|
We've moved! www.whatsbev.com for the new board |

| Welcome to What's Bev Got To Do With It?. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Mister X Archive | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 10 2007, 04:24 PM (740 Views) | |
| Bada Bing | Jun 10 2007, 04:24 PM Post #1 |
|
El Crack
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
03 JUNE 2007 “Not just one step forward but two steps forward” ........................... In the days leading up to the Champions League Final between Liverpool and AC Milan, the Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez was quoted in the media talking about next season, and disposing of three players. Other Liverpool players were quoted talking about contract negotiations being put back until after the final. With the lack lustre performance of the Liverpool team in the final – few shots on goal, poor control of the tempo of the game, poor concentration at set plays, lack of energy before the 80th minute, poor offensive tactics, and unending turnovers, and lack of a true striker up front until Crouch’s (their main target-man all season) appearance with 15 minutes to go, one asks was the coach to blame? I suppose the key to winning the big games is to ensure that “team” is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. The lead up to the Final didn’t seem that way. I guess there is nothing worse in terms of “team” than reading that three players in the “team” are going to be canned; that contract negotiations have been delayed until after the Final; that a sense of a “clear-out” is in the air; and that the manager is rebuilding with new players next season. All very Leyton Orient style! Not at all what one might expect from a top coach and from Europe’s premier club with aspirations on a 6th European Cup victory. Clearly, even top football programs and coaches have a lot to learn from the sport of basketball. There are a number of lessons that I would like to share with Benitez gleaned from coaching basketball for a number of years. I’m sure many of you will recognise these basic ideas which apply in all team sports’ situations. First, what you say off the pitch can have a huge impact on your players on the pitch. This is why I was so surprised that contract negotiations and canning players was in the news in the lead up to the Champions League Final. That is a definite “no-no” because it takes away the focus from the one thing the focus should have been on – the single game vs AC Milan. Nothing else should have mattered or been in the heads of the players or the coach or the team management. This should have been rflected in the media responses by all team members and club officials in the run up to Athens. Second, when a team is carrying “passengers” – put your best team out on the pitch from the beginning and let them have a go. Forget about your opponent’s team and tactics until you get your own team sorted out. That team must have a strike-force and a back-four and a number of mid-field playmakers who will control the transition in both directions because soccer, like basketball, is made up of offense, defense, and transition between both. Each of these facets of the game are equally important and need to be micro-managed. Strengths of players must be emphasised and weaknesses hidden and protected as much as possible. Third, each possession should be valued. Liverpool teams of the past knew when to put their foot on the ball and make the defense sweat and work hard in getting the ball back. Each possession in basketball should ideally end in a shot – the same should apply in soccer – but never does. Why? Because teams place no value on “possession” of the ball – it’s something players have for an instant, then lose, then get back. The successful teams make something positive happen when they get the chance and exhibit the necessary patience or transitional speed to take advantage of a defense that is not set. This lesson is probably the most valuable on for Rafa Benitez – take care of the ball – get a shot on target with each possession. Fourth, when your players lose possession – play defense and get it back – then, take care of the ball and get another shot. The theory is a simple one – each time you get the ball, get a shot on target. Each time you lose possession of the ball, be quick, but don’t hurry, to get the ball back ensuring that the ball is kept in front of your defense at all times. Pressure the ball at all times – don’t let the playmaker easily make a pass. Lastly, whenever possible, utilise a fast break – like Arsenal, and to an extent ManU this season. Take quick corners sometimes, break as a unit, be that three or four players, support the breaking players by establishing a shooting position outside the box – in other words, mid-field players become offensive-minded when your team has the ball in the front third of the pitch because this is your chance for glory. Basketball may be a foreign sport but its lessons could have helped Liverpool capture their 6th European Cup. Maybe Benitez should take a leaf out of Phil Jackson’s book and spend his summer reading Sun Tsu’s “the Art of War”. Strategy is the key. Strategy was sorely missing in Athens – offensive strategy must always be in place because the team with the best firepower usually wins. Lessons learned! Roll on 2007/8 season. |
