Tuesday, June 21, 2011

What's on my sports radar this week

Another huge sports week coming up!  Hockey is now officially over so now its time to pay attention to the summer sports in the northern hemisphere (and the winter sports in the southern hemisphere).

Now that the Bruins season is over and we have had the parade Boston can now focus totally on the Red Sox.  And Boston will not be disappointed.  The Red Sox are the hottest team in baseball at the moment and are scoring like crazy.  The Red Sox crushed the Padres last night 14-5 thanks to a 10 run 7th inning.  Nobody is hitting the ball like Adrian Gonzalez at the moment, he has 12 RBIs in the last 10 games and 67 for the season (league high).  Oh wait a minute maybe there is someone hitting just as well lately, David Ortiz, he also has 12 RBIs in the last 10 games and 17HRs for the year.  The amazing fact is though that even with the Red Sox playing so well lately they only lead the Yankees by 1.5 games.  The Red Sox finish off their series against the Padres on Wednesday, then head to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates over the weekend.  meanwhile the Yankees finish off their series with the Reds then play the Rockies at Yankee stadium this weekend.  Got a feeling it will come down to wire between these 2 again this year.

One of my favourite sporting events of the year is on this week - Wimbledon tennis championships from London.  All the big guns for the men and women are here to compete for one the most prized trophies in tennis and sports.  After Federer's inspirational win over Djokovic to break his unbeaten run he has proven that he still has a lot left in the tank.  The usual suspects Nadal, Djokovic, Murray will also be in the mix.  The women's side is a lot less predictable as most of the majors have been this year.  Can Wozniacki win her first major?  Na Li just won the French but can she win on grass?  Does Sharapova still have the game to win another Wimbledon?  Lots of questions but sure to be a great tournament.  I'll be following all the Aussies closely and hoping they can make some noise in both draws!

The Super 15 rugby tournament finals start this week after 18 weeks of preliminary matches.  This weekend the New South Wales Waratahs play the Auckland Blues and the Canterbury Crusaders play the South Natal Sharks.  The Waratahs come into the finals in good form.  My team the Reds will play next week as will the 2nd place team the Western Stormers.

After the big State of Origin game last week the Australian rugby league competition resumes with a full complement of games.  This will be week 16 of 26 as teams head towards the finals.

Check back throughout the week for updates on these events and more!

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STEP 1 : Pick a player or match (can pick multiple):

NADAL, Rafael (ESP) [1]    _____
DJOKOVIC, Novak (SRB) [2]  _____
FEDERER, Roger (SUI) [3]   _____
MURRAY, Andy (GBR) [4]   _____
SODERLING, Robin (SWE) [5]   _____
BERDYCH, Tomas (CZE) [6]   _____
FERRER, David (ESP) [7]  _____
RODDICK, Andy (USA) [8]  _____
MONFILS, Gael (FRA) [9]  _____
FISH, Mardy (USA) [10]  _____
MELZER, Jurgen (AUT) [11]   _____
TSONGA, Jo-Wilfried (FRA) [12]  _____
TROICKI, Viktor (SRB) [13]  _____
WAWRINKA, Stanislas (SUI) [14]  _____
SIMON, Gilles (FRA) [15]   _____
ALMAGRO, Nicolas (ESP) [16]   _____
GASQUET, Richard (FRA) [17]   _____
YOUZHNY, Mikhail (RUS) [18]  _____
LLODRA, Michael (FRA) [19]  _____
MAYER, Florian (GER) [20]   _____
VERDASCO, Fernando (ESP) [21]  _____
DOLGOPOLOV, Alexandr (UKR) [22]  _____
TIPSAREVIC, Janko (SRB) [23]  _____
DEL POTRO, Juan Martin (ARG) [24]  _____
CHELA, Juan Ignacio (ARG) [25]  _____
Another player in draw _____



WOZNIACKI, Caroline (DEN) _____
ZVONAREVA, Vera (RUS) _____
LI, Na (CHN) _____
AZARENKA, Victoria (BLR) _____
SHARAPOVA, Maria (RUS) _____
SCHIAVONE, Francesca (ITA) _____
WILLIAMS, Serena (USA) _____
KVITOVA, Petra (CZE) _____
BARTOLI, Marion (FRA) _____
STOSUR, Samantha (AUS) _____
PETKOVIC, Andrea (GER) _____
KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana (RUS) _____
RADWANSKA, Agnieszka (POL) _____
PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia (RUS) _____
JANKOVIC, Jelena (SRB) _____
GOERGES, Julia (GER) _____
KANEPI, Kaia (EST) _____
IVANOVIC, Ana (SRB) _____
WICKMAYER, Yanina (BEL) _____
PENG, Shuai (CHN) _____
PENNETTA, Flavia (ITA) _____
PEER, Shahar (ISR) _____
WILLIAMS, Venus (USA) _____
CIBULKOVA, Dominika (SVK) _____
HANTUCHOVA, Daniela (SVK) _____
All round of 16 games _____
All quarter final matches _____
All semi finals matches _____
Final _____

