Babe Ruth Quote

'Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.'

Michael Jordan Quote

'Some people want it to happen,some wish it would happen,others make it happen.'

Tiger Woods Quote

'Achievements on the golf course are not what matters,decency&honesty are what matter.'

Jack Nicklaus Quote

'Resolve never to quit,never to give up,no matter what the situation.'

Muhammad Ali Quote

'I'm not the greatest;I'm the double greatest. Not only do I knock 'em out, I pick the round.'

Alan Minter Boxing Quote

'Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing-but none of them serious.'

Is De Gea the right man to replace Edwin Van Der Sar?

David De Gea is set to complete his transfer from Atletico Madrid to Manchester United in a deal worth around £18million. Edwin Van Der Sar has been a superb keeper for the red devils and the jury is out as to whether De Gea is the man to fill his shoes. Liverpool stopper, Pepe Reina has voiced his admiration for the 20 year old Spanish star, saying he is up to the challenge. Sir Alex Ferguson usually gets things right but who could forget his legacy of signing calamitous keepers such as Massimo Taibi, Roy Carroll and Mark Bosnich who failed miserably in following,'The Great Dane' Peter Schmeichel.

Other more experienced options such as Schalke's Manuel Neuer would have got my support. The Schalke keeper has Champions League experience and impressed against United in the recent Champions League encounter. Reports suggested that Neuer shunned a move to the Manchester giants but a few more zeros on his annual salary would have no doubt made him think again.

I hope De Gea does well at United and goes some way to help bridge the gap between the Premier League Champions and the dominant Barcelona side.

Does Boxing need the Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquaio fight?

David Haye vs Wladimir Klitschko will arouse much interest in the boxing world but the real fight fans want to see is Manny Pacquaio vs Floyd Mayweather. The hype has been building for years now and boxing audiences are losing patience. My read of the situation is that the promotors are stalling the fight to generate anticipation and generate the biggest grossing box office payperview hit of all time. Pacquaio has cemented his place as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the game by beating big names such as Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Sugar Shane Mosley. Mayweather is undefeated in 40 bouts and is known for his hand speed, tactical nous and ability to close out a fight when an opportunity presents itself. We have had one false alarm with the March 13th 2010 bout being called of on account of the blood testing demands of Mayweather. Some quarters hold the belief that the undefeated champion was 'ducking' the contest in fear of losing his prized, undefeated status,others have suggested that Pacquaio's sudden dominance is inexplicable and that his blood samples require further scrutiny. Boxing fans are not concerned about the ifs,buts and maybes. Boxing fans are focused on the prospect of these two finally, throwing hands after all the publicity.

I would say we need this fight to happen. Boxing does have some exciting fighters but the weakness of its flagship heavyweight division means that fighters in other weights have to step up to the plate. The middleweight divisions are commanding respectable followings thanks to exciting stars such as Carl Froch, Sergio Martinez, Lucien Bute and Julio Cesar Chavez Junior. Despite the excitement of certain divisions there is only one that can put boxing back on the map at the summit of world sport and that is the Welterweight division. Come on Manny, come on Floyd, lets get this show on the road! If only it was that simple.

Test Cricket vs T20: Which form of the game is best?

Test Cricket has been the premier form of the game since the inception of International Cricket. The long form of the game requires stamina, skill and patience in order to overcome your adversaries. The Test form of the game has treated sporting fans to the talents of West Indian genius Gary Sober's, Australia's batting maestro, Donald Bradman and New Zealand's pace menace, Richard Hadlee just to name a few.

Despite the illustrious tradition of the five day game, a new Knight has entered the hearts of worldwide audiences. Twenty Twenty is now reinvigorating the game, with its emphasis on big hitting, bowling variety and instant gratification. The Indian Premier League has shown just how entertaining cricket can be. Big hitting stars have arisen from the short form of the game. Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Murali Vijay, Jacques Kallis and Yusuf Pathan have entertained fans around the world with their explosive batting performances. T20 is not seen as an immediate threat to the Test game as it requires very different skills and appeals to two different audiences. The longest form of the game attracts cricketing purists while the short form of the game attracts those with a shorter attention span and a penchant for immediate excitement.

