Well the Black caps played the last test match against Sri Lanka using every man and his dog in the field and still couldn't win this is a bit of a problem, but having several players who aren't even playing at domestic level leads to some major problems as they proved in this match.
The Bat above is exactly what it seems the Black Caps are using at the moment, they can't hit anything
What does Chris Martin put in his hands to guarantee a wicket every ball???
A bat of course
Former Hawke's Bay and Wellington representative Edward "Jim" Newbigin couldn't hide a wry smile this week as debate raged over Brendon McCullum's controversial run out of Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan.
Jim himself was involved in a similar situation many years ago and believes that it is all part of the game, he thinks that kids need to be taught to play to win. In Australia this is the case, but here in New Zealand it seems that they aren't. I remember when they decided to stop scoring at Primary school sport, now this is ridiculous they should be taught that you play the game to win, and this is the same in life, why bandy around and play at good sportsmen and women when this is necessary and a part of the game, but sport is about the winning and this is exactly what McCullum was doing.
Good on you McCullum, play to win.
Ask anyone who watches Ice Hockey to play word association with the Devils,and you could see a few words coming up regularly. Defense, Brodeur, and most likely BORING. Now calling a team with 3 titles in the last 11 years boring is very harsh, but it is because of their style of play. They have a suffocating defense and with Brodeur in the goal it is hard to get past them. If the Devils get ahead even just 1-0, it is unlikely you will get back into the game and a 2 goal lead is just unbeatable. when scoring first the Devils are 14-2-1, in 17 games to only lose 3 and 1 of those in overtime shows what I mean. The Devils are even better on home ice, with a record of 11-1-1 (the current best home record in the league) they are nearly invincible at home as they are able to make sure they get their top checking line up against the oppositions top scoring line, which nullifies them almost instantly.
All opposition dislike playing the Devils, but even more so if they play them at home. The Devils have had a more up and down season this year than in past years, but now appear to have turned the corner on away ice and are looking to improve their lead in the Atlantic Division and attempt to chase down the other Division leaders in the Eastern Conference.
For more on this topic go see Chuck Gormley
According to some critics in the USA, they claim the reason that the NHl is going to stay as a second rate sport in the states is because of the extreme lack of stars after the big names of Jagr Ovechkin etc. Shawn Roarke has a great list of stars in every single team, I agree with him their is no lack of stars in the NHL it is just more that they don't get in the news for the wrong things like the players in the NFL and baseball and NBA.
The list is here.
New Jersey defeated Boston 5-1 last night as they head along on a 5 game winning streak, and improved their away record. They have had a near perfect record at home with 14-1-1, but have struggled to win away from home. But this victory over the Bruins gives them a boost in their hunt for a fourth Stanley Cup.
The Devils now have a 2 point lead in their division and a game in hand. It also pulls them in striking distance of the Atlanta Thrashers for 2nd in the Eastern conference, but to grab that either the Thrashers would have to fall apart or the Devils would need to extend their winning streak even more, though the Devils have always been good in December and January so chances are looking good. Especially if they can continue their record at home.
Johnny Reid has won the latest round of the A1GP. He won both the Sprint Race, the Feature race and started from poll. For the third round in a row he got the fastest single lap in qualifying and for the 2nd in a row the fastest lap in the sprint race. leading into the round in taupo in January this is looking very good for NEw Zealand as we have climbed to 5th in the title race and our teammate Germany is sitting at the top, we have clearly had one of the fastest cars all season...
NZ for A1 Champs 06/07
New Zealand made a great game of the test match against Sri Lanka and came out on top, but all the commentators can do is bitch about McCullum dismissing Muttaih in the second innings as he went to congratulate Sangakarra on making his century. I agree completely with McCullums actions, the rules of the game stand and this talk of 'spirit' of the game is a load of crap in the days of the chronic players not leaving when they know they edged it, in the past this was considered extremely bad sportsmanship. In this day and age all batsmen hang around til that finger goes up.
So good on McCullum and the critics can shut up. Oh and also does anyone think Sri Lanka would be complaining if they had won?
And I agree completely with Flemings statement, "If we threw and Overthrow on that ball I am sure they would've taken the run."
