SUPER BOWL XLV
Well from a personal point of view I am rather upset with how the NFL playoffs have panned out this year. Having said that the Steelers and the Packers have earned the right to compete for the title. Who will win? I believe the Packers and this is not just because I HATE the Steelers with a passion, although I would take great pleasure in them getting wiped off the park. In order to reach the grand finale Green Bay had to overcome Philadelphia, Atlanta and the Bears. Those were the top 3 seeds in the NFC and they beat them all and what is even more impressive was that they did it on the road. The Steelers on the other hand beat the Ravens and the Jets who were the bottom two seeds in the AFC and they did it within the confines of Heinz Field. The Packers did finish with the 6th seed in the NFC but if Aaron Rodgers hadn't banged his head so hard then, chances are they would have finished with the 2 seed. To me the Steelers strength is their run defense, they are just are so good at denying the opposition rushing yards. So far they have faced teams who love to keep the ball on the ground. The Jets and Ravens both have young quarterbacks and they try to protect them behind a strong running game. The Packers are a different kettle of fish. They do not run the ball, virtually nullifying the Steelers strength right from the gun. Aaron Rodgers is a far better QB than both Mark Sanchez and Joe Flacco and his record in the playoffs is outstanding. I feel the Green Bay defense is in great form and will not allow Ben 'Jerkface' Roethlisberger the time he so sorely needs to be able to find guys like Mike Wallace. Also the fact that this game isn't in Pitt favors the Packers far more than the Steelers, who just love playing in front of their home crowd. So when all is said and done I like the Packers in a close one with Aaron Rodgers for MVP.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Well another Aussie open has come and gone. Both Clijsters and Djokovic were deserved winners. Novak played some remarkable tennis during the tournament and his defensive abilities are unmatched. He moves so quickly not only to retrieve balls that are seemingly winners but he can put them back deep into the opponents court and before you know it he is in charge of the point. Andy Murray at his best could possibly stake a real claim for being the best player in the world. He just seems to lose focus and concentration so easily and then his confidence goes and he is shot. If he can just mentally improve I believe he will win his fair share of grand slams but that's easier said than done of course. The womens final was a classic and it was refreshing to see two married women fight it out and teach the young girls a lesson. What we did learn was that China has the potential to be the next super power especially in womens tennis. Europe is still reining supreme in mens tennis with all 8 quarter finalists from the northern continent. America didn't impress this tournament, thanks largely to injuries to the Williams sisters and don't even get me started on the Aussies. Tomic looked good but the test for him will be to play like that on foreign soil. Hewitt is done. Our women look in slightly better shape but still nothing to get excited about. The only positive to come from the tournament from an Australian point of view was that at least we don't come from New Zealand...
CRICKET
Finally some good news for the Aussies after our pathetic Ashes showing we managed to wrap up the one day series in only 5 games. How we did it I'm still not sure but it will give us a great deal of confidence going into the world cup. The other thing that puzzles me is how are we still number one in the world. In the good old days many of our players would be the first picked for any other international side. The likes of Gilchrist, Warne, McGrath and Bevan were just outstanding ODI players. Now who from our side that played this series would be a walk up start in any team in the world? Watson, maybe and he probably wouldn't even be opening the batting in some of those sides. That may be it and don't forget Shane was considered a joke not all that long ago. The one thing I do like about the side at the moment is Brett Lee. It is so easy to see that he is relishing the chance to be back in the green and gold and making the most of every minute. His enthusiasm will rub off on the young guys in the side and his celebrations often add to the excitement of the game. We still have some questions to be answered before we start our world cup defense. Haddin's wicket-keeping ability is still questionable. Steve Smith has actually shown some signs of late but still has a very long way to go.What will our bowling line up be? I think for a side that hasn't lost a world cup match in over a decade we may have some trouble defending our title this year. Either way lets just hope Brett Lee takes plenty off wickets so we can see some more trademark celebrations...
That's all for now
Duff