All Australian players _____
All Russian players _____
All American players _____

STEP 2: Pick the scores you want and when you want to get them (can pick multiple):

At the end of each game _____
At the end of each set _____
At the end of the match_____

Once a day in the morning (9am) _____
Once a day in the evening (6pm) _____

Another score update : _____

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STEP 1 :  Pick a team or player (can pick multiple)

MLB Teams -
Arizona Diamondbacks   _____
Atlanta Braves                _____
Baltimore Orioles           _____
Boston Red Sox            _____
Chicago White Sox       _____
Chicago Cubs               _____
Cincinnati Reds             _____
Cleveland Indians         _____
Colorado Rockies        _____
Detroit Tigers               _____
Florida Marlins             _____
Houston Astros            _____
Kansas City Royals     _____
Los Angeles Angels     _____
Los Angeles Dodgers  _____
Milwaukee Brewers     _____
Minnesota Twins          _____
New York Yankees     _____
New York Mets          _____
Oakland Athletics        _____
Philadelphia Phillies      _____
Pittsburgh Pirates         _____
San Diego Padres        _____
San Francisco Giants   _____
Seattle Mariners           _____
St. Louis Cardinals       _____
Tampa Bay Rays          _____
Texas Rangers             _____
Toronto Blue Jays        _____
Washington Nationals  _____

TOP 25 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball players:

Justin Verlander (Det - SP) _____
Adrián González (Bos - 1B) _____
José Bautista (Tor - 3B,OF) _____
Jered Weaver (LAA - SP) _____
Prince Fielder (Mil - 1B) _____
Ryan Braun (Mil - OF) _____
Matt Kemp (LAD - OF) _____
Ryan Howard (Phi - 1B) _____
Paul Konerko (CWS - 1B) _____
Justin Upton (Ari - OF) _____
Albert Pujols (StL - 1B) _____
Robinson Canó (NYY - 2B) _____
Carlos González (Col - OF) _____
Roy Halladay (Phi - SP) _____
David Price (TB - SP) _____
Joey Votto (Cin - 1B) _____
Miguel Cabrera (Det - 1B) _____
Matt Holliday (StL - OF) _____
Álex Rodríguez (NYY - 3B) _____
Cliff Lee (Phi - SP) _____
Brian McCann (Atl - C) _____
Curtis Granderson (NYY - OF) _____
Mark Teixeira (NYY - 1B) _____
CC Sabathia (NYY - SP) _____

Player name : _______________

STEP 2:  Pick the scores or stats you want and when you want to get them

Team scores (can pick multiple):

End of each inning   ____
End of 3rd inning      ____
End of 6th inning    ____
End of 9th inning      ____
End of game            ____
When a run is scored  ______

Once a day in the morning (9am)  _____
Once a day in the evening (6pm)  _____

Another score update :  _____

Player stats (can pick multiple):

When they hit a HR  ____
When they drive in a run (RBI) _____
When a run is scored against a pitcher  ____
When a pitcher completes an inning  _____
(with the stats for the inning)     ______

Once a day in the morning (9am) _____

Once a day in the evening (6pm) _____

Another stat update :  _____

STEP 3 :  Games you want the update

For the next game _____
For the season   _____
Other schedule   ______

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Cronulla Sharks beat the Bulldogs!

Day 18 Sports fan challenge. Early this morning the Sharks upset the Bulldogs inspired by NSW captain Paul Gallen who backed up and played a big role in the win.

Beautiful day on Cape Cod. On the boat from Harwichport to Monmonoy Island to see some seals. Rockin the Sharks hat!

Friday, June 17, 2011

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Great win by the Broncos and Red Sox rolling on

Day 17 Sports fan challenge

Thursday, June 16, 2011

What an amazing year to be a Bruins fan!

Day 16 of the sports fan challenge is obviously dedicated to the Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup Champions!  What a ride through the playoffs it was, an amazing experience.  For those of you that don;t know I am originally from Australia but I have lived in Boston for 13 years (the only US city I have ever lived in) and I have grown to love this city and it's sporting teams as if I have lived here all my life.  I am a firm believer of supporting your home town sports teams.  This year I was lucky enough to have a share of season tickets and went to 12 regular season games, 3 playoff games and a Stanley Cup final game.  I feel very happy for my wife's family particularly her father, and her uncles some of who have been fans for over 60 years!  We had so many great memories throughout the year, going to games, watching games together, talking about the Bruins at family parties.  A part of me is relieved that it is all over and the Bruins won but another part of me is sad that it has come to an end.  But it was an amazing season, one I will never forget and as a true sports fan one I will never forget!