Overall T20 has enriched the sport, as it has brought a new young audience to cricket and should ensure that we have even more talented cricketers than we have been treated to over the last century. The threat that IPL poses is that it pays the players huge sums of money that may encourage players to retire early from the Test form, in order to lengthen their careers in twenty over cricket. The best example of this I can see is Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka who has somewhat prematurely retired from International Tests, in order to focus on the 50 over and 20 over formats. Malinga is a massive loss to the 5 day game with an arsenal of bowling deliveries unrivalled among world seamers today.

The Test game is responsible for players' emphasis on technique, stroke play and temperament. T20 on the other hand is more concerned with slogging, full length bowling and bravado rather than the more noble focus of the 4 innings form.

Five day cricket is still the most revered form of the game by players but how long will this continue to be the case?

Is it Time for Arsenal to cash in on Cesc Fabregas?

Cesc Fabregas is one of the best midfielders in football today. Many people believe that Fabregas has 'carried' The Gunners for many years and that they will be lost without him. Personally I think the time could be right to offload the Spanish World Cup winner. Arsenal are said to be holding out for near on £45million. Anything over £35million would give Arsene Wenger the funds he needs to buy a replacement for Fabregas, a potent forward and maybe even a defender as well.  The pressure is on to Wenger after 6 years without a trophy. The only reason Arsenal would not look to sell is if Fabregas wants to stay or whether their Manager will alter his frugal policy on buying unknown youngsters rather than established, experienced stars. In reality the truth is that Fabregas has wanted out for well over a year and will not feel 100% committed to the Arsenal cause if he is made to stay another year.

Who is the best bowler in the world?

Who is the king of bowling in the cricket world? Is it a pace bowler or a spin bowler? Who is the best at test, 50 over or T20 level?

If you look at the rankings you will see that Dale Steyn is ranked the best at Test Level and to be fair this is hard to dispute. The South African paceman regularly bowls at circa 90mph and maintains a good line and length. Graeme Swann is ranked second which reflects the fact that he is a dependable exponent of off spin who bowls accurately with variety and unpredictability. James Anderson, Morne Morkel and Zaheer Khan complete the top five. I would place Morne Morkel ahead of Zaheer and Anderson simply on the basis that his height advantage adds bounce and venom to his deliveries making him a more fearsome competitor than the Englishman and Indian bowlers respectively. Zaheer deserves fourth spot on the basis that he is the most dependable seamer in cricket. The Indian opening bowler swings the ball both ways, has a killer slower ball and ranks among the best his country has ever produced alongside, Javagal Srinath and Kapil Dev. Jimmy Anderson has become an accomplished exponent of swing bowling, delivering consistently at around 85mph, Anderson' bowling combines pace, swing and bounce.

In the shorter forms of the game Lasith Malinga leads the game with the best in-swinging yorker since Waqar Younis. At The IPL Malinga was streets ahead of the competition, scaring his opponents with his full length deliveries and bamboozling batsmen with his low slung 'skidders' as described by pundits. The only thing stopping Malinga challenging the Test ranks is that he has decided to retire from this form of the game.

Other bowlers of note include Chris Tremlett who bowls a brisk pace with dramatic bounce, as a result of his towering 6 foot 5 frame, Doug Bollinger, a brisk left arm fast medium bowler who is adept at bowling a disciplined line and length, Mitchell Johnson, the Australian pace machine and Umar Gul, the Pakistani star who is known for his usefulness at the death of the shorter forms of the game.

Name the 5 Players who will dominate golf over the next 5 years.

There has been a seismic shift at the summit of world golf of late. The European Tour players have come to the fore, resulting in the US Open victories of Graeme Mcdowell and Rory Mcilroy, the US PGA victory of Martin Kaymer and the the world number 1 rankings recently earned by Lee Westwood and Luke Donald. The American presence at the top, has been weakened by the dips in form of Tiger Woods but Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker are still flying the US flag in the top 10. The improvement of the European contingent is demonstrated by the fact that the top four players all hail  from the shores of the current Ryder Cup holders.