|
EuroLeague Women because women's basketball is the most important thing in life after family and good health! | |
![]() |
|
| Bada Bing | Jun 15 2007, 06:10 PM Post #2 |
|
El Crack
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
05 JUNE CASCADA Cascada does it for me Wonder if UK cheerleaders have discovered the beautiful techno-rock-chick and her eloquent music yet? She is definitely one of my favourites at the moment. It’s great to discover new music and new talent and to see that talent come to fruition. Developing basketball players is very similar – a truly marvellous buzz in helping players develop and express and achieve their true potential.. On another part of this site, I read the plea of one of the English Junior Coaches not to withdraw funding from their program in Europe this summer. It brought back many memories of my high school coach days, seeing someone “passionate” about coaching. I wonder why that passion has almost disappeared? Moreover, it was the passion expressed by a volunteer Dutch coach – not a British coach? That made me wonder what’s happening to the development of English coaches? I ask because coaching and playing basketball have been dear to my heart for many, many years and it seems to me that it’s an area of youth development that is imperative if England is going to improve its international rankings in the next decade. Whilst its awesome to see the likes of Deng and Mensah-Bonsu making headlines in the NBA, wouldn’t it be great if England had stars of its own performing on the English stage week in, week out instead of the (now too many) over the hill fifth-rate ex-American players that have filled up the rosters of the BBL since its inception? I mean, it wouldn’t be that difficult to have a BBL rule which says that each club must feature 1 full-time paid professional player developed in England/Scotland/Wales who didn’t make it to the US on scholarship, and that this player must start and play for a minimum number of minutes (say 25) in each game. Don’t you think this would represent a significant boost for each BBL club – a young star that local kids can relate to? Personally, I think back to Cascada and ask: what if she had not been given her opportunity to perform? Her opportunity to have a go – her big break? Without someone there to give kids a chance, the status quo will always continue. Is this just a pipe-dream? Let me know whet you think please. And, insist on “Miracle” by Cascada being played at all BBL venues next season. Thanks ! |
|
EuroLeague Women because women's basketball is the most important thing in life after family and good health! | |
![]() |
|
| Bada Bing | Jul 1 2007, 03:40 PM Post #3 |
|
El Crack
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
15 june funny you should mention sir alex You can't teach an old dog new tricks but some are perfectly capable of learning things for themselves. Sir Alex Ferguson went into the summer looking for a playmaker and a winger, just as he did on the last occasion Manchester United won the Premiership. Then, following the 2002-03 season, his targets were Ronaldinho and Damien Duff. Their clubs, Paris Saint Germain and Blackburn, wanted big prices and the players themselves had high wage demands but Ferguson was willing to play the waiting game. He waited and waited until, in late July, deals were done. But those deals involved Ronaldinho going to Barcelona and Duff to Chelsea. Like a Wag gazumped over a designer handbag, Ferguson indulged in some hasty and indignant comfort shopping. Kleberson, like a £ 5.93m pair of Jimmy Choos, arrived. A rotten buy. Ferguson then found himself pressured into bringing forward the purchase of an item he had originally intended leaving on the shelf for later. He paid more than expected too: the trouble was that other shoppers had become interested, among them Arsenal. Iin these unpromising circumstances a new transfer policy was born. United's £ 12.24m purchase of Cristiano Ronaldo in August 2003 was to create a fresh model for Ferguson. From Ronaldo's success, the old dog divined that rather than chasing the Ronaldinho of right now it may be better to get the Ronaldinho of tomorrow. We are not talking about taking long-term gambles on obscure kids -nobody is going to beat Arsene Wenger when it comes to that -but purchasing upcoming stars after they have become established but before their prices spiral. The next year Ferguson spent £ 20m on Wayne Rooney, with £ 7m of add-ons to be paid depending on the signing's success. Rooney, like Ronaldo, was 18 when he joined United. Since then, Ferguson has bought Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra at 24, a young age for defenders, and Ben Foster, the goalkeeper, when he was 22. You would get £ 45m for Ronaldo now, £ 40m for Rooney and £ 25m for Vidic, Evra and Foster, who cost £ 12m combined. And with the exception of Foster, they have