Snow Day

The traditional english weather has given me pause for thought. And prompted me to finally write a post I've been meaning to do for a couple of weeks. Here in the lovely corner of North-East England that the Sports Wall calls home we're postively snowed under. The outside of HQ looks like a festive postcard or a freshly iced christmas cake. I happened to take a walk in it yesterday and it was like an arctic trek. Although I did find a field with no footprints in it and run around that for a while. Hee hee.
Moving on. What all this snow has prompted in my memory is that a couple of weekends ago I managed to catch a replay of the exhibition gala at the end of the figure skating events from the Vancouver Olympics on ESPN. Now I love figure skating and I'm not ashmed to say it. People say it isn't a sport but it totally is, these people are insanely fit. The gala was fantastic to watch and I'm glad that I stumbled across it again.

 First I saw Stephane Lambiel (this wonderful creature to the left.) I adore Stephane Lambiel. He's so wonderful to watch. He's like the Prince Charming of figure skating. He has such grace when he skates and such amazing fluidity. He did a gorgeous routine, wearing a gorgeous sweater I must add. Then I saw Maksim Shabalin and Oskana Domnina who did their matrix routine which was fantastic, they're so natural together and just make everything look so easy. Then it was Plushenko. Evgeni Plushenko, such a consummate showman and he's the arch diva of ice skating. He was on cracking form though and totally worked the crowd. I saw Kim YuNa and Mao Asada who very very good. and I interrupted my tea to watch Evan Lysacek (this badass below.) He was great, he's a very striking skater and he's apparently the masculine hope of ice skating (stop giggling at the back, I didn't make that up.) He is a very powerful ice skater and his routine (complete with Vera Wang tux) was thrilling. So here's some love for an overlooked and underrated sport.

Crazy days at the schoolhouse

Its been a crazy old week. The champions league result at Braga was just bewildering. Raging does not even cover how I was feeling. I was just deflated and it did take me a while to get over it. I went through my usual ranting of how unfair life is and how unacceptable the situation was. At the end of the day we shouldn't be losing games like that, it was getting beyond a joke. At the time i felt they needed to suck it up and pull themselves together, stop this mental block. Which to an extent they now have. Today we managed to win. It was a must win game and we did. It was very important that we did this to regain the momentum. BUT we're not completely sorted, there were worrying signs today. We were shaky and didn't close the game out properly when we should have. We did at about 85 minutes but we should have done it before then given how we played. I think the new mission statement is 'lets see how close to stress related heart problems we can push Ruth.'
But lets get away from the doom and gloom. A win will bring back the confidence and we were top of the league for a couple of hours. Samir Nasri played exceptionally well today. Andrei Arshavin scored a goal which will do him the world of good. And our favourite Czech Tomas Rosicky was captain (more evidence he should do it permanently.)
But Jack Wilshere was pants

A derby day to forget

A rather miserable weekend. It didn't start that way. Derby day arrived with all the customary excitement, hopes were high. Then things got better, a two goal lead before half time! What more could we ask for. But worrying signs began to creep in, Maroune Chamakh stopping suddenly in the box when clean through and bearing down on goal. Why! why i cried and why you may well ask. No one knows.
Then it all went downhill. Gareth Bale scored a goal. (it pains me to type that sentence.) A mere consolation I thought, its fine we'll go straight down the other end and score. But we didn't. Cesc Fabregas did the unthinkable and the inexplicable, gave away a needless penalty for no goddamned reason. Had some sort of brain episode and stuck his arm right out with a free kick coming right at him. Idiot.
Then the hammer blow. The dagger through  my heart. 3-2. 85th minute. Bastards.
What made it really hard to take apart from everything I've just mentioned is that we didn't play that badly in the second  half, we had way way more chances than they did. There was absolutely no way this was a deserved defeat. But as always we should be grateful for small mercies and God delivered us a small mercy. No sorry, a big mercy. Chelsea lost to Birmingham. HA. (sorry just had to do that.)
Also some more small mercies - Robin van Persie played, looked like he's getting there. And today I hear news that AARON RAMSEY played 45 minutes for the reserves! Joy to the world! Our boy wonder is back! We have a far better welsh wunderkid. Screw you Gareth Bale. Screw you to space.