The 10 players that have a shot at consistent world dominance are:

Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Rory Mcilroy, Phil Mickelson, Charl Schwartzel, Matteo Manaserro, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Luke Donald and Tiger Woods. Who would have thought that Tiger would be found at the tail end of this list, having amassed 14 major titles in record time? The 2008 US Open Champion is having some health problems with his knee but only a fool would rule him out of returning to his best, such is the mental strength of the man. In whittling the shortlist down to 5 one has to consider the player's:

1) Major winning potential.
2) Age and Experience.
3) Performance over the last 12 months.
4) Past Major winning record including bis USPGA and European  Tour championship such as the Players' and PGA Championship at Wentworth.
5) Consistency of swing mechanics and injury history.

My final 5 would be: Martin Kaymer, Rory Mcilroy, Matteo Manaserro, Jason Day and Tiger Woods.

The rationale between excluding Mickelson and Westwood is that they have reached their peak at the ages of 41 and 38 respectively and are unlikely to go any better after circa 2012. There would be a case for placing Tiger in this same bracket but he is an exception ,on the grounds that he is arguably the best player of all time and that he has Jack Nicklaus' all time Major record in sight, which will keep him motivated. Luke Donald has been omitted on the grounds that his Major record so far is weak relative to his his ability (best finish is tied 3rd at The Masters 5 years ago) and that his game is lacking in power, he can only depend on his unerring accuracy so far, on occasion it will dessert him. Rickie Fowler is promising but poor Major performance thus far (his best is tied 14th in the Masters) rules him out. Charl Schwartzel is a great player as he showed at the Masters but I am not convinced he will sustain a high enough level to challenge the top 5 in years to come. Jason Day has finished second in both The Masters and The US Open this year, major winning pedigree by anybody's standard. I have included Rory Mcilroy and Matteo Mannasero on the grounds that they are the hottest properties in golf at the minute. Mannasero has won 2 tour titles at the tender age of 18, while Mcilroy destroyed the field at the US Open with as good a swing as you will see in the game today.

It is hard to predict the future in such a variable filled sport but these are my thoughts. What are yours?

Will any European team challenge Barcelona this season?

Barcelona are the Harlem globetrotters of the football world at the minute. The catalan giants swept Manchester United aside in the Champions League Final recently and look unstoppable. Lionel Messi has shown himself to be the most skillful player in the world. Xavi, Iniesta, Pique, Villa and Puyol are all spanish World Cup winners, European Championship winners, European Champions League champions, La Liga winners,the list seems endless. Pep Guardiola has proven himself to be a formidable Manager with tactical wisdom far exceeding his years.


With all these assets and credentials I cannot see anyone coming close. Across Europe, many football club managers are scratching their heads wondering how they will bridge the gap between themselves and Guardiola's dream team. Jose Mourinho, the most successful European Manager of recent years has been unable to find any answers to the brilliance of Real Madrid's arch rivals. Sir Alex Ferguson has bolstered his Manchester United squad with the likes of  tricky winger Ashley Young and defensive prodigy Phil Jones. I still think The Red Devils will have to spend even more money, if they are to bridge the gap between themselves and Barcelona. Inter Milan have not been the same since Mourinho left, AC Milan have failed to regenerate an ageing squad and Chelsea are now embarking on a replacement programme, updating a squad with thirty something stars such as Drogba and Lampard, who are now in the same age bracket as their youthful new Manager! Andre Villas-Boas will be looking to make a speedy impact in Europe after winning the Europa League with Porto last season, but surely he will take time to adjust to the faster paced style of the Premier League.

Bayern Munich underperformed in the Champions League last season and are not considered good enough to be named in the same class as the current Champions League holders.


So who will step up to the plate? I think Arsene Wenger holds the answer to this question. If Arsenal sell Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona I think we may well witness years of Spanish domination in Europe. With the reigning Catalan record breakers offering £27million today, the future looks very one sided.