To celebrate a great season here are a few photos from games this year (sorry for the quality of some I was so fired up at times I was shaking)









Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals Bruins v Canucks: can't get a bigger hockey game than this!

Tonight is the biggest game in Boston hockey history for 40 years and for most hockey fans in this town is a once in a lifetime experience.  The Boston Bruins are playing for the Stanley Cup and they have the attention of the whole city.  And the hopes of a championship.

It has been an amazing ride throughout the playoffs and into the finals and it is amazing that it will all come to an end tonight.  It is safe to say that not many people thought the Bruins would get this far and to be so close to winning the Stanley Cup is an amazing achievement.  They did win a Game 7 in the playoffs against the Canadiens and Lightning but this time they will be away from home.  The three times they have played in Vancouver it has been close and there is a feeling that they could win one there and they have one more chance to close it out.

As I have been all season I will be watching intently, this time at home with my family and close friends.  Some of whom have been Bruins fans all their lives and can feel a Stanley Cup within grasp. 

Here's to the Boston Bruins and bring home the Cup boys!!!! We will be here waiting for you to return!!!

State of Origin this morning : Queensland v New south Wales rugby league


Early this morning (5:30am EST) Game 2 of the State of Origin rugby league series between Queensland and New South Wales was played.  The photo was taken before the game and I have on my maroon jersey and pants in support of my hometown team Queensland.  Queensland has dominated the series in the last 5 years winning each year and NSW are desperate for a series win.  Game 2 was played in Sydney the NSW Blues made a few key changes.   I headed over to my mate's place to watch the game shown live on Fox Soccer Channel.  He was from NSW but also lives here in South Boston so it made for some interesting watching.
It was a hard close game as most of the Origin games are but in the end NSW won.  Disappointing for Queenslanders but there will be one more game on July 6 to decide the series.  I will have the maroon on that day as well looking for series win number 6 in a row.

If you are not familiar with the State of Origin Rugby League series check out this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_origin




Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Nothing like a nice relaxing game of baseball of calm everyone down

Last night was a frenzied night for sports fans here in Boston.  All  the hype before Game 6 Stanley Cup finals built up throughout the day (really throughout the weekend since Friday night) and culminated in a great game for the Bruins.  The result is a Game 7 on Wednesday night in Vancouver which is sure to be hockey overload.  In a good way.

But the reality is that after Wednesday we will only have baseball to contend with as both the NBA and NHL finals will be over this week.  Last year in Boston we had the Celtics in the finals which went into June (I remember well because Game 7 was 2 days before my wedding).  This year we have had an inspiring run by the Bruins well into June.  For many years in Boston there was not a lot of competition for the Red Sox in June.  But after Wednesday all the attention will be on the Red Sox and they are in great shape heading into the mid-season.

Tonight the Red Sox play the Rays at Tropicana Field and they will be playing for their 10th straight win.  What a relaxing way to wind down after an intense hockey game last night and before a super intense Game 7 tomorrow night (with the State or Origin game in the morning as well).  Red Sox are now 2.5 games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East.  They are 4.5 games ahead of the Rays and can really hurt them with a series win this week.

So tonight I will be watching a nice relaxing Red Sox game, resting up for a big Rugby League game in Australia in the morning (live at 5:30am) and the biggest hockey game ever (well at least for me) in the evening!

State of Origin Game 2 tomorrow! Maroons going for series win!

Got to mention as well that early tomorrow morning 6am US EST is the 2nd State or Origin Rugby League match, Queensland v New South wales. This is one of the biggest events of the Australian Rugby League season and also on my sporting calendar.  I grew up in Brisbane, Queensland a die hard Queensland rugby league supporter and the rivalry with the state to the south, New South Wales has always been intense.  Game 1 was a win for Queensland in the the minutes of the game after the scored a try to seal victory.  If they win tomorrow it will make it 6 series wins in a row for Queensland, they have been completely dominant in recent years.

So I will be up early and heading over to my mate's place (a New South Welsh man) here in South Boston at 5:30 am to watch the game which is being televised live on Fox Soccer Channel this year.  Not quite the same as sitting in my the living room of my parents' house in the north of Brisbane, middle of winter (although the winters are very mild in Brisbane) on a Wednesday night, hanging on every play with my family and friends and hoping for a Queensland win.  But I will be there in spirit and heart.

GO MAROONS!!!!

