THE VIEW FROM DOWN HERE #119 – Arias and not as much dog sex

Columns, News, Reviews, Top Story

 More results than you could shake a stick at! If, of course, stick shaking is your thing. It’s not mine. I prefer girls. Call it a weakness.

Cricket
News
Pakistan wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider didn’t report in Dubai for Pakistan’s match against South Africa (held, as is usual nowadays for a Pakistani team, in a neutral country). Grave fears were held for him, until he rocked up at London’s Heathrow Airport. There he has claimed asylum, claiming that he received death threats because he refused to be involved in match fixing.
            The International Cricket Council, in their own special way, have said they cannot help him unless he helps them. They also say they are in constant contact with the Pakistan Cricket Board over all of this. After all, they feel this is a “team matter’.
            Yes, let’s make the terrified cricketer who feels he has to flee for his life feel even more vulnerable and threatened.

Soccer
A-League Round 13 (cont)
Adelaide United 2 def Perth Glory 0
North Queensland Fury 2 def by Melbourne Heart 3
A-League Round 14
Gold Coast United 3 def Sydney 1
Wellington Phoenix 0 def by Central Coast Mariners 3
Newcastle Jets 3 def Adelaide United 1
Perth Glory 3 def Melbourne Victory 1
Melbourne Heart 1 def by Brisbane Roar 2
W-League Round 1
Brisbane Roar 2 def by Sydney 4
Adelaide United 0 def by Newcastle Jets 2
Perth Glory 1 def by Canberra United 4
W-League Round 2
Perth Glory 4 hammered Adelaide United 0
Canberra United 1 drew with Brisbane Roar 1
Melbourne Victory 1 def by Sydney 4
News:
Why bother?

Basketball
NBL – Round 5
Adelaide 78 def by New Zealand 82
Cairns 96 def Gold Coast 76
Sydney 59 def by Townsville 64
Perth 114 def New Zealand 74
Wollongong 93 def Melbourne 82
WNBL – Round 6
Sydney 78 def by West Coast 81
Townsville 95 def AIS 55
Canberra 87 def Bendigo 59
Dandenong 98 def Adelaide 64
Logan 68 def Sydney 64
Bulleen 104 def West Coast 81
News:
Another quiet week. Things are settling in nicely so far with the new Australian league. Now if they can only attract some crowds.

Rugby League
Four Nations
Final:
Australia 12 def by New Zealand 16
News:
Last week I talked about Joel Monaghan’s indiscretion with a member of the animal kingdom. Well, of course, a story like this just ain’t going to go away!
            This week Monaghan quite the Canberra Raiders to , he said, save the team further embarrassment over his utterly ridiculous behaviour. Sad, yeah, but that’s the way it goes. What he did was just not acceptable.
            And in that vein, Canberra’s executive Don Furner expressed his hope that one day Monaghan would be able to return and play for the Raiders. Of course, that would be good… Hang on! What the…? They want him back? And he already has a Super League club ready to take him on in Europe?
            Okay, he didn’t kill anyone, he didn’t take drugs, he didn’t abuse a woman. But the guy got so drunk he thought it was funny to think about having sex with a dog! It does not matter that it was ‘simulated’, the fact is that thought actually crossed that man’s mind! But he did so much good for Canberra, the apologists cry. Sure, and even more to make man’s best friend feel loved and wanted.
            Now this does not mean he should never ever play rugby again. Far from it. But at least, please, let the furore die down before trying to rehabilitate a guy. Forgiveness is wonderful; but we need to forget exactly what it was he did first. There needs to be a time frame. There needs to be some sort of punishment seen at least to be served. At least a little one.

Rugby Union
Spring Tour
Wales 25 def by South Africa 29
Scotland 3 hammered by New Zealand 49
Ireland 20 def Samoa 10
Italy 16 def by Argentina 22
England 35 def Australia 18
            Equal highest winning margin by England against Australia, and the highest point total they have ever scored against Australia. Things look shaky for Australia in the upcoming World Cup.