Wladimir Klitschko vs David Haye

On July 2nd these two boxing powerhouses will stand toe to toe in Hamburg. The build up has been intense and the wait has been unbearable. David Haye has been talking a good game but has seemed slightly less animated than usual at the recent press conferences regarding this super-bout. During the customary 3 minute stare down, Wladimir looked ice cool and eerily calm while Haye looked just a little uneasy. The details of a press conference may seem trivial, but often the demeanour of fighters at these events can give us a glimpse of what to expect come fight night.

Klitschko has a large reach advantage and will look to dictate the fight at a safe distance. Haye has mentioned that the tall Russian has only won in the past because his competitors have been happy to fight at his slow, steady pace, a mistake the British Champion says he will not make. David Haye is an explosive fighter who enjoys a speed advantage over his foes in this weight division. In a glittering Cruiserweight career Haye developed quick hand speed and mesmerising movement, attributes that his opponent does not have.  The fight could go two ways in my eyes.  Haye could well win by K.O. in a relatively short contest by bamboozling his opponent with a barage of rapid combinations. Alternatively Klitschko could win on points by dragging the fight out, using the jab to punish his opponent, whilst evading attacks and sapping Haye's energy.

A lot is at stake for Haye who has made no secret of his intention to retire later this year. No fighter wants to end their career on a losing note and this is particularly true for Haye who is believed  to hold the intention of making money off the back of film roles, books and the like. Retiring as a unified Heavyweight Champion will bolster his legacy to a greater degree than a loss to someone he has repeatedly derided.

Klitschko will look to avenge some of the disrespectful taunts from Haye. Who could forget the T-Shirt Haye wore depicting him holding aloft the heads of Wladimir and his brother Vitali in gladiatorial style.

Will it be the speed of Haye that triumphs or the robotic brutality of Klitschko? I'm going to go for Klitschko on the grounds that his reach advantage should prevent Haye getting inside his jab and unleashing his potent combinations. Hopefully this will be a fight that puts the Heavyweight division on the map once again.

England vs India : Forthcoming Test Match Cricket Classic. Who has the edge?

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Although the current Sri Lanka vs England contest is interesting, I would like to look forward to the real match of the Summer involving India and England. The Indian side will once again contain many of the finest batsmen in the world namely Tendulkar, Ghambir, Sehwag, Singh, the list seems endless. The England top order is also impressive but comes up just short in comparison to the Indian offering. Alastair Cook will need to lead from the front and continue to cement his reputation as the most consistent Test opener in World cricket. I think Andrew Strauss's position is in question. The successful England Captain looked tentative against Sri Lanka and will know the pressure is on to cement his place as a genuine run scorer rather than as a by product of his captaincy. Kevin Pietersen has shown glimpses of his great talent in recent weeks but he will have to return to his free flowing, unhindered style if England are to win this series. In many ways the key to England's success will be Jonathon Trott. The ever dependable Trott will have to continue grinding out measured, frustrating and workman like innings to bolster the England totals.

We saw at the most recent Ashes series that England now have a credible pace attack, that can cause any team problems. The aggressive displays of Chris Tremlett have added a much needed dose of pace, bounce and guile to the England side. James Anderson is as good a swing bowler as any at the minute and Stuart Broad has grown into an accurate exponent of away swing as well. Graeme Swann will be required to take key wickets and frustrate the Indian stars with containing accuracy and concentration hindering variety.

The issues which will decide this test will be the effectiveness of the Indian bowling and the performance of England's batting line up. In Terms of batting the sides are fairly evenly matched with India holding a slight advantage. In terms of bowling and fielding I believe England are in the ascendency. Much will depend on the world's best left arm Seamer, Zaheer Khan who is able to swing the ball both ways and tie down batsmen with his consistent ability to sustain his line and length. Harbhajan Singh will look to generate turn in the latter days of tests and Ishant Sharma will bring the pace and bounce he displayed at the Indian Premier League. The Indian side is to be announced on July 2nd so I am speculating a little bit. Munaf Patel, R.P. Singh and Sreesanth are also credible possible selections.

