Field Theory by Hadyn Green

I've mentioned the Dropkicks' patented Athletes and Dicks of the Week system before and this weekend of sport seems to be a good opportunity to bring it up again.

First up, the good guys: Athletes of the Week

• Well, yes, the All Blacks did win, but I hardly think that warrants the title of Athletes of the Week. Especially now that Hore is out and I have to get ulcers worrying about the lineout. (Quick question, was the game replayed on Sunday on Prime? I couldn't see a listing)
• Lewis Hamilton becomes the first person to make coming fifth exciting! He passes the Toyota driver, Timo Glock, in the final lap to get the minimum points he needed to win the F1 championship. Still I can't get excited about him. If it was Schumacher I'd being jumping up and down in my seat. By the way, it's fairly safe to say motorsports fans in England have a trouser-tent are excited about Hamilton.
• Paula Radcliffe won her third New York Marathon (only the second woman to ever do that). Take note of Radcliffe every chance you can, she is the type of athlete of whom trivia questions shall be written.
• Richard Irvine get nomination for his latest cartoon
• Richard Boock's column about racism in sport was quite interesting (and will be the base for a future post). Nah, not athlete of the week, but just something to read.
• Our women's under-17 World Cup team. They are the hosts and while the results haven't been what we all wanted they are still playing their guts out.
  
  Tomorrow night is their final game (in Wellington against Colombia) and if you can get along to the stadium you should (and take the kids if you can).

And now the black hats, and far more interesting to write about: Dicks of the Week

• Sir Allen Stanford put up $20m for a cricket match called the Standford 20/20. The amount made it the largest prize ever played for in cricket. The main event was the money match between England and the Stanford Superstars played at Stanford's own cricket pitch in Antigua. (Standford is clearly not a egotist).
  
  The Superstars were players from across the Caribbean and would get $1m each for the win, if they won, which they did. Convincingly.
  
  It's unclear who the biggest dick here is. It might be the English cricket team who almost lost to Trinidad and Tobago earlier in the week (a match I actually watched) and then were publicly saying that they wouldn't let the money change them when they won.
  
  But the easier target is Stanford.
  

  During England's first match, Stanford was seen cavorting with three of the players' wives; one of them actually sat on his knee. Stanford later claimed not to have known who the women were, but the players were seriously put out by his behaviour.

  
  He also irked most of the establishment by basically paying for his own cricket-based gladiatorial contest. And England are contracted to be involved in this "tournament" for another four years. And given some slightly dodgy whisperings about Stanford's business practices that might be a bad thing.
  
  Finally the series seared many innocent viewers retina with some of the Worst. Uniforms. Ever.
• Wow, that may be the closest I've ever come to writing a post on cricket

• Scottish coach Frank Hadden is believed to be fielding an under-strength team against the All Blacks, with the idea that he'll put his best up against South Africa. I'm not sure what good can come of that. Your top players miss out on playing the number one team in the world (a team that may also contain a lot of reserves).
  
  There is a certain record we hold over Scotland and they are never going to break that duck by fielding an under-strength team. Have some fucking faith Hadden!
• Is the Rugby League World Cup interesting? Nope. Not unless Australia suffer a large number of injuries and suspensions. Nice unis though Oz, well done!
• Via Naly D I hear some nasty sexism from Sky commentator Lelsey Murdoch.
  

  What on earth are two men doing umpiring an international women's fixture like that?

  
  Ahem.
• Philadelphia Phillie fans for rioting when their team won. It seems to be the thing that all American fans do when their team wins: trash the streets of the city they love. I totally don't get it.
• And finally Joaquin Phoenix. Nice handwriting buddy.