Motorsport
Formula One
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
1st Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2nd Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
3rd Jenson Button (McLaren)
Driver’s Championship:
1st Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
            The youngest driver ever to be world F1 champ.
2nd Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
3rd Mark Webber (Red Bull)
            Shame he didn’t win but when even his team was pulling for the other guy, he really didn’t have much hope. However, excellent season from a man who 3 years ago was seen as all talk. This is the way to come back at your critics – with results. Oh that more sports people understood that!
V-8 Supercars
Falken Tasmania Challenge
Race 21
1st Craig Lowndes (Commodore VE)
2nd Garth Tander (Commodore VE)
3rd Greg Murphy (Commodore VE)
Race 22
1st Mark Winterbottom (Falcon FG)
2nd Paul Dumbrell  (Falcon FG)
3rd Jason Bright (Commodore VE)

Baseball
ABL
For the first time in 10 years we have a professional baseball league in this country! 6 teams at this stage, lots of games.
            (Any suggestions as to how you want this, just the scores, or RHE stats, let me know below…)
Canberra 0 def by Sydney 1
Melbourne 1 def by Adelaide 9
Perth 3 def by Brisbane 8
Canberra 2 def by Sydney 4
Melbourne 4 def by Adelaide 7
Perth 2 def Brisbane 0
Melbourne 2 def by Adelaide 13
Perth 4 def Brisbane 2
Canberra 3 def by Sydney 13 (called early)
Melbourne 3 def by Adelaide 8
Perth 4 def Brisbane 1
Canberra 5 def by Sydney 7

Australia!
ARIA Awards 2010.
            The ARIA Awards (Australian Recording Industry Association) are the Australian Grammy Awards. Given to music acts, this year it was done in a manner that can only be described as… strange. The acts seemed to be all over the place when accepting their awards, it looked like a chaotic mess, Carmen Electra was there talking about sex videos and it was, quite simply, strange.
Winners:
Album of the Year: Angus & Julia Stone – Down the Way
Single of the Year: Angus & Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane
Best Female Artist: Washington – I Believe You Liar
Best Male Artist: Dan Sultan – Get Out While You Can
Best Group: The Temper Trap – Conditions
Best Independent Release: Sia – We Are Born
Best Adult Alternative Album: Angus & Julia Stone – Down the Way
Best Adult Contemporary Album: Crowded House – Intriguer
Best Blues & Roots Album: Dan Sultan – Get Out While You Can
Best Children’s Album: The Wiggles – Let’s Eat!
Best Comedy Release: Andrew Hanson, Chris Taylor & Craig Shuftan – The Blow Parade
Best Country Album: The McClymonts – Wrapped Up Good
Best Dance Release: Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP – We No Speak Americano
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album: Parkway Drive – Deep Blue
Best Music DVD: Various Artists – Sound Relief
Best Pop Release: Sia – We Are Born
Best Rock Album: Birds of Tokyo – Birds of Tokyo
Best Urban Album: M-Phazes – Good Gracious
Breakthrough Artist: Washington – I Believe You Liar
Best Classical Album: Australian Brandenburg Orchestra & Paul Dyer Tapas – Tastes of the Baroque
Best Jazz Album: James Morrison & The Idea of North – Feels Like Spring
Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album: Before Too Long Triple J’s Tribute to Paul Kelly
Best World Music Album: Mamadou Diabate, Bobby Singh & Jeff Lang – Djan Djan
Best Cover Art: Angus & Julia Stone for Angus & Julia Stone – Down the Way
Best Video: Kris Moyes (dir.) for Sia – Clap Your Hands
Engineer of the Year: Wayne Connolly, Paul Dempsey, Fast Friends for Little Birdy – Confetti
Producer of the Year: Angus & Julia Stone for Angus & Julia Stone – Down the Way
            Public voted awards
Most Popular Australian Album: Powderfinger – Golden Rule
Most Popular Australian Single: The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
Most Popular International Artist – Mumford & Sons
Most Popular Australian Artist: Powderfinger
            ARIA Hall of Fame Inductees
The Church
The Loved Ones
Models
John Williamson
Johnny Young

And that’s the View through to November 15, 2010.

Australian. Perpetual student. Married. Kids. Write for Sports and Wrestling and anyone else if they want me. Is there anything else?