One thing is certain, this match is going to be outstanding. My Tip? I will wait for both official sides  to be announced before I commit myself!

Is Lewis Hamilton's Temperament hindering his Formula1 Title Aspirations?

In recent weeks Lewis Hamilton has had a turbulent time to say the least. Having been called to the Stewards on numerous occasions, collided with team mate Jenson Button, tangled with Michael Schumacher and cited his race as the grounds for disciplinary action taken against him, Lewis ' mental state has been brought into question. Credible sources such as motor racing Legend, Stirling Moss have questioned the attitude and driving style of Hamilton in recent weeks.

It would seem that Hamilton is merely exhibiting signs of frustration at his inability to add to his F1 Title collection since he burst onto the scene with his maiden victory in 2008. The British driver has always been noted as an aggressive competitor, even as a child racing remote-controlled cars, Lewis was known for his fierce will to win and passionate intensity. All in all I think Lewis' temperament is what makes him the champion that he is. Admittedly he has shown some errors of judgement on the track recently but this is bound to happen occasionally when one looks to overtake at every presentable opportunity as Lewis does. It is very early days in the Championship schedule and Lewis has plenty of time to mount a credible Title charge. All Hamilton needs to do is bring an element of composure to his strategy and he is certain to rack up a series of victories. Sebastian Vettel has raised the bar recently with consistent displays of controlled aggression, culminating in a maiden F1 Title and sustained podium finishes. Formula1 is very competitive at the minute with former champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button performing well, with Mark Webber still in the frame.

I personally think Lewis Hamilton has the edge, providing he can add patience to his driving style and shut out the comments of onlookers, who look to discredit him at every turn for various hidden agendas. At the end of the day Lewis is a great talent, a great entertainer and all in all a strong contender for the 2011 crown. Is his Temperament hinder is ambitions? Yes, at the minute it is, but mellow that same Temperament just slightly and you have a potent combination capable of delivering outstanding results in the testosterone fuelled arena of Motor Racing.

Nadal,Federer or Djokovic for Wimbledon? Or are Murray and Co. in with a shout?

The fight is on for the most coveted prize in international tennis. As per usual Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are tipped to go well. The amazing form of Novak Djokovic has also pushed him firmly into the frame after stringing together 41 straight victories before falling to Federer at the semi-final stage of the French Open. Andy Murray has the advantage of a partisan home crowd behind him and has tasted the pressure of three grand slam finals, most recently in this years Australian Open. There is no question that Murray has the game to win, he can compete with the best from the baseline and is also capable of mixing things up with drop shots, lobs as well as serve and volley tactics when necessary.

Personally I think Federer might have the edge on this occasion. Having swept aside the in-form Djokovic en route to a runners up finish at the French Open, I think he may just have found the groove in time,to regain the Title on the surface he has owned for the best part of 10 years. Nadal will be flying high after his efforts at Roland Garros, but Federer still has a lot to offer on a grass court. The French Open Champion unexpectedly slipped up at Queens club last week to the surprise of many,which will have caught the attention of many of his competitors. The Spanish maestro could well blame fatigue for his under par performance on his first outing on grass this year but his defeat will still offer hope to the field.

The likes of Andy Roddick, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, Juan Martin del Potro and Robin Soderling may also be worth an outside bet, if the top four fail to perform as well as they have in the past. My Tip-Roger Federer. Despite the speed, grit and raw energy of Nadal, I just have a feeling the swiss master will be holding aloft his 7th Wimbledon Title after all is said and done.

Andre who? Has Roman Abramovich got more money than sense or is he about to make the shrewdest move of his Chelsea career?

