ASCA Conference 2010

ASCA Conference is this weekend. So heading up on Friday to the Gold Coast , hopefully the weather better than Canberra this week! Looking forward to catching up with David Lasini – been too long since we caught up, should also be some old friends and new opportunities to connect with people. Of course the keynotes and workshops will also be a highlight and I will post back my findings from all that goes on.

On a sad note only just found out that the dates have been moved so that it does not coincide with Schoolies Week. Those from outside Oz will have no clue what I am talking about but it is basically their version of Ibiza, Ayia Napa and Magaluf rolled into one weekend for those kids just finished school. It was good fun to watch all the antics, reckon I am far too old for that carry on these days anyway!

I’ll report back all my findings when I get back.

Agassi - The Review

This is a must read, I have just finished it this weekend and can truly say one of the best sports books I have read. It is truthful, open, vivid, with a humorous streak running through it. It threatened to be self-pitying and deprecating with the honesty that he portrays but I didn’t feel sorry for him as much as respect him for his honesty.

The highlights include the inner monologue he goes through during his matches and the awareness of his thoughts he recalls from both the highs and the lows is fantastic. He does things I will not condone but overall you can’t help but like him and the way he describes the story of him and his soul mate Stephanie Graff is great without being too soppy.

I won’t spoil the rest but I give it 5 stars. 

Angry little man post- as promised

So for my latest instalment I thought I would get my angry little man rant out of the way first. I was watching a replay of the Champions league on Friday last week and witnessed the frustrating behaviour of the likes of Ronaldo, Gatusso and co. Although I do have respect for Ronaldo and the way he seems to at least try to push the boundaries of technique and works hard on perfection, he lets himself down and lowers himself to a level on par with the scumbags of football. Well Done Son, Well Done!

This is not big or smart and I have to wonder if Sir Alex would have let him away with the antics and histrionics he performs every week. On that point I also can’t help but think after his poor World Cup he wishes he hadn’t burnt his bridges at Old Trafford and was able to rely on Sir Alex to get him back performing at his best, similar to what he did for Beckham after France 98??

Following on from this my frustrations with footballers continued after listening to a fantastic piece on BBC podcast “Sportsweek with Garry Richardson. After finishing talking about Rooney and his behaviour recently he played a pre-recorded interview from during the week with Nobby Stiles. Nobby was part of the 1966 World Cup winning England team and part of the Manchester United team that won the European Cup along with Best, Charlton and Law. During the week he had to hold an auction to sell all his memorabilia in order, in his words “to look after his family when he was gone”. He came across as a very interesting character who has given football the beautiful history that it has and it seems such a shame that someone who is this important to football has been treated so poorly and grubs like Rooney, Ronaldo, Ballotelli et al are literally swimming in money.

I know that recently everyone has been having a go a football wages and finances in general, and there are far more eloquent commentaries of the situation at present but jeez it makes my blood boil. Football, and Sport in general, should be used as a vehicle to promote fair play, sportsmanship and just plain right from wrong, this seems to be lost recently.

PS. Everyone should subscribe to BBC Sportsweek, great roundup of world sport with some very insightful and in depth interviews. Well worth a listen. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0070lk9