If you are not familiar with the State of Origin Rugby League series check out this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_origin

My treasured Queensland Maroons State of Origin jersey

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Sunday morning in my sports world - Red Sox, Brisbane Broncos, golf and more

Good morning all!  Weather is a little crappy here in Beantown today, few showers.  But a lot happened yesterday and early this morning in sports.  For those of you that don't know I am an Australian (from Brisbane) that is now living in Boston therefore I follow all the Boston sports as well as the Australian teams with a bias towards the Queensland teams.  Here are my sources for sports news if you want to check other teams:
Baseball : mlb.com
Rugby League : nrl.com
PGA golf :  http://www.pgatour.com/

The Red Sox continue their winning ways and the bad start to the season seems a long way away.  Yesterday they pounded the Blue Jays 16-4 for their 8th straight win.  Everybody in the starting lineup got a hit except Jed Lowrie (who officially had an RBI after he got hit with the bases loaded).  Ortiz (16HR for the year) and Varitek had home runs, all the starters had an RBI including league leading RBI man Adrian Gonzalez (58 for the year).  In games in the AL East, Yankees win over the Indians and the Rays win over the Orioles.  Therefore the Red Sox maintain their 2 game lead in the division.
 For a full wrap of the Red Sox game:
Boston - Toronto game report
(I get all my MLB news at mlb.com, check it every day!)

In Australian rugby league played today (early this morning US EST) and the Brisbane Broncos won by a point over the Canberrra Raiders thanks to a field goal by Peter Wallace in extra time.  Broncos were without a lot of their star players who were kept out of the game as they will be playing in the State of Origin game on Wednesday night.  I still think this is unfair and I would prefer if they would just give every team a bye during those weeks.  They only play 3 games a year.  So the Broncos sent out a team with young up and coming players who performed admirably against a Canberra team that is struggling at the bottom of the table.  Broncos are firmly entrenched in the top 8 and will have their full complement of players next week.
For other rugby league scores and news go to nrl.com.

The leaderboard at the PGA event the Fedex st Jude Classic is dominated by Swedes with the leader Robert Karlsson and fellow countrymen Frederick Jacobsen and Karl Petersson also in contention.  With one round to play I consider in contention to be within 6 shots as this is the largest deficit that has been overcome before in PGA history.  Karlsson has a one shot lead over Harrison Frazer (USA) and a 3 shot lead over John Merrick (USA).  There are 11 players within 6 shots of the lead.  Unfortunately no Aussies in this groups but Greg Chalmers had a great round yesterday to put him at 3 under.
For other scores and news including shot tracker which I use to follow scores go to http://www.pgatour.com/)

Later on today the Mavericks look to close out the NBA finals v the Heat down in Miami.  The Heat of home court for the finals 2 games just like the Lakers last year who managed to close it out.  Can the Heat hold on or will the Mavs win their first title?

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Saturday morning recap - Bruins, Red Sox, rugby league and more

What a crushing loss for the Bruins last v the Canucks in Stanley Cup game 5.  Yet another close loss in Vancouver and the goal was scored in the 3rd period by the annoying (if you are a Bruins fan) Lapierre who has been an agitator all series (only his 2nd goal of the playoffs).  Tim Thomas played great in goal but so did the Canucks' goalie Luongo after a couple of embarassing losses in Boston.  Now the Bruins must win back in Boston to save the series on Monday night and go back to Vancouver on Wednesday and win there which they have not done yet. (I get all the NHL news at nhl.com)

The Red Sox are on a roll lately and racked up their 7th straight win against the Blue Jays last night.  Gutsy effort by Bucholtz sealed the win and another 2 RBIs by Adrain Gonzalez sealed the 5-1 win.  Pedroia and Ellsbury also chipped in with 3 hits.  Yankkes also win so they are still 2 games behind in the AL East while the Rays loss causes them to slip 4 games behind the Red Sox.
(I get all the MLB news at mlb.com)

Early this morning US EST the North Queensland Cowboys were beat by the Manly Sea Eagles in Australian rugby league action.  Disappointed that the Queensland team lost but it is a tough week for teams with State of Origin players (which is on Wednesday) particularly NQ who has 2 key players, Jonathan Thurston and Matt Scott that did not play.  I really can't understand why the NRL teams play during these State of Origin weeks, not really fair for those teams that have a lot of players such as the Broncos and sSt George.  But the NRL wants the money from those games I guess. The Brisbane Broncos play the Canberra Raiders tomorrow without a host of players including Lockyer, Thaiday, Hannant, Parker, Yow Yeh.  Anyway both the Broncos and Cowboys have had decent seasons to date and look to be in good position at this stage to make the final 8.
(I get all my rugby league news at nrl.com)

