Swiss manufacturer ABB has revealed a prototype robot called Frida that's designed to be dexterous enough to replace a human being on a production line. It's a good thing that'll alleviate employee shortages, not subjugate the human race.

Frida stands for Friendly Robot for Industrial Dual-arm Assembly, and the whole concept is pretty interesting. ABB, which is an industrial heavyweight, has reimagined the industrial robot, which is typically a huge, heavy piece of kit that's expensive, not particularly flexible and too dangerous to position near human workers. Instead of the typical single, powerful robot arm with multiple degrees of freedom, ABB considered how a typical human works in their workspace at an industrial task and tried to create a robot that could work like this. ABB also priortized making the robot cheaper, thus introducing robots to smaller companies that are robot-free.

Frida's arms have almost the same extension as a small-sized person, and while their dexterity is designed to match how human joints move, it can obviously surpass human motion limits at will--no person can spin their wrist 720 degrees, at least not outside the bounds of a horrible industrial accident. It's also lightweight and designed to be clamped to a workbench and easily moved from its station, hence the built-in handle. To make it safe, its metal body is padded, and its motor drives have limited power so that if they do accidentally encounter a squishy human they won't cause too much damage. There's also software-based collision detection to prevent things getting to this point. It's smooth, with internally routed cables, so it's easy to keep clean. And there are few "pinch points" that a curious human digit could get trapped in.

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ABB has made an effort to note it doesn't see robots like Frida stealing jobs in the future--it's designed to work alongside people, and could be very useful when a production line process changes and a reprogrammed robot could be retrained faster than a human worker. But it's easy to see a future in which robots like Frida drop in price and increase in intelligence to the point they actually do replace humans on production lines, since they can also work 24-hour shifts, won't go on strike, or cause other social problems. And for industries like electronics manufacturing, where there's a risk of being exposed to noxious chemicals, who wouldn't prefer to see robots working in those jobs?

To read more news like this follow Kit Eaton on Twitter, and Fast Company too.

Conjuring Images of Genta...The Senator Sixties has done really well for Glashutte Original.  And, it should. The entire collection, with its understated 1960s Don Draper feel plus super nice in-house movements all under $10,000 is a pretty mean offering.  And, this year at Basel they released the Senator Sixties Square Flying Tourbillon to put a little "hauteness" in the line.

With the 1960s on lock, GO designers turned their attention to the next decade, a decade marked by Dick Nixon, the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and of course, the smiley face.  The 1970s, to the world of horology though, was one of transition. We saw the first mass marketed implementation of automatic chronographs, quartz watches really took the to scene, and one particular designer rose to immense fame with a myriad of success all in the same design family.  We're talking Gerald Genta, and something tells us Glashutte was too.

The Seventies Panorma Date is indeed modeled after a Genta design.  Compare it to the original Patek Philippe Nautilus or AP Royal Oak 5402 and you'll see what we mean.  The watch is sized just like a Genta piece (40mm x 40mm, to be exact) and even has the integrated steel bracelet that we know and love from the great Genta designs.  Obviously, Glashutte has put their own spin on this watch and we certainly don't mean to imply this isn't a creative and lovely piece.  Notice the panorama date at 6 o'clock - where the digits are on the same horizontal plane - Glashutte is one of the few manufactures with the ability to do this.

The caseback of the Seventies is curved to sit on your wrist, and the movement is shared with the Senator Sixties line.  The sunburst dials on these watches are really lovely, and the clasp on the bracelet features a superb micro-adjustment feature.

All in all, these are very well executed 1970s-themed watches with a proven caliber.  If you like the feeling of German independence but still want a watch in the vein of an original Genta design, this could be a great choice for you. 

For more details on the Glashutte Original Seventies Panorama Date, click here.

Nets on Sunday Joe and Ben Joe and Ben’s nets session was a slow starter today with both of them as with last week bowling poorly initially, but as the session progressed their bowling got better. Ben initially was bowling short and down the leg side, Joe on the other hand was bowling full tosses down both sides mostly the leg-side. The coach Chris set Joe some targets e.g. bowl a full...

Source : Wrist Spin Bowling

No amount of sniping can bring down the Sri Lankan spinner, who deserves to end his superb career as a World Cup finalist

The Sri Lankan team are in Mumbai, staying at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, so beautifully restored after the horrendous attack two and a half years ago. It is a fortress now, an exclusion zone surrounding it, so that the old Moghul-style Gateway to India and its concourse, normally thronged and past which the terrorists stormed from their boats, stands alone with its flocks of pigeons. Inside, Muttiah Muralitharan sits, nursing his injuries and hoping that his body can stand one more hurrah in the Wankhede Stadiumon Saturday.

Of course Murali will be fit – even if it is only "ish". He would not miss this for the world and no cricket lover would begrudge him a last appearance on a grand stage. No cricketer, and few sportsmen indeed, can have divided opinion as much as Murali but he is one of an indefatigable kind. He is adored and applauded as one of the two greatest spin bowlers of his generation or derided as a cheat, if an inadvertent one, for the accommodation of whom the laws of the game have been amended. There is no middle ground.

Over almost two decades, since he was no-balled in Australia in what looked like a cruelly premeditated act, the scrutiny has been unrelenting. Even the spelling of his name comes into dispute (we have no letter that translates from his native tongue the sound – somewhere between a "d" and a "th" – in the middle of his surname. He simply says "as you wish": he signed with a "th" for me.

I sit in the former camp, regarding him as a genius, a freak of nature whose unique physical attributes, to be found in his shoulder and wrist, make him capable of doing things with a cricket ball that others without his abilities should not even contemplate. It is, to sidetrack a second, an unfortunate consequence that one aspect of his legacy has been to sow the seeds for a generation of bowlers who, seeking to emulate his doosra, really do throw it. We have seen more than one of those in this World Cup. So, for me, it is fitting that he should be able to bow out from international cricket as a World Cup finalist and, perhaps, as a winner.

Were he not to play, then Scott Styris of New Zealand, lbw to his final delivery in Colombo on Tuesday night, would be the last of a truly staggering 1,331 international wickets for Sri Lanka. It was in the aftermath of that match, midnight long gone, that a group of us sat in our hotel and, over a bottle of wine, debated Murali's contribution. There were a few naysayers, as ever, but there was plenty of support. The argument ping-ponged back and forth.

Tom Moody was listening, quietly. Then he spoke, and the reason I mention it now is because we all have heard a hundred times how Murali has been tested repeatedly and cleared; how the parameters for flexion of the arm were altered not to accommodate Murali but because 99% of bowlers were shown by the most modern equipment to transgress the previous standards; how he has bowled his full range of deliveries with his arm in a brace; and how people still wish to believe the evidence of their own eyes rather than see him as a prestidigitator.

But this was different – to me, anyway. Moody was Sri Lanka's coach from 2005 until after the last World Cup final and he explained once more the way that Murali's shoulder can rotate abnormally; how he can touch his inner forearm with his fingertips (try it and see how near you get); how he is a wrist spinner who is almost a mirror image of a leg-break bowler; and, of course, how his arm is permanently bent.

So much we know. Moody continued. One day, he said, when Sri Lanka were in Perth, Murali went missing. When he turned up, it was discovered that on his day off he had taken himself to the University of Western Australia, where many of the tests on his action had been conducted. He told neither his colleagues nor the team management where he was going but he came back with a dossier. Apparently, he had heard that for all the previous investigations, there were still some voices suggesting that the tests had counted for little, because he had not been tested while bowling at different speeds.

So, Moody said, under lab conditions, he bowled the lot. Off-breaks, topspin, doosra, from all angles and at a whole range of speeds. Not one delivery came close to, never mind exceeded, the 15-degree limit. Moody still has the report, detailing every ball bowled.

The most striking thing, though, was Murali's motive. He did not go to the lab to prove yet again that he was clear. He went because he was starting to wonder whether there might not be some truth in what his more informed critics were saying. There was no way he wished to play a game in which he might genuinely be cheating. So he went to dispel that in his own mind and he came away content. If he had not been vindicated, the chances are that he would have abandoned cricket.

I think such genuine altruism by one of the truly great sportsmen needs recognition.

• Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Heat forward LeBron James took criticism from fans for skipping the pregame introductions Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Many felt James was avoiding facing the fans of his former team, but Heat spokesman Tim Donovan said James had done it a few times this season. The last time it happened was before Sunday's game against the Houston Rockets. James did not address the subject Wednesday, but did respond to questions after the Cleveland loss. 'I was just using the restroom,' James said. 'Am I allowed to do that?' James disappeared during the national anthem before resurfacing after the introductions were completed."
• Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "In the past two weeks the Hawks had suffered blowout home defeats against Miami and Chicago while losing 14 of 21 games. Now they've won three consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 5, following victories against struggling New Jersey and Cleveland by beating the fourth-place team in the Eastern Conference. 'I guess it was a switch that went off,' said Hawks forward Josh Smith, who scored a game-high 26 points. 'I'm glad it did, especially at this time. We can't keep getting punked by teams and not answering the bell.' The Hawks have made a turnaround against the Magic since the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals. Orlando swept the four-game series with an NBA-record winning margin of 101 total points. The Hawks have won three in row against the Magic in low-scoring, physical games."
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: "Dwight Howard didn’t sound worried after the Orlando Magic lost to the Atlanta Hawks 85-82 on Wednesday. But he did sound frustrated. Frustrated with the officiating. Frustrated with the talk that the Hawks may have found their groove against the Magic. And frustrated with the Magic’s lack of rest. The Magic’s all-star center felt that Jason Collins deserved to receive a flagrant foul instead of a personal foul when Collins wrapped up Howard around the upper shoulders with 3:33 remaining in the second quarter. '[On] anybody else it would’ve been a flagrant,' Howard said. 'But against me, it’s a regular foul.' Howard expressed no concern that the Magic lost their regular-season series to the Hawks, their likely first-round opponent. 'It’ll be a different animal in the playoffs,' he said."
• Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: "Say this for the Heat this season: The team somehow always figures out a way to keep things interesting. The four-game trip appeared like a yawner on paper, but two games in it has been anything but boring. On Tuesday, the Heat lost to the worst team in the league, the Cleveland Cavaliers. One day later, the Heat got physical, flagrant and downright vulgar with the Washington Wizards and their fans. The Heat defeated the lowly Wizards 123-107 on Wednesday in a game marred by ejections to Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Juwan Howard of the Heat and Wizards guard John Wall. The Heat began Wednesday’s game with 11 available players and ended it with nine. It was a physical game from the beginning but things got dirty in the second quarter. That’s when Wall, the star rookie, punched Ilgauskas in the ribs after Ilgauskas elbowed Wall in the mouth. 'It’s part of the game,' said Dwyane Wade, who had 33 points on 11-of-17 shooting. 'Aggressiveness, hard fouls -- sometimes they escalate a little more than others. We had a similar situation last night in Cleveland.' "
• Craig Stouffer of the Washington Examiner "John Wall didn’t back down after he was hit by Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ elbows, and he didn’t duck the incident afterward. Given that his little scuffle took place early in the second quarter, Wall had plenty of time to bolt from Verizon Center. But similar to the way he’s fought on despite the adversity that the team has faced this year, he stood in front of the cameras and microphones afterward and took on the incident head first. 'I just got hit by his elbow and reacted to it,' Wall said. 'I’m disappointed in the way I reacted. I let my teammates down, let my organization down, but I’m glad to see that my teammates fought hard and tried to compete tonight and come away with a win… There were two elbows. I got hit with the first one, and I stopped, and then the second one, I got hit, and I just reacted.' When asked about Wall’s potential to be suspended an additional game, Wizards head coach Flip Saunders gave his prized rookie point guard the benefit of the doubt. The video evidence might say otherwise. 'From what the referees said, I don’t think it warrants [a suspension] because it was just elbows that were thrown, not punches,' Saunders said. 'I’m assuming that it’ll be okay.' The problem is, it was a punch to Big Z’s ribs."
• Tim Smith of the New York Daily News: "If it wasn't apparent against the Magic on Monday night, it became crystal clear against the Nets Wednesday night: Anthony is now the leader of the Knicks. He is The Man, and it didn't take a 128-foot billboard a few blocks from the Garden to tell us that. It took him putting together back-to-back 39-point, 10-rebound games during which he was spectacular at both ends of the court. All of this was done while a tired Amar'e Stoudemire was saddled with foul trouble and watched most of that third-quarter comeback from the Knicks' bench. 'It feels good, especially right now,' Anthony said. 'It's a good time that it's happening, must-win situations, games we really need coming down the stretch to get into the playoffs. It's almost the perfect time for me to get into a groove like this.' Coming in, the game was shaping up as a showdown between two highly valued trade commodities - Anthony and Deron Williams, who was traded to the Nets from Utah on the day Anthony made his Knicks debut. But a wrist injury that Williams has been nursing all season (he's missed eight of 11 games since the trade) blunted some of that enthusiasm. It was a nice tease for the future, but this was Anthony's stage and his night."
• Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times: "The Derrick Rose MVP campaign continued gaining momentum, this time with a blessing from the King. Before the reigning two-time Most Valuable Player took the court in Washington on Wednesday, Le-Bron James all but crowned the Bulls point guard with the 2010-11 honor, telling reporters, 'I think [it’s] Derrick Rose. What he’s done for that team, with all the injuries they have and them being first in the Eastern Conference -- they’re playing some really good basketball.’ Rose was asked about the comments made from the Heat star and admitted he was 'speechless.’ 'Yeah ... I’m speechless right now, to tell you the truth,' Rose said. 'It’s great to hear that, but you know me. Right now, I could care less about what people are saying.’ Good thing, because not everyone shares the opinion of King James."
• Geoff Calkins of The Commercial-Appeal: "Mike Heisley took off the T-shirt. That could have been the key to this one. He'd been wearing a Tony Allen T-shirt throughout the first half. When he came out for the second half, no T-shirt. Yes, Allen noticed. 'When he took it off, I had to turn it up a notch,' said Allen. Allen turned up a notch is something to behold, isn't it? The man swooped in for a layup. Then he stole the ball and went between his legs before finding Zach Randolph for a layup. Then he stole the ball again. Then he went 360 for a bucket. Then he flew in from the right side and threw down a one-handed jam over David Lee. All that after the Grizzlies trailed Golden State early in the second half by double digits. 'I thought Tony was the key,' said point guard Mike Conley. To the game or to the season? Tony Allen and the Grizzlies wound up blasting Golden State at FedExForum on Wednesday night, 110-91. Combined with Houston's loss to Philadelphia, the Grizzlies are now three games up on the Rockets with just seven games to go. Not to say the Grizzlies are a lock to make the playoffs at this point, but John Calipari would have a hard time blowing that kind of cushion."
• Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: "Watching Wednesday night's fourth quarter -- the harmonious flow, the unselfish sensibility, the nasty oh-no-he-didn't dunks -- it's easy for one to forget, as Denver's Wilson Chandler said afterward, that 'there are a lot of plays we don't know.' It was just Feb. 21 when the Nuggets acquired three new rotation players, but these guys make it look easy, thanks to their fearless leader. And their other fearless leader. In the Nuggets' 104-90 win against the Kings, point guards Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton took over in the pivotal fourth, tallying six assists without a turnover, not to mention a handful of 'hockey assists,' as folks call them. 'Our playbook isn't going to be deep enough to be running cute stuff,' said Nuggets coach George Karl, whose team led by just three after three. 'We just got to keep doing what we do well, and most of that means Ty and Raymond pushing us, spacing the court, not settling for 3s and keep attacking. Their defense wore out a little bit, and we got to the rim more in the second half.' "
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "I feel for Paul Silas, because he’s coaching his butt off in a situation where trades and injuries decimated his depth. Add Gerald Wallace to this mix and they’re in the playoffs (yeah, I’ve heard all the spin about sacrificing the present for the future – we’ll see). You don’t think Nazr Mohammed would be useful? There’s no such thing as a backup center right now. When Kwame Brown leaves the game, they have the size of a quality college team. I’ve used the analogy in the past that Silas approaches the game like a baseball manager (Dusty Baker, minus the toothpick). Wednesday was like using up all your pitchers at the last out, but it worked."
• Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: "The Celtics’ recent offensive woes have affected everyone, though, as always when the ball stops moving, Ray Allen may be a little more handcuffed than anyone else. His 11-point first half during Monday’s loss in Indiana included an 0-for-1 first half. Overall, Allen has shot 10-for-53 (18.7 percent) over the last five games, including 7-for-25 (28 percent) from downtown over the same stretch. Asked about regaining his rhythm, Allen pinned responsibility squarely on the larger team picture. 'I won’t press,' he said. 'In Indiana I saw I was 0-for-1 for the half, and I was trying to remember the shot that I took. Man, when it rains it pours. We have to create for ourselves great rhythm. Kevin (Garnett) is great at it. He’s always aware when the ball moves through me, so he’ll always make the extra pass. We just have to all be aware of it -- making that extra pass. When I come off screens I know I can pull up and shoot it most of the time, but the most sensible play in this offense is dropping down to Glen (Davis), or Nenad (Krstic) or Kevin, because they can get those easy layups and they work so hard for it. It has to be consistent with everybody.' "
• Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times: "A considerable streak ended at 7:09 of the fourth quarter when Dirk Nowitzki missed a free throw, ending the longest streak in the NBA this season. He had made 74 straight free throws and the streak had started in the fourth quarter against Indiana on March 4. After missing, he looked slightly amused and then promptly made his next one."
• Paola Boivin of The Arizona Republic: "The Oklahoma City Thunder guard, who showcased his skills against the Suns on Wednesday night at US Airways Center, is generating NBA buzz and finds himself in discussions for Sixth Man of the Year. It is a role some might not embrace. He has. 'James is someone that values and is willing to be a part of something,' Thunder General Manager Sam Presti said. 'He has accepted a role and really focused on how his contributions will help the overall group. A lot of people verbalize this, but it is not often acted on.' Harden agrees that Oklahoma City 'is a great fit.' 'From the front office on down, guys work hard,' he said. 'There's been such a good relationship with everyone on and off the court and I think it's what has made us successful.' "
• Mike Bresnahan and Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times: "The Lakers didn't appeal to a higher power Wednesday, though Archbishop Jose Gomez was at their practice, as was Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani from Peru, taking in a scrimmage from folding courtside chairs. Gomez used to be a San Antonio Spurs supporter but switched allegiances after taking over leadership of the L.A. Archdiocese this month. 'A lot of people were praying and telling me to switch from the Spurs to the Lakers. Prayers work. Now I'm a Lakers fan,' Gomez said. 'I'm also praying for the Spurs, but a sign from God is that the Lakers are playing much better.' It's been that kind of a run, the Lakers 15-1 since the All-Star break. Kobe Bryant spoke to both Catholic dignitaries after practice. Coincidentally or not, the Lakers play their biggest game of the regular season Thursday at Staples Center against Dallas. The Lakers lead the Mavericks by half a game for second place in the Western Conference. The season series is tied at 1-1."
• John Rohde of The Oklahoman: "Reserve guard Nate Robinson said he 'still has some work to do' before his game is back to form following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee March 4. He was activated Tuesday. During his time on the sideline, Robinson said he quickly built an appreciation for his new teammates. 'They play so hard it reminds me of going to a gym and playing in a pickup game,' Robinson said. 'You don't want to lose. You want to stay on the court all day, have the bragging rights, and that's how they play every night. That's special. That's something a lot of teams in this league don't have.' "
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: "There is much discussion about the Sacramento Kings moving to Anaheim and the city this week struck a deal with the owner of the Anaheim Ducks to contribute $75 million to the moving expenses if the Kings relocate and for upgrades to the Honda Center. The Anaheim Royals, as they would be named (hearkening back to their Cincinnati Royals roots), still are a long way from setting up shop in Anaheim, but it appears the chances of it happening are good. That would be good for the area, said Tyson Chandler, who grew up in LA and still spends his time there in the off-season. 'I've always said that if a team gets to Anaheim, they're going to clean up because it's two different worlds,' Chandler said. 'People that are not from LA don't understand it. It's two different worlds. People in Orange County do not like coming to LA and people in LA do not like to come to Orange County. And they almost compete against each other.' "
• Eric Carpenter of The Orange County Register: "The Sacramento Kings move to Anaheim is not a done deal -- but that hasn't held back a wave of excitement among local NBA fans. As of early afternoon Wednesday, more than 500 fans had sent e-mails to the Honda Center to be included on a priority waiting list for tickets, according to Merit Tully, an arena spokesman. Many say they want season tickets. Honda Center officials set up the waiting list Tuesday afternoon, hours before Anaheim officials unanimously approved $75 million in bonds to make the city-owned arena the Kings' home."
• Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee: "The Sacramento Kings may be headed for the exit, but their threatened departure has energized the effort to build a new sports arena. A grass-roots campaign emerged Wednesday to raise money for a new facility in Sacramento. Within hours, the movement spread through social media and billboards along area freeways. At the same time, Sacramento city leaders vowed to press ahead with their years-long, frequently frustrating effort to find an arena financing plan that works. A city-sponsored development team continues to analyze the economics of a new building, with a report expected in late May. 'Our community realizes we need to build a new entertainment and sports complex whether the Kings are here or not,' Mayor Kevin Johnson said Wednesday. 'It's about our city and proving we can get big things done.' "
• Alexis Stevens of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Rashan S. Michel, 36, was arrested and charged with one count of simple battery following the incident, Officer K.Y. Jones with Atlanta police told the AJC. Michel, who told police he was owed money for suits purchased several years ago, hit Wilkins in the chest and also hit a security guard, Jones said. Michel, of Atlanta, has worked as an NBA and college basketball referee and previously owned his own clothing store. 'The fan was promptly arrested and was taken into custody by the Atlanta Police Department,' Hawks spokesman Arthur Triche said in a statement to the AJC. 'At this time the Hawks have no additional information or comment regarding this situation.' Wilkins, 51, serves as the Hawks' vice president and as a television analyst. Wilkins played for the Hawks from 1982 until 1994. Wilkins was not seriously injured in the incident."
• Terry Foster of The Detroit News: "One of the greatest rebounders and defenders in NBA history has turned into a sideshow for a new generation because of his wild antics, wild parties, relationships with Madonna and others, meltdowns on reality television and takedowns on the professional wrestling circuit. On Friday at The Palace, however, people who know Dennis Rodman expect the emotional, thoughtful player to show up when his No. 10 jersey is retired during halftime of the Bulls-Pistons game. A number of his former teammates are expected to be on hand, including John Salley, Isiah Thomas, Rick Mahorn and James Edwards. Whether he was in a wedding dress or short shorts, Rodman was one of the all-time characters of the NBA. He electrified Palace crowds for seven seasons and was a key component to the 1989 and 1990 championship teams. His stats (8.8 points and 11.5 rebounds) did not match the emotions, both good and bad, he injected into the franchise. 'He is a minority of one and that is not always easy to be,' Pistons announcer George Blaha said. 'There is nobody else like Dennis Rodman.' "
• Jeff Rabjohns of The Indianapolis Star: "Indiana Pacers radio voice Mark Boyle is accustomed to calling the action during a game, not being in any way part of it. But on Wednesday night, the veteran play-by-play man was honored for calling his 2,000th Pacers game, receiving a commemorative basketball from team president Larry Bird. 'Longevity is something that's important to me and it's been fortunate for me,' said Boyle, who has been with the franchise for 23 years. 'It's only through a set of circumstances you end up in a good place. 'When I got here, I knew nothing about it -- whether it was good, bad or indifferent -- except it was the NBA, and I was glad to be here. As the years went by, I found out how lucky I was to be here. We have great owners and (former general manager) Donnie Walsh was a great guy to work for all those years.' "

Boxscore | Game Thread | Gameday Links

RaptorsHQ: Bad Meets Worse: Raptors Laughable in Loss

84 points in the first half! The absence of the Toronto's Amir Johnson (and Reggie Evans) left them with a shaky interior and Monta Ellis and Steph Curry took full advantage knowing the Raptors guards could not stay in front, as the Warriors annihilated the Raptors.