Moto GP - Dispatches from the frat house

We're very pleased to bring you some very exclusive post-awards gossip from the end of season FIM party. Courtesy of our top secret mole within the Moto GP frat house *cough*Randy*cough.* It was hangovers a go go around the dorm after what we hear was a very fun evening.
We hear the last man standing was our favourite poker playing, furry Italian who woke up the rest of the house with a very predictable tumble down the stairs.
Rumours of a hard-core karaoke contest are unconfirmed but very persistent. Our French friend apparently has a penchant for 'Je t'aime.' A certain Texan is a very big Springsteen fan and most definitely 'born in the USA.' Our resident Italian sweetheart is very keen to 'get physical' on the dancefloor. A certain excitable former champion was keen to demonstrate that 'nobody does it better.' And a certain other recent champion has '99 problems' but a bitch ain't one. yo.
Someone *coughaustraliancough* got thrown in the pool for being a party pooper by the kentucky frat boy .
We have sketchy reports of two nameless people sneaking off into a corner like teenage sweethearts, the only details we got from our inebriated source being that one was very short and one was very tall.
From what we saw, the living room are was also trashed after a student-esque after party. And lots of people suddenly acquired sunglasses the next day.

A mysterious curse

Weird things have been happening. Three of the people we've mentioned individually in posts have had bad things happen to them.
We wished Dani Pedrosa a happy birthday and had a picture of him in a sling. Then two days later he broke his collarbone.
We wished Arsene Wenger a happy Birthday and paid tribute to his greatness, a tabloid exposed his secret affair.
We paid tribute to Pippo Inzaghi's amazing goal scoring record. Lo and behold he's injured his knee and is out for six months.
We're sorry boys. Truly we are. It wasn't intentional. We  love you all.
We're cleansing HQ as we speak

International Watch

I watched the France- England game the other night. Of course you did, you might say, you live in england. But i'll have you know i was more interested in seeing who was in the french squad. Its unusual for me to watch england matches especially as they seem to win when I watch them (i still shudder at the thought of that Croatia match.) But i will make an exception in the case of a good opponent. Hence the other night.
It was a good match really. France were very slick and have clearly made massive steps forward since the debacle in the summer. Samir Nasri was absolutley amazing all night and man of the hour Bacary Sagna also put in a cracking performance. England were by and large inactive. A bright spot was Andy Carroll who did work very hard and if ITV's commentary team are to be believed can also walk on water and heal the sick.
A side note- Maroune Chamakh scored for Morocco,  RvP played 45 mins for Holland and came through unscathed and new Sports Wall favourite Morten Gamst Pedersen scored one and set one up for Norway.

A victory that tastes like toffee

What a glorious weekend folks. We're totally and entirely not getting carried away but......
Once again we ground out a victory where in previous years (and months) we would have folded faced with that late late fightback. I really enjoyed the game on Sunday. It was open and exciting. Also I really like Everton. So this was a game I particularly relished. Another very impressive game from Fabianski (seriously does he have a twin or something?) with some very very athletic and strong saves. The defence played very well, with Johan Djorou in particular putting in a hell of a shift. Which brings me to Bacary Sagna. Oh Bacary. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways....your braids which would look wrong on anyone else, your wonderfully expressive eyes, your legs, your majestic runs down the flank, your touching sensitivity, your friendship with Gael Clichy, your tackling ability (no giggling at the back) and now your goal! I was so chuffed to see such an underrated player score such a peach of a goal. I have a real soft spot for Bac and I'm glad to see him do well. Top notch all round.
Side note - Its also nice to see Denilson has given up on the weird plaits he was sporting and gone back to the lovely curls. Good hair begins, good football follows. Ah so.

Moto GP - End of the season

That time of year has finally come around again. Dani and Vale are waving goodbye to this season and hello to some free time. The yawning, gaping emptiness of three months without Moto GP. Its enough to make me get all emotional. The final race of the season happened. Valentino got on the podium. He had a lovely moment with 'his girl' (the bike, not dani) at the end of the race where he stopped and sat down in front of her and sort of talked to her and stroked her faring (sounds very odd, looked lovely.) It was very very sweet and a nice bookend from when he did this at the end of his very first race with  her. Dani wrapped up second in the championship courtesy of finishing seventh (through the pain barrier.) Vale ended up right behind him in third (pun intended.) And that's the season wrapped up, its been a crazy old year. We've had thrills and spills, happiness and sadness and one hell of a race season. So let's all raise our glasses to a great 2010 and more where that came from for  next year! Interestingly if you want a tip of what to put in that glass and you speak Spanish look no further - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq4_LwwmZn0
i like how...erm...flamboyant looking Dani and Vale's drinks are compared to Jorge's sort of beigey, unadorned glass. I'm not sure what that implies but it seems somehow appropriate.