been vital to bringing Ferguson the even greater profit of a championship. United's £ 35m grab of Portuguese winger Nani and Brazilian playmaker Anderson, demonstrate how Ronaldo became Ferguson's blueprint for future United transfers. Nani is 20, Anderson 19, each with a status similar to Ronaldo's in 2003, and both even came from Portuguese clubs. Though their fees appear high, a significant portion is made up, as with the Rooney deal, by success-related increments that United will be more than happy to pay if these players bring silverware to Old Trafford. The transfers will also have a major effect on other clubs. With a £ 17m deal for Owen Hargreaves finally completed after 12 months of negotiation, the champions have spent more than £ 50m before the summer market has even opened in earnest, putting real pressure on the teams hoping to catch them. Is this the way forward for basketball? Should basketball clubs in the UK be taking the longer term approach to basketball development, and in particular, the development of today’s youth stars? One example of a planned “development” seems to be occurring in the Dan Clark situation. A son of two extremely talented basketball parents, Dan appears to be making the grade easily in the Spanish arena. Is this the way forward for the thousands of other tall British kids to achieve fame and glory and financial success in the highly competitive world of basketball? The American route may provide the riches for the one in 60 million players like Deng and Mensah-Bonsu, but is the European development route a more sensible approach? Hopefully, Bada will interview Mark Clark at some stage during the season to find out how Dan is doing in Spain and to perhaps dispel some of the myths surrounding the development of youth players in the UK. Meanwhile, recruiting young talent and taking a gamble that such talent can blossom within a basketball system should be a key priority for basketball clubs in the UK aspiring for elitism. Hopefully in their struggle for perfection they may achieve excellence! |
|
EuroLeague Women because women's basketball is the most important thing in life after family and good health! | |
![]() |
|
| Bada Bing | Aug 16 2007, 10:09 PM Post #4 |
|
El Crack
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
cookin up success Chablis – very dry white wine delicious chilled! After my fourth bottle of this stuff tonight I ordered some fries from the girl serving the tables. She was absolutely stunning and I asked her if she were Polish? She was shocked that I knew she was Polish and more shocked when I said “Gin Dobre” (meaning ‘good morning’!) Her smile reminded me of my first girlfriend who was also Polish and who also had the most amazing smileJ I think the fifth bottle of Chablis made me wonder where this week’s BADABALL column was? So, here goes. There is no doubt that Poland has benefited from membership of the European Union and will continue to benefit for many years into the future. Membership of an exclusive club of nations is a learning experience and will result sometimes in rapid change (the mass exodus of their young people in search of a better life in England is one example) but more often in gradual development. The recent announcement that HEAT may join the exclusive Euro Clubs in a European competition reminded me of England’s greatest Euro player to date – Martin Henlan. He will probably correct me if I’m wrong but he was an overweight tub of lard when he first started playing for Cadle way back in the late 80’s / early 90s (I’m sure one contributor knows the exact date that he joined Kingston BC). Moreover, he was out of shape and didn’t have much of an offensive game when he played his first season for Cadle; though granted when he held his arms up in the air he did snag a lot of rebounds because, lets face it, at 6-6 or thereabouts and with experience of NCAA basketball in Virginia he was a massive specimen of a man even though a bit of a buffoon when it came to playing basketball. Surprisingly, under Cadle he changed into a European version of Bill RussellJ Many people will remember Henlan as the scourge of Cadle’s 1-2-1-1 zone press where Henlan played the point and still managed to stay in games without fouling out. His contribution to Kingston’s success was no mean feat. Very quickly, he got himself into shape (clearly, by hitting the weight’s room and developing his body into a mass of muscular tissue that allowed him to play the game at the highest Euro level). Cadle also learned to hide his weaknesses and quickly learned how to integrate his new found “big man” into his champion KINGS team by spelling him for numerous short periods throughout the game and conducting the offense/defense substitutions that we now see so often in the NBA in order to protect his player from foul trouble and to give him a well deserved breather given the key roles played by Henlan in Cadle’s offensive and defensive systemsJ Very often, Henlan’s graft on the defensive and offensive boards and his phenomenal efforts in the Cadle pressure defense generated turnovers, blocks and numerous put-back