But in doing so, we were again left wondering about the curious case of Coach Keith Smart. More on this after the jump...

Twitter-cap

Here's the dump of my notes from Twitter. Please note, I didn't have access to my TV, and the numb-nuts at the NBA League Pass had the game not only blacked out (understandable), but with no access to the archive so I could watch later (inexcusable), so I used the opportunity to dial in on the Toronto radio broadcast.

Scroll down past this to read about Smart.

Trying sumthin new here. Gotta do Raptors-Warriors recap for GoldenStateOfMind. I'll catch the game via TOR radio feed (sorta not by choice)

 

They love their basketball here (Oracle), no matter how they're doing. Only other comparison is Toronto.

 

Raptors radio PBP announcer to color guy: "Did you bring your track shoes?"

 

Easy hoop by James Johnson on Dorell Wright inside. Will play the 4 tonite, per Raptors coach Jay Triano. Later, DeRozan alley oop dunk.

 

Steph Curry rocks Jose Calderon L to R for a pull up. Crowd roars. Btw no Amir Johnson or Reggie Evans. Ed Davis and-one on Ekpe Udoh inside.

 

Great story on Raptors radio re James Johnson, 20-0 in martial arts matches, 10 cage matches: "biggest adrenaline rush"...

 

Raptors call early timeout as Warriors start to get hot, up 12-7.

 

...James Johnson martial-arts kicked 2 balls stuck in the basket during Raptors practice. Said feet could've touched rim. Per TOR radio PBP.

 

James Johnson takes Dorell Wright RH layup good. David Lee PNR good. Johnson another layup, dunk! "Wright lost a tire."

 

DeMar DeRozan layup good. David Lee pick&pop again. Warriors 18, Raptors 13. DeRozan behind backboard good. Monta "spinning like a top!", fouled.

 

That move by DeRozan, we didn't see 2 months ago. On Ellis: his back collided with Ed Davis, should be an offensive foul.

 

Another James Johnson drive and dish to DeRozan. Warriors 20, Raptors 17, less than 7:00 Q1. TOR radio announcers joking about score run-up.

 

Ed Davis with a "signature" up and under move on Udoh. "Udoh doesn't have cable." Meanwhile Keith Smart will get nunber retired at Halifax.

 

Curry trey. Bargnani pretty move "strolling right by Warriors D, had David Lee pinned at hip." Timeout Warriors, just past mid-Q1.

 

David Lee another J. Warriors up 27-21. James Johnson one dribble then pull up good on Dorell Wright. Monta drives. "No resistance."

 

Dorell Wright runout jam on DeRozan misses shot. David Lee steal on James Johnson. Monta "slithers by two defenders." Calderon long trey.

 

Monta trey up top. Leandro Barbosa throws it away. Warriors up 10. Could be working on 40-pt qtr. James Johnson steals David Lee, layup Barbosa.

 

Raptors go zone. Dorell Wright trey. "Shot that from East Bay" then anniuncer corrects "from Alcatraz". James Johnson putback slam!

 

Dorell Wright fouled on J by James Johnson. 12 pts now. Barbosa turnover leads to Steph Curry jam. Warriors 43, Raptors 32.

 

James Johnson packs it pack in the face of David Lee. Monta iso's Barbosa on the last play of Q1 & gets stepback J. Warriors 45, Raptors 36.

 

Warriors best record at home (21-14) of any team under. 500. Dorell Wright another J. Jerryd Bayless layup uncontested R wing. Curry pop trey.

 

Warriors have 50 pts, not even 1 minute into Q2. Barbosa bomb cuts it to Warriors 50, Toronto 41. On pace for 180-144!!!

 

Alley oop jam David Lee via Steph Curry. Warriors have only missed 4 shots. Raptors announcers disaopointed at Triano not cracking whip.

 

James Johnson out. Al Thornton in for Warriors. L baseline jam for Thornton. Was only behind Nick Young & Kevin Durant in ppg for '07 class.

 

Alex Ajinca and Ed Davis play "buddy ball" leading to and-one. Compared to Antoine Davis who's in the house. Ajinca trey. 60-47 Warriors.

 

Curry catch n shoot trey. Monta trey. 18 pts. "Cooking with gas." High in a half vs Raptors is 72. Warriors 45 pts Q1 was all-time high.

 

6:10 to go in first half. Warriors have 66 pts! Monta leans in left shoulder knocks down J to go up 21.

 

Warriors already have 4 players with 12 or more pts. 5 mins to go before end of first half.

 

Al Thornton turnaround good. Raptors announcers: "How in the world was he put on waivers?" Amundson jump hook gives 73-51 Warriors lead.

 

Monta Ellis is the master of the spin move and crazy finishes but misses that one. 3:12 Q2 Warriors 73, Raptors 53 as Bargnani FTs. 0 reb

 

James Johnson guards Steph Curry, who does a crossover behind the back and draws 2 FTs, foul on Bayless.

 

Warriors shooting 72%. Still over 2:00 to go Q2. Curry 15, Monta 20, Dorell Wright 15. Warriors up 77-54.

 

0:19 to go first half the Warriors have 84 pts. They will not hit 90. :-(

 

Raptors turnover. Udoh great pass to Curry trey good. Warriors 84, Raptors 55. James Johnson rips a dunk out of Al Thornton's hands.

 

Warriors 84, Raptors 58. Halftime. This is not a typo.

 

Run n gun. "Keith Smart seems to have perpetuated that?" asks Raptors radio announcer of Toronto asst coach Scott Roth. "Yes."

 

Raptors asst coach Scott Roth on Toronto's halftime radio: "I think DeMar DeRozan will be an all-star. He reminds me of Michael Finley."

 

Running L layup Dorell Wright. Bayless answers w/ a LH layup. Warriors 88, Raptors 60. Curry 3-on-1 has Monta wide open L side but makes J.

 

RT @gswscribe Jose Calderon is out with a left hamstring strain

 

Dorell Wright and-one on Bargnani. Becomes 3rd Warriors player with 21 or more pts. Over 8:00 to go Q3. Warriors up 33 on Raptors.

 

Warriors 96, Raptors 62. Warriors will easily hit 100 here in Q3.

 

Raptors turnover leads to David Lee runout dunk. Warriors 101, Raptors 68. Plenty of time left in Q3. Timeout Jay Triano.

 

Monta up top wide open trey gives Warriors lead of 40 over Raptors. 5:30 to go Q3.

 

David Lee trey. Warriors 9/12 from three. Warriors 107, Raptors 66. Approaching 4:00 Q3.

 

Dorell Wright misdirection step around Bayless. Warriors steal then Dorell reverse jam from his hip.

 

Raptors announcers wondering why Keith Smart has 5 starters in and Warriors up 50. Also re playing the bench players some like Charlie Bell.

 

RT @MSteinmetzCSN David Lee's 3-pointer late in the third quarter was the first 3-pointer of his NBA career. Now 1-for-15.

 

RT @gswscribe The lead is up to 45. All the starters still in. #messagetoLacob #keepmehere

 

Raptors announcers: "No point guard, no 2-guard. They're just playing. Then again, how much success have they really had?"

 

Raptors announcers aren't aware of why Monta said in 2009 that he couldn't play with Steph Curry. They're perplexed as to why that was said.

 

RT @gswscribe End 3Q: #GSW 116, TOR 74. Monta 25 and 8 ast. Curry 23 and 8 ast. Lee 21 and 7. Dorell 24. TOR - Andrea Bargnani 7 and 5 (2-10 FGs)

 

James Johnson hits 14th pt. Season high. Monta airball trey, up by 42, and has played every minute of the game.

 

9:37 Q4. Warriors 118, Raptors 81.

 

Bench players now in for Warriors. Raptors announcers remarking on Al Thornton's wingspan and athleticism. Comparing to James Johnson.

 

Raptors announcers discussing James Johnson. Needs to cut down turnovers. Roster wise, could spell trouble for Sonny Weems.

 

Slam dunk Reggie Williams on the lob by Dorell Wright. Warriors 126, Raptors 81. Not even mid-Q4. Dead ball, Wright subs out.

 

Jeff Adrien jump hook!

 

Raptors will lose 7th straight to Warriors.

 

Knee or ankle bothering Sonny Weems.

 

Ed Davis 8th double-double.

 

Raptors anouncers: "How do you not empty your bench if you're Keith Smart?" Well, Acie Law has a bad wrist.

 

Raptors radio will speak to Steph Curry post-game.

 

Raptors radio announcer asks Steph Curry about NBA future commercial. He says he was 11. Great memories.

Raptors Notables

• Another frontcourt player, Joey Dorsey, was out with flu-like symptoms.
• I really like James Johnson. After seeing him at Summer League two summers ago, I dubbed him a Homeless Man's Paul Pierce. Radio announcers said he could take away roster spot (contract) from Weems long-term.
• Another Summer League wonder, Bayless, is not turning out that good.
• Did you see the thing about Johnson's martial arts exploits at the beginning of the Twitter-cap? Wow!
• I also like DeRozan. Radio announceers said that he's been adding new wrinkles to his game. Assistant coach thinks he can be an All-Star and compared him to Michael Finley.
• All said, Ed Davis (8th double-double) > Udoh. :-(
• Oakland native Antoine Davis in the house! (IDK, was he?)
• The announcers debated the merits of Keith Smart keeping the starters in all the way through the third quarter when the point differential reached 45.
• Triano asked bench player Julian Wright to sub in, but he refused.
• Side note: on Tuesday night during the Lakers-Suns triple-overtime marathon, I was trying to keep track of the game on Twitter (I follow over 1,000 people and have a packed timeline) and Julian Wright kept retweeting quotes, messing up my timeline. So I sent him a tweet saying I hated it when NBA players messed up timelines with quotes during awesome games and asked if he wasn't missing the 3OT thriller. He tweeted back "Sawwy" and apologized!

Warriors Notables

• Raptors' announcers didn't know why Monta lashed out at Steph that first year (Moped-Gate, promised by front office they wouldn't pick a small). I wonder if the other 28 franchises don't really know, either? The announcers agreed with general consensus out there: really potent offense, non-existent defense, "haven't won much" with the combo.
• Steph in-game slam dunk!
• Praises for Monta's scoring and spin move, although they questioned his spin-use-back-draw-contact method as a possible offensive foul.
• Toronto announcers were amazed by Al Thornton's acquisition, considering his length and athleticism in terms of being waived by the Wizards.
• 7th straight win for GSW over the Raptors.
• Warriors are still mathematically alive for the playoffs, with this win and the Grizzlies' loss.

Keith Smart

Even in a blowout of a blowout game, I was puzzled by Smart's substitutions AGAIN. Granted, Acie Law had a bad wrist and I was told that on TV, Fitz kept harping on that all night (in true Fitz fashion). But Smart left the starters in through three quarters when the game was far, far out of reach (nearly 50 in point differential).

I can understand benching Vlad Rad (he just sucks), but what about future asset development? Charlie Bell never checked in, Adrien got only a handful of minutes, and Reggie had a "regular" backup role.

With 7 minutes to play, Monta was still on the floor! He played 41 minutes in a 40-point blowout.

After the game, Smart said this...

"I wanted to send a message to our team that we are building," Smart said. "This is a process. The way we have always done it at this time of year, to sit back and not play, you've got your better players on your team who want to play and will play, and that's a good thing."

Before the game, ESPN's Chris Palmer interviewed Smart by phone and tweeted these quotes:

Smart: “I love our backcourt. We just need to put the rest of the pieces in place.”

Smart: “We’re not a run-n-gun team anymore. We’re transitioning into a more traditional approach. We’ve done a ton of teaching this year.”

Smart: “I want our guys to realize how physically tough the post season is after 82 games. If we made the playoffs I worry we’d break down.”

And during the game, the Toronto broadcasters basically said that the Warriors style hadn't changed and Smart was perpetuating the run-n-gun.

How do you build when you refuse to put your younger assets in for development? What's there to build on for the starters, after amassing a 45-point lead? The build has been built!

How traditional of an approach is to leave your starters in late in a 45-point blowout? I have coached many a game in my amateur leagues and tournaments and let me tell you, there's not much for starters to glean in such situations. They are literally beating a dead horse. You use the minutes you've been gifted to develop your youngsters. Period. Unwritten tenet of basketball. That, my friends, is the "tradition".

In the meanwhile, doing so also protects you from being perceived as a weirdo who is trying to pour it on. After all, you do have to face this team again in the future.

And yet, here we go again. Contradictions and curious coaching philosophies by Smart. I don't think all of it is his fault though, these contradictions. Some of it can be a lack of vision imposed in the heirarchy of basketball front office management, and having incompatible pieces to execute said vision. But bottom line is, I'm once again perplexed by the field general.

Titan Fighting Championship comes to Memorial Hall in Kansas City Missouri with a card that features former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley as he faces a late replacement in John Ott. As if going up against a monster of a man such as Lashley on short notice wasn't already a huge mountain to climb Ott will be facing upwards to a 40 lb. disadvatnge on fight night. In addition to the main event the card featuers bouts from "The New York Badass" Phil Baroni as he takes on Nick Nolte and former TUF alum Abe Wagner, fresh off his TKO of Tim Sylvia as he takes on Aaron Rosa.

BloodyElbow.com will have full results and round-by-round coverage starting with the main card live on HDNet at 10 p.m. ET.

We have Frank Trigg and Michael "The Voice" Schiavello on the microphone and "Hurricane" Duane Finley on the live blog so buckle in for a good night of fights on Titan FC.

Quick results; full play-by-play after the jump.

Bobby Lashley vs. John Ott
Abe Wagner vs. Aaron Rosa
Phil Baroni vs. Nick Nolte
Eric Marriott vs. Willian De Souza
Alonzo Martinez vs. Aaron Derrow
James Krause vs. Nathan Schut
Anthony Gutierrez vs. Jon Hollis

Titan Fighting Championships 17 coverage

Bobby Lashley vs. John Ott

Round 1: The size difference between Ott and Lashley is incredible Ott lands an overhand right. Lashley shoots in for a double leg and scoops up Ott and powerslams him down. Lashley works the ground and pound and is mauling Ott. Lashley smothering from the top and he is bombing down right hands on Ott. Lashley smashes Ott with three huge forearms and Ott continues to hold on. Three more right hands from Lashley and Ott is taking them like a champ. Lashley is reigning down shots and Ott's face is bloody and bashed. Ott is throwing hammer fists from the bottom and it's amazing he's still in the fight. Lashley lands left, right, left, right and Ott flails from the impact and survives the round. Ott gives a thumbs up as he pops back up to his feet as Lashley took the first round.

Round 2: Ott comes out with a spinning backfist and pushes Lashley back. Lashley looks exhausted as he heaves forward with his hands down. Ott lands an outside leg kick. Lashley attempts a jab and misses but he grabs on for the double and once again slams Ott to the ground. I can't see Ott surviving another another round like the first and Lashley has him pinned against the cage. Lashley rears back and blasts Ott with another right hand and moves to side control. Lashley looking to pin down Ott's arm ala Roy Nelson but Ott uses the cage to spin to North/South. Lashley gets him back to side control as he continues to use hammer fists and elbows on Ott. One minute remaining and Lashley has slowed considerably. Ott is still throwing shots from the bottom and Ott survives to the bell. Lashley is exhausted and Ott is bashed. 2-0 Lashley.

Round 3: Ott zigs and zags and lands three punches. Ott is jabbering at Lashley Ott hits him again. Lashley's hands are down and Ott catches him with an uppercut and a right hand. Ott is trying to stay elusive Lashley is gasping and Ott charges across the ring and hits Lashley with two punches and Lashley gets ahold of him and takes him down. The crowd that was once on their feet literally shut down when Lashley scores takedown. He is going to win this fight but I can't see the critics lightening up on him. One minute remains and Lashley is holding down. Ott has no answer for the massive Lashley. As the fight ends Lashley stands up and is cut up from the elbows Ott threw from the bottom. Trigg is explaining that Ott is a natural 185 lb. fighter who took everything Lashley had.

Bobby Lashley wins via unanimous decision.

Abe Wagner vs. Aaron Rosa

Round 1: Wagner lands an outside legkick and throws a straight right hand. Jab from Wagner and Rosa lands a right hand of his own. Both fighters throw punches that land and Rosa lands a short left hook. The fighters lock up in the clinch and Wagner throws a knee to the body that lands. Wagner with a right cross Wagner rushes forward throwing straight punches that back Rosa up. Rosa grabs onto a single and takes Wagner to the ground. Rosa works the ground and pound with elbows and short punches as Wagner manuevers. The referee stands them up at the one minute mark and Wagner lands an uppercut and a knee as Rosa drops down for the single. Rosa works for the takedown but Wagner remains on his feet. Bloody Elbow give round one to Rosa 10-9.

Round 2: Wagner comes out throwing and drops Wagner with a left hook. Wagner hit the dirt and Rosa jumped on to finish but Wagner tried to hold on. Rosa takes his back and finishes the fight with a rear naked choke 35 seconds into the second.

Aaron Rosa wins via submission (rear naked choke) Rnd 2.

Phil Baroni vs. Nick Nolte

Round 1: Nolte lands an outside leg kick as Nolte puts Baroni against the cage and lands two hard knees. Baroni throws a knee to the body as he keeps Baroni against the cage. Baroni reverses and puts Nolte into the cage but he can't keep Nolte there as Nolte overpowers him back into the cage. Nolte with another big knee to the midsection and Baroni tries to drop down but he can't get the space he needs. Baroni throws two big shots that land but Nolte unphased. Baroni starts throwing punches wildly but nothing lands. Nolte looks to push him back into the cage but Baroni drops down and finally gets the takedown. Two minutes left and Baroni is on top landing punches. Nolte throws his legs up looking to escape but Baroni moves into side control. Baroni leaves an arm in and Nolte goes for the armbar but Baroni swings around and goes back to side control. Nolte works from the bottom as he lands knees to Baroni's side. Baroni finished the round on top but Nolte did damage early. Bloody Elbow gives round one Nolte 10-9.

Round 2: Baroni lands three big punches from behind Nolte to open the second as the action goes back to the cage. Baroni takes Nolte to the ground and works from inside of the guard. Baroni postures up and misses with two shots as Nolte ties him up. The referee stands them up and after trading punches Baroni takes Nolte to the ground. Nolte has ahold of the arm but Baroni is able to pull it loose and moves to side control. Baroni throwing short elbows but there isn't much on them as the crowd starts to boo a bit. 20 seconds left in the second and there hasn't been much action in the second but Baroni takes the second for scoring a takedown and keeping Nolte pinned down 10-9.

Round 3: It's anyone's fight and Nolte lands two big punches to open the final frame. Baroni fires back but Nolte throws a spinning heel kick that lands on Baroni. Baroni looks gassed and Nolte is looking exhuasted as well. Nolte lands a high knee and two more punches as Baroni sits back against the cage and gets peppered with two more shots. Nolte tries another spinning kick but misses and walks up and knees Baroni in the face again. Baroni slumps in and grabs on for the takedown. Baroni looks for the full mount and with two minutes to go Nolte is doing a good job of tying him up. Baroni gives up the attempt to mount and moves to side control. There has been some movement but no offense so to speak. 45 seconds left and the crowd boos. The fight ends with Baroni laying in side control and Nolte slams the canvas because he couldn't get Baroni off of him.

Phil Baroni wins the unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28).

Eric Marriott vs. Willian De Souza

Round 1: De Souza throws two outside leg kicks to start the fight and Marriott stuffs a takedown. De Souza throws two punches that miss and Marriott lands a right hand. A quick inside leg kick by Marriott and De Souza lands a right hand counter as the action hits the cage. Marriott lands a knee in the clinch and they break. Marriott lnads a jab and threatens the right but De Souza scrambles away. A jab by Marriott lands and De Souza shoots in again for a double but Marriott stuffs it and they go into the cage once again. De Souza stays active working for the takedown and is finally able to put Marriott on his back. It doesn't last long as De Souza looks for a choke but Marriott reverses position and takes top control. Marriott in half guard as De Souza curls up looking to shrimp out. De Souza gets the space he was looking for and gets back to his feet. Marriott throws a left that lands and then a side kick that makes De Souza fly backwards. De Souza is throwing punches as he is sticking his chin straight up in the air. The first round comes to an end and Bloody Elbow gives it to Marriott 10-9.

Round 2: The second round under way and the action is a bit tentative. Both fighters throw leg kicks and Marriott looks far more comfrotable than De Souza does. The fighters lock up in the clinch and De Souza lands two knees to the body and Marriott with a short shot off the split. Marriott with a knee to the face and a spinning back kick that misses. Marriott lands a left hook counter off a sloppy right hand from De Souza. Marriott lands a hard outside leg kick and De Souza shoots in for the takedown. He lands the trip but Marriott quickly scrambles out and gets top position. De Souza rolls back to guard as Marriott stands up and drops a hammer fist. De Souza back to his feet and a short left from Marriott. De Souza doesn't seem to have anything to offer in the striking department as he jumps at Marriott with punches but doesn't come close. Marriott takes the second round as well 10-9.

Round 3: Marriott picks up the tempo right out of the gates as he lands two punches and a hard leg kick to open the round. Marriott powers De Souza to the ground and has top/side control as he plants hammer fists on the side of De Souza's face. Marriott uses his hips to keep top as De Souza tries to sweep him but Marriott puts two hard elbows that find a home. Marriott dives back in and lands more hammer fists then moves to side control. De Souza has been in the turtle position for most of the round and when they work to their feet Marriott works the front headlock and lands a solid knee to De Souza. The action goes to the ground for a moment but De Souza works back to his feet. Marriott goes for another knee and De Souza takes the action to the ground again. Marriott is in control as De Souza latches onto his wrist. De Souza works to his feet and eats a Marriott spinning back kick to the mid section. De Souza charges forward and is taken down again where he immediately eats shots. Marriott lands two more shots when the bell sounds and won all three rounds of the fight.