Football is a funny old game. One minute you're the toast of the town, the next you are just, well.....toast. Only 12 months ago Roman Abramovich was singing the praises of Carlo Ancelotti. Chelsea had secured a historic League and Cup double and were riding high as the dominant force in English football. A year later, Ancelotti is jobless having steered Chelsea to a trophiless season and a solid, second place finish in the Premiership. Some have said that Ancelotti has been treated harshly, a sentiment I share to some degree, but overall one must be judged in reference to one's remit. Abramovich has made it no secret that he wants the European Champions League Trophy and will stop at nothing to acquire it. Having splashed out £50 million on Fernando Torres, a player who was in very average form at the time, he has shown that money is no object in his quest for glory. Maybe Carlo would have avoided the axe had he delivered a second successive league title, but such is the ruthlessness of Abramovich in pursuit of European glory, I'm not even sure that would have sufficed.

 Andre Villas-Boas is a managerial prodigy. Having been influenced by mentors such as Bobby Robson and Jose Mourinho, he has certainly served an apprenticeship under credible leaders. The problem with Villas-Boas is that he is comparatively inexperienced compared to the other options at Chelsea's disposal. Yes he has won the Uefa cup, yes he has won the Portugese Title but has he got the tactical nous to take on the express paced chaos of the English Premier League? Chelsea are paying out a fortune to sign the Portugese (15million euros has been quoted), but should they have looked at someone with more experience at the highest level?  Abramovich has chased former Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink for the vacant post although it has been rumoured he will be employed as Director of Football. Many experienced, illustrious European names are available for the job. Rafa Benitez, Frank Rijkaard, Didier Deschamps, Marco Van Basten just to mention a few. There could also be a case for former Chelsea player, Mark Hughes, the former Manchester City, Blackburn and Fulham boss who has not only managed in the Premier League, he has also won it as a player in his Manchester United days.

I think Villas-Boas is a gamble here, he is obviously a talent but at 33, he still has a lot to learn about top class management namely in one of the leading four leagues (Of which the Portugese Primeira League isn't) and at Champions League Level. I think Chelsea would be wise to go for experience over youth in their pursuit of an all conquering leader.

Rory the lion roars warning to Tiger. Is Rory Mcilroy the new Tiger Woods?

After Rory Mcilroy destroyed the field at Congressional yesterday everyone in the golfing world is asking the same question: Is Rory the new Tiger?

The manner in which the young Northern Irishman dismantled the field on Sunday has earned him admiration worldwide in the eyes of golfing fans.In comparison the formerly omnipotent world number one has languished into the background, missing this years US Open with a recurring knee injury.It is now 3 years since the mighty Woods added his 14th major title to his bulging trophy cabinet and many qualified onlookers have suggested that he may struggle to add another.

                                   Personally I still think Rory has a long way to go before he can even be mentioned in the same breathe as Tiger Woods in terms of golfing greatness. We must remember that Tiger is second only in the all-time major winners rankings to Jack Nicklaus. Rory was very impressive on Sunday but he will have to repeat such impressive performances another 4 or 5 times before we can talk about him surpassing Tiger as the dominating force in golf worldwide. Is Rory talented enough to surpass Tiger? Without question. But does he have the mental fortitude to repeatedly bear the pressure of competing at the business end of major tournaments. It was only in April this year that we saw Rory struggle to cope with the weight of expectancy when his title campaign crumbled after an errant tee shot on the 10th tee at Augusta. We know that Tiger has demonstrated time and time again that he has the ruthless focus to close out major tournaments  consistently. I would expect that Tiger is on the practice ground at this very minute fine tuning his swing and adjusting his swing to compensate for the problems he is having with his knee. Tiger still has Jack Nicklaus' record of 18                               Majors in sight and I still believe he has what it takes to come back and reclaim his place at the summit of world golf. Rory Mcilroy is likely to lead a pack of young talents taking the fight to Tiger. Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, Jason Day, Matteo Manaserro the list goes on but do not be surprised if Tiger quickly finds the groove and shows those that have written him off that he is far from finished writing his entry in the record books.

In answer to the initial question I would say: Is Rory Mcilroy the new Tiger? Yes. But for how long? With so many young competitors around and with the experienced Els , Mickelson and Westwood far from finished with their pursuit for glory, can we award the top mantle to Rory so readily? Maybe for a few weeks but who knows? Maybe The Open in July will unveil another pretender to Tigers' crown?!