scores, deflections and tips; as well as always guarding the opponent’s biggest center player. In Cadle’s system Henlan flourished and actually improved immensely. He continued to improve so much that he eventually made it to play in Greece and achieved greatness as a truly great English player before returning to these shores to eventually team up with Cadle once again as an ace commentator on Sky Sports when basketball reached its pinnacle in England a few years ago. The “Henlan Era” might be described by some commentators as England’s finest hour. Sometimes the big men go unrecognised in teams when other players dominate – Cunningham comes to mind because he won championships with and without Henlan. But while Alan Cunningham brought greatness to these shores from the USA – Henlan made his greatness through tireless hard work, practice and dedication under the guidance of England’s finest ever coach (recently interviewed by BADA on another part of this site). The motto of the story is that if you are English and prepared to work hard as a teenager you can make it to the USA on scholarship and you can continue to improve to the upper echelon of Euro ball here in England. One must never forget to be born an Englishman is a tremendous success because it should feel like you have won first prize in the lottery of life. The opportunities for you to achieve your dreams are there because Martin Henlan was a useless lanky tub of lard when he first met Cadle and hard work and dedication and many hours spent in the weight’s room changed him into a true English superstar – with Henlan on your team Britannia surely did rule the waves. 01 july sharapova shakes her stuff Just watched Maria Sharapova annihilate Sugiyama, the Japanese star, at Wimbledon. Wow! Is Maria going to take the title again! This time I’m not so sure but I bet her odds have dropped dramatically after such a powerful performance. Time after time her service raised chalk near the “T” and I marvelled at her talents and accuracy. It made me wonder how many year she has spent practicing and how many hours she has dedicated to the game, and to think she is still only in her early 20’s. It made me also think of how many talented teenagers we have in England who waste their talents instead of harvesting their true rewards. This is not just on the basketball court – its in all sports – and in all walks of life. A sports’ star or a pop star can be successful in any career if they put their mind to it. And perhaps, there lies the answer to much of their success – their mindset. Their mental skills are honed to a much higher level than most others. Take Sharapova, look at the way that she re-focuses after each rally, after each point, whether successful or not. She turns away from her opponent, walks towards the baseline and stares into her racquet face as if it were a mirror looking into her soul. She has been doing this since she started on tv and its an interesting way that she starts a point with a renewed face – just as if she was ready to play that very first point, fresh, centered, and eager to get started. Clearly, when she looks into the face of her racquet she sees a successful, powerful athlete capable of beating the world and any opponent on any given day. Her mental training and discipline to always do this and re-focus herself after every point demonstrates that the mental side of her game is equally important to the physical, technical and strategic elements. In other words, working on mental skills enhances her many other facets and improves her all-round game because it allows her to concentrate and focus at a higher level; it quickly removes doubts about a badly played point and allows her to move on and focus on the “now” rather than the point that has just gone and which can never be replayed. This tremendous discipline to stay in the “zone” is also a basketball player’s goal. The concepts of soft focus and hard focus are best displayed by a point guard – a hard focus or wide focus is required because the pg must see the entire court and all the actions of his teammates and opponents who are constantly in motion. A soft focus is required when the pg is making the pass (to a specific point) and when the pg is shooting – at a very narrow target. This refocusing of his vision requires hours and years of endless training in order to improve the skill and to be able to quickly and effectively switch when needed. Sharapova demonstrates the heart of a champion when coming from behind – clearly her re-focusing allows her to control her anxiety and to play each point as if it were the first point in the match. Basketball players who are great shooters exhibit similar skills – they miss shots continually but still manage to get their act together and keep their season percentages high. It should always be remembered that Michael Jordan missed more than 50% of his shots throughout his career – so missing a shot is not the end of the world. Strong mental training allows players to feel confident that their next shot will be a success. A missed shot is part of their game and something to be quickly erased. Like Maria Sharapova’s stare into the “looking glass”, a shooter’s missed shot should be erased by visualising a successful show through a quick glance at the basket. Mental training at all levels contributes to the success of any sports person. Sharapova demonstrates that success can be achieved starting from nothing but hard work and determination and good coaching in a supportive environment. Basketball players can learn a lot from this beautiful and talented world superstar. Hope you will cheer for Maria throughout the rest of Wimbledon 2007 rain or shine. |