Currently watching the Reds game against the Force and the 2nd half has just started.  Reds are behind by 2 pts and I have to say they are lucky it is that close.  With the Super rugby finals only a couple of weeks away the Reds had better sharpen up if they have any thoughts of taking the title this year.
(I get all my rugby news from http://www.superxv.com/)

The Fedex St Jude Classic at TPC Southwind in Memphis heads into the weekend and the final 2 rounds.  A bunch of Aussies have made the cut but only Nick O'Hern is in touch with the leader Robert Karlson at this stage (6 shots behind).  But today will be an important day to sort out who can get into contention.
(I get all my PGA golf news from http://www.pgatour.com/)

Friday, June 10, 2011

What's happening in my sports world this weekend -- Bruins, Red Sox, Reds, Broncos, Cowboys and more

By far the biggest event this weekend is going to be tonight's Stanley Cup game 5 Bruins v Canucks in Vancouver.  I am so fired up for this game!!!!!  A Bruins win will put them in a great position for Monday night's game back in Boston.

Red Sox have really hit their stride lately and are coming off an impressive sweep of the Yankees.  The play the Blue Jays in Toronto this weekend.  Tonight's game may be tough to see much of with the Bruins game on, will watch the first hour though starting at 7pm until the Bruins game starts.  Saturday and Sunday's games are at 1pm.  Yankees play the Indians while the Rays play the Orioles.

Only 2 rounds to go in Super 15 Rugby and the Reds have had a great season.  Tomorrow morning EST they play the Western Force in Perth so it is at the US friendly time of 8am.  I will probably be up early anyway to watch the North Queensland Cowboys play Manly Sea Eagles in Rugby League action at 5:30 am (maybe the 2nd half).  Will have to set up the computer and headphones for that one.  The Brisbane Broncos play the Canberra Raiders on Sunday, my hometown team Brisbane will be without many of their stars who will be playing for Queensland on Wednesday.

In the NBA finals the Heat under all sorts of pressure now that the Mavericks have a 3-2 lead in the series.  On Sunday the Mavs will look to close out the series.  We all know that Wade has what it takes but can he get any help from LeBron and Bosh to save the series?  Game not to be missed on Sunday night!

Today is moving day at the Fedex St Jude Classic and players are scrambling to make the cut and play on the weekend.  As it stands right now it looks like a bunch of Aussies will make the cut inlcuding Allenby, Senden, Ogilvy, Pampling, Chalmers, Price, O'Hern, Percy.  Of these guys maybe O'Hern who is at 3 under and 6 shots behind the leader Karlson may have a chance.  But stranger things have happened on the tour thats for sure!

Quick mention about a big cycling race that happening in France the Critérium du Dauphiné which is considered a warm up race for the Tour de France.  Aussie Cadel Evans is currently in second place overall behind Bradley Wiggins.  Only 2 stages left and the race ends on Sunday.  Could this be Cadel's year to win the Tour de France?  It may be one of his last chances.

These are teams that I will be watching this weekend: Bruins, Red Sox, Reds,  Brisbane Bronocs, NQ Cowboys.  Check back on Monday for a video report on how they performed!

On my sports calendar today - Bruins, Red Sox, Gold Coast Titans and more

Another beautiful day here in Boston!  Not as hot as yesterday but sunny.  Not happy that the thunderstorm last night caused the cancellation of our touch rugby games.

Another HUGE game for the Bruins tonight.  They really have some momentum now after 2 wins at home and they head out to Vancouver full of confidence for game 5.  I'll be glued to the TV screen tonight and cheering for a Bruins win.

The Red Sox now have the lead in the AL East after a sweep over the Yankees!  Nothing better than beating the Yankees and to sweep is just the best.  Even better is the fact that it is the second sweep of the year.  Hard to find too much fault in the Red Sox these days, after a rough start they have really hit their stride.  Still quite early but the Red Sox have a 2 game lead over the Yankees and 3 games over the Rays in the AL East.  Sure it will be a battle for the rest of the year.  David Ortiz with 15HR so far this year is really benefting from having Adrain Gonzalez in the line up who has a league tying 55 RBIs so far this season.

Got to mention a great win by the Gold Coast Titans over the St George-Illawarra Dragons early this morning Boston time.  Managed to get up early enough to catch the second half and was great to see the Titans get up for a win.  The Titans have struggled this year while it is only the second loss for St George who are on top of the table.

Right now I am watching Aussie Lleyton Hewitt play Kohlschreiber in the QFs at the Gary Weber Open in Halle, Germany.  Still in the first set and looks like a tight game.  Hewitt got a break in the first round, he was scheduled to play Federer who withdrew.

Another full sports day with the main event definately the Bruins v Canucks later tonight.  GO BRUINS!