Mixed Fortunes

So the fortunes of my beloved team have been a bit up and down of late. WE lost to Shakhtar which didn't feel too bad but of course led to the inevitable doom-mongering which did feel bad. Then we beat Newcastle spectacularly, then we lost to them. spectacularly. That one did hurt. I watched it and we were terrible. Really bad. We didn't deserve to win it so instead of the anger was just a weird empty sort of disappointment. Almost everyone was bad. There was no cohesion or urgency. There was one grain of comfort that Robin van Persie returned. But then Arsene snatched that away by saying afterwards that he wasn't really ready. But then...wait...what's that? Is that? Its a light at the end of the tunnel! Chelsea lost too? Check. Man United and Man City drew? Check Spurs too? Check. Best of all last night, we won. Hurrah. We're back on track (again.) I know this sentiment seems to be repeated a lot but that's the lot of an Arsenal fan. Mr Maroune has found his mojo. Groovy.
Side note 'Stop Crying your heart out' is playing on the radio while i'm writing this. Atmospheric or what?

Norwegian Banana Frolics

Here's something that warmed my heart and made me smile. Morten Gamst Pederson and John Arne Riise very gamely singing a super catchy song about fruit. In Norwegian. I defy you not to repeatedly watch this and get it stuck in your head.

Fillippo Inzaghi - A Tribute

He's a champion,  he's an athlete, he's an Italian, he's a man who looks damn good in pictures.
We're putting the spotlight on one of our longest-standing and most beloved harem members today. Filippo Inzaghi we salute you. Last night, he passed Gerd Muller's scoring tally in the Champion's League and he's also now AC Milan's all-time top scorer in the Champs League. That's why we're saluting him today. We're paying tribute to him because he's a true legend of the game. The most brilliant thing about his record breaking haul last night is that one of them was apparently offside! That sums up one of the reasons we love Pippo, He is thirty seven years old and has a twenty year career and he still flagrantly, blatantly and carelessly breaks the offside rule. And every time he does he's shocked that they pull him up for it. His reactions to this are priceless, he looks as if he takes every wave of the flag as a personal insult. Which brings me to another reason we love him, I have never such an eloquent, glorious expression of disgust as the one Pippo sports throughout football matches, truly its poetry in motion. I also love him because of the longevity of his career, I remember him as a fresh-faced youth at Juve, I remember how he got that scar on his lip (that's dedication) and i've grown up watching him play football. Football wouldn't be the same without him, he's a one-off, an original and we LOVE him. They don't call him SuperPippo for nothing.

Quote of the Week

Its that time again!
"Just crack them curtains and try to do work." Nicky Hayden on  what to do during rain breaks.
"We like to play with each other and like to win games, that is what we try to do. It brings the best out of all of us" Nicklas Bendtner - Arf Arf. No seriously he's talking about football.
"I am happy you're gone, psychic octopus, it's your fault we lost the World Cup" Diego Maradona is unlikely to be quoted in Paul's obituary.
"In the next race I will try to take Dani." We think Valentino meant to say 'overtake'. Or maybe not.
"Some people can't see a priest on a mountain of sugar." We have no idea what Rafael Benitez means

Intergalactic in Estoril

An exciting weekend by all accounts in Estoril. Firstly Dani Pedrosa came back properly which you can all guess meant ecstatic celebrations at Sports Wall HQ (And Valentino's house proabably.) The race itself was a total cracker. Jorge Lorenzo won in a spaceman suit but that's of little consequence. Valentino and Andrea rounded out the podium which was fabulous to see, and hear as it meant we got two awesome Italian accented interviews for the price of one. Speaking of Andrea Dovizioso, what a fighter he is. Quite simply one of the finest duels I've seen in ages. Full credit must also go to Marco Simoncelli for providing high octane, precarious frankly insane overtaking and riding. Lots and lots of amore for our Italian lovelies this weekend. Another shout out for Marco for the card skit he did in his garage during the rain break, brilliant. Dani also produced some heroics coming back from twelfth on the grid while still recovering from a broken collarbone (its in FOUR pieces) to get as high as fifth before finishing eighth. I cheered him over the line like he'd won.
Finally to complete the joy we heard this weekend that the lovely Toni Elias is to return to Moto GP class with LCR Honda. And quite right too. He's a true pro and a true gent. We look forward to his return.

One nil to the Arsenal!

Roll out the well-worn chant everybody. For once, this weekend it was "one nil to the Arsenal." Not that I'm complaining. It was a good one nil, as one nils go. More of my favourite word here again people, PROGRESS. Yes we're on that theme again. A one nil victory is important as another well documented problem of ours is not being able to close out edgy games. Well there's the proof in black and white we did it. And I must say I celebrated the one goal as if we'd won five nil. A victory is a victory no matter the margin. And now we remain on track in the league. Also Alex Song is developing into quite a player. He's already an absolute colossus in the defnesive positioning game and now he scores goals too. Now I remember why I call him 'superfly.' Its because he is superfly.
Awesome.