|
EuroLeague Women because women's basketball is the most important thing in life after family and good health! | |
![]() |
|
| Bada Bing | Sep 16 2007, 08:51 AM Post #5 |
|
El Crack
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
17 august TENNIS LESSONS I guess most people watched the 2007 Wimbledon Final in awe at the standard of play exhibited by both players ? Wow! What a match! It was truly awesome to watch and must have been even more amazing to see from the stands at the hallowed venue which will (finally and long before time J) have a roof in 2009. What a change that will be to the constant interruptions owing to rain at this time of year for the annual championships The final result could never have been in doubt according to most Federer fans but clearly, the two opponents were evenly matched and the result hung in the balance until the final set. To win a Wimbledon title once is a great achievement – to win it five times is truly astounding and amazing J Federer was a classy winner – but think back to the final and you will probably remember many points where better preparation would have led to different results for Nadal who played the game of his life and still lost. Clearly, two factors came into play – unforced errors and tempo. In terms of star performance, I think both players demonstrated why there is so little between them as both players produced some remarkable shots at crucial stages of the match. Indeed, an objective person might say that “Hawkeye” determined the success or failure of this year’s champion in a way never seen at Wimbledon before J It was very significant how many challenges showed a ball as being “in” with only a millimetre or so to spare – is that luck or accuracy I hear you ask? I say that it is generally skill because returning the ball to the corners is most probably a highly drilled shot / baseline return practice sequence that players do regularly in their sleep, like potting the colours on the snooker table. I’m really looking forward to the forthcoming re-match at the US Open in Flushing Meadows in a couple of weeks. The lesson for all young basketball fans trying to achieve similar success is practice, practice and more practice. Each day daily practice is another step on the ladder to success. Each day your opponent are practising and practising so you must be too!! Each day that you miss your workout – on the court or in the weights-room, is one day more you fall behind your international competitors. While you get weaker, your opponent gets stronger. To achieve legendary status at the top of your sport requires dedication, determination, desire, drive, discipline, AND MOST OF ALL PLANNING. How are you planning your future in your sport to get to the top? What are your goals – long term, medium term, short-term? What have you planned for tomorrow? Planning, patience and preparation are the keys to being successful. Perfect planning and perfect practice are the keys to perfect performance. By striving for perfection, you may achieve excellence! Federer and Nadal were ordinary individuals who dedicated themselves to their sport in the pursuit of excellence. You can do it too!!! 20 AUGUST IT'S JUST NOT CRICKET Ok! I hold my hands up ! I was wrong !! Cricket is not a slow gentleman’s game played by overweight colonials fond of a g+t and some grouse for dinner!!! It’s awesome! I had never experienced a real game of cricket until yesterday when I went to see Hampshire play Durham in the Final of the Cricket Trophy/Cup competition at the home of cricket – Lords!! Yes, I confess I was surprised by this game when I saw it played by some world class international-standard players like Gibson and Powell. Why was I so impressed I hear you ask – its only a bunch of colonials standing around doing nothing on a sunny day for 8 hours with no guarantee of a match in the event of rain? Well, I was very surprised by the speed that the ball travels at when bowled at pace – over 90mph I’m told !! And wow!!! Was it bowled at pace yesterday!! The Durham team batted first and bowling for Hampshire was a guy called Powell – Daren Powell I think. He was fast. Actually, he was so fast that I never realised how fast the cricket ball travels because I had only ever seen a game on TV and compared to baseball (the mound is a lot closer to the plate) the cricket ball looked so much slower on television. I was astounded to see the power and the quickness of the fast bowlers and realized quickly, hey, this game is not a slow sport – this is lightning fast. Powell was amazing in terms of