Top of the East. (placings Div leaders 1-3)
-GP in brackets
Buffalo 44 (28)
Atlanta 40 (30)
New Jersey 34 (27)
Montreal 36 (28)
Carolina 34 (31)
NY Rangers 32 (28)
NY Islanders 31 (28)
Ottawa 31 (29)
Toronto 31 (30)
Ok well in the East Buffalo are looking very good to take out the top spot, while New Jersey and Atlanta should fight it out for 2nd and 3rd. But it is very tight for the last few spots with 3 more teams on 30 points. So it looks like a 7 way race for the last 3 spots in the playoffs, is a great season to be following Ice Hockey.
Top of the West
Anahiem 50 (31)
Nashville 39 (28)
Edmonton 34 (28)
San Jose 40 (29)
Dallas 38 (29)
Detroit 36 (27)
Minnesota 32 (28)
Calgary 29 (26)
Vancouver 29 (29)
Well in the West it looks to be taking less points to qualify for the playoffs, but more points to get near the top. The race for a playoff berth is also not as tight, but Colorado on 28 (28) would feel gutted if they end up missing out come April. Anahiem look like runaway winners in the West and it is unlikely anyone will challange them and they should be playing for the Stanley cup.
I posted that I thought New Zealand would get walloped in the first test, but it seems like the result could swing the other way instead. At stumps on Day 1 Sri Lanka have been bowled out for a measley 154 after electing to Bat who knows why when the Groundsman has been saying all week that it would be a bowlers pitch on day one, and in reply New Zealand is 85/2. With Fleming on 7 and Cumming on 37.
This is almost the opposite of what I predicted though a big first innings lead will be New Zealands aim now, and kicking on to try and win by an innings
Well now the Rugby season is over we are into the Summer of Cricket. New Zealand is about to begin its first test of the season against Sri Lanka, personally I don't think that the games are going to be as high scoring as commentators are seeming to suggest. Both teams have very potent bowling attacks, but New Zealands top order is still yet to fire. I have a suspiscion that New Zealand will go down big time in the first test as they just can't keep up with the Sri Lankans. Our Bowlers are where we have to beat them, and probably the batting will end up resting on McCullum, Oram, Vettori and Franklin again, So maybe our team can just rely on our bowlers, oh and wicket keeper. The specialist batsmen that have been selected for this series still worry me, yes picking younger players is a good idea, but How and Cumming have both failed before, and Sinclair is not much better. Lets get some completely new faces into the picture, how about Jesse Ryder???
I think making the changes was necessary, but I just don't think the right ones were made.
Well my beloved Devils are sitting 2nd in their Division and 7th in the Eastern Conference for me this is quite disgusting on their track record since I started supporting them back in 1995. Since then they have won 3 titles and been runner up twice. just over a quarter of the way through the season this is one of their worst starts, but it is not as bad as last season where they ended the season with an 18 game winning streak to make the playoffs. So there is still hope.
The current Season Leaders.
Points
Jaromir Jagr 40
Marion Hossa 39
Rod Brind'amour 36
Goals
Marion Hossa 20
And in the lead for the Presidents Trophy we have:
Anahiem 46, Buffalo 42 and San Jose 40.
3 of the top 6 teams come from the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, this is a huge over representation. Philadelphia one of the teams almost everyone would put in the playoffs every year have been struggling so far this year and are languishing in 28th of the 30 teams. While Pittsburgh whose start was nearly as good as Buffalo (11-0) have now dropped off and are sitting in 22nd, their start of 10-1 has dropped to new stats of 11-14.
Well as people have probably realised with me heading to the States next year I am going to be in a very interesting position next September when the time of the Rugby World Cup comes around, now I don't know what the coverage will be like in the states so I may just have to Jump the border to the North so I can find somewhere to watch the World Cup. Now this means that my trip will include two countries purely so I can watch the Rugby.
The Welsh have stopped the All Blacks doing the Haka, well not quite, but they have tried to break the pattern so the All Blacks have given the fans the big finger. Now I am more pissed at the All Blacks over this than at the Welsh. If I had been the All Blacks I would've waited to the end of the National Anthem and gone and done the Haka like Normal and said Hell to with the Welsh if they wanna kick off, go ahead the all blacks will still beat you anyway.