Explanation of my Rugby League allegiences

For those of you that don't know I am originally from Brisbane, Australia (well I was actually born in Sydney but moved to Brisbane when I was about 4) and my favourite sport of all the sports that I follow is rugby league.  It was the sports I played as a kid from the age of 7 and I still follow it very closely from Boston (I subscribe to livenrl.com to get the games and watch all the replays).  When I was a kid there was no NRL and all the best teams were in Sydney.  There was a Brisbane competition but it was considered second to the Sydney league and all the best players in the country went to Sydney because there was more money playing for those clubs.  When I first started playing rugby league in grade 5 for my primary school our jerseys were the same design as the Cronulla Sharks so I decided that would be my team.  I am still a Cronulla Sharks fan today (33 years!) and believe me it has not been easy.  But I have stuck with them through the bads times and more bad times.

Then in 1988 the NSRL compettition decided to expand and included a team from Brisbane, the Brisbane Broncos.  Now I was torn because I had been supporting Cronulla since I was a kid and now they had a team in my hometown and representing all of Queensland.  The Broncos have been very successful and the whole city (and state) has rallied around them throughout the years.  Various other teams from Queensland have come and gone without success (Crushers, Chargers, Seagulls).  The in 1994 another Queensland team entered the competition, the North Queensland Cowboys and they remain a force today.  In 2007 a Gold Coast team entered, the Gold Coast Titans.

So now in 2011 we have 3 teams from Queensland in the NRL.  As a Queenslander we always like to see the NSW teams beat so I naturally support them.  But I am a loyal fan and I can't give up my childhood team Cronulla Sharks, we have been through so much!  Therefore this the order of my support, on any given day if one of these teams are playing they will have my support!

1.  Cronulla , Brisbane Broncos (can't separate them!)
3.  NQ Cowboys
4. Gold Coast Titans

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Presenting to you David Taylor - man mountain

For those of you that don't know Rugby League you may not be familiar with this guy - David Taylor.  to say he is big is an understatement - he weighs 120 kgs (264 lbs) and is 187cm tall (6.2 feet).  He can run, tackle, catch, pass, kick you name.  Can you imagine trying to tackle this guy?  Without pads!  Anyway I am glad he is a Queenslander and was recalled to the State of Origin side for Game 2.

This screen capture was taken after he scored a try for his club team South Sydney.  He jumped in the air and caught a kick then put it down for a try.  It was really quite a sight.

PJ Stock - what a legend

Took this photo of PJ Stock (middle) who was commentating for Hockey Night in Canada on CBC.  I also added a video of a great PJ Stock fight to fire you up.  Enjoy!





Monday, June 6, 2011

New Queensland Reds jersey just time time for the playoffs!


Got my new Queensland Reds jersey today and looks great!  With the Reds looking good to make the playoffs it should get a lot of wear over the next few weeks.

Fired up for Stanley Cup game 3 tonight!

Another beautiful day in Beantown and tonight is the biggest hockey game of the year!  I will be heading to Garden tonight and I am so fired up for this game.  After 2 crushing defeats out west the Bruins should be plenty of motivation for tonight's game to keep their hopes alive.  Hearing a lot of talk about the possibility that Thornton may be playing tonight.  Got to say I am on the fence with that one.  One the one hand his physical style of play and leadership would be welcomed but the Bruins need goal scoring.

Either way I am sure the Garden will be buzzing tonight - more than I have ever experienced.  GO BRUINS!!!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

My sports world today: Getting over the Bruins, crazy Red Sox game, French Open and more

The Stanley Cup game 2 and the Bruins loss was another devastating blow last night.  After leading 2-1 in the 3rd they allowed on equalising goal and then lost the game after 11 secs in OT.  It's easy to be frustrated at Burrows who played well and probably should have been suspended after blatantly biting Bergeron in Game 1 on camera for all to see.  Why was he not suspended?  Anyway he wasn't and the Bruins did not show a lot of heart in the 3rd period and obviously OT.  I was fired up when LaPierre stuck his finger in Bergeron's face taunting him to bite him.  WTF? Chara looked out of gas and he really should have dragged Burrows down at the end there.  Very disappointing.  Got to move on and now they will be back in Boston and hopefully show some of the heart that got them here in the first place.

On the other hand the Red Sox came out with a thrilling win in 14 innings over Oakland thanks to a walk off single from recent whipping boy JD Drew.  What a crazy game.  I thought (as I am sure many others as well) that the game was over when it was 7-3 in the 9th.  Then the A's score 4 in the 9th, Papelbon and Varitek were ejected in separate incidents and Pedrioa made a costly error that could have ended the game and the game was tied.  Anyway they were lucky to get away with the win and it was good entertainment.  The Yankees and Rays both won last night as well so Boston is a game behing NY and the Rays are 3 games behind.  As always it looks like it will come down to the wire and will be interesting when NY comes to town next week.