the speed of his deliveries and the difficulties he created for quality batsmen. I was hooked. But my treat was doubled because Hampshire boasted one of the so-called greats of world cricket – Aussie Shane Warne. “Warnie” was the chant but it could easily have been “fattie” because Warnie looked a lot like Beefy Botham on one of his bad days. Still, £40 to see one of the world’s true sporting superheroes (ex-drug user / apologist aside) – he was quality – and two top teams in action at an amazing venue with a really sporting and knowledgeable crowd, was well worth the price of admission because the icing on the cake came in the afternoon when Hampshire took the field to bat to make a score of 312+. At this stage they were hot favourites, until Gibson’s first ball took a wicket, and then his second ball took the next wicket. O for 2 I believe its called. Wow! What power and explosiveness and excitement – like a long range Holy Mary 3 pointer on the buzzer. The tension was amazing for the thirds ball. Sadly, 3 in a row was not to be, but how about England’s top batsman Pietersen (South-African Brit !!!) as Gibson’s Durham’s third wicket for 12 runs making the game – 3 wickets for 17 runs. Amazing. Truly a bowling exhibition par excellence and a real treat for a first-time neutral like me because of the power that was displayed by Powell and Gibson. I was impressed enough to want to see a real test match with even more international standard players and two-world class sides. It will be all revealed hereJ So what lessons are there for basketball. First, I think that there was an England cricketer called Tremlett in the Hampshire team, pretty good fielder and bowler – threw some really excellent long balls from the boundary area right to the wicket-keeper at the wicket. I couldn’t believe how tall he wat – maybe 6-5 to 6-7 – a great loss to basketball – so the lesson is that basketball must compete for these kids who play other sports and get them while they are young. Second, they had a great crowd and the crowd were really into the teams and the players – the crowd knew their team and vocally supported all the players at bat and in the field. Moreover, the crowd were made up of men and women, boys and (some) girls. The preponderance of women at the game was astonishing. What does cricket have that basketball doesn’t? Husbands (eligible ones instead of Nike/adidas clad nobodies???) I mused!! There were certainly plenty of nubile teenagers there all dressed to kill!!! It was a much more up-market crown that one might see at a basketball game – that’s for sure but given that the two teams were from the country that might explain things a little. Last, the explosive power of the cricket-player/athlete was on display – basketball needs to display the special talents of its key players. Power and Gibson made a believer out of me yesterday. I’ll be back for more. Otherwise, I can see the attraction of cricket – it’s very similar to baseball – the game within the game is definitely there – the batter and the bowler – the offence vs the defence where the fielding teammates play a similar role to the fielders in baseball and form a necessary part of the game because even if batsmen manage to hit the fastballs – very often the player just nicks it, or skies it, and boy does that ball travel when delivered by Powell and Gibson. The batsman has less than half a second to decide what to do and whether or not to play it. Wow! Gibson’s two wickets with the first two balls of the innings – an amazing treat for a first-timer. |
|
EuroLeague Women because women's basketball is the most important thing in life after family and good health! | |
![]() |
|
| Bada Bing | Oct 7 2007, 10:29 AM Post #6 |
|
El Crack
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
16 SEP SPURS V GUNNERS.... 3 POINT LANE AGAIN I was so fortunate to see perhaps the greatest football game of this century today at White Hart Lane. It was special and memorable and exciting and shocking and any other adjective you care to use! This game had it all. It had youth:a very young Arsenal side, rebuilding in the wake of losing such great players as Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry in recent seasons to name just two It had a young, ex-Southampton star, Gareth Bale, who sent the home crowd wild for the second time with a masterful free-kick over the wall to give the Spurs an amazing opening lead against the run of play with the Gunners missing opportunity after opportunity including a smash against the woodwork! Wow! What an opening! What pace, what an atmosphere!! If only British basketball could capture just 1% of that amazing atmosphere. It had England’s #1 goal-keeper in top class form making save after save after save against the constant onslaught of the super-red visitors. It had misses after misses after misses at both ends and a fantastic header from a free kick which Robinson failed to get to – scored by Adebayor . Truly magic! Truly special! Truly a statement to the world that he was the “MAN”. Yes, Adebayor arrived today as Henry’s replacement par excellence. Sure, he missed opportunity