Upfront - With Andrew Webster

Mundine v Hoppa: Two-times too long

Fri, 9 Mar 2007 13:01:19 +1100

There can be no mistake that the main event turned out to be some affair: the speed and cheek of Mundine; the lion-heart and tenacity of Soliman; the intoxicating (and intoxicated) crowd....

AFL: Players Gambling Problems Rampant

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:32:27 +1100

If you’re a gambler, you’ve only got a gambling problem if you keep losing. If you’re an AFL player investing on your own code, you have got yourself one massive problem, as four players have discovered in the last week.

A-League Coaches' Sledgefest

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:06:33 +1100

It's very unlike this hack to be critical of coaches providing colourful quotes, especially when they're coming out with beauties like this ... "I can coach from the coffee shop," was one of Adelaide John Kosmina's funnier lines. "He should get his money back for those anger management classes," was Ernie Merrick's response.

Ego Driven:

Fri, 2 Feb 2007 14:10:54 +1100

Lou Vincent believes Australia’s cricket team consider itself “bigger than the game” – and said so on New Zealand radio this week. It wasn’t so much surprising as insightful that Australia’s players – Matthew Hayden, Stuart Clark and Ricky Ponting – agreed.What? We play it hard? We play to win? No shit, Lou.

Upfront: Knuckle's Men

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 12:02:03 +1100

There was much consternation when the Australia Rugby Union (which last week moved just around the corner from Inside Sport’s ivory tower, incidentally) dumped coach Eddie Jones and rushed in John Connolly as the man to lead us to next year’s World Cup. There were two reports in today’s rags that give us reason for hope almost one year down the track…

Without A Trace

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:44:57 +1100

Now this is getting interesting. Sydney FC coach Terry Butcher is looking over his shoulder like he’s an extra on The Blair Witch Project. The axe is out, Hollywood star Anthony LaPaglia is sharpening the blade. “Okay boys, bring him in…”

And away ...

Fri, 8 Sep 2006 15:59:10 +1100

Footy finals are here and it’s around this time of year that footy writers get twitchy and fans start going cuckoo. I’ve got to get out of town before the sun goes down. Too dangerous.

Upfront: Damn the Thorpedo

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:19:21 +1100

Elite sportspeople don’t see the hypocrisy of complaining about a public life yet still cashing in on one. If Ian Thorpe keeps whinging he might just get what he wishes for: a nation who no longer cares..

Bucked Broncos

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:24:00 +1100

Bennett is not the Montgomery Burns of the National Rugby League despite the striking similarities with The Simpson’s character. Nor is he a party pooper who thinks everyone should keep away off the grog as he has done his entire life. Bennett and the Broncos simply had enough with Costigan and halfback Brett Seymour, who was investigated for headbutting a woman in a nightclub last week. So they tore their contracts up.

Getting Testy

Tue, 1 Aug 2006 11:59:25 +1100

There is nothing – nothing we tells yer – as funny as the wave of excuses that comes when an athlete returns a positive test for performance-enhancing substances. Even funnier when it’s an American. Downright hilarious when it’s from cycling or track and field. Laugh? Can’t stop.

From Bling to Centrelink

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 15:13:49 +1100

Wendell Sailor was supposed to be fronting Centrelink this morning. The big bald-headed winger doesn’t reckon his football career is over but knows that he’s two years to kill after the ARU tore up his rugby contract on Friday afternoon. At least Sailor still has a sense of humour.

Hunger Pains

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 11:05:45 +1100

The Fan is a reasonable bugger. Usually. But when a coach says that his side is no longer “hungry” enough, The Fan takes his earphone out and feels like telling The Coach to jam his footy side wherever it will fit.

We Wuz Robbed

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 16:15:28 +1100

Well, this sucks.

As we went deeper into this World Cup, we should’ve been reminding ourselves about the inevitable pain. The reaching into the chest, the pushing of the ribcage apart, the grabbing of the heart and then the dropkicking of the aforementioned heart across the room. What we shouldn’t have been asked to prepare for is being stiffed by the referee. Again. For the fourth time in as many matches.

Tell 'Em They're Dreaming ...

Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:41:33 +1100

Guus Hiddink nailed it when he said after the Socceroos’ 2-all draw with Croatia this morning: “This team has enormous mental power to come back. It has a lion heart.” Sporting hyperbole flows like beer at these times. Let’s drown in both...

Reality Bites

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 11:23:39 +1100

Nice reality check, Brazil. Just when some of us started to believe that soccer had left the rest of the country's footy codes in its vapour, our sorry arses were brought back to Earth with a samba this morning. Brazil: 2. Socceroos: 0. Australia: Perspective.