PGA:  Steve Stricker appears in command at the Memorial with one round to play today.  He is 3 shots ahead of Byrd and 4 shots ahead of Kuchar and Jobe.  Aussie Marc Leishman shot 6 under yesterday to be 6 under overall but may to too far behind to win.  The biggest ever lead blown in a PGA event with 18 to play is 6 strokes (5 players have done it including Greg Normand and Sergio Garcia here) and I can't see Stricker crumbking like that today.  Aussie Rod Pampling was in great position after 54 holes at 6 under but could only shoot even par yesterday and therefore is also at 6 under.  He should get valuable points today to help him regain his card if he plays well.

French Open final starts in about 2 minutes :  Federer v Nadal.  Federer's win over Djokovic was absolutely inspirational.  Today promises to be just the same.  Can't wait.  Congrats to Na Li for winning the women's final and the first Asian woman to do so.  Just imagine if China becomes a force in the world of tennis?  They could dominate for a long time.

A quick mention that the Socceroos had a 3-0 win over New Zealand yesterday in a freindly match.  Glad to see that they are looking to the future, Schwarzer, Kewell and Cahill are not getting any younger.

Also the NSW Blues picked their side for the 2nd State of Origin match.  Will they every learn?  They were unlucky in Game 1 losing to Queensland int he last 5 minutes to a great try.  Now they make 5 changes including moving Gallen to prop, Hopoate in the centres who is in his first season and may not be playing in the NRL next year, Jarred Hayne on the wing, Kurt Gidley on the bench.  Should be interesting.

So today I will be watching the French Open final now, keeping an eye on the PGA scoreboard and watching the Red Sox later.  NBA finals game 3 tonight as well!  Another beautiful sunny day here in Boston!  Enjoy!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Wildlife in the city

Nesting seagulls on top of the building next to ours. Little gross but that's we got in the city!

What's going on in my sports world today - Bruins, French Open, golf and more!

Another beautiful day here in Boston.  Great run of weather we are having in the moment so it was up to the deck again for morning coffee.  I am so fired up for Stanley Cup finals game 2 tonight.  Game 1 was a devastating loss for the boys but I am confident they will be back tonight with a good showing.  So important they take a game out west and come back to Boston full of confidence.

Yesterday's win by Federer was one of the best games I have seen in a long time.  To beat a red hot unbeaten Djokovic on clay at the French Open is a huge feat.  I watched the whole game and I could not take my eyes off the screen.  Roger really kicked it into gear when it counted and to see him play like that was a real pleasure.  What a champion.  Nadal is also in top form and tomorrow's final will be a cracker of a game not to be missed.  Today is the women's final which is on now!  Na Li took the first set against Schiavone.   Hard not to root for either of these ladies.

Tough loss for the Reds against the Brumbies this morning, managed to catch the last 10 minutes but by then the Reds looked totally out of gas.  The Reds are still on top of the Super Rugby 15 table and look certain to be in the playoffs.  After a lean few seasons for the Reds the last few year its great to see them on top as a Queenslander.  Brumbies are on the bottom and it makes you wonder where has the commitment they showed in this game been all year?  The Waratahs are hanging on to the last wild card spot and they will have a fight over the next couple of games to keep that position.

Lastly in golf I have to mention a couple of Aussies who are towards the top of the leaderboard at the PGA event the Memorial.  Fellow Queenslander Rod Pampling (he is actually from Redcliffe, just across the bridge from my home suburb of Sandgate in Brisbane) is 3 shots behind the leader Steve Stricker.  Rod had a tough year last year and lost his card but got a sponsor's exemption to this event and is making the most of his chances.  Today I am wearing a Cleveland hat (his sponsor) in support of him today.  Fellow Aussie Aaron Baddeley is one shot further behind and well in the hunt.

That's it from me for today and I will be glued to the screen for the Bruins tonight.  Throughout the day I will have a close eye on the golf leaderboard hoping that Rod and Aaron put together some good scores!





This hat barely fits my head!   I either have a fat noggin or it is a misshapen hat you be the judge.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Boston Touch Rugby season has started!


This summer I started playing on a touch rugby team with some expat Aussies.  First games were last night and they were a lot of fun.  We played 3 games, about 20 minutes each, we won won and drew one and lost one.  I was actually surprised how good the teams were.  Got to say though I pulled up a little sore today (back is killing me) not getting any younger thats for sure!  Will post some photos throughout the season.