Eric Marriott wins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Alonzo Martinez vs. Aaron Derrow

Round 1: Martinez lands a two hard punches in an initial flurry and then plants a knee on Derrow as they lock up in the clinch. Martinez nearly gets the takedown but Derrow shows great balance as he shakes him off. Martinez persists and takes Derrow to the ground. Martinez left his arm in and Derrow went for the reverse arm bar but Martinez was able to shake free. Martinez backs up and lets Derrow get up and puts a right hook on him as soon as he comes forward. Martinez follows up with a takedown and starts the ground and pound in the center of the cage. Martinez has the check board haircut that is worth mentioning and he back off before diving in with a right hand that misses. Two minutes left to go in the round and Martinez kicks at Derrow's legs while he is on his back. As soon as Martinez backs off Derrow gets back to his feet and comes in with a flurry. Derrow lands a left hand as the lock up in the clinch against the cage. Derrow misses off the break and Martinez lands a smacking left hook to Derrow's liver. 25 seconds left and both fighters throwing knees in the clinch. Derrow finishes the round with a flurry landing a left, right, left at the bell. Bloody Elbow gives first round to Martinez for takedowns and control 10-9.

Round 2: Derrow opens the second with a shoot but is stuffed as Martinez works free. Derrow still winging punches but Martinez lands a stiff counter shot and backs Derrow up. Over hand right from Martinez clips Derrow as he drops down. It is hard to tell if the punch dropped him or if he was going for the single but both fighters are bakc to their feet. Derrow throws a jab/cross combo to set up the double leg but Martinez stuffs him again. Derrow with a nice leg kick but as he misses with an uppercut Martinez clips him again. Derrow's knees buckle and Martinez flies in with a knee that misses. The action goes to the cage and Derrow has his wits back. Martinez shoots in for a takedown and Derrow rolls for the arm but misses and eats a right hand on the way down. One minute left to go in the round and Martinez has top position as he throws elbows. Martinez postures up and lands short punches to the body before landing a big right hand. Derrow goes for the armbar but Martinez easily slips out. The second round comes to an end and Bloody Elbow scores another round for Martinez 10-9.

Round 3: Martinez opens the round with a stiff left hand that back Derrow up but Derrow throws two big shots that puts Martinez on the mat. Derrow dives in to finish but Martinez rolls in an attempt to protect himself. Derrow goes for the arm but Martinez escapes once again. Martinez gets back to his feet and his eye is immediately swollen and bleeding. Derrow keeps up the pressure and lands a straight right and a left hook as Martinez wobbles. Derrow reaches in for the Muay Thai clinch and Martinez goes down. Derrow swarms again throwing big shots and Martinez is looking as if he is barely holding on. Derrow attempts to take the back but Martinez uses the fence to keep him on the side. Derrow swings around and takes side control and as he reaches for the arm he jumps around and takes Martinez's back. Derrow sinks in the rear naked choke but Martinez breaks free and reverses position. Martinez is looking re-energized as he lands a big left elbow to Derrow's face. 20 seconds left and both men are swinging for the fences. Both fighters land and when the bell sounds Derrow lands a left hook. A fantastic third round to Derrow but with Martinez taking the first two it should be his fight on Bloody Elbow's cards.

Alonzo Martinez takes the majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)

James Krause vs. Nathan Schut

Round 1: The fighters circle while they feel each other out and then Krause throws a vicious right high kick and smashes Schut in the face. Schut drops to the mat and Krause pounces to finish him off.

James Krause wins via KO (head kick) 0:40

Anthony Gutierrez vs. Jon Hollis

Round 1: Gutierrez throws a few kicks to start but Hollis secured the takedown to open the fight. Gutierrez went for the kimura but Hollis was able to get his arms free and worked from half guard. Hollis continued to work the ground and pound and Gutierrez was able to use the cage to get up but was quickly taken back down. Hollis landing two strong left elbows from the ground and pound and when Gutierrez attempts to throw his legs up for a triangle Hollis jumped to side control. Gutierrez was able to shift him back and got ahold of Hollis's arm and comes close to getting the armbar. Hollis escapes and lands three wild shots before getting another takedown. Gutierrez quickly throws his legs up once again and this time latches in the triangle. Hollis tries to fight free but he couldn't espcape and with 41 seconds left in the first Hollis taps.

Gutierrez wins via submission (triangle) Rnd1 4:40.

(All stats provided are against the top 8 ranked sides of the world.)

With the last two Tests of the year taking place simultaneously in the southern hemisphere, one would suppose we have enough information with us about who the best batsmen, bowlers and wicket keepers are for the bygone year. So without further ado, let's dive into it.

The first step to picking any XI is to decide on what combination of batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders one wishes to have at their disposal. Ideally having your top five as specialists, your number 6 as the batting all rounder, followed by the wicket keeper batsman, and then a bowling all rounder, plus three specialist bowlers would do the trick.

But with batting all rounders, like Jacques Kallis batting at number four, and wicketkeeping batsmen like Kumar Sangakkara batting at number three, the batting order may differ depending on the players selected.

The Openers

In the 21st century, selecting a good opening pair is probably the easiest task for a selector. With such few quality openers going around, it doesn't exactly pose a selection quandary.

For 2010, there were only a handful of batsmen who turned in, what one might label, world class performances. They were, in order of most runs scored against the top eight ranked sides, Virender Sehwag, Graeme Smith, Alastair Cook and Tamim Iqbal.

Shane Watson scored more runs for Australia than Iqbal did for Bangladesh, but his tendency to throw starts away has resulted in a mediocre average of 42, which effectively rules him out of contention.

Sehwag is an automatic choice for the team. For the last six years, the Nawab of Najafgarh, as he was proclaimed by Sunil Gavaskar himself, has been the premier opener in the world.

He has gotten runs on all kinds of surfaces, treating Dale Steyn and Muttiah Muralitharan with equal disdain. In 2010, he has continued in the same rich vein of form. With 1,237 runs so far in 20 innings and a mind boggling strike rate of over 90, comfortably the highest among all batsmen, Sehwag walks into almost any XI.

Choosing a partner for the erstwhile Sachin Tendulkar-clone is a tough task indeed. In Smith and Cook one would have ideal foils for Sehwag, just like his India and Delhi opening partner Gautam Gambhir provides.

Yet, Cook's early season failures effective put paid to his chances in the World XI. Of the 886 runs scored by Cook in the year, over 500 have come in his last five innings.

Smith is one of the classiest openers of all time, and would have walked into this XI with his impressive stats, had it not been for one Tamim Iqbal.

The dashing left hander from Bangladesh smashed an impressive 837 runs in the year, with some outstanding performances against England, both home and away, and a very memorable 150 against India in a fourth innings effort.

His striker rate, too, compares favorably with that of his partner. He strikers at a mind boggling 80 per 100 balls, 10 worse off than his partner, but still miles ahead of any other opener out there. The fact that he hails from a cricketing lightweight team only makes all his numbers look even more impressive.

Whether having two destructive batsmen as openers is a sound decision or not is up for debate. But in our fantasies, all practicality can go out the window, and we can just close our eyes and imagine these two stroke makers go hammer and tonks from the word go.

The Middle Order (Numbers 3, 4, 5)

Sangakkara would count himself unlucky on this one. With nearly seven hundred runs in just nine innings and an average of 99.28, you would think he would walk into the side.

But when you have a batsman in the middle of dream run, like Hashim Amla is at the moment, even Bradman would struggle to make it. The classy South African has pulverized bowling all over the world from his own back yard of South Africa to his ancestral home of the sub continent.

Amla started 2010 in AB de Villiers' shadow. But 16 innings and 1138 runs later, there is no doubt in an SA supporter's mind who the premier batsman in the side is. At number 3, Amla occupies a spot that is more crucial than most batting positions. He is the shield between the new ball bowlers and the middle order in case of an early wicket.

He is also the first line of attack if the openers are successful in laying a solid platform. While his strike rate of 51 might suggest a stoic batsman, having Sehwag and Iqbal as openers should give him some cushion to take his time.

The selection for the number four slot is as easy as it gets for a selector. Kallis may edge Tendulkar out when it comes to the performances particularly from the fourth slot, but taking into consideration Tendulkar's crucial knocks from number 5, due to India's policy of introducing night watchmen upon the fall of a wicket late in the day, Tendulkar gets the spot for yet another vintage year.

Five centuries, nearly 1300 runs, all at an average of 76 puts this right at the top of Tendulkar's year on year pile. The fact that the man is fast approaching is 38th birthday only makes his numbers seem even more insane.

For the final middle order slot, we have a fight on our hands. It's de Villiers versus Venkata Sai Laxman. Where de Villiers is destructive, Laxman is poetry in motion. Laxman is all wrist and fine angles, de Villiers all about the punchy drives and clearing mid wicket.

The two couldn't be more dissimilar, except for the common love of scoring runs. De Villiers boasts the superior run aggregate and conversion rate, whereas Laxman epitomizes the grit and fighting spirit required at this position. Laxman's two back to back fourth innings specials, 103, unbeaten, against Sri Lanka in Colombo, followed by 73* at Mohali epitomized Laxman's mastery over pressure situations.

This is the man who scripted what is perhaps the greatest modern day innings, 281 against Australia after following on. Both innings came at blistering strike rates, the one at Mohali especially so.

Where he batted with newbie Suresh Raina at the P Sara Oval to finish a fantastic win, his effort at Mohali was even more surreal, putting on 81 for the ninth wicket with Ishant Sharma and guiding India home from a stage where the game looked sealed for Australia.

De Velliers' case is perhaps not as straight forward. He constantly threw away starts against England at home, failed to make a major impression in India, and barring the utter destruction of a weak West Indies and highly under strength Pakistani attacks, de Villers' only remaining stand out innings is his better than a run a ball 129 in the first Test against India in South Africa at Centurion.

All things considered, Laxman gets my vote of confidence.

All-rounders and Wicket-keepers

There really is very little to argue when it comes to selecting the batting all rounder. Watson with 843 runs at 42.15 and 19 wickets at 26.52 over shadows even Kallis. There really is no debate with this one.

M.S. Dhoni leads the way for the wicket keepers. While Matt Prior, Brad Haddin and Kamran Akmal boast higher dismissals-per-innings rates, Dhoni seals the deal with his batting ability, and the fact that he is probably the best captain going around at the moment.

The likes of Smith and Andrew Strauss have very good bowling at their disposal, but to marshal a mediocre bowling unit to the number one slot and keeping them there requires more effort than topping dismissal charts at 35 for the year. A lot more, which also earns him the captain's position.

The bowling all rounder's slot is an interesting deal. Harbhajan Singh lies sixth on the wicket takers' list for 2010 with 35 sticks at a horrendous average of 44.2. But an economy rate of 2.9 coupled with over 420 runs and two centuries establish Singh as the best batsmen among the top ten wicket takers for the year, giving the much hyped spinner the number 8 slot.

The Bowling Attack

2010 could very well be marked down, in years to come, as the year which marked the resurgence of fast bowling in Test match cricket. From Steyn to Zaheer Khan, James Anderson to Morne Morkel, Mohammed Amir to Mitchell Johnson, fast bowlers have ruled the roost this year as they seldom have in the past decade. Where in bygone years he Warnes, the Muralis and the Kumbles would top wicket taking charts, they have made way for a new wave of wicket taking fast men.

Yet, at least one berth must be made available for a spinner. And that is what we will do first, before picking a new ball opening pair. If you thought picking the middle order was a cake walk, this will seem like… I really don't know what could be easier than that, so I will leave it to the reader's discretion.

But anyway, the spinner's slot in the World XI for 2010 goes to the one and only Graeme Swann. The English off spinner has been a breath of fresh air. At a time when Singh has made spin bowling look like climbing Mt. Everest with half a shoe lace, Swann has used his attacking instincts, well complemented by a captain who has shown faith in his abilities to pick up 40 wickets at just under 25. His economy and strike rates are impressive too for a spinner. All in all, the complete spin bowling package.

And now, the final piece, or pieces, of the jigsaw. The real question is who should partner Steyn, as , just as with Sehwag, he has simply blown competition away.

He takes wickets at a regularity, which most batsmen would rotate strike. His strike rate of 39.5 is simply stunning, with only Steven Finn and Ryan Harris coming close to matching the figure among all bowlers with 20 or more wickets.

Steyn also has nine more wickets than his nearest competitor, Anderson, with three five-fors and a ten wicket match haul. Easily the best fast bowler on the planet.

To partner him, we primarily have two contenders. England's Anderson, and India's Khan. With likes of Amir and Mohammad Asif ruling themselves out with accusations of match fixing against them, the Anglo-Indian pair come closest to providing Steyn with any competition for his throne.

Khan has been the lone work horse for his side. Complemented by huge underachievers, such as Singh and Ishant Sharma, Khan is often relied upon by Dhoni to not just pick wickets, but also bowl with frugality.

It's a balance Khan has achieved masterfully. He is probably the greatest exponent of the reverse swing ever produced outside of Pakistan. It has been his primary weapon on the dead sub continental tracks, the only place he has bowled in so far this season. He is yet to bowl in South Africa, with the Indian batting still in progress in the Boxing Day Test, but expect him to do well in conditions which complement him for a change.

Anderson has been a different proposition altogether. Flanked by fantastic support from the likes of Swann, Broad and new boy Finn, Anderson has lead his attack with distinction, finally fulfilling the promise with which he burst on to the scene just before the 2003 World Cup.

As mentioned, he is second highest wicket taker for the year, 47 wickets at an average just marginally better than Steyn. His ability to swing the new ball accurately and getting openers playing sets him apart as a fine new ball bowler.

If Khan has played more cricket and been less affected by injuries, the second fast bowlers spot could have been his for the taking, but Anderson, with his consistent displays all through the year get him the coveted position of Steyn's new ball partner.

The Final XI

1. V. Sehwag (IND)
   
2. T. Iqbal (BAN)
   
3. H.M. Amla (SA)
   
4. S.R. Tendulkar (IND)
   
5. V.V.S. Laxman (IND)
   
6. S.R. Watson (AUS)
   
7. M.S. Dhoni (IND) (C)
   
8. H. Singh (IND)
   
9. G.P. Swann (ENG)
   
10. D.W. Steyn (SA)
    
11. J.M. Anderson (ENG)

Mitchell Johnson? Australian momentum? England's talisman has no fears ahead of the Boxing Day Test

Kevin Pietersen is cricket's high roller and the stakes could not be higher when a potential world-record Test crowd of more than 90,000 floods into the MCG on Boxing Day. When the stakes are high, Pietersen raises them with a gleam in his eye – and he has placed the lot on Mitchell Johnson.

Johnson went from world cricketer of the year to figure of fun and then took nine wickets to win the third Test for Australia in Perth with a display of fast, left-arm inswing bowling that left England in disarray. No problem, says Pietersen, England are ready for him.

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"It was just a week to forget, and now it's 1-1 going to Melbourne," Pietersen said. "If we'd been offered that at the start of the tour, I'm sure we'd have said: 'OK, let's get going.' We lost the Perth Test within half an hour: five for 20. I can promise you right now, I have no worries about momentum or anything.

"Why not? Because I know I didn't prepare for a swinging ball as much as Mitchell Johnson swung the ball. I didn't realise he could swing it back as much as he did. And none of our batters did. He's a fantastic cricketer. He's been world cricketer of the year. And I've never faced him swinging the ball back into me.

"When I did face him in the second innings and I lined myself up, I felt totally fine against him. We just didn't line him up properly. He's allowed to do that. He's a world-class bowler and he had a wonderful game of cricket. He caught us by surprise. We lost five for 20 and when you lose five for 20 you lose a Test match. Simple."

The MCG will adopt Pietersen as the pantomime villain in the Melbourne Test, an accolade given to few: Jardine, Boycott, Brearley, Botham, all in their own way representatives of the dangerous Pom. The boos will carry across the Melbourne suburbs almost to the Mornington Peninsula. You can taste his excitement.

He is approaching the Boxing Day Test in particularly edgy mood. He had not one but two mobiles by his side, and when one messaged him midway through a sentence he turned both over, instantly, as if battling an addiction. If Pietersen is resisting a tweet then something important must be building. And there were still four days to go to the Test.

"Nervous energy is always good as a sportsman. It's a great feeling. If you're not nervous then you're taking things for granted. You shouldn't be doing your job. With nerves you just want to do well. This Test is one of those where you just look at it and think: can't wait."

Pietersen thinks Johnson will not swing it as much as at the Waca. It is a fair bet because by his own admission he has never swung it as much in his life. A stiff breeze blew across the Waca and his wrist was in decent shape. Pietersen says that England's bowling coach has talked down the chance of a repeat. (The batting coach, Graham Gooch, incidentally, has gone home. Make sense of that it you can. You just can't get the staff to work Christmas.)

"According to David Saker, it doesn't swing as much at the MCG, but I'm going to prepare as though he's going to swing it," Pietersen said. "I hold my hands up and say I didn't prepare for that and I felt really, really dudded. I have to line myself up better in my stance and think he can swing it. It's a mental adjustment."

Johnson versus Pietersen has become the No1 Ashes sideshow. You have to be quite earnest not to be vaguely intrigued about the context of the entirely frivolous story about Pietersen offering Johnson his phone number. A sledge that went wrong? A display of international friendship from a player who likes to ally himself with the best? Pietersen, to his immense credit, cringes, then provides an answer. "Things that happen on the field should stay on the field," he said. "You guys love feeding him lines and he chats. I'm not talking. I was just seeing if I could be his friend. We play this game to make friends. Next question."

He insisted that talk of an Ashes sledging war is a nonsense, a relief to those observers who had imagined that they were going deaf. "The English take is that we didn't hear anything or see anything differently to what normally happens in a Test match," he said. "Having played against Warne and McGrath, the sledging here is nonexistent. You haven't seen any huge battles on the field or any proper abuse. No one's said anything to me after they bowled a ball to me.

"I don't feel intimidated by the Australians. We understand that they are very vulnerable – there are a lot of areas in their team that are very vulnerable. And we just need to do what we do and wipe the slate clean and forget Perth. Think about Adelaide – think about how well we did there, and how well we did in Brisbane. We're absolutely fine."

Pietersen thinks Australia's captain, Ricky Ponting, will play with a broken little finger. "I've played in a series with a finger broken. It's not a huge drama. You just numb it so you don't feel the pain. It's obviously dead. Ricky Ponting might bat without gloves, he's so tough."

Pietersen has an ego, Pietersen gushes, Pietersen messes up at the most inappropriate time. Everybody has heard the charges. But there was something impressive about a man who would politely and amusingly answer questions about just why he drove a yellow Lamborghini down the Great Ocean Road after England's win in the second Test in Adelaide and got nicked for speeding. If this is an ego, it is a happy and unabashed one, and better for that.

"I got offered the opportunity to drive a yellow car and as any 30-year-old man would do, I said 'yep'. And I went for a drive and unfortunately got caught 5-6mph over the speed limit, which I'm not proud about, but I wasn't reckless at all. I thought the speed limit was 110kph. To be honest, I hardly even had my foot on the accelerator. I was being overtaken by trucks. Can you imagine that?"

He was asked if he had got carried away by his double hundred in Adelaide. His answer was piercingly honest. "I have a fancy car at home. I live in a lovely house. I didn't sell my Ferrari when I got nought, or didn't sell anything else when I did badly over the last 18 months. Why should that affect what I do? If you look at my tweets to Warney, I was always driving that car whether I got 0 or 220. You guys read too much into things. Just let me be. I'm just enjoying my life. We have such amazing lives – just let us live."

There are times when whatever your philosophy of life you are tempted to run with Pietersen. At those times, as a cricketer, he can be at his most prolific. England's coach, Andy Flower, never misses a chance to challenge him to be the man. If he swings the Melbourne Test England's way, his reputation will be forever assured. The rest will just be gossip.

"I just think we've got a wonderful opportunity to do something that hasn't been done for 25 years," he said. "I think that's driving us all on to do something amazing. We only have to win one more Test match, or draw the next two, and we'll have done that little thing that's amazing."

Amazing is what KP wants to be. Amazing is what we may or may not be about to witness.

Without the wind to assist him at the MCG, Mitchell Johnson may not pose the threat to England that he did in Perth

Imagine a leg‑break bowler who cannot bowl a googly or top‑spinner. Or an off‑break bowler without a drifter. Then contemplate the lot of a left-arm pace bowler whose sole modus operandi is to fire the ball across the bows of the right‑handed batsman and hope he chases one and edges. Think in fact of Alan Mullally. There are few things batsmen like more than a predictable bowler who spins or swings it one way only.

For two years, since he destroyed South Africa in Durban, until he did the same to England at the Waca, that was the fortune of Mitchell Johnson. Fast of course when he got it right, but the more he tried to swing the ball into the right‑hander, the delivery that is fundamental to any left‑arm paceman of ambition, the more it seemed to want to do the opposite.

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So batsmen were able to play him on the line. Anything on the stumps and bat could be put to ball while anything off target could be ignored secure in the knowledge that it was not going to boomerang back and make them look foolish. Then, last Friday, in one inspirational bowling spell, that whole perception changed. From here on in it may not actually matter if Johnson gets another ball from the straight, for the notion has been planted that he might, and the threat is often as potent as the deed.

Quite how Johnson manages to swing the ball at all is a mystery, probably as much to him as anyone. Certainly he does not conform to the normal physical laws of orthodox swing bowling, where the seam is upright and a loose wrist promotes backward rotation on the ball to maintain its stability, like a gyroscope. No teachers of swing would need to look further than the seam position maintained by Jimmy Anderson at his best.

But this is all delivered from a high arm action. Johnson's bowling arm is so low, a round‑arm slingshot, that the umpires will soon be required to wear hard hats. So low indeed that he cannot physically get his wrist into the upright position that can deliver a perfect seam. In fact it was perplexing to see the television super-slow motion, which showed the seam scrambling on the way down, which is to say revolving randomly. Unless very occasionally the seam actually scrambles itself into the correct position by chance, it is hard to understand how the ball then swerves.

Nor is it quite the same as the movement obtained by the Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga, with whom Johnson is often compared. However, the difference is considerable, Johnson's bowling arm coming round between 10 and 11 on a clock face, while Malinga "The Slinger" would barely reach 10 o'clock. The swing Malinga gets is more akin to that which might be seen with a Frisbee, a skimming motion, where the rotation on the ball is almost in a horizontal plane: swerve rather than swing in other words.