after opportunity, but Arsenal simply created more opportunities. Fabregas missed one sitter from outside the box with the ball missing the target by the proverbial mile but, OMG, was the shot hit with venom!!! And, to make matters worse for the lilywhites, Fabregas was given a similar chance minutes later. No one came to close him down and hey presto, like a rocket from about 30 yards out, the ball whizzed past Robinson. No chance! Exstatic! The Red fans were delirious and what a day it turned out to be!! Wow! Could it get any better? With minutes only to go, at the other end, a draw was almost achieved when Berbatov managed to get the ball over the line only to be denied a penalty and a big shout for a handball off the line at the far post!!! Wow!! Another piece of history surely? It was a great game. That must be the end!! Just when you thought the excitement was over, the goal of the century – yes it was that great!!! Adebayor, Mr Magic today, receives the ball just on the edge of the box, turns to his left and moves the ball with one touch in that direction lifting it slightly into the air then – wallop. The most magnificient volley you will ever see – the most amazing goal since Gazza many years ago. It went in like a Bat out of Hell!!! What a finish. Arsenal 3-Spurs 1. The game of this century! One of the greatest London derbies of all time and I was fortunate enough to see it. And the lessons for basketball. Clearly, Tottenham Hotspur have improved immensely despite their less that brilliant start to this season. Clearly, Martin Jol is doing a great job with the team getting them ready to play, and making them tactically more astute that Spurs’ teams of the recent past. However, as we all know, its all about “WINS”. And Tottenham Hotspur is still 3 point lane when the Gunners come to town. Young players like Bale demonstrate that 18 year olds can deliver if given the necessary training and experience. But 18 year old basketball players who have never seen the inside of a weights room will never het that opportunity. Only the lucky few who have the talent and height will get to the States or to European clubs. What needs to happen is for young basketballers to start planning their sports career at a much earlier age. I would suggest that the age of 12 is the time to really start specialising in basketball. If you want to be good and go somewhere, get the right advice at that age, the right coaching, adopt the right nutrition and start working on developing your skills and your body both mentally and physically and then get some quality experience to learn the strategies of the game. Once again, in the battle of the coaches, Wenger came good! What lessons can be learned from his philosophy and his methodology will be the subject of another piece on another day. Meanwhile, if you get a chance to see a tape of this game – watch it – treasure it – keep it – and unless you are a TH fan switch it on whenever you need to see top class sport, played by top class athletes, with world class coaches. Wow! Thank you God for letting me see this game! A mazing. R esounding. S ensational. E ntertaining. N on-stop. A ttacking. ‘L ectric. |
|
EuroLeague Women because women's basketball is the most important thing in life after family and good health! | |
![]() |
|
| Bada Bing | Nov 12 2007, 10:20 PM Post #7 |
|
El Crack
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
07 OCTOBER ANSWER THE CHALLENGE At the start of last night's France v New Zealand crunch game in the World Rugby Cup, the French team lined up in unison within touching distance of the All-Blacks’ Haka!! It was a brave and daring “in the eye” response where the French team showed no fear on their home pitch. Less than two hours later with a magnificent come back performance, the French team destroyed the tournament favourites with a breathtaking display of open rugby, grit, determination and style that French teams have become famous for over the years. Truly, Les Bleu answered the Haka challenge! Did you know that there are various types of haka include whakatu waewae, tutu ngarahu and peruperu? The peruperu is characterised by leaps during which the legs are pressed under the body. In former times, the peruperu was performed before a battle in order to invoke the god of war and to discourage and frighten the enemy. It involved fierce facial expressions and grimaces, poking out of the tongue, eye bulging, grunts and cries, and the waving of weapons. If the haka was not performed in total unison, this was regarded as a bad omen for the battle. Often, warriors went naked into battle, apart from a plaited flax belt around the waist. The aim of the warriors was to kill all the members of the enemy war party, so that no survivors would remain to undertake revenge. The tutu ngarahu also involves jumping, but from side to side, while in the whakatu waewae no jumping occurs. Another kind of haka performed without weapons is the ngeri, the purpose of which was to motivate the warriors psychologically. The movements are very free, and each performer is expected to be expressive of their feelings. Manawa wera