Anyone interested in playing check out the website: http://www.bostontouchrugby.com/

Morning coffee on the deck - Mixed emotions over Broncos win

Beautiful morning in Beantown again today!  Early this morning (Friday night in Sydney) was a rugby league match between my childhood favourite team Cronulla Sharks versus my hometown team Brisbane Broncos.  Cronulla have really struggled in recent years and they lost to a Broncos team that had their State of Origin players back in action.  The Sharks will struggle to not finish on the bottom while the Broncos look good for the finals.  Therefore today I am wearing both Broncos and Red Sox gear to celebrate the Broncos win and possible win for the Red Sox tonight against the A's.

Today in sports there are some big matches in tennis at the French Open.  Men's semis :  Nadal v Murrar (on now!) and then a huge game Federer v Djokovic - not be to be missed!  Can Federer break Djokovic's amazing run?  Later on today the Red Sox play A's on the West Coast - late game for us on the East Coast and hopefully I can stay up for it!


Cruise ship at the Black falcon terminal in the distance

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Teams in the running fo sports wear challenge


Tomorrow there are a few teams in the running for what I will wear. From left to right (photos is not the best and non-Australians may not be familiar with 2 of these teams) is the Brisbane Bronocs, Cronulla Sharks and Boston Red Sox.  The Broncos and Sharks are Australian Rugby League teams, I grew up in Brisbane and Rugby League is one of the most popular sports in that region of the country.  Now I am a little torn here because my childhood team was Cronulla when Brisbane did not have a team in the national league.  The Broncos were an expansion team that joined in 1988 and represent my home town.  Tomorrow morning (5:30 am ET) are playing each other, I will up to watch it for sure.  So one of these teams is definitely on the wear list.  Red Sox are playing the A's later on East Coast time.

I am going to introduce a new rule to bring in another sport that I follow closely.  Today the Memorial tournament started and there are 8 Aussies in the field that I am following.  If one of them is towards the top of the leaderboard at the end of the day then I will wear an item of clothing (e.g. hat, shirt) from one of their sponsors on Friday in support.

Today's sports fan challenge is brought to you from my deck

OK not a great night for Boston last night.  Bruins went down in the final minute to Vancouver in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals.  What a heartbreaker.  The Red Sox were swept by the White Sox and are now 2 games behind the Yankees in the AL East and the Rays are only a half game behind.

As I mentioned I am going to wear a piece of of clothing every day from a sports team or individual that I support (for the original post click here).  Today the Red Sox and Bruins have a day off and there aren't any other teams that I support that are playing today.  Both teams lost so the questions is which team should I wear today? 

My answer is both since I beleive that as atrue fan they need the support also when they are down.  So today I will wear both Red Sox and Bruins gear to support them in their tough losses yesterday.  Here are some pics from my morning coffee on my roof deck.  What a beautiful sunny day here in Beantown!



Aussie Ryan Gregson one of the best in the world for the 1500m

This morning I was browsing through the IAAF top lists which shows the fastest times for various athletics races for 2011 and saw that Ryan Gregson from Australia is the 6th fastest in the 1500 for 2011!   Not bad for Australia and promising for next year's Olympics!

Movin on - whats on in sports today

Last night was so disappointing for the Bruins with the Canucks scoring in the last minute to win 1-0.  But today I am moving on and looking forward to Sat night and Game 2.

But there is a lot happening in sports today that I will be following including:

French Open women's semis on right now!!  Watching Sharpova v Li Na at the moment.  Later on Bartoli v Schiavone. Would love to see Schiavone repeat, so many thought she would be a one major wonder.

In the PGA the Memorial Tournament starts today, lots of big name players including a host of Aussies (8 in the field) are teeing off.  I will be keeping a close eye on the leader board throughout the day.

Game 2 of the NBA finals is on tonight at 9pm.  Hoping for a Mavs win but got to admit the Heat look very strong at the right time of the year.

Our cat is a big Maria Sharapova fan

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

OK enough messing around with baseball...

Expecting Chara to dominate tonight.  Push around those Sedin boys like rag dolls.  Tonight I am going to stick with what worked at the end of the Tampa Bay series - watch the games at home!


Love the Red Sox day games during the week!

These games are perfect for me as I am not working.  Just caught the end of the game which I watched in my new A-Gon t- shirt.  Not a great series for the Red Sox who were swept by the White Sox.

Stanley Cup Game 1 only hours away!


GO BRUINS!!!!

Every Wednesday I volunteer at the Red Cross food distribution center in Boston.  Such a great organization that distributes bags of food to low income families in the area.  We pack bags of vegetables, meat, canned goods and dried goods and hand them out in the morning.  On average around 500 families are served every Wednesday.

Today's posts brought to you by our cat Abbey!

Looking for a ray of sunshine to lie in.