Instead, leaving aside all the reports of remedial work done since he was dropped from the Adelaide Test (which seem to range from eulogising Troy Cooley's biomechanics to a 10‑minute session with Dennis Lillee) the strongest theory regarding Johnson's performance in Perth relates to nothing more than the wind. From the second day onwards, the wind blew consistently oven-hot from the east, a counterpoint to the prevailing Fremantle Doctor, the cooling south‑westerly sea breeze that comes up the Swan River virtually on a daily basis at some stage in the afternoon. This easterly, say those who know the Waca well, is the wind that promotes swing.

But an understanding of why it happened makes it no easier to play. In fact, it was the arbitrary nature of his spell that contributed to England's downfall, for alert batsmen can look for clues in the bowler, from the way he holds the ball, to spotting the shiny side. Quite clearly Johnson tried to bowl considerably more of the inswinging delivery but succeeded only in pushing the ball wide instead as it refused to change course. Leaving the ball in such circumstance becomes fraught, to which Paul Collingwood would testify, his decision to offer no stroke too far gone to be able to react sufficiently quickly when the ball ducked into his pads.

It will be a surprise if Johnson can repeat his trickery at the MCG. Fully enclosed grounds can create their own micro-climate, but as with the Gabba it is not renowned as a swinging ground but rather one that can seam while the ball is new, and perhaps reverse swings later. The danger for England's batsmen now, though, is that because of the potential, there will be a temptation to want to play deliveries that until now their gameplan has been to avoid. It is a mindset they will do well to avoid although one it will be hard to avoid.

As Andy Flower has said about Perth, although the destructive spell came when the Australians had had a chance to work on the ball, there were indications with the newish ball to England's pair of left‑handed openers that he was just shaping the ball a fraction away from them. Perhaps the biggest clue will come from Ben Hilfenhaus and Ryan Harris, both of whom can swing the new ball. If they fail to get any real movement then the chances are that Johnson will not either.

Indian players celebrating after dismissal of Brendon MCllum at the 5th ODI against New Zealand at MAC Stadium, in Chennai on December 10, 2010. UNI PHOTO

Shirking off two early setbacks, India wrapped up the one-day international series against New Zealand with a resounding 5-0 margin, winning the fifth and final match by eight wickets before a cheering, near capacity crowd at the M A Chidambaram Stadium here today.

After dismissing the Kiwis for just 103 in 27 overs, the hosts reached their victory target in only 21.2 overs, helped by an unbeaten 107-run stand for the third wicket between Parthiv Patel and Yuvraj Singh.

Both southpaws, Patel (56 not out, 70 balls, six fours, one six) and Yuvraj (42 not out, 46 balls, six fours, two sixes), coming ahead of Rohit Sharma, sent the Kiwi bowlers scurring for cover, as it were,

Skipper Gautam Gambhir fell for a duck off the third ball of India's innings, snicking to Brendon McCullum behind the wicket off Nathan McCullum to sound an ominous start to an easy chase.

The Kiwis were cock-a-hoop as their skipper Daniel Vettori claimed the prize wicket of Virat Kohli who too fell for a duck after facing eight balls. He was held by Ross Taylor to see India probably heading for trouble at 10-2 in 3.2 overs.

But the Kiwis' luck ended there as also Vettori's strategy of opening the bowling attack with two spinners - himself and Nathan.

The other opener, Patel, who was joined at the crease by Yuvraj Singh, wanting to find form in the run up to the 2011 World Cup after his wrist injury, opened up to the Kiwi bowlers who were shuffled around by Vettori.

Much to the delight of the crowd, both played some sparkling shots, Parthiv excelling on the off side, driving with aplomb.

The game swung more or less in India's favour again as by the end of 15 overs, the score read 75 for 2, just 28 behind.

They were 13 runs behind at 90 for 2 after the 18th over. India posted the 100 mark in 20.2 overs and were just four runs behind the victory target when Patel posted his second 50 (64 balls) in this series. Now, they were level at 103 at the end of the 21st over.

A fan getting his face painted before entering the MAC Stadium to witness the 5th ODI between India and New Zealand, in Chennai on December 10, 2010. UNI PHOTO

Patel then brought down the curtains on the highly one-sided contest, again pulling Grant Elliot to the fence.

They won the game with 173 balls to spare, the best ever after its 160 balls to spare win against New Zealand at Auckland in May 1994, according to the record books.

This was India's second 5-0 win in the annals of one-day internationals. Earlier, they had achieved a similar feat against England in 2008-09 in the home series.

This was also the 25th time when a team recorded such a feat in ODIs.

While Yuvraj Singh was declared Man of the Match, Gautam Gambhir was the Man of the Series.

Earlier, off-spinner R Ashwin and makeshift trundlers Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan struck stunning blows, as New Zealand's hopes of salvaging some pride by winning the fifth and final ODI vanished as they crashed to a paltry 103 off 27 overs.

Opting to bat after winning the toss, the Kiwis lost their first wicket, of opener Martin Guptill, for a duck off pacer Praveen Kumar.

Gaining confidence after Guptill's wicket, the Indian bowlers never looked back after that as they turned the heat on the visitors.

For New Zealand, Jamie How (23) and Scot Styris (24) were the two batsmen to wage a losing battle.

Their 43-run stand for the fourth wicket off 73 balls was the only noteworthy achievement of the Kiwi batting.

Tamil Nadu off-spinner Ashwin with figures of 3/24 in 8 overs was the most successful among the Indian bolwers, bowling with the right line and length.

Yuvraj (2-50 in 2 overs), Pathan (2-11 in 3 overs), Praveen (1-20) and Ashish Nehra (2-34 off 5 overs) were the other contributors for India.

The Kiwis' score was their second lowest ODI score against India after the 118 at Dambola recently in the Sri Lanka tri-series.

The sparse crowd that reduced the decibel level and the balmy weather with the sun not yet fully out after three days of destructive rains did not quite seem to inspire the New Zealand batsmen.

They were off to an awful start losing both their openers Guptill (0) and Test hero Brendon McCullum (14) in 15 balls. They were 18-2 in the first four overs.

A batting collapse appeared to be on the cards when off the fourth ball of the first over, pacer Praveen had Guptill snicking an easy edge to Parthiv Patel, who gloved the ball moving to his right outside the right hander's offstump.

McCullum dazzled in the second over, pulling left arm pacer Nehra past square leg to the fence and then cover drove. He finished off that over with another four to raise hopes for his team. But McCullum too fell.

Nehra, who reached the milestone of becoming the sixth left-arm pace bowler to bag 150 wickets in ODIs, trapped the big hitting Kiwi leg before wicket for 14 of 10 balls with three fours.

But more was to follow as the Indian pace duo apeared to be extracting some life out of the wicket.

Ross Taylor, on whom the onus lay to pull the team out of the rut also bade goodbye. He gave Patel his second catch behind the stumps snicking Nehra, the bowler's 150th ODI wicket. He was the 52nd bolwer in the world to reach that mark and the 11th Indian in the list.

Taylor's dismissal off the fourth ball of the sixth over saw the Kiwis gasping for breath at 3-28. The new batsman Styris and Jamie had their hands full. The occasional beating of drums and hooters now sounded like death knell for the struggling Kiwis as Indian captain Gambhir took the second power play at the end of the 10th over with the Kiwi score reading a pathetic 47-3.

Howerver, Jamie brightened up things hitting Praveen to the fence and he and Styris appeared to be digging in

Pacer Munaf Patel took over from Nehra and off-spinner Ashwin playing on his home ground, replaced Praveen as runs seemed to be trickling in for the Kiwis. After 16 overs, they crawled to 68-3, but showing some measure of confidence.

But as the partnership appeared to be growing, though playing Ashwin with some discomfort, Gambhir brought in make-shift spinner Yuvraj Singh bowling left-arm spin. The latter struck immediately to castle Jamie How who missed the line. The Kiwis were down at 71-4 with How having scored 23 off 42 balls with four fours.

Then in the fifth ball of the 18th over, Ashwin struck trapping Styris(24, 45 bals,two fours) to see the Kiwis on the mat now at 73-5 off 18.4 overs.

That was not all. Yuvraj, coming on for his second over, struck again removing a tentative Grant Elliot leg before wicket for a duck. Elliot faced just five balls.

At 6-74 off 19.4 overs, Kiwi skipper Vettori walked to the wicket, visions of a 5-0 whitewash already tormenting him. Plodding on for 11 balls and pushing the score to 90, he fell to Pathan for 9 as Yuvraj snapped a low catch that Vettori edged to him. The game was truly gone now with three wickets remaining and only 90 runs on the board.

Pathan, who had struck heavy blows with the bat in the previous match at Bangalore, struck with the ball again having Nathan McCulum caught by Yuvraj Singh to see them down 98-8 of 25.2 overs.

But the New Zealanders managed to post their 100 off 24.4 overs. Soon after, it was all over for them when Ashwin struck for his second wicket to remove Kyle Mills hitting into the hands of Saurabh Tiwari. He scored 4 off seven balls with one four. Ashwin struck again to end the Kiwi innings at 103 off 27 overs removing Tim Southee for the third duck in New Zealand innings when he had the latter caught by Rohit Sharma. Tim faced just two balls.

In the event, left hander James Franklin's unbeaten 17 off 24 balls with one four should have brought him immense joy!

NNN

• Michael Clarke dismissed in final over
• Australia still trail by 137 runs going into last day

As England retired to the dressing room earlier today, they knew that ultimately, the fate of the second Test match lay in the weather. Rain knocked an hour from play after tea, and they knew the prognosis. But if the winning of this Test always looked a race against time, then from what proved to be the final ball of the day they would have seen a glimmer. It brought a wicket, but not just any wicket. Michael Clarke is, along with Mike Hussey, the best player of spin in the Australian side and had made 80, with the end in sight, when he succumbed, not to Graeme Swann, declared the best spin bowler in the world, but to Kevin Pietersen who began his cricket life as an off-spin bowler only to become a master batsman instead. Australia finished the fourth day on 238 for four, with Hussey on 44 and the deficit still 137.

Pietersen was Andrew Strauss's last throw of the dice in an effort to break a highly skilful partnership between Clarke and Hussey that was frustrating them. All else had been exhausted: Jimmy Anderson, seemingly lacking the immediacy of his bowling thus far in the series, was given a towelling, 70 runs coming from 15 overs, his runs leaked to all parts of the Adelaide Oval; Steven Finn had taken a wicket and was getting a modicum of reverse swing but was being played with some comfort. Worryingly, Stuart Broad had been absent from the attack for a while with a stomach muscle strain and Paul Collingwood had enjoyed a couple of overs spinning his cutters but to no avail.

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And Swann, on in the 10th over of the innings, had toiled through 34 overs, spinning the ball sharply from the footmarks created by the pounding of Doug Bollinger's clodhoppers during England's mammoth innings. There were a couple of wickets for him as well: first Simon Katich, his injured achilles such an encumbrance that although bravely opening the batting he was hobbling, able to run only with all the alacrity of someone chasing a bus while carrying heavy shopping; next Ricky Ponting, superbly caught at slip by Paul Collingwood, a huge blow for Australia.

But Clarke and Hussey had managed to turn back the England tide which saw the scoreboard read 134 for three, with a stand of 108. Australia, faced with a deficit of 375, the biggest against a touring side in Australia for 36 years, had come at England strongly in their second innings, counterattacking, playing shots with gusto. If down they were going, it was going to be in flames. Boundaries abounded, some involuntary, others sumptuous. It was exhilarating, seat-of-the-pants cricket.

The Australian batsmen rode their luck. Edges flew just wide of fielders, miscues went into open spaces. When Swann came on at the Cathedral End, it was a pivotal moment and immediately he created problems. Katich, pushing forward without conviction, edged to Matt Prior. Ponting came, got off his pair imperiously with a back-foot punch through the covers, and then swept Swann hard for a second boundary. Strauss moved a man back, Ponting decided not to repeat the stroke next ball, prodded instead and edged. Was it a deliberate ball or one that simply did not spin? It matters not. Ponting, who has started series so strongly in the past, has now made 10, 51 not out, 0 and 9.

Then came Clarke. He might have gone first ball had Ian Bell, at silly point, been a yard deeper as he too thrust firmly and got a bat and pad edge. Thereafter, he played with a freedom that belied his back condition. He saw Finn dispose of Shane Watson for 57, yet another half-century not converted into something more substantial. But Hussey, almost out of the side a fortnight ago, is in the form of his life once more. The feet of both batsmen twinkled against Swann. Broad's indisposition deprived England of the weapon believed to be most feared by Clarke, and instead of hammering at him, he was to be found in the nets, bowling gingerly, under the eye of Andy Flower, David Saker and the physio, Kirk Russell. His stomach muscles were strapped up and a dozen or so deliveries sufficed: it did not look promising.

Gradually, though, the rough was starting to have an effect. Swann ripped one ball as might a wrist spinner, beating batsman, stumps and keeper. Another spun inside the bat to take the pad and rebounded to Collingwood at slip. They claimed a catch, Tony Hill concurred but on referral was shown to be wrong.

Clarke had hit 11 fours when Strauss called up Pietersen. Those who have seen him bowl in the past recognise someone who can turn the ball and ought to be in a position to bowl more than he does. The second ball of his second over spun sharply at Clarke, who could only play it from his bat on to his thigh and thence to short-leg where Alastair Cook made good ground to take the catch. This time it was England who referred the not out decision and got the verdict. The value of the wicket at that time was magnified, for Pietersen was in the final over before the second new ball became available. Now they knew that a new batsman would be at the crease to face it.

England had decided to bat on in the morning, a debatable option given the forecast but one which they hoped would not force them to bat a second time. But in the 41 minutes they spent scoring a further 69 runs, Pietersen was able to reach 227, his highest Test score before giving poor Xavier Doherty a consolation wicket. Bell and Prior, though, kept on the pressure, Bell finishing unbeaten on 68 when Strauss called them in. England's 620 for five was their highest score in Australia since 1928 when they made 636 at Sydney.

• 'I was so disappointed, my emotions got best of me'
• Australian batsman becomes Kevin Pietersen's fifth Test wicket

Michael Clarke has issued an apology on Twitter for failing to walk when he was dismissed off the last ball of the fourth day in a dramatic conclusion to the second Test.

Clarke had held up England for nearly three hours, but brazened it out when umpire Tony Hill gave him not out, and England immediately called for a television referral, convinced that he had been caught at short leg.

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"Just want to apologise for not walking off the ground tonight when I hit the ball," Clarke tweeted. "I was just so disappointed, my emotions got best of me."

Clarke, who became Kevin Pietersen's fifth Test wicket, had earlier been spared by the Umpire Decision Review process when umpire Hill made another error in adjudging that he had been caught at first slip, only to be overturned on appeal.

There was no apology, however, from Clarke's batting partner, Mike Hussey, who related without any embarrassment whatsoever that he, too, had tried to influence umpire Hill in not giving the decision — presumably with some success.

"Michael was pretty destroyed at getting out," said Hussey, who was unbeaten on 44 at the close. "It was a very sombre day for us because he had played awesome cricket, the way we have loved watching him play. It was just disappointing that he could not get through to the end of the day.

"Initially, I remember looking back at the umpire and yelling 'no, no, no,' hoping he wasn't going to give it out. By the time I turned around England had referred it. I could tell in Michael's body language that he knew he was out and that it was going to show up on the video.

"It was a bit of a kick in the guts to lose that one in the last over but we are still in their fighting. When someone is having a great game it is not a bad move to give someone who is doing well a chance with the ball and sometimes they pull off something special. There had been quite a few from Swann that bounced a lot and so did that.

"Swann has improved out of sight since I played with him at Northants, both his patience and discipline. I remember at Wantage Road he could bowl amazing deliveries, but then let the pressure off with one or two bad deliveries an over. Now he hardly bowls a loose ball. There was very little margin for error for him in Brisbane but here there is a lot more in his favour. Everyone was really nervous in that first Test, but now everybody is playing naturally."

Swann's figures of two for 72 from 34 overs did not reveal how dangerous he looked on a pitch that turned increasingly sharply as the day wore on. He was as relieved as anyone at Pietersen's wicket which concluded an otherwise frustrating final session after a thunderstorm that Clarke and Hussey had threatened to bat out.

"It's a massive bonus for us," Swann said. "For the last session it was tough going for us with Australia's two best players of spin at the crease both of them playing well. Sometimes you need a bit of inspiration and who else but KP to give you that. It wasn't very enjoyable in the last session because the ball got wet and my fingers got sore. It was of those sessions where I felt the world was against me. Sometimes the best captains in the world are those who say 'take a break mate.' I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed when I came off, but it was great when Kev came on and did that.

"Clarke is the best player of spin. For KP to get him out like that was magic. The only people who say KP is an outcast are those who are not in the group. He is as popular member of our dressing room as anyone else. We love KP — especially when he is getting a double hundred and taking their best player out in the last over."

Swann also confirmed that the delivery that dismissed Ricky Ponting was nothing more complicated than a non-turning off-spinner. "A couple of balls had spun viciously and that one didn't turn as much. I will take all the plaudits for my clever use of the wrist but truth be told it was just the same ball."

The day that ended on the field with Pietersen doing an impression of Swann, ended in the media conference with Swann doing an impression of Pietersen. "KP came off and said: 'It's turning square out there, it's impossible to bat.'" If England are laughing as much tomorrow, they will be 1-0 up in the series.

One day after being bag-skated by Coach Jacques Martin, the Montreal Canadiens welcomed the L.A. Kings to the Bell Centre in another yardstick match for the Habs.

While the Canadiens looked a little tentative early in the game, they quickly turned things around by scoring on the power play and never looked back.

Coach Martin has to be happy with his teams play as they clearly heard his cries and responded with a 60-minute team effort. From Price on out, the Canadiens were the better team and played a tight, well executed game based on quick transition and speed through the neutral zone.

For all the talk about the Kings being Cup contenders, they really didn't look very impressive last night. They looked lost and even players like Drew Doughty, usually one of the best players on the ice, looked average at best. To be fair, however, the Kings do have a boatload of injuries and are going through a bit of a slide right now. As such, I don't think last night's game was a true representation of what they are capable of.

That being said, the Canadiens deserve full marks for taking it to their floundering opponent. They rebounded nicely from a disappointing effort in Philly with 11 different players getting their names on the score sheet.

The scoring included goals from veterans Andrei Kostitsyn, Michael Cammalleri, Tomas Plekanec and a bonus goal by rookie, Lars Eller—his first regular season goal in a Habs uniform. With assists from Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez, that makes five of the top six players who got points last night.

You know that's got to put a smile on Martin's face, even if it is indiscernible.

Interesting stat of the night: Prior to last night's game, the Canadiens were 8-0-0 in games where P.K. Subban had at least one point. After getting an assist on Kostitsyn's power play marker in the winning effort, that record moved to 9-0-0.

Final score: Habs 4 - Kings 1

Habs' scorers: Andrei Kostitsyn (8), Michael Cammalleri (7), Tomas Plekanec (8), Lars Eller (1)
Kings' scorers: Alec Martinez (1)

Three Stars: 1. Andrei Kostitsyn, 2. Lars Eller, 3. Michael Cammalleri


Game Notes

1. Price was able to fight through the physical contact.

For a rare occasion this season, there was a ton of physical contact taking place in Price's crease. As such, he was knocked down and lost his stick several times during the game. With Ryan Smyth in their lineup, it is no real surprise that the Kings did so much crease crashing. Smyth is one of the best in the league at making legal or borderline legal contact with the opposing goaltender without taking a penalty.

What was impressive, however, was how well Price maintained his focus and positioning despite all of the traffic around him and the bodies crashing into him.

Price is playing with the calmness and patience of a seasoned veteran right now, and nothing seems to rattle him. When he is on top of his game, as he is so far this season, he looks very big in the net and gives the opposition very little to shoot at.

Of the 25 shots the Kings fired at him, only a handful were dangerous and while Price wasn't tested a lot last night, he made the key saves when he was called upon. The lone goal that got past Price was on a play where Ryan Smyth collided with him and he was unable to get across to make the save. The play was borderline clean, as Smyth was outside of the blue paint, but there was no question that the contact impeded Price's ability to make the save.

Were it not for that incidental contact, Price would have had another shutout.

The win was Price's 13th in 21 games and matches his win total for the entire 2009 NHL season. His 13th victory puts him in first place among all goaltenders for wins.


2. Is Gomez waking up?

With Tomas Plekanec and Dustin Brown in the box for elbowing and interference, respectively, the Habs used the extra room to get a 2-0 lead on a bullet by Cammalleri from the point. On the play, Scott Gomez was tied up with the defenseman in front and screening Kings' goaltender, Jonathan Bernier. While he didn't score the goal himself, Gomez played a pivotal role in making it happen by going to the front of the net.

In fact, Gomez seemed to be going to the net on almost every shift. In addition, where he has seemed lost over recent games, he was more engaged and his focus was palpable.

Gomez was doing all of the little things to help make the team successful and, when a player is slumping, that is all you can ask of them. If the player focuses on the details, the rest usually falls into place.

Now Gomez is clearly not back to the level where he needs to be, but last night's game was a huge step in the right direction.

Could it be a sign of things to come?


3. Hello Andrei Kostitsyn, and welcome back!

The slumbering bear, as Joel Bouchard from RDS calls him, awoke from his hibernation to be the main offensive catalyst in the Canadiens' win. With one goal, one assist and a plus-1 rating in 16:36 minutes of ice time, AK46 looked like that bulldog who is capable of scoring 30-plus goals in a season.

On his first goal of the game, Kostitsyn used his lightning quick release to wrist a bullet five-hole on Bernier. That goal illustrated what an incredible shot he has and why he needs to be shooting more often.

On the second goal, where AK46 got an assist, he created the entire play by beating two Kings' defenders and firing another bullet through a screen on Bernier. The shot was stopped but AK's foray into the Kings' zone seemed to destabilize their "D". This momentary confusion allowed Gionta enough time to get the puck to an open Plekanec in the slot for his eighth goal of the season.

On plays like that you see why Kostitsyn went 10th overall in the 2003 draft. It is incredible how dangerous an offensive weapon he can be when he is playing with confidence as he was last night.

Now we can't talk about the resurgence of AK46 without mentioned Plekanec. He truly is the cure to all that ails floundering forwards. Gionta wasn't scoring at the beginning of the season? Put him with Plekanec. Andrei Kostitsyn was wilting on the Gomez line? Put him Plekanec.

As I've said before, it's too bad Plek can't play with three wingers because Cammalleri, Kostitsyn and Gionta would all be ripping it up!


4. Michael Cammalleri played his best game of the season.

One goal, a plus-1 rating—he is now a team-leading plus-10—with 20:41 of ice time, Cammalleri looked like the player who was leading all playoff scorers in goals last spring.

Cammalleri has had moments where he looked good but hasn't really been able to pull it all together like he did in the playoffs, despite his 15 points (7G, 8A). The biggest thing about Cammalleri, is that he hasn't looked completely comfortable on the ice and looked like he was forcing things at times.