haka were generally associated with funerals or other occasions involving death. Like the ngeri they were performed without weapons, and there was little or no choreographed movement. The most well-known haka is "Ka Mate", attributed to Te Rauparaha, war leader of the Ngâti Toa tribe. The Ka Mate haka is classified as a "Haka Taparahi" - a ceremonial haka. The "Ka Mate" haka is about the cunning ruse Te Rauparaha used to outwit his enemies, and may be interpreted as 'a celebration of the triumph of life over death'. Last night, at Cardiff, the French team picked up the gauntlet and defeated a superior opponent. Once more the cry of “four more years boys” rang out amid the Fields of Athenry. It was indeed a strange experience with the host team surrounded by a sea of green, black and blue fans. A spectacle that made me wonder what will the 2012 Olympics be like? Will the GB team that dominated competition this summer and went 12-0 really make it to the O2 arena? Certainly, if GB players watch a tape of tonight’s game and experience the “no fear” shown by the French team at the start of the game miracles can and do happen. Come on England! Swing Low Sweet Chariot… |
|
EuroLeague Women because women's basketball is the most important thing in life after family and good health! | |
![]() |
|
| Bada Bing | Jan 2 2008, 08:17 AM Post #8 |
|
El Crack
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
13 NOV FASTBREAK FOOTBALL Fastbreak football – amazing to watch from a young Arsenal team this season! It should have been 3-0 but Adeybayor’s amazing fastbreak finishing goal against Reading tonight was ruled off-side. Video highlights showed that the referee’s assistant got the call wrong. has been happening so often of late that I often feel we should have a campaign for “Hawkeye” to be introduced into the hallowed “people’s game”. With each team given three challenges per half after looking at a video replay, surely fastbreak and quality football goals should be rewarded, not penalised by the almost impossible to spot off-side rule which cannot survive the quickness of the modern game where players operate at the edge of the envelope and have quickness never seen in the past. Can referees’ assistants really see two things at the same time – when the ball was kicked and where the attacker was at that particular instant in time? I doubt it. Please change the rules. Please give the benefit of the doubt to the attacking player always! Arsenal are just fantastic. Their fastbreak football, played with real style against any team that fails to understand how to stop it, is truly worthwhile watching. Tonight’s goals featured the usual 3-man break and even some understanding of secondary breaks seen in basketball games. It is something they have not yet mastered and is something ManU are attempting to add to their game and doing well also with players like Ronaldo and Rooney who are super quick and can beat their defenders off the dribble 1v1. It is amazing to watch these teams this season with young and highly skilled ball players executing basketball fastbreaks and basketball “press” defenses. Defending the Arsenal break, of course, is not impossible. Teams are successful when they manage to (a) get players behind the ball or (b) keep players behind the ball and/or © stop the ball and slow down the break. All normal basketball tactics but clearly not learned by Reading. Witness Hleb’s miraculous drag-back on scoring the Reds third superb goal against a listless Reading defense. Wow! If only basketball skills developed at the level of football teams. For instance, how many real lightning quick players do we have in this country worth watching? How many players do we have with skills that truly show class oozing out of them each time they hit the court? How many coaches can really understand transition defense and have instigated a specific plan to stop teams fastbreaking? How many clubs have a training programme for players off the court as well as one where the results are monitored and the improvements in strength, speed and endurance are logged and regularly tested? Young players in this country need role models in order to improve. They need the opportunities to develop and hone their skills and talents. They need quality competition but even more importantly, they need to be nurtured from being boys today but men tomorrow. Our basketball clubs like Arsenal must really focus on developing a style of basketball acceptable to all players. Run-press-run might be a good style of play to think about in 2012 is to become a reality. Run-press-run mixed with a quality shooting development programme might be just the answer to competing with superior opponents in the coming Olympiad. Rule Britannia! Go Gunners! Fastbreak football every day for me! Wow! It’s…….. showtime! It’s………..MAGIC ! |
|
EuroLeague Women because women's basketball is the most important thing in life after family and good health! | |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Best of the rest · Next Topic » |





![]](http://z2.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)




8:51 AM Jul 11