period in the 2nd half where the scrum was reset for 5 minutes, until Barnes finally penalized the attacking French pack - even then it was questionable but watchers were just glad to see the arm out as it meant the game could get on.

As for the All Blacks, the hairdryer will be out this week after a generally average showing in all areas. They showed sparkle in two plays which let to the tries - the Highlanders connection was clearly evident with Ben Smith and Ma'a Nonu creating the breaks, and Aaron Smith connecting to finish or pass to Sam Cane to score.

Other than that, the scoreline really flattered the All Blacks who were dominated at the breakdowns by the French - even without some questionable tactics at the breakdown, Les Bleus were the superior side physically. Their lineouts were flimsy and their handling was rather slipshot.

The All Blacks were expected to be rusty in their first test of the season but I hadn't seen this many mistakes and missed tackles by an All Blacks side at home for a long time and for a while, an upset defeat to the French was ominous.

But for New Zealanders and the coaching staff, that was averted. Question now is: how many changes will be made for the decisive test in New Plymouth next Saturday?

Man of the Match - Ben Smith, looked dangerous with ball in hand and made plenty of linebreaks. Secure at the back in defence too.