Last night, however, the old Cammy was back as he showcased the kind of creativity that makes him a consistently dangerous player on the ice. Also, like Gomez, he was paying the price physically to make plays and setup his teammates. I don't think it is a coincidence that Cammy was more involved during the same game where Gomez came to play. At the end of the day, all that matters is that he played like the difference-maker that he knows he can be. Hopefully he can keep it up.


5. What a difference a goal makes!

Lars Eller scored his third NHL goal—and his first in a Habs uniform—on a spin around in the high slot. Buoyed by the confidence gained from his goal, Eller's skill and creativity was suddenly on display as he froze out the Kings defenders and made crisp passes into open seams, for a myriad of scoring chances.

Hopefully Eller can build off his goal and strong third period, because playing in the bottom-6 should give him the opportunity to play against weaker defensive pairings and, by extension, create more scoring chances.

If his line can get going, that will give the Canadiens yet another trio that can contribute offensively. I don't have to explain why having three or more lines that can score is difficult to defend against and a good recipe for success.


Standings and Next Game

The Canadiens now have 29 points in the standings and a 14-7-1 record, good enough for first overall in the Northeast. The Bruins, 3-1 winners against the Panthers, kept pace with the Habs and have 26 points in the standings with two games in hand.

The Habs now fly to Atlanta to take on the Thrashers Friday evening before returning to Montreal to take on the Sabres on Saturday. With back-to-back games, you would have to think that Alex Auld is poised to get his second start of the season.

Whether it will be Friday in Atlanta or Saturday in Montreal remains to be seen.

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Follow Kamal on Facebook, Twitter, HabsAddict.com and Hockeybuzz.com

Graeme Swann made his one-day international debut more than 10 years ago, but then spent eight years in the wilderness before becoming the world's No1 spinner

Eleven years ago Duncan Fletcher had just taken charge of England. One of his first jobs was to pick a squad to tour South Africa that winter. Among the 17 players Fletcher selected was a whippersnapper named Graeme Swann. Fletcher had never met Swann but had heard good things about his off-breaks. Before the squad boarded the plane at Heathrow, he took Swann to one side in the departure lounge for a quick get-to-know-you chat. "Where do you see yourself in five years' time?" asked Fletcher. Swann, Fletcher remembers, turned around and said: "I am going to be the best spin bowler in the world."

"He was always like that," sighs Mavis, Graeme's mother. "No matter what it is, he always wanted to be the best of it. When he was at school he'd say 'we're having a test tomorrow'. It would be in French or some subject he didn't like at all. 'I'm going to come top,' he'd say, 'I'll beat them all.' It was nothing to do with the subject, it was just to do with winning. He's got that sort of attitude. 'I'm better than everyone else at it.' Even though he is not." Except he is at one thing – spin bowling.

"I've always remembered that conversation," says Fletcher. "I hardly knew the boy. 'Sheesh!' I thought. 'That's good, I like that.' But when we got to South Africa and I saw his attitude I thought: 'Boy, you're going nowhere.'" Fletcher, as every English cricket fan now knows, never picked Swann again. For eight long years he was confined to the county circuit, just another hopeful who couldn't cut it at the top. Then, in 2007, Peter Moores picked him to be England's second spinner on their one-day tour of Sri Lanka. He did well. The following winter, in December 2008, he made his Test debut. Today, there he is: No2 in the ICC's Test bowling rankings, just behind the South African quick Dale Steyn. Swann is the best spin bowler in the world.

It took Swann twice as long as he had predicted to get there. But then few people would ever have thought he would make it that far at all, even in his own family. "I do find it amazing that he has gone from basically nothing to up there in 24 months, it does seem a bit bizarre," admits his elder brother Alec, who spent five years playing as an opener for Northamptonshire and then Lancashire. "I thought he'd do well, because he has always had the talent as a bowler, but I didn't think he would do as well as he has done." Swann has become such a fixture in the side it is easy to forget that he made his Test debut only two years ago.

As his brother says, Swann has always had a talent for turning a cricket ball. When the two boys were growing up they would spend their summer Saturdays at Old Northamptonians cricket ground, playing on the boundary edge while their father Ray broke all sorts of local league batting records out in the middle. "Alec would always bat first and Graeme would have to get him out before he had a chance to bat himself," remembers Ray. "Alec was two years older, so he was better and bigger, so Graeme used to have to work hard to get him out. They used a big adult ball at the time. Graeme has always had long fingers, and the only way he could get it down to Alec's end with any pace was to kind of turn his wrist as he bowled." Ray spotted what his son was doing, and showed him how to hold the ball to bowl an off-break. "All I ever said to him was 'imagine you are turning the knob on a door handle'" Ray remembers, "and he just developed that. It just became a natural thing for him to do."

"Everybody knew that the kid had talent," remembers John Wake, who was the off-spinner in Ray's club team and also captained Bedfordshire. "When he was about 13, 14, 15, he was playing in the Northampton Saints' first team. To be quite honest one of the reasons I retired as a bowler was to let Graeme take my overs." Because he was used to playing with Alec, Graeme was always happy playing above his age group. "He absolutely thrived on it," remembers Sam Gascoigne, Swann's old club coach. "He wasn't the biggest lad, but he would turn up as an 11-year-old playing Under-16s cricket, and he would be upset if he didn't get a bat or a bowl or ideally both. He would be playing against other lads who were four years older than him and possibly playing county cricket at that age group as well, and he would back himself to get them out."

Swann had the talent. It was his temperament that held him back. "He was a show-off," chuckles Mavis. "He was picked for England far too early," reckons Alec. "At 20 he could be very in your face. He was OK in small doses, but you wouldn't want to spend three months alongside him. I can easily see how he would have wound people up." His misdemeanours on that England tour to South Africa are infamous. He missed the team bus. Twice. And ended up getting thumped after a row with one of the senior players. "Probably for such a young player he opened his mouth too much," remembers Darren Gough. "It didn't go down well with Duncan Fletcher or a few of the players. We could see he had tremendous talent, but he wasn't as focused on cricket as he should have been." So back to the counties he went.

It was the 2005 move from Northamptonshire, where he had fallen out with the head coach, Kepler Wessels, to Nottinghamshire that turned Swann into the bowler he is today. "Instead of being the big fish at Northants," says Gough, "he had to start at the bottom at a Test ground and work his way up." Nottinghamshire's head coach, Mick Newell, "was prepared to take a punt on him," says Ray. "He said: 'I think you're a good bowler and I'll give you your head.'"

Swann also learned to be a more patient bowler. Newell remembers: "Both Stephen Fleming and Chris Read made the point to him that he was bowling too many magic balls, which at Trent Bridge didn't spin and would get belted through the off-side. He had to tighten up his line and be more patient and that has helped him in the long term." That has been a crucial part of Swann's success. He was always able to take wickets, but at Notts he learned to tie up one end while the fast bowlers worked away at the other. His ability to do that allows England to play him in a four-man attack.

But it was the approach the club took to Swann's personality that made the biggest difference. "After being pushed to the outer edges at Northants, he had someone saying actually, we do want you, you can be non-stop with your daft gags and all that sort of stuff," says Alec. "That was the making of him." England have taken a similar approach, and that is why Swann is so comfortable in the team. Ray agrees: "More than anything at Notts, it was not a technical or a cricket thing. It was that they were more prepared to let him be himself in the dressing room." Newell says he has found him an easy player to work with. "He likes to be the centre of attention, and he is always taking the piss out of everyone. But he genuinely wants success for the team and he mixes well with anybody."

Alec says: "He loves having the spotlight on him. It brings out the best in him. Some people, it makes them freeze, and he is the exact opposite. The thing is, you can't take Graeme at face value. You have to look into it a bit more than that."

• England 523 & 11-0; Australia A 230 & 301
• England win by 10 wickets

'Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail' is the adage scribbled on every dressing room notice board or sports academy wall. Four years ago here, England, through a combination of bad fortune and poor judgement went into the Test series against a ragingly brilliant Australian team hell-bent on revenge as undercooked as the chicken on a stall selling e-coli. If the ensuing slaughter might have happened come what may, then this was not helpful.

This time around, though, things are different. The Australian team is in uncertain stages of redevelopment, with old stagers clinging on to their careers by the fingernails, and yesterday the announcement came that the ninth front line spinner to be promoted since the retirement of Shane Warne had been chosen. Xavier Doherty, a Tasmanian, is 28 tomorrow, and replaces the put-upon off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and the first left-arm spinner to be chosen since the 80s days of Ray Bright and, briefly, Murray Bennett. Wrist spin is the usual way for them, but the best they can come up with now is the inclusion of the all rounder Steve Smith whose promising but immature bowling was pulverised by Ian Bell during his masterful piece of artwork at Bellerive.

And now, in overcoming what has traditionally been an exercise in undermining the Poms before the first Test, England will have arrived in Brisbane with two wins, in Perth and Hobart, and a draw in Adelaide. They have played their main squad on two of the Test grounds, the batsmen have had three matches in which three have made centuries (two for Andrew Strauss), the first choice bowlers have acclimatised in the tropics, and the reserves have dismissed the Australian second XI twice to set up a most comprehensive 10-wicket win on an excellent pitch that played to an Australian character. No one is injured. It is by any standards, let alone those of England, a remarkable effort. They are as ready as it is possible for them to be.

The second Australian innings was an important part of those preparations for the first had been played out on a sappy pitch that offered the bowlers a lot. The latter part of the game would be harder and a chance to work on the disciplined approach, allied to reverse swing, and use, by the towering Tremlett, of the vagaries in bounce to be found as a pitch deteriorates. Yesterday they were patient and eventually, after an excellent fourth wicket partnership between Phil Hughes (81) and Cameron White (111) was ended by Tremlett in an excellent rhythmical spell, wickets began to come. Hughes had been stifled in the way England had dealt with him last year and he finally lashed out for Strauss to take a stinging top edge at first slip. Immediately afterwards, Tim Paine was given out lbw, a shade unluckily perhaps on height, but nonetheless pinned back as the ball failed to bounce from short of a length. Smith, who had made a robust riposte of a half-century in the first innings, then shouldered arms at his first ball and saw his off stump pegged back, and suddenly the door was ajar.

Further resistance now came from White, who completed his 158 ball hundred with his twelfth boundary, and Stephen O' Keefe, the first innings top scorer, who added 78 together. By now though, England had taken the second new ball and although it did not produce a wicket either for Tremlett or Ajmal Shahzad, it gave more bounce for Monty Panesar. The left-armer had played an important role throughout proceedings, a precursor to that which Graeme Swann will be occupying in the coming weeks, in bowling a long tight support spell, conceding only around two runs per over. Finally, his persistence brought its rewards. O'Keefe, in trying to clip to the leg side, got a leading edge to mid off, and then White, sweeping, was seen to feather the ball as he attempted to sweep, with Matt Prior taking a good catch. When Mark Cameron was lbw to an arm ball two deliveries later, England were all but home. Three for 63 from 28 overs was deserving reward for excellent bowling.

They might have cut their losses and sent out a pair of lower order batsmen to get the nine runs required. Instead, captain and vice-captain took it on, as they should: a couple of biffs from Strauss and one streaky one from Alastair Cook and the job was done.

In a game in which they got all the breaks — in more ways than one — the Seahawks moved atop the NFC West at 5-4 with a 36-18 road win against a Cardinals team that, before this season, had gotten very used to slaying Seattle on a consistent basis.

There were stars galore in a very surprising victory hot on the heels of lopsided losses to the Raiders and Giants the previous two weeks. But none shone any brighter than QB Matt Hasselbeck, who passed for 333 yards and directed a 490-yard attack despite a cracked bone in his left wrist that temporarily removed him from the game in favor of backup Charlie Whitehurst, and NFL Comeback Player of the Year candidate Mike Williams, who had 11 catches for a career-high 145 yards despite a broken pinkie finger on his right hand.

After managing only 10 points and 326 yards the previous two weeks, Seattle’s offense looked like the “Greatest Show on Turf” attacks in the Rams’ glory days, punishing a beaten-down Cardinals defense with the Seahawks' most total yards since their 2007 regular-season finale at Atlanta.

The defense wasn’t too shabby, either, registering five sacks (two each by LB Aaron Curry and Chris Clemons) while also limiting Arizona to only 41 yards rushing on 14 carries.

The PFW spin

Not to be a killjoy, but it behooves us to mention that the Cardinals’ shortcomings on both sides of the ball were just as responsible for Seattle’s big victory as anything the Seahawks did. But the Seahawks’ second impressive road victory of this season after having been nothing but roadkill away from home before Pete Carroll arrived on the scene is definitely worth noting.

Same goes for an offensive line that afforded Hasselbeck solid protection despite the absence of first-round OLT Russell Okung, and the performance by Williams, who provided an industrial-sized exclamation point with a one-handed circus catch that left the Cardinals fit to be tied.

But as improved as the offense was against Arizona, it still produced only two TDs in eight red-zone possessions, forcing PK Olindo Mare to work overtime to the tune of five field goals for the second time against Arizona this season.

That type of red-zone production probably won’t cut it this weekend down by the bayou against the defending Super Bowl-champion Saints.

Nonetheless, with seven games remaining, the Seahawks are the only team above .500 in the NFC West. And in a division in which a .500 record could very likely translate into a first-place finish, a playoff berth may loom on the horizon.

Adversity, meet the St. Louis Blues. Not only did the Blues suffer one of the worst drubbings in team history (or at least within the 24 years that I've been a Blues fan), but they added yet another name to the list of the walking wounded. Already having to do without Carlo Colaiacovo (concussion), Barret Jackman (knee), Nikita Nikitin (wrist), and Roman Polak (wrist surgery), the team will now have to do without spark plug T.J. Oshie.

Oshie, if you haven't heard, or didn't read the title, had his left ankle snapped when Samuel Pahlsson of Columbus fell on him. It was agonizing to watch how Oshie just laid there, and how he couldn't put any weight on the leg after being helped up and off of the ice. As fans, we held our collective breath. Then the news came about the break, and how "Osh" would need surgery.

This is really a worst case scenario for the Blues. Already without Perron, and struggling to score, they now find themselves without one of their best assist men, and a real leader on the ice. While Oshie had not exactly been on a scoring spree himself, he was an extreme physical presence, one of the biggest parts of the penalty kill, a demon in the shootout, and great at setting others up.

Word out of St. Louis right now is that Oshie had successful surgery today, and the most optimistic estimates have him missing six to eight weeks. So, it looks like he won't be back until after 2011 becomes official, and even then he won't be back at full strength right away.

It's really a shame. Oshie became an instant fan favorite for his high-energy play, and bone-crushing hits. Personally, I've always liked the kid; he's always reminded me of a hybrid between Scott Mellanby and Theoren Fleury.

So what's next for the Blues?

While the strength of the team this year (at least until last night) has been preventing goals, the offense is in desperate need of some help. It's one thing when defensemen have gone down. After all, that's where the depth for this team is. Several years were spent drafting defensemen with the higher picks. Only recently has the team begun to draft centers and wingers. While Jaroslav Halak has been nothing short of a beast, it did hurt the depth up front. Lars Eller would've made a suitable replacement, but he's in Montreal now, scraping for playing time.

No matter what way you spin it, the offense needs to step it up. It's been alright up to this point to overlook the relative lack of scoring from Brad Boyes, David Backes, Patrik Berglund, and And McDonald. That can't be the case anymore. These guys are going to have to up their game and get back to scoring like they have in the past, otherwise it's going to make for a very long couple of months.

If Boyes, Backes, Berglund, and McDonald can;t rise to the occasion, then GM Doug Armstrong and Team President John Davidson may have to consider making a trade. If that ends up being the case, then hopefully the don't jump the gun, and pay too high a price. The rest of the league knows what position the Blues are in, and they're not going to be sympathetic in terms of their collective asking prices.

The fact of the matter is that this is a very different team without T.J. Oshie. This is gut check time for the Blues, and we can only hope that they're up to the challenge.

I hit the range last night and was nominally happy with my shooting. I took the Para Gun Blog .45 out for a spin and, like always, I seem to have a pitch problem when shooting rapidly.

If I take my time, I can nail the black, but when I attempt to get the pistol back on target rapidly for a follow up shot, this is what always happens

Every string ends up  with a vertical line that slightly veers off to the left (I don’t have a scan of the actual targets because I was flustered and tossed them). I can’t tell if the string starts at the bottom and works its way up or vice versa, but I’ll be damned if I don’t always end up with a vertical-ish line when I shoot faster.

I realize this seems like a problem with jerking the trigger or tightening the finger during firing (and possibly breaking my wrist down), but the problem goes away if I fire very slowly and I can’t seem to ‘feel’ anything wrong while I’m shooting. How does one correct this problem.

I would like to say that while I get flustered when my shots get a few inches apart, I’m still amazed at how many people I see shooting at 15 yards whose targets look like they were peppered with an automatic rifle fired with one hand.

The head coaching position in Dallas is among the most high-profile jobs in the world of sports, and after the firing of Wade Phillips, former Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett now finds himself at the reins. Most football fans are unfamiliar with Garrett, and unfortunately, he's become the subject of several unfounded rumors. We are here to set the record straight in an official capacity.

True: Jason Garrett briefly played football at Princeton.
False: The critically-acclaimed film Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever was based on events that actually happened to Jason Garrett. He credits this life experience as valuable preparation for the rigors of NFL coaching.

True: Back when World League Football was still in operation, Jason Garrett started at quarterback for the San Antonio Riders.
False: In those days, Jason Garrett made a habit of exploiting an obscure World Football League rule by dribbling the football into the end zone. His team would receive five points and earn a "free kick" from the other team, one condition being that the kicker had to sort of punt the ball with both feet simultaneously. Few players were capable of doing so, and Jason Garrett knew this.

True: Prior to serving as the Cowboys' head coach, Jason Garrett served as the team's offensive coordinator.
False: Prior to serving as the Cowboys' offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett was Gunther Cunningham.

True: Jason Garrett is not a polo shirt hastily draped over a tackling dummy.
False: Jason Garrett is a polo shirt hastily draped over a tackling dummy.
Possibly true: Jason Garrett is a polo shirt hastily draped over a tackling dummy.

True: Jason Garrett's father was an assistant coach in the NFL for several years.
False: In 1943, while riding through the open range, Jason Garrett's father turned to spit a wad of tobacco on a patch of dirt. He also discarded a parcel of cured meat that was beginning to spoil. Ten years later, while returning from the Arizona-Brazil Conflict of 1949, he nearly dropped his katana in astonishment, as he saw that on that very spot, the two had coagulated to form a Dallas. He was the city's first mayor.

True: As head coach, Jason Garrett will have to find a way to turn things around without Tony Romo, who is out with a broken clavicle.
False: Someone posed Jason Garrett a variant on a classic thought experiment: "Suppose a millionaire says, 'Jason, I will give you a million dollars every ten years under the condition that every ten years, you must break your starting quarterback's collarbone with a crescent wrench.' Do you accept this offer?" Jason did not hear the "suppose," as he was jamming to the latest Puddle of Mudd album and was slow to remove his headphones. He immediately fetched a crescent wrench from his fanny pack and made his exit.

True: This is the first time Jerry Jones has ever fired a head coach mid-season.
False: This is the first time Jerry Jones has ever entered a neighborhood bar, watched a Foosball table for a few minutes, singled out the best player, and hired him on account of his ability to do that cheap move where you sort of spin the knob without actually spinning it all the way around so that it's still legal. During practice on Tuesday, Jason Garrett stood hunched over on the sideline, occasionally flicking his wrist and grunting.
True: If the preceding statement were true, the Cowboys would have one fewer win than they currently have, because that is no way to run a team.

The $65 million show, the most expensive musical in history, has suffered from a succession of problems

For 40 years, the comic super hero Spider-Man has been deploying his powers to fight the forces of darkness. Now an attempt to spin his tale of science-geek turned muscle-bound crime fighter onto the Broadway stage is tackling demons of its own.

Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark is struggling to emulate its protagonist and launch itself into the Manhattan night. The $65 million show, the most expensive musical in history, with a score by U2's Bono and The Edge and direction from the award-winning Julie Taymor, has suffered further delays, after being struck by a succession of problems including safety issues, injuries on set and difficulties in raising the huge and expanding budget.

The first preview of the show has slipped back by two weeks, with opening night sliding into the new year - just the latest delay on a run that had been scheduled to begin in February.

The core problem appears to be the inherent challenges of putting on a show of this complexity and ambition combined with the Taymor's famously perfectionist tendencies. Taymor, an acclaimed film director who has just finished a version of The Tempest starring Helen Mirren and Russell Brand, won a Tony Award for her previous Broadway effort, The Lion King.

But she also has a reputation for pushing standards to the limit. According to the New York Post there have been injuries to actors during rehearsals, including a broken wrist and injured feet.

There are also question marks around the safety of the elaborate equipment needed to make Spider-Man and other characters fly around the stage and over the heads of the audience, and inspectors from New York state's labour department are now combing it all over .

Taymor has said that in co-authoring the script of the musical she has tried to encapsulate the essence of 40 years of comics into a two-hour show. She read hundreds of comics in preparation, and immersed herself in the latest stage technologies for the flying sequences.

She also promised that Spider-Man wouldn't sing in costume. "Oh my God! Can you imagine Spider-Man singing in tights - ain't going to happen," she said.

But the production has been beset by difficulties. The team behind the musical struggled to raise the $50 million budget that was initially projected for the show and which has since risen substantially.

Rehearsal schedules fell behind. The first run-through with orchestra and cast has still to take place, and is now scheduled at the Foxwoods Theater on 42nd Street for this weekend.

The Edge and Bono will both be in attendance, a key moment for the pair who are venturing into musicals for the first time.

As musicals have increasingly borrowed from the cinema world and expanded their ambition, financial crises and technical problems have become a regular headache of new productions that have become mired in delays and cost overruns.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown which has just opened at the Lincoln Center in New York and based on the Pedro Almodovar film has been delayed twice.

Shrek the Musical, the previous most expensive Broadway show at $25 million - failed to make back its investment after a year-long run. The Lord of the Rings musical, rolled out first in Toronto in 2006 and then in London, cost about $50 million between the two locations with a cast of more than 50 actors. It suffered from mixed reviews and mishaps: a performance in London had to be cancelled after an actor had his leg caught in the moving stage.

The tribulations of The Lord of the Rings must have a familiar ring for one of its producers - Michael Cohl - who is now lead producer of Spider-Man. Cohl told the New York Times that the latest delays to the super hero musical were "all about tweaking nuts and bolts. We're slightly behind, but really it's finally coming together at long last."

But the postponement will mean that the show misses the lucrative weeks leading up to Christmas and instead has to launch into the relative theatrical dead zone of January. Even without that added set-back, Spider-Man has a job on to recoup its enormous investment.

Advance ticket sales, according to the Times, have reached $8 million That figure sounds impressive but not if you've got another $57 million to go, even if you don't count the $1 million a week it will take to run the show.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty

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At UFC 120 we saw Paul Sass repeatedly pull guard in his fight over Mark Holst. Pulling guard is a move that does not get a lot of respect in modern MMA. It's seen as the last resort of desperate jiu jitsu artists who are too one-dimensional to get a take down and are desperate to get the fight to the ground because they can't hang on the feet. But it worked for Paul Sass. 

Dave Meltzer described the fight in the Wrestling Observer (subscription required):

Sass, from Liverpool, was a throwback to the old days of a submission specialist. With his triangle on Holst, that gave him an 11-0 record, with eight of the wins coming via triangle and two others via heel hook. Sass is the type of fighter who practically tells you ahead of time that he's going to triangle you, comes out, pulls guard and starts obviously working for the move from the bottom from the start. But his reflexes and coordination, almost like he's a human octopus, his legs are so amazing that even when you know what to block, he finds the opening by baiting, and it's on before you can react.

Paul Sass at the post fight press conference via MMA Junkie: 

"Everyone expects English people to stand up and bang, and I just want to get to the floor and on my back," Sass said. "It's different, and it makes me feel a little bit better."

Eddie Bravo talking about the stigma against pulling guard in TapouT Magazine's Best of Mixed Martial Arts:

Is pulling guard a stupid thing to do in MMA? Most people think so. Why? I'm not sure, but it might be because we haven't seen too many MMA fighters win at a high rate with that strategy or it might be a little of that mixed in with the whole "missionary" thing.

It's interesting to note that Sass' Team Koabon gym features a Luta Livre coach in Marcelo Brigadeiro and a wrestling coach, Shane Rigby, who is a 3rd generation Snake Pit Catch Wrestler, learned to wrestler under Roy Wood who officially took over form Billy Riley at that storied gym -- the home of catch as catch can. They have a purple belt in BJJ as their head jiu jitsu instructor, but it's interesting that they've got a such a varied set of backgrounds for their grappling coaches and yet Sass' approach is throw back old school jiu jitsu, pulling guard and working for subs at all costs.

In the full entry K.J. Gould of Cage Side Seats will break down a whole passel of animated gifs from the bout. 

Gifs by Chris Nelson.

Take it away K.J.:

K.J. Gould: Sass leads with a looping right hook to get Holst reacting, and then covers up and tries to avoid Holst's strikes while looking for an opening to grab Holsts hips. Typically this indicates a takedown attempt but instead Sass pulls guard and ends up in what I believe is referred to as a Z guard where one leg is in like a butterfly hook and one leg is out like a regular guard. Sass is surprisingly calm during this and must be extremely confident to pull guard like this.

Gould: Sass takes a pretty telegraphed penetration step and shoots his arms around instead of through. It's difficult to tell though if this is a fault in technique or a deliberate fake to get Holst reacting so Sass can pull Z guard again. If it's the latter it shows great fight intelligence for this stage of his career.

Gould: It almost looks like Sass is trying rubber guard but with the wrong grips and posture control that Eddie Bravo teaches in his system. It's not a guard that can be played effectively when Holst is on his feet like that, however Sass has overhooked Holsts's left leg and keeps his grip after Holst postures out. As Holst tries to escape Sass repositions his left shin inside and behind Holsts knee to off balance him while wrapping his right leg inside and around Holsts other leg. I don't think this is the De La Riva guard, as that has the leg go outside and around to having the instep inside the groin / abdomen, in which case this is similar to Demian Maia's Anaconda / Snake guard which Maia developed when he was having trouble with the X guard. Sass pushes Holst off and looks to attempt a heelhook. The whole sequence is a scramble of attempted guard control, some of it deliberate and others like instinctive and improvised. Video of Demian Maia demonstrating the Anaconda Guard below. 

Gould: Again, what looks like a scramble for a takedown ends with Sass pulling Z guard when Holst is sprawling back. Complete confidence in his guard game. It's hard to argue against the strategy when it currently works for him but it'll be interesting to see how effective he can be as he progresses in competition.

Gould: A spinning back kick that's caught and it looks like Sass eats a knee as he drops down for a single leg grab and Holst throws himself forward trying to clear Sass legs and get mount. 

Gould: With one shin in though Sass is able to counter with a heelhook, possibly learned from his Luta Livre training. We'll see catch wrestling guru Erik Paulson showing a mount escape to heel hook below.

Gould: Holst spins out of the heelhook but Sass manages to spin with it and almost uses it to get to Holst's back but isn't quick enough. 

Gould: Holst ends up being on top and again tries to push forward into a mount but Sass eventually manages to use his shins enough to keep Holst at bay.

Gould: Sass superman punches and shows another combination of penetration shot attempting a head inside single leg takedown and then settling on pulling guard. It looks like he tries to hook Holst's leg with his lead leg to trip but isn't in deep or quick enough to do it.

Gould: Sass shows what he's become famous for setting up a triangle choke. He brings his left knee in close and this also acts as a great block against punches from above. Sass then controls Holsts wrist and pops his left leg through and quickly locks up a triangle while hooking Holsts's right left leg to reposition himself perpendicular to Holst. The main reason for this is in the normal triangle setup you're using your adductor muscles to compress and squeeze the triangle but because these are small muscles the technique of a triangle choke with the opponent's inside arm brought across and his posture broken down often has to be perfect. By turning 90 degrees you can now utilise your hamstring and quad muscles, much much bigger muscles and can get a choke from this alone rather easily. This form of triangle was innovated by Ryan Hall, BJJ grappling wizard and founder of 50/50 BJJ.

Demian Maia shows the Anaconda Guard:

Erik Paulson showing a mount escape to heel hook

Ryan Hall Triangle video

The two Andrews, coach Flower and captain Strauss, are the key to England overturning recent history in Australia

It has to be close this time. All the indicators suggest so. Not since England's 1982-83 tour have the two teams arrived for the last Test of a series in Australia with the destination of the Ashes unknown. But come 3 January, as the lucky ticket-holders stream down to the eastern suburbs of Sydney, there is every chance that the final match will decide the outcome.

Since the last time England were in Sydney and being thrashed after a Test tour of total humiliation the records of the two sides have been just about identical. Australia have won 20 Tests and lost 11 (including their past three). England have drawn more games and have been the busier of the two sides but they have also won 20 while losing 10 since the whitewash of 2006-07.

The pattern for both sides is similar. Australia may be in decline but they can be relied upon to defeat the lowly sides in what is fast becoming a two-tier world of Test cricket. In that second tier New Zealand, West Indies and Bangladesh reside. So do Pakistan, with the usual caveat that, despite everything, they can occasionally beat anyone at any time.

But pitch this Australia side against India, South Africa and, yes, England (they do not seem to play Sri Lanka very often) and there is no guarantee that they will win. Hence Australia have slipped to fifth in the ICC's Test rankings, just below England. Likewise Andrew Strauss's side can now be expected to defeat the lower-tier teams – though they did contrive to lose 1-0 in the Caribbean 18 months ago. And they have a fair chance against the rest.

If anything England have become more Australian than the Australians. For years the feature of the set-up there, was that, compared with England, Australia's selection policy was more stable, less prone to chop and change and their team was younger and more vibrant. Yet since January 2007 England have used only 30 players and five of those have played a solitary Test. There were Darren Pattinson and Amjad Khan (both highly unlikely to be selected again), Michael Carberry and James Tredwell (they might get another game) and Amjad Shahzad (almost certain to add to the cap he won at Manchester last June). So in effect England have relied on only 25 players in almost four years, which suggests a rare stability. In the Ashes summer of 1989 alone England picked 29 different players.

Moreover England are now the young ones. The side likely to take the field at Brisbane will have an average age of 28; the Australia side, which will contain three 35-year-olds assuming Simon Katich's thumb recovers in time, will have an average age of 31. Australia used not to be a country for old men. We are not so sure now.

In the past four years Australia have used 35 players, which hardly suggests a national side in panic, either. The instinct to give a bloke "a fair go" remains, though the Australian selectors have become more suspicious of tossing talented youngsters into the fray.

Perhaps the most significant figure on the Australian side relates to the number of spin bowlers they have tried since Shane Warne took his bow at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2007. So far they have selected seven, though there are those, probably including the bowler himself, who might struggle to regard Cameron White as a frontline spinner. Yet in a remarkable piece of wishful thinking White was the nearest Australia had to a specialist spinner for three Tests in India in October 2008.

After Warne's departure the Australians discovered that Stuart MacGill, despite his superb record, was just past his sell-by date. So they tried their one-day spinner, Brad Hogg, but that did not work. For one Test only in the Caribbean they plucked out Beau Casson, an intriguing propeller of chinamen, but he has since taken to the bush.

In their heart of hearts they must have known that, while White might be a Test batsman, he was never going to be a Test bowler. So they turned to the craggy off‑spinner, Jason Krejza, for two matches. In the first against India he took 12 wickets, albeit for 358 runs, but then the South Africans carted him all around the Waca and he has not donned the baggy green since.

In South Africa the wrist spinner Bryce McGain, briefly of Essex last summer, made his Test debut at the age of 36, the stuff of dreams until he ended up bowling 18 wicketless overs for 149 runs in Cape Town. In the end the Australians have settled for the orthodox off-spinner, Nathan Hauritz, who has now played 17 Tests for 63 wickets and who survives partly through the process of elimination. Hauritz is plucky and dependable but he is no Graeme Swann.

Spin bowling is the one area in which England are clearly superior, provided Swann's right index finger keeps out of harm's way. In every other department it is fair to conclude that England are somewhere on a par with Australia.

Job done then? That, of course, is not the case. For a start Australia's recordat home is formidable. They have lost only one series in the past 16 years – a2-1 reverse against South Africa in December 2008-09. They know their own territory.

A corollary of that statistic is that England have an appalling record in Australia. Over the past two decades we have witnessed England go to South Africa and, while they may not have won, they have always competed against a strong side. But in Australia England have habitually disintegrated, not just because of the excellence of the opposition.

The whole experience of the Australian tour, from the moment of landing at customs and receiving some merry abuse from the officers to the relentless scrutiny of the media and public there, has proved too much for England's finest.

So we can look for encouragement from the recent records; we can go down the line-ups of the two sides from one to eleven and we might be able to claim some sort of superiority for England in a man-to-man match-up. But that will mean nothing unless the two Andrews (Flower and Strauss) can instil a genuine confidence and calmness in their squad, which allows them to play somewhere near their potential, a goal which has been beyond every English touring party since 1986-87. Only then do England have a chance of prevailing in the toughest cricketing environment on the globe.

According to multiple web reports on Wednesday evening, Colts TE Dallas Clark will be sidelined indefinitely with a wrist injury.

"He's being evaluated," Colts head coach Jim Caldwell said Wednesday when asked about the Pro Bowl tight end's injury.

Clark reportedly is getting multiple opinions on the injury, and season-ending surgery is a possibility.

There also are rumors that WR Austin Collie (undetermined injury) and RB Joseph Addai (neck/head) could be out for multiple weeks, too.

The way we see it

The Colts are limping into the bye week, with three key components to their high-octane offense possibly on the shelf for a long time. And in Clark's case, his injury could shelve him for the rest of the season.

That would be a big blow to the offense, as Clark caught 100 balls last season and keeps defenses honest with his ability to get upfield and make plays down the seam. The team likely will turn to Jacob Tamme, with rookie Brody Eldridge and newly re-signed Gijon Robinson also playing roles.

Fantasy Spin

For all owners of Clark, this is bad news. If you don't already have another option at tight end, it would be wise to hit the waiver wire as soon as possible. It's unlikely that any of the Colts' backup options can produce like Clark, so it's advisable to look elsewhere.

Read the winning entries to our annual competition to find the best young talent in writing about the arts

OVERALL WINNER

Film, 14-18

Alice in Wonderland by Rebecca Grant, 15

Tim Burton has snatched the beautifully eccentric odyssey that we once lovingly knew as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, wrung it dry of anything resembling the endearingly capricious originality of the children's classic, and slung the disgusting dregs into a pretentious, Disneyfied quest movie replete with, frankly, un-special effects.

Burton's insistence that his film was not a re-imagining or sequel to other "Alice movies" made me wonder whether he had actually read the book at all. Nineteen-year-old Alice, played by the apparently tranquilised Mia Wasikowska, spends a disproportionate amount of time at the beginning of the movie prancing around in a tediously twee caricature of Victorian high society. When the dopey antagonist finally wiggles her way into Wonderland, we are ambushed by the White Rabbit, the Dormouse, the Dodo, Tweedledum and Tweedledee all at once, contrary to the charmingly incoherent episodic chronology used by the genius Lewis Carroll. The film is altogether too Alice-centric, ruining the dreamlike detachment that Alice has from the characters in the book.

The sudden appearance of the White Queen caused me to blink behind my 3D glasses and throw up on my popcorn. She was the most unforgivable revision: a sickly sweet, blondified, shallow Disney princess. You may as well stick a car chase in a period drama, she was that incongruous.

Towards the end, Alice fights the Jabberwocky (Burton seems to have economised by borrowing animation from Harry Potter) and goes home having chopped off its head and drunk its blood. And then she goes off to colonise China. I do love a happy ending.

A few members of the all·star cast were inescapably fantastic. Helena Bonham Carter made an excellently preposterous Red Queen, inspired, with her digitally enhanced head and terrifying tyranny, by a toddler; Johnny Depp is a magically manic milliner and Matt Lucas is twice as funny as Tweedledum and Tweedledee. It's just a shame that such great talent has not had the advantage of an equally great story structure.

OK as a Christmas stocking DVD, but only to make up a three for two offer.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Theatre, 14-18

All My Sons, Apollo Theatre, London by Pandora Haydon, 17

Howard Davies's production of Arthur Miller's 1947 play, dealing with the breakdown of the Keller family over a missing son and the legal and moral ambiguity surrounding a family secret, is undeniably painful, but hugely enjoyable for its honesty.

In the first act, a coterie of neighbourhood families sets the uncompromising atmosphere of obsessive social propriety which Chris Keller (Stephen Campbell Moore) finds so incongruous after the atrocities of the second world war. In one scene, a local boy's mention of the word "jail" proves awkwardly relevant to the fragile family secret, and elicits a sharp retort – a reminder that public shame is also a problem for the Keller family. The chirpy accuracy of these early scenes frames the descent into the emotional brutality of the second and third acts. William Dudley's set works in a similar way, presenting the audience with what seems at first to be simply a realistic, if slightly self-congratulatory, family "back yard", that becomes increasingly claustrophobic throughout the play.

There is no sense, however, that this is going to be an easy ride, and Davies holds his audience uneasy from the very beginning. The highly unsettling opening scene, in which Zoe Wanamaker's continuously poignant Kate runs out into the garden having had a nightmare, sets the tone for the alarming fluidity of this production. In fact, it is with fluidity of character that David Suchet demonstrably steals the show as Joe Keller. He moves from squat, growling bully to cringing victim and back again within a single line, swapping physical and emotional status at a startling pace with Wanamaker and Campbell Moore, and painting with apparent ease a portrait of a man who is at once frightening and afraid.

At the climax of the play's revelatory scene, Suchet stands hunched, with his back to the audience, in a grotesquely humiliated stance reminiscent of a man before a firing squad. Entirely believable, exquisitely painful to watch, and elegantly attentive to Miller's criticisms of the American Dream, Davies's production of All My Sons is as moving a dramatisation of a family's disintegration as one could ever hope to find.

Dance, 14-18

Mutatis Mutandis, Macrobert theatre, Stirling by Frances Myatt, 14

Filing past signs warning of pyrotechnics under the eye of an emergency medic you might be excused for feeling a little apprehensive. But nothing can really prepare you for Spanish company La Fura Dels Baus's latest "dance" production, Mutatis Mutandis.

Entering the sports hall (the actual theatre was too small for some of the props) we were shepherded behind the curtain, where a huge silver pyramid dominated the space. We stared at it, as if expecting it to spilt open and disgorge a few ravening werewolves. It did. The wild, unruly "wolves" were really local teenagers; although for many adults, that amounts to the same thing.

Mutatis Mutandis is supposed to be about adolescent changes, though without prior knowledge this is not immediately obvious – for, while the production may make sense to its creators, to the audience it was impressive but baffling. The staging was particularly imaginative, with huge pieces of set zoomed around the hall by aggressive stagehands and the audience scurrying about to avoid being crushed. This inventive scene-shifting made a refreshing change from more traditional dances, where scenery tends to take second place.

The theme develops with the corruption of adolescents by powerful adult organisations, namely religion, big business, the media and the military. Initially we see their good sides but soon the destruction that can be wreaked by the games of such powerful factions becomes clear with the teenagers, now tame dogs, obedient to the cruel will of the four estates. Very 1984-esque. The violence and sexual perversion that permeated the show surprised me given that there was no age limit for either spectators or performers.

Although expertly performed throughout, the highlight was definitely a spectacular display of pyrotechnics in which a teenage girl etched blazing, whirling patterns in the air with flaming torches. Terrifying perhaps, but incredible.

La Fura Dels Baus had promised "the cutting edge of physical theatre", which normally translates into a show more interested in being controversial than in being good. But Mutatis Mutandis surprised me. Wonderfully weird and dazzlingly different, it certainly was an experience!

CATEGORY WINNERS

Theatre, under-14s

Macbeth, Regent's Park open air theatre, London by Ella McCarthy, 13

Nothing more than a bare sheet of white paper greeted us. Upright and still, this backdrop was unimpressive to say the least, but this was to be no ordinary walk in the park – this was the open air theatre in Regent's Park ... and we had come to meet Macbeth.

As the players emerged from various shrubbery I found myself realising that, although much has been said about the famed "Scottish play", I actually knew very little about it. How would the cast put across the complex storyline to me without appearing patronising? Could they enable such a varied audience to access and go on such an emotional journey with the characters, without causing distress? Mixed with my curiosity was a definite scepticism.

Unaware of my thoughts, the cast began their pre-show, walking throughout the audience guiding beautiful, friendly, elegant-looking swans, which the audience quickly fell in love with. Who could have known that at the flick of a wrist they could turn?

Malcolm said a few words, then strode up the metal stairs on to the gantry adorning the blank backdrop. His name then appeared, sprayed on to the paper! The other characters then made their way on to the gantry, their names also appearing! This "organic cinema screen" was added to throughout, words and symbols appearing, objects bursting through, blood spattering the sheets, and a particularly powerful explanation of death: a red line straight through their name ...

An element of pantomime was also skilfully used. Widow Twanky meets the bard? Surely there is no way that could work? But somehow the fine line between pantomime and patronising was never crossed. The players harnessed audience participation and were not afraid of it, and it worked – it's as simple as that.

Each character took us on their own individual journey. Song and music were also used expertly, in the right places and times. A recipe for success.

What one production and a cast of six did was to make Shakespeare entertaining and truly accessible to all. Children and adults, young and old – everyone. That in itself made this production truly phenomenal.

Visual art, under-14s

Fiona Banner at Tate Britain by Mark Hardy, 12

I walked into this stone-trapped room at Tate Britain, filled with the shells of two decommissioned fighter planes. I recognised the peculiar shape of these aircraft from the shoot-them-up game I play, called Modern Warfare 2. The first plane was called the Harrier.

However, it was presented to me and all of these other bewildered people around the exhibit in a weird and different way. It was hanging still and silent by its tail from the roof.

Then I saw the other aeroplane. It was a Jaguar. But it was on its belly, like a child's toy plane that has been scattered into a crash landing, and it was a different colour to the Harrier. My first impression before I even knew that it was an aeroplane was that it was a spaceship, thanks to its smooth texture and its shiny skin.

Furthermore, when you got up close it was like a massive mirror.

Because of the Jaguar's shape, size and symmetry, and because of the Harrier's big bold blackness, but also not forgetting how many danger signs were painted on the Harrier, with no questions asked the Harrier was more intimidating and alarming then the Jaguar.

I think the artist Fiona Banner has created a successful exhibition for the older and younger generation to feast their eyes upon. This is because everybody who sees this exhibit is excited about being close up to two massive and majestic aircraft. However, the other side of this piece is why did she choose this layout? These are my proposals.

Because of feather indentations on the Harrier's back, maybe the Harrier was swooping down like a bird of prey to catch its target and the Jaguar was its bait lying on the floor. But my strongest opinion was that the whole room was a plane graveyard with the Harrier in a shape of a cross and the Jaguar lying dead. I think Fiona Banner has triumphed by carrying out the resurrection of the Harrier and the Jaguar.

Visual art, 14-18s

Tony Swain: Recollection Has Not Been Mentioned by Jo Waugh, 15

At first glance, Irish artist Tony Swain's latest exhibition, Recollection Has Not Been Mentioned, resembles the trite "artwork" of a Crouch End yummy mummy and her toddler, vestiges of the Observer's travel section peering through haphazardly applied finger paints. Oddly, this medium becomes a catalyst for an array of imaginary landscapes, suggesting that ambiguity is the subject matter of this exhibition.

On closer inspection, the precision and vigilance with which Swain's seemingly effortless collages have – quite literally – been pieced together becomes apparent. The wandering eye commences an investigative game of Where's Wally, scrutinising every inch of the work for fragmented remains of the original newspaper. The subjects allowed to remain are mutated by their inclusion in Swain's surrealist panorama. For instance, the piece Road to Water (all works 2010) incorporates a multitude of torn images, each exhibiting some form of flourishing crop. A number of figures have then been placed in accordance with the developing scene, creating the very canvas of the piece in addition to its theoretical prelude. Swain then applies a water-based acrylic directly onto the newspaper, gradually compiling the disconnected images into a unique coherent landscape.

Collaging newspaper is a familiar process for Swain, who has used this technique in every exhibition to date. As the artist recently stated in the Observer, "the creative process is at its most potent when it is a negotiation between what is willed and what happens involuntarily". As this statement suggests, Swain's makeshift canvases are something of an experimental venture, each piece coming into existence somewhat by accident. This explains the ambiguity. According to Swain: "Newspaper is a medium intended for little more than a cursory glance". Yet his work transforms the fleeting, disposable life of a newspaper into something completely opposite, bringing value to the ordinarily overlooked.

Emulating the tactics of early 20th-century Modernism – with semi-abstract landscapes congruent to Salvador Dali's evocative yet surreal ambience – and borrowing from Kandinsky's sculptural semblance, recurring geometrical forms are built to create crippled new landscapes that leave an unfamiliar feeling of depth and space. The exhibition's opening piece, Where Everything Lived for Waiting, a serene panorama painted in cool, muted hues of grey, blue and green, evokes a majestic Greek seascape, with a jarring cut-out incorporation of a mob gang to create a harmonious line of seaside villas. As in a dream, the unusual is passed off as ordinary until further analysed.

However, not all works in the show follow this conceit: works such as Found in Sizes bestow nothing in the way of an underlying theoretical message to even the most hopeful of viewers. Scraps of newspaper appear roughly stuck together without consideration, smears of PVA glue adjoining mismatched shreds of yesterday's news. Although visually coherent and aesthetically pleasing, these later works begin to lack any intellectual value, referring to nothing more than is unequivocally exposed to the naked eye. It's a good thing. While ambiguous art can be alluring, in the words of Sigmund Freud, "sometimes a cigar is only a cigar".

Classical music, 14-18s

National Youth Orchestra, conducted by Semyon Bychkov, at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 7 August by Sasha Millwood, 18

The magical and mysterious quality imbued to the Dukas never came at the expense of the clarity of the virtuosic lines.

The Anderson, composed in 2009, was a wonderfully imaginative piece, highly sophisticated in its thematic and textural development, not least the vast array of timbres utilised (for example, bowing below the bridge on stringed instruments). The size of the NYO (three tubas!) certainly lent itself admirably to the piece. The detuning by a quarter·tone in one piccolo, clarinet, trumpet and synthesiser enabled a more accurate realisation of the harmonic series.

The first and most distinct movement, a brass "fanfare", was performed with the prerequisite vivacity and rhythmic discipline, although the size of the Royal Albert Hall was such that the intensity was inevitably slightly lower than in Snape Maltings, at which the audience capacity was barely double the size of the orchestra! Nonetheless, the performance was almighty work, with an inextricable momentum, even in the third movement, which is challenging in that respect by virtue of its largely gradual transitions and two long pauses (that ingeniously mitigate the need for sudden transitions).

The Berlioz, composed in 1830, while scored for a somewhat smaller orchestra, was still very appropriate for the orchestra, and the players harnessed the potential of the immense climaxes to fill the hall, not to doubt the comparably compelling execution of the disarmingly serene third movement (what a pity that the opening, featuring an offstage oboe, was disturbed by some falling object!). Another feature of interest was the very distinct and synchronous swaying of the double basses in the second movement (quite appropriate given its title, Un Bal), the frivolity of which differed substantially from the terrifying and unrelenting power of the Dies Irae in the fifth movement, preceded by a solo from the offstage bells (whose player adhered meticulously to the dynamics) juxtaposed with sharp interjections.

Despite the tumultuous applause, there was no encore (whereas one had been given in Birmingham), but that was inconsequential, given that the NYO had proven their worth in a well-balanced and coherent programme including a truly contemporary work.

Pop, 14-18s

Buckcherry: All Night Long (Deluxe Edition) by Fin Murphy, 17

Buckcherry are a hard·livin', bad-boy, take-no-prisoners sort of gang, if you were to believe their press. Or, indeed, music.

Frequently, the stories regarding them are more interesting than their actual output: self-leaking tracks to create an online buzz, a legal battle over a semi-naked teen in a music video and side-jobs in acting that would make Jon Bon Jovi blush.

Buckcherry are the latest in a long line of bands that sell on image over audio: singer Josh Todd's throat tattoo screams post-modern rebellion, hair fashionable on heads and faces, enough to disguise the thousand-yard stares of grown men verbalising adolescent fantasies. This is radio-friendly rock, chart-topping in America (number 57 is their highest over here) and unashamed – an artistic void, simply. Fifteen years of producing the same record has earned them a dubious place alongside Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe in terms of recognition, yet each band once possessed an original creative spark that Buckcherry never had.

All Night Long is an amalgamation of these influences, from the tried-and-tested power chord riffing of Aerosmith by way of the boring sleaze of Mötley Crüe ("and your kitty in the middle is calling" – ahem) to the pseudo-epic, sanitised production of latter day Guns N' Roses. The sheer obviousness of every note is cynically planned, lest one immerse oneself. I'll leave you to deduce what It's A Party could possibly mean.

While few can argue with the reliable charms of good times rock 'n' roll, especially in these troubled times, the level of self-indulgence outdoes even Nikki Sixx. Their level of self-indulgence seems to be broad and even enters the coveted self-pity niche: "And when I see you cry it makes me want to die" comes from Sorry, one of the token acoustic tracks. It is the band's own November Rain and like Guns N' Roses, they are unafraid to tackle social ills! (They have a hastily changed song about the BP oil spill. It is for charity, praise where praise is due.)

Yes, your ears will bleed, but of trickles of brain matter desperately averting a 43-minute death.

Architecture, 14-18s

The Selfridges building, Birmingham by India Miller, 16

The iconic Selfridges building may have been born just seven years ago, but it has already made a big impression on a city left in tatters by the shells of the second world war, and the somewhat unimaginative architecture of the decades that followed.

Its relationship with the citizens of Birmingham hasn't always been an easy one: at its opening, interviewees on Midlands Today creatively described its exterior as "spotty", or, alternatively, "sort-of bubbly". It doesn't exactly create the most flattering picture, but this striking piece of architecture is surprisingly difficult to categorise. The intensely blue walls are reminiscent of plasticine carefully moulded into smooth curves, while the silver circles covering the entire building could be anything: contact lenses, mirrors, or perhaps a representation of the silver coins so plentiful in the boom years when the structure was built.

Whatever we choose to compare it with, the sleek, shiny form of the Selfridges building has glossed up Birmingham's city centre ever since its erection. This great, almost ship-like creation, so revered for its groundbreaking design, manages also to fit remarkably well into its less-than-exciting environs. It's as if this lustrous piece of architecture has grown out of the shabby edifices surrounding it, and it's come to symbolise Birmingham's potential to develop further in culture and the arts.

In fact, the bubble imagery favoured by many a Brummie is not so far off the mark. The fluidity of the architecture makes the whole structure seem like a bubble being blown out of the ground beneath it. Less favourably, though, it's also a bubble of wealth around a shop that a large proportion of the city cannot afford to venture into. But, still, the sheer bizarreness of this celebrated shopping centre is accessible to all – one of the joys of any piece of architecture.

Whether you love or hate the building itself (after much deliberation, I'm plumping for the former), it's impossible not to accept it as the symbol of a city. One might not deem it beautiful, but I can't imagine Birmingham without it.

Film, under-14s

Letters to Juliet by Sophy Leys Johnston, 12

It is almost impossible to make a good movie from a bad script but it is all too possible to make a bad movie from a good script. Perhaps the disaster that is Letters to Juliet can be blamed on a bad script? However, it was written by successful screenwriters Tim Sullivan and Jose Rivera, who between them have notched up credits including Flushed Away, A Handful of Dust and The Motorcycle Diaries, which suggests that it is extremely likely that the script for Letters to Juliet was a good one.

As I sat down in my seat, I was surprised to find so few seats filled. I expected the film to appeal to a bigger audience. The lights dimmed and I found myself excited (as usual) and ready for an exhilarating, romantic, perhaps even funny film. Instead I found myself watching something that was almost completely the opposite.

The story begins when Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), an American journalist, decides to spend a week in Verona – the romantic city were Romeo and Juliet first met (no surprises there) – with her fiance (Gael Garcia Bernal). During her week in Verona, Sophie encounters "Juliet's wall"; a wall that women come to from all over the world to post letters seeking advice from Juliet. Sophie quickly becomes part of a team of "secretaries" (Luisa Ranieri, Marina Massironi, Lidia Biondi and Milena Vukotic) who have taken on the task of replying to the letters, although we have no idea why. One day Sophie finds a letter that is 50 years old and becomes determined to reply to it. (Not exactly a great story so far, is it?) She is stunned when the author, Claire, convincingly played by Vanessa Redgrave, arrives in Italy with her rather domineering grandson (Christopher Egan) to search for the lost love she left all those years ago. Sophie becomes intrigued and joins them on their quest, so ... well, so nothing, really.

This is the bit where I'm supposed to congratulate the film on being so brilliant and say how amazing the plot was. But I'm not sure that really works for this particular film. The plot was not amazing. Nor was the film. It could have been a beautiful dual narrative: two love stories intertwined with a jubilant ending. But director Gary Winick didn't manage to pull this off. Instead it looked like a rather chaotic story with a very dreary plot.

Nothing actually happens. Nothing stops or delays Claire and Sophie, and you can guess what will happen nearly all the way through the film and be confident that you'll be right.

Probably one of the most comical things in the film was Egan. His English accent (which we can't really call English) was more amusing than anything else. He wasn't too good on the performing front. He was very histrionic; everything had to be exaggerated.

And it wasn't just Egan. This wasn't the most impressive piece of acting I've seen from Amanda Seyfried either. I would have expected more from her. She seemed quite bland in her acting and didn't really inspire me.

I have to admit, though, that the setting for the film was perfect. It had everything you expected: big fields, beautiful villas with hidden valleys and rustic peasants. And although Egan and Seyfried weren't doing as well as they could, Redgrave and Bernal certainly did some remarkable acting.

So no, I do not see this as bad screenwriting but merely as bad directing. For bad acting, obvious landscape and dull storytelling, I hold Gary Winick entirely responsible.

Television, 14-18s

Mo, Channel 4 by Lilith Johnstone, 17

From the unconventional Mrs Overall to the traditional Mary Whitehouse, Julie Walters performs her roles with consistent realism. In Mo, Channel 4's biopic of politician Mo Mowlam, realism is the operative word for Walters's performance as the "People's Politician".

The film shows Mo bringing a refreshingly human element to late 1990s New Labour, an era infamous for its obsession with political spin. Ambitious certainly, she had a warmth and connection with the public, as Walters does, evident from the opening scenes.

Mo's well-publicised illness features heavily in the film. Her decision not to inform Tony Blair of her malignant brain tumour, a fact the programme exclusively reveals, is a particularly engaging scene. Walters evokes Mo's stoicism and determination not to disadvantage her party.

However, I feel the drama is most rewarding when Mo is at her best: witty and brazen with a lack of vanity. Her casual conversations with Tony Blair – "babe, it's fine" – and her flashing her knickers at David Trimble are oddly endearing, showing Mo's lack of inhibition.

Despite Walters's excellent performance, the supporting cast are not eclipsed. Mo's relationship with colleague Adam Ingram (Gary Lewis) is explored with depth. He is particularly affecting talking to a dying Mo in the final scene. Although difficult to watch given her previous exuberance, these poignant scenes are handled with honesty, in the knowledge that Mo's achievements empowered many.

The dilemma Mo faces in the latter part of her life also sets the film apart. Was the personality that made her so popular the effect of her tumour, not just her own personality? Although ultimately unanswerable, the film allows us to consider how much of Mo really was Mo. So the drama still resonates with the viewer long after it has finished.

Watching Walters's performance, it is clear that she has expertly captured the nuances of Mo's personality and, overall, this is what makes the drama so engaging. When first accepting the role, Walters was concerned we wouldn't see past her to Mo. I think we – along with Trimble, in that infamous meeting – see her in every sense of the word.

Not only am I bedazzling in my silver dress, but I've discovered a whole load of secret skills

In Morocco, fine red Saharan sand found its way into my shoes, and in Australia's Northern Territory, sticky burrs clung to the hem of my khakis; but these days, I wake with flakes of glitter in my bed. If the small particles of our lives help define who and where we are, then I am now a bedazzled stranger, devoid of compass, in a lavish rhinestone realm. Last Saturday I danced the rumba (a euphemism for "foreplay") in front of 11 million people in a silver dress adorned with 10,000 crystals that formed serpentine curves around my breasts and waist. For someone whose home wardrobe consists of a line of black and navy suits, crisp cream blouses and sensible shoes, that's quite a departure. I keep waiting for the glamorising process to become old hat, but that has definitely not happened.

Not that my Strictly experience is all about adornment – far from it. Let's face it, I'm discovering new and vital skills I never even imagined I'd need, such as how to whip your head around 360 degrees without losing any "wefts" (near-invisible fake strands clipped in to increase the thickness of your hair), how to keep your nipples from peeking out while shimmying (tape them in), how to do three consecutive pirouettes in 3in heels, and how to avoid wincing at the pain of the Chinese burn you get when a man grabs you by a wrist and ankle and whirls you horizontally in the air until you hit the ground in a hip-shocking spin. How on earth did I survive 60 years without knowing such things? This new knowledge will make me a far better psychotherapist.

Progress notes this week include: "Delusional elements may be seeping into my psyche, but then again, the Strictly world just may be the One True Reality . . . " Will I ever find my way back to Kansas? I've strewn golden breadcrumbs behind me, but I fear the pixies may eat them . . .

Aaron Rodgers will start at quarterback for the Packers Sunday vs. the Dolphins after suffering a concussion a week ago. Rodgers passed all of the league-required tests to return to the field following the head injury.

The news was not as promising for OLB Clay Matthews, who leads the NFL with 8.5 sacks on the season. He is inactive with a left hamstring injury.

The way we see it

The Packers may be the most banged-up team in the league, with Matthews joining TE Jermichael Finley (right knee), LB Nick Barnett (left wrist), NT Ryan Pickett (ankle) and RB Ryan Grant (right ankle) among those watching Packers-Dolphins from the Lambeau Field sideline. At least Rodgers will play, giving Green Bay a chance to improve to 4-2.

Fantasy Spin

As long as Rodgers is healthy, he should be in your fantasy lineup. Missing Finley hurts, but Green Bay's offense still should rack up big yards and points vs. the Dolphins.

More photos » Don Ryan - AP

Enough room, enough need, enough balls for everyone? Stay tuned...

Browse more photos »

The rallying cry surrounding the 2010-11 Portland Trail Blazers has been simple and oft-repeated:  Just wait until we get healthy!  The hope behind the assertion is that this league hasn't seen what the Trail Blazers can do yet because of the (hopefully past) injuries that assailed the team last year.  Along with that hope comes a tacit admission that the Trail Blazers themselves haven't seen what the Trail Blazers can do yet.  

The number of times the projected best lineup of Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden both started and clicked flawlessly together last year was zero.  The offense sputtered at the beginning of the season trying to integrate Oden.  Just as momentum started to surge Oden went down.  Then Roy went down as well and the field was left to Miller, Aldridge, and Jerryd Bayless only later joined by a returning Batum, healthy Rudy Fernandez, and newly-acquired Marcus Camby.  Each combination did well enough in isolation, not only holding down the fort but making enough progress to top 50 wins and gain a playoff berth.   The assumption has been that a bunch of different lineups clicking well enough would merge into one, dominant super-lineup.  Even with pieces missing that hasn't been in evidence.

Miller is one of the main figures at the center of this evolving conundrum.  He's a good player.  Some consider him a great player.  Even his detractors would put him somewhere close to that border.  Talent and skill have not been an issue in Portland or anywhere else he's played.  The question dogging him since the moment he arrived in the Rose City is fit.  

As has been discussed ad nauseum, backcourt mate Brandon Roy might as well be a middle-aged woman shopping for jeans when it comes to point guards.  The ones that fit at the top don't fit at the bottom.  The ones that look good in front are a wreck from behind.  The requirements for a perfectly-tailored, designer-brand pair are so specific that they'd wouldn't be affordable even if you could find them.  Eventually you either make the best of an imperfect look or go scrounging in the closet for some sweats.  Miller is the Blazers' attempt at the former.  So far success is in the eye of the beholder.

On the heels of Roy's post-practice comments seeming to indicate that he should be the focus of the offense, the issue has been dissected yet again from multiple angles.  Over at CBS Sports our own Ben Golliver looked at last year's play and this year's competition.  He offered that Roy could not go it alone and intimated that Miller's performance would be a litmus test for the success of Roy's teammates.  Equally impressive was this Fanpost from B.E. reader atomiccafe, breaking down Miller's aptitude compared to those of his NBA peers.  His conclusion?  Miller may be not be the best fit skill-wise but the Blazers will have a hard time finding better.  These fields, particularly the skill-fit issue, have been well-plowed and I won't belabor them.  (You can read them anywhere and we've addressed them before.)  But the response to the discussion makes clear that a couple of other arguments remain less-tested and unsettled.  I'd like to approach the matter from two angles under hot debate right now: role and what it means to be a "team".

Role

One of the concluding sentences of atomicafe's Fanpost reads:

So the question is, would you rather have a very limited player who can shoot, or a much higher quality offensive player who can't as your second option?

The trade-off suggested from the Blazers' point of view is giving up desirable skills in order to obtain a greater role.  This is exactly the benefit Miller brings.  He's a point guard with an offensive bent.  From his rookie season he's traded on his scoring prowess.  It's a part of his game that he's not been willing to dampen, at least not for long.  With Miller you do get a bona fide scoring option, which is part of his attraction.

The problem from a role perspective is quickly evident considering the events we highlighted in Paragraph One:  the Blazers are expecting their entire lineup healthy this season.  Last year's injuries left Andre happily ensconced as the second option in most games, sometimes the first.  Roy permanently kicks him out of the latter spot.  Aldridge clearly trumps him as the second.  The great hope inherent in those returning players is that Oden will become a force down low and Batum will develop as an all-around scoring threat.  Oden's game would ideally allow him to be the third scoring option outright and someone who touches the ball even on plays where he doesn't take the shot.  That bumps Miller to no greater than fourth on the list.  And the guy yet behind him has been receiving attention and accolades around the league for his potential.

Andre Miller did a fantastic job of bailing the Blazers out of a disastrous season last year.  Portland spun triple cherries getting a player who could fill that second scoring role.  As the team evolves that same quality is going to spin up lemon-single bar-cow pie.  It's not a winning combination because they're trading needed skills for an advantage that they no longer need--that may be a detriment considering the lineup--when they're healthy.  At this point the Blazers may need that player with targeted skills who isn't their second option in the offense.  At the very least you have to say that Miller's role versus his desires and ability is unsettled.  It has been since he arrived, really.

What It Means to Be a Team

The harshest flashes of anger in response to Roy's comments about his own offensive role came from people who decried the loss of team emphasis in his individualistic-sounding comments.  This is misplaced.  Whether Roy can lead the Blazers to a title remains to be seen.  Either way, he's a proven scorer, an All-NBA-level talent, and clearly the best player the Blazers have.  Barring a trade for another team's disgruntled superstar (perhaps allowing us to debate Roy v. Wade) he'll remain the hub of the offense and the team as long as he wears the uniform.  As such, his responsibility is to claim the spotlight and direct the show while everyone else falls in line.

NBA teams are not, and never have been, egalitarian entities.  The 1976-77 Trail Blazers are heralded to this day as one of the most self-giving squads in history, defeating the star-laden 76'ers by dint of said teamwork.  It's true that on any given play a shot could come from anywhere depending on where the defense fell apart.  But there was a clear pecking order on that team.  Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas were first, followed by Lionel Hollins.  Everybody else were cast members from Gilligan's Island, necessary for the stars to play off of but locked into their roles.  Bob Gross and Lloyd Neal and Dave Twardzik are remembered for all of eternity in these parts precisely because they deferred to the Big Three.  Had they tried to take over one of those spots they would have been traded or the Blazers wouldn't have gone as far as they did.

Portland's other great teams, led by Clyde Drexler, had an even clearer order.  Drexler was The Man, period.  Porter was his amazing sidekick.  Everybody else, no matter how talented, formed their games around Clyde.  I remember commentators saying repeatedly that Jerome Kersey easily could have been a 20-point scorer were he not a part of this team.  In a game I saw in person (I forget the opponent now) both Drexler and center Kevin Duckworth were unopposed on the break and Duck had the ball.  Duck looked over at Clyde and clear as day asked if he could be the one to take the ball to the hole this time...not demanded or assumed, asked.  Clyde nodded and only then did Duck go in for the dunk.  With a small flick of the wrist the ball would have been in Drexler's hands immediately, neither questions nor moping permitted. 

These were both amazing teams in every sense of the word.  But "team" did not mean everyone had equal say, equal attempts, or even the full role to which their talents entitled them.  Those teams prospered precisely because the players surrounding the stars conformed their games to the star's needs.  Once that happened then the star could comfortably work in the other guys and take advantage of their talents.  But if his hands weren't on the wheel, that wouldn't have happened.  Elegantly worded in interviews or not, Brandon Roy is correct in expressing his desire for control and primacy in the offense.  Any kind of struggle that threatens to prevent that harms this team and goes against the definition of team itself, at least as far as the NBA runs.  If Miller and Roy aren't on the same page--and circumstantial evidence and backstage rumblings both indicate they may not be no matter how much they doth protest--then the situation must be addressed.

Returning to Ben's words, it is on Andre Miller to show his value to this team (emphasis on this team, which is in a different spot that last year's).  He is neither a core member nor a possible bright spot in Portland's future.  He is a hired gun.  He is in the last guaranteed year of his contract.  His talent is not in question.  His benefit in this situation is.  Unless his performance and the team's become seamless his role, at least as the team defines it, will remain unfilled despite his ability.  

At this point the only sureties are that the end of this story has yet to be written and that the journey between here and there will be interesting.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

With various medical procedures to key players yet to occur this week, it's a bit premature to project exactly what kind of shape the Packers will be in for their Week Six game at home against Miami this Sunday. But with initial indications suggesting that a number of players will not be able to play — including possibly the team's best offensive player (QB Aaron Rodgers) and best defensive player (OLB Clay Matthews) — the Packers' short-term status looks more than a little shaky.

In addition to the team's two aforementioned stars, other Packers definitely expected to be riding the pine in Week Six include: TEs Jermichael Finley (hamstring) and Donald Lee (shoulder), special-teams ace Derrick Martin (knee) and MLB Nick Barnett (wrist), who was injured in Week Four.

There are also a number of players who missed the Week Five game in Washington because of injuries whose status remains up in the air, including LB Brandon Chillar (shoulder), OT Mark Tauscher (shoulder), CB Sam Shields (calf) and FB Quinn Johnson (glute).

The PFW spin

Rodgers, who suffered a concussion on his final offensive play against Washington, is expected to get limited practice time this week at best. Head coach Mike McCarthy indicated Monday that there is a good possibility Rodgers could miss the Miami game, and if the concussion that sidelined Bears QB Jay Cutler is any indication, a one-game hiatus definitely could be in the works for precautionary reasons as much as anything. Obviously, the downgrade from Rodgers to backup Matt Flynn is substantial, although Rodgers has been far from the MVP-caliber QB he appeared to be most of the time last season in Green Bay's first five games.

McCarthy said Matthews' latest hamstring strain is not as significant as the one he had in training camp, but that it was too early to tell whether both Matthews and DT Ryan Pickett (ankle) could play this Sunday until they had MRIs later this week. But a one-game layoff for a hamstring that has proven to be a tricky ailment to keep under control for Matthews would surprise nobody, considering his extreme long-range importance. The Packers were able to maintain steady pressure without Matthews after he left the game against the Redskins late in the third quarter, but he is the defense's ultimate finisher when it comes to actually bringing opposing QBs down, and his relentless ability to get to the passer would be sorely missed.

Beyond all these unfortunate injuries, though, we would be missing the point if we blamed them for being mostly responsible for the Packers' second loss of the season. Nine penalties (five of which led to first downs), four sacks allowed, as many as eight dropped passes (including at least four by WR Donald Driver) and the questionable strategy by McCarthy of essentially abandoning an effective ground game in the game's final quarter and a half were equally responsible for the team's latest very painful loss.

Did September fly by for anyone else? It was here and then it was frickin' gone.

Despite the fact that the month flew by a plethora of games came out in almost every category imaginable. I think we're warming up for that holiday season rolling in. It's quite possible the biggest game of the year landed this month in Halo: Reach and meanwhile Enslaved: Odyssey to the West shined for those avoiding the franchise. In fact I'd wager that September has some of the highest scores in the most varied amount of genres as any month.

Not to say that everything was great. There are definitely some duds down there, but no matter what genre you love it looks like September had a game for you.

Thanks this month to the great Skribble, whose name doesn't quite live up to the awesome artwork he did for the header image. Best Spartan ever? Yes.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent (PC, Mac, Linux)

Amnesia: The Dark Descent, developed on a shoestring budget by five Swedes, is a rare game that outshines (or rather, out-scares) the high-end, high-budget, triple-A titles that so often lay claim to the horror game mantle.

Pick it up, but you should know that you might be so scared that you'll have to put it down.

And Yet It Moves (WiiWare)

"(The game's) mechanic makes for some of the most creative and innovative level designs around and even more impressively never gets old as the game never tires out a puzzle style or creative mechanic ... The game is flat out breathtaking visually."

Score: 8.5 -- Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Wii)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold doesn’t do anything "bold" in terms of game design, but it doesn’t try to; instead, it delivers a solid and enjoyable experience from beginning to end ... super sharp visuals and clever writing make this a collection of Batman adventures you won’t want to miss.

Score: 8 - Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.)

Civilization V (PC)

Civilization V makes huge advances to the series that do nothing but enhance the essential experience ... It trims all the fat, leaving only decision-making, strategic planning, and the sheer joy of crushing your enemies. Civ V is the pinnacle of the franchise to date.

Score: 9.5 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West has its flaws, and those flaws are worn on the sleeve at all times. However, none of them tarnish what is, overall, one of the very best experiences released on a console in a long, long time.

Score: 9.0 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

F1 2010 (PC [reviewed], Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

Codemasters had a significant task in front of them. They wanted to re-create the F1 experience in a way that almost no F1 game had done so before. In the end, they got it pretty close to it on their first try in some areas but fell flat on their faces in others.

Score: 7.0 -- Good (7s are solid games that definitely have an audience. Might lack replay value, could be too short or there are some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.)

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii)

Warriors of Rock is a solid Guitar Hero offering for sure, and perhaps one of Neversoft’s best, despite the weird creative decision to include monsters in its primary experience ... Outside of the rockers turning into demons in the game’s oddball “Quest” mode, this is largely the same experience as Guitar Hero 5.

Score: 7 -- Good (7s are solid games that definitely have an audience. Might lack replay value, could be too short or there are some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.)

Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)

Halo: Reach is everything a Halo fan has ever dreamed for. All that was lacking from previous Halo games is here and then some. This is Bungie's love letter to their fans and they've definitely gone out with a bang.

Score: 10 -- Flawless Victory (10s are as close to perfect as you will get in a genre or on a platform. Pure, untarnished videogame ecstasy.)

Hydrophobia (XBLA)

Hydrophobia isn't straight-up, unforgivably dreadful. It's mostly just boring, uninspired, and vapid.

Note: Our reviewer may have been playing this game wrong.

Score: 3.5 -- Poor (3s went wrong somewhere along the line. The original idea might have promise, but in practice the game has failed. Threatens to be interesting sometimes, but rarely.)

Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess (PSP Minis/Xbox Live Indie Games [reviewed])

If you enjoy a good platform game with a considerable but worthy challenge and a lot of charm, Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess will certainly deliver that for you. It is addictive, occasionally frustrating and constantly fun. Your money would be wisely invested in this one.

Score: 9 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

NHL 11 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])

NHL 11 doesn’t have any competition to blow out of the (frozen) water this year, but that didn’t stop the hockey nuts at EA Canada from being as bold as ever with the improvements and additions they brought to the franchise’s twentieth iteration.

Score: 9.5 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won’t cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

Plants vs. Zombies (XBLA)

For all its humor, endless replay value and subtle, accessible strategy, it's no wonder that Plants vs. Zombies remains one of the best games to come out of the casual gaming market. The Xbox Live Arcade version is a capable port which carries across the fun of the title brilliantly.

Score: 9.5 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

Sonic Adventure (Xbox Live Arcade (Reviewed), PlayStation Network)

This is a great game for the fanatics who like having all their Sonic games on a next generation console. However, if you're a casual fan looking for a masterpiece, all you'll find is a relic that was once considered greatness.

Score: 6.0 -- Alright (6s may be slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.)

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

There’s so much amazing fan service here, that enthusiasts simply shouldn’t miss it. Despite its extremely obvious and repetitive nature, it’s also a decent amount of fun, provided you play it in small doses.

Score: 6 -- Alright (6s may be slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.)

Tales of Elastic Boy - Mission 1 (WiiWare)

Tales of Elastic Boy - Mission 1 requires that you contort your wrist in ways it wasn't meant to bend. Maybe the blistering tendinosis you'd likely develop is a sign that this game isn't meant to be played...

Score: 2.0 -- Bad (2s are a disaster. Any good they might have had are quickly swallowed up by glitches, poor design choices or a plethora of other issues. The desperate or the gullible may find a glimmer of fun hidden somewhere in the pit.)

PORTABLE

Etrian Odyssey III (DS)

I'd call it a thinker's dungeon crawler. If you're up to the challenge, there's a lot of fun to be had with Etrian Odyssey III.

Score: 8 -- Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.)

Gladiator Begins (PSP)

This isn't a game that will be talked about for ages. It's a game that will drift from our memories and work its way into bargain bins worldwide.

Score: 5.5 -- Mediocre (5s are an exercise in apathy, neither Solid nor Liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit "meh," really.)

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)

Even with its flaws, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep finally manages to deliver the highly polished sequel that fans deserve ...  For anyone who enjoys fun action games, it will stay in your UMD drive for weeks to come. Savor it - because you won't get anything like it for a while.

Score: 8.5 -- Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.)

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS)

Overall, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is a wonderful title, and my personal favorite of the series ... Unwound Future isn't innovative or groundbreaking, and what few changes exist are mostly just new puzzle types, but the game and overall story are polished, interesting, and just simply fun.

Score: 9.0 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

Shoot to Kill (iPhone)

Shoot to Kill is a fun and simple game that’s a steal of a deal at free and certainly worth picking up, if only to take it out for a spin.

Score: 8.0 -- Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, it is worth your time and cash.

DLC

Borderlands: Claptrap's New Robot Revolution (PC/PS3/Xbox 360 [reviewed])

This is a disgrace and fans should let Gearbox know that it's very easy to perceive this as a lazy cash-grab. Small comfort comes from the knowledge that they outsourced its development to a company I can't remember the name of and won't check because it would require me to play through that fucking thing again.

Score: 3.0 -- Poor (3s went wrong somewhere along the line. The original idea might have promise, but in practice the game has failed. Threatens to be interesting sometimes, but rarely.)

Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker (PC, Xbox 360)

Your lips are improved
And you are kind of a bitch
Still you don't suck bad

Score: 9.5 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

On Monday night's Raw, we saw Jericho’s demise in WWE for the time being. I do hope he is back by WrestleMania, hopefully in a white-hot feud with Orton for the title. But anyway, we saw him list the people that he has beaten in his career, ranging from Japan, TNA, and WCW to the WWE in a parody of his "1,004 holds" promo.

His list of competitors includes Michaels, Austin, Rock, Hunter, Eddie, Rey, JBL, Big Show, Edge, Taker (twice), MVP, C.M Punk, Vader I and II, Villano I-V, Juventud Guerrera, Mendoza, Great Muta, Chono, Funaki, Fuyuki, Yoshi Tatsu, Saturn, Dean Malenko, Luger, Sting, Flair, Booker, Goldberg, Stevie Ray, Norton, Bagwell, Flash Flanagan, Flash Funk, Kevin Nash, Diesel, Oz, Scott Hall, Razor Ramon, and American Starship Eagle!

So I thought I would just bring up one of Jericho’s awesome feuds with WCW’s midcard, this one being Dean “The Iceman” Malenko, who came from the original ECW. Y2J and Malenko produced mat-classic matches, but what most remember is Jericho’s promo where he rebutted Malenko’s title, the “Man of 1,000 holds" by proclaiming that he, Jericho, had 1,004. He then proceeded to name the full list of holds from a long piece of computer-printed paper. Truly amazing! I have attached a video below: you need to watch it!

So here they are, all 1,004 holds. Stick at it, there are some gems hidden deep in the many hundreds here. My personal favourite is the ARMBAR!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUcTHmZ9luY

1 - arm drag 2 - arm bar 3 - moss cover three handled family grudunzle 4 - arm bar 5 - back breaker 6 - body slam 7 - drop toe hold 8 - arm bar 9 - shoting star staple press 10 - right handed arm bar 11 - Lionsault 12 - knife edge chop 13 - arm bar 14 - piledriver 15 - Jericho arm bar 16 - Canadian arm drag 17 - Canadian Maple Leaf 18 - arm bar 19 - LionTamer 20 - missile drop kick 21 - drop kick 22 - Jericho back breaker 23 - kick 24 - missile drop kick off the top rope 25 - side head lock 26 - arm bar 27 - hip toss 28 - sleeper hold 29 - atomic leg drop 30 - ddt 31 - fall away slam 32 - Canadian arm bar 33 - kick to the mid section 34 - foot to the face 35 - elbow drop 36 - running lariat 37 - arm bar 38 - power slam 39 - double ax handle 40 - Northern light suplex 41 - Japanese arm bar 42 - snap suplex 43 - clothesline 44 - camel clutch 45 - german suplex 46 - arm bar 47 - Canadian suplex 48 - swinging neck breaker 49 - Jericho snap suplex 50 - leg drop 51 - hurricarana 52 - baseball slide 53 - arm bar 54 - right handed arm drag 55 - pin 56 - palm shot 57 - Mexican arm bar 58 - lariat 59 - Jericho driver 60 - moon sault 61 - left handed arm drag 62 - forearm 63 - left side hip toss 64 - headlock 65 - arm bar 66 - European upper cut 67 - Jericho drop kick 68 - belly to back suplex 69 - jaw breaker 70 - Lionheart arm bar 71 - right side hip toss 72 - left leg drop toe hold 73 - arm bar 74 - right leg drop toe hold 75 - arm bar 76 - Jericho ddt 77 - gorilla press 78 - arm bar 79 - boot to the head 80 - slap 81 - brain buster 82 - arm bar 83 - reverse hip toss 84 - Jericho leg drop 85 - Jericho right handed arm bar 86 - knee to the mid section 87 - arm bar 88 - LionHeart upper cut 89 - standing lariet 90 - American arm bar 91 - tombstone 92 - moonsault to the outside 93 - arm bar 94 - Jerich knife edge chop 95 - right knee to the mid section 96 - Canadian right arm bar 97 - side suplex 98 - Jericho screw leg whip 99 - left knee to the mid section 100 - arm bar 101 - right side suplex 102 - powerbomb (before illegal) 103 - Canadian left arm bar 104 - Jericho Spike 105 - belly to belly suplex 106 - left side suplex 107 - arm bar 108 - springboard backflip ddt 109 - bow and arrow submission 110 - arm bar 111 - head scissors 112 - figure four 113 - American right arm bar 114 - somersault flip 115 - flying head scissors 116 - top rope huracanrana 117 - American left arm bar 118 - sunset flip 119 - scissors around the ring post 120 - arm bar 121 - sharp snap suplex 122 - catapult into ringpost 123 - vertical suplex 124 - Japanese right arm bar 125 - backdrop 126 - elbow drop 127 - arm bar 128 - Jericho sleeper hold 129 - gulliten leg drop 130 - Japanese left arm bar 131 - leapfrog 132 - flying clothesline 133 - kick to the leg 134 - arm bar 135 - leg takedown 136 - knee drop 137 - boot to the face 138 - small package 139 - arm takedown 140 - Mexican right arm bar 141 - right punch 142 - standing dropkick 143 - piledriver 144 - spinning savate kick 145 - Mexican left arm bar 146 - forearm smash 147 - split-legged moonsault 148 - Boston crab 149 - flying forearm from the second rope 150 - arm bar 151 - powerslam 152 - belly to back suplex 153 - elbow off the second rope 154 - flying bodypress 155 - fisherman suplex 156 - Jericho figure four leglock 157 - arm bar 158 - tombstone piledriver 159 - Jericho flying clothesline 160 - superkick 161 - elbow to the gut 162 - chop 163 - bear hug 164 - nerve hold 165 - arm bar 166 - bulldog 167 - poke to the eyes 168 - rake to the eyes 169 - sharpshooter 170 - arm bar 171 - rolling german suplexes 172 - arm drag take over 173 - full arm drag 174 - german release suplex 175 - russian leg sweep 176 - arm drag and twist 177 - leg sweep 178 - sharpshooter 179 - chop 180 - bulldog off the top rope 181 - arm bar 182 - hammerlock 183 - reverse atomic knee drop 184 - top-rope elbow drop 185 - arm bar 186 - wrist lock 187 - whip into the corner 188 - elbow to the jaw 189 - rear chinlock 190 - flying fist drop 191 - arm bar 192 - spinning kick 193 - Northern Lights bomb 194 - plancha 195 - savate kick 196 - arm bar 197 - chinlock 198 - standing hammerlock 199 - crossface 200 - splash 201 - ankle lock submission 202 - back drop 203 - arm bar 204 - Irish whip 205 - knee to the back 206 - back bodydrop 207 - leglock 208 - shoulderblock 209 - arm bar 210 - back suplex 211 - open hand to the face 212 - top rope frankensteiner 213 - corkscrew plancha 214 - arm bar 215 - outside-the-ring huracanrana 216 - scoop slam 217 - crossface chicken wing 218 - frankensteiner 219 - reverse atomic drop 220 - flying headbutt 221 - headbutt 222 - arm bar 223 - reverse atomic knee drop onto right knee 224 - Tiger suplex 225 - running clothesline with right arm 226 - test of strength 227 - arm bar 228 - running clothesline with left arm 229 - reverse atomic knee drop onto left knee 230 - dropkick to torso 231 - left arm bar 232 - Asai moonsault 233 - cradle 234 - karate kick 235 - reverse whip 236 - arm bar 237 - reverse Irish whip 238 - abdominal stretch 239 - dragon suplex 240 - reverse suplex 241 - arm bar 242 - top rope powerbomb 243 - inverted backbreaker 244 - modified top rope powerbomb 245 - sideslam 246 - tilt-a-whirl sideslam 247 - superplex 248 - arm bar 249 - turnbuckle smash body slam 250 - slingshot catapult 251 - single leg takedown 252 - judo takedown 253 - arm bar 254 - Fireman's carry takedown 255 - double wrist takedown 256 - vertical splash 257 - snap mare 258 - spinebuster 259 - tilt-a-whirl slam 260 - top rope press slam 261 - double leg slam 262 - shoulder breaker 263 - inverted power slam 264 - suplex powerbomb 265 - airplane spin powerbomb 266 - underhook piledriver 267 - ring rope low blow 268 - mat slam 269 - monkey flip 270 - neck breaker 271 - reverse mat slam 272 - sliding leg trip 273 - leg drag 274 - double knee lift 275 - knee drop 276 - step kick 277 - spinning roundhouse kick 278 - spinning heel kick 279 - roundhouse kick 280 - snap kick 281 - leg lariat 282 - jumping standing head scissors 283 - Jericho Spike 284 - shoulder spin hurricarana 285 - arm bar 286 - gutbuster drop 287 - flap jack 288 - flying arm scissor 289 - forearm uppercut 290 - giant swing 291 - face driver 292 - fist drop 293 - double axe handle smash 294 - top rope drop kick 295 - inverted facelock ddt 296 - tornado ddt 297 - ring rope snap 298 - spinning clothesline 299 - ring rope vertical splash clothesline 300 - open hand chop 301 - double chest chop 302 - bulldog lariat 303 - bulldog headlock 304 - swinging bulldog 305 - body scissor 306 - brainbuster 307 - springboard moonsault body press 308 - vertical splash 309 - cross body block 310 - spinning back fist 311 - back breaker drop 312 - atomic throw 313 - shoulder throw 314 - arm wringer 315 - atomic drop 316 - arm breaker 317 - airplane spin toss 318 - turnbuckle smash 319 - side headlock takedown 320 - arm bar 321 - go-behind takedown 322 - front neck chancre 323 - lifting leg stomp 324 - double stomp 325 - somersault body attack 326 - springboard corkscrew splash 327 - springboard moonsault splash 328 - reverse fallaway slam 329 - sidewalk slam 330 - full nelson slam 331 - half nelson 332 - shoulder tackle 333 - short arm 334 - spinning punch 335 - hip toss powerslam 336 - arm bar 337 - shoulder mount face first powerbomb 338 - belly to back powerbomb 339 - body slam piledriver 340 - flying somersault 341 - spinning toe hold 342 - belly to belly wristlock 343 - inverted facelock surfboard 344 - standing surfboard 345 - step-over toe hold face lock 346 - spinning cobra clutch sleeper hold 347 - triangle scissor lock 348 - rolling leg sleeper hold 349 - crooked head scissor lock 350 - back slide 351 - forward leg sweep cradle 352 - nerve hold with armbar 353 - arm bar 354 - neck twist 355 - belly to back flipping throw suplex 356 - belly to belly 90 degree overhead suplex 357 - racked leg lock 358 - victory roll 359 - roll up reverse 360 - crucifix roll up 361 - reverse crucifix kneebar 362 - rolling leg scissors cradle 363 - side cradle 364 - arm bar 365 - 3/4 nelson cradle 366 - bridging double leg pickup roll up 367 - inside cradle 368 - spinning full nelson 369 - half crab 370 - half nelson 371 - back to back elevated hammerlock 372 - inverted full nelson 373 - arm bar 374 - cradle suplex 375 - block buster suplex with bridge 376 - belly to belly overheard with hammerlock suplex 377 - front face lock 378 - chinlock 379 - choke hold 380 - over the shoulder chinlock 381 - inverted face lock 382 - arm bar 383 - full nelson suplex 384 - salto suplex 385 - inverted facelock suplex 386 - half nelson belly to belly suplex 387 - front ring rope suplex 388 - inverted belly to back bear hug 389 - back breaker rack 390 - crossed arms camel clutch 391 - arm bar 392 - stretch suplex 393 - shoulder mounted forward suplex 394 - underhook suplex 395 - standing on the top rope underhook suplex 396 - armbar with neck submission 397 - step over arm bar 398 - cross knee back breaker hold 399 - standing bow and arrow 400 - back drop driver suplex 401 - wheelbarrow suplex 402 - standing ankle lock 403 - achilles tendon hold 404 - inverted face lock abdominal stretch 405 - crucifix armbar 406 - over the shoulder arm drag 407 - belly to back wristlock 408 - bodyslam piledriver 409 - face first piledriver 410 - reverse ankle lock 411 - suplex piledriver 412 - back elbow smash 413 - arm bar 414 - elbow smash 415 - released german suplex 416 - Canadian back breaker position powerbomb 417 - crossed arms powerbomb 418 - step over armbar with neck submission 419 - bow and arrow back breaker hold 420 - reverse underhook ddt 421 - throat slam suplex 422 - underhook ddt 423 - gutwrench powerbomb 424 - Argentine back breaker 425 - reverse gory special powerbomb 426 - ring rope drop from tilt-a-whirl clothesline 427 - inverted facelock brainbuster suplex 428 - guillotine powerbomb 429 - arm bar 430 - short arm clothesline 431 - tilt-a-whirl powerslam 432 - punch 433 - school boy trip 434 - front face lock choke hold 435 - full nelson 436 - double to neck chop 437 - spinning reverse knife hand chop 438 - elbow smash clothesline 439 - belly to belly overhead suplex 440 - chickenwing and facelock suplex 441 - super brainbuster 442 - front leg shoulder tackle 443 - arm bar 444 - apron dive senton 445 - back drop fallaway slam 446 - off the top rope somersault senton with twist 447 - half crab with armlock 448 - bell clap 449 - back fist 450 - back rake 451 - step over armbar cradle 452 - rolling inside cradle 453 - hair pull slam 454 - hammerlock body slam 455 - body slam 456 - arm bar 457 - indian deathlock with front face lock leg lock 458 - knuckle to temple 459 - crucifix kneebar 460 - spinning boot scrape 461 - fireman's carry brainbuster 462 - off the top rope body press suicida 463 - school boy roll up 464 - japanese leg roll pin 465 - spine bomb slam 466 - stretch slam 467 - arm bar 468 - tilt-a-whirl face first slam 469 - standing figure four leg lock 470 - racked kneeling leg lock 471 - twisting 3/4 facelock bulldog 472 - running bulldog headlock 473 - arm bar 474 - 3/4 face lock, flap jack, bulldog 475 - belly to back double chickenwing suplex 476 - belly to back crossed arms suplex 477 - off the second rope splash 478 - catapult splash 479 - catapult somersault splash 480 - arm bar 481 - somersault body attack suicida 482 - octopus hold 483 - body scissor lock 484 - leg lock with bridging chinlock 485 - press slam 486 - super inverted atomic drop 487 - cradle camel clutch 488 - crossed arms with standing figure four cradle 489 - forward rolling cradle 490 - stomp 491 - double leg tackle takedown 492 - forward rolling leg scissor takedown 493 - arm bar 494 - pinch sleeper hold 495 - hair pull takedown 496 - side rolling leg scissor takedown 497 - throat strike 498 - tights pull takedown 499 - stump puller 500 - surfboard 501 - double step over toe hold face lock 502 - chinlock surfboard 503 - inverted surfboard 504 - arm bar 505 - powerbomb turnbuckle smash 506 - belly to belly drop turnbuckle smash 507 - inverted with inverted facelock surfboard 508 - inverted with chinlock surfboard 509 - lifting mat slam 510 - reverse monkey flip 511 - forward russian leg sweep 512 - arm bar 513 - leg twist 514 - leg wheel 515 - low blow 516 - off the top rope somersault leg drop with twist 517 - springboard leg drop 518 - driving knee lift 519 - jumping knee strike 520 - knee to stomach 521 - catapult somersault leg drop 522 - knee clip 523 - thrust kick 524 - knee drop knee breaker 525 - side kick 526 - arm bar 527 - spin kick 528 - rolling koppou kick 529 - flying side kick 530 - leg sweep kick 531 - scissor kick 532 - back brain kick 533 - arm bar 534 - jumping hip attack 535 - reverse hurricarana 536 - gutbuster drop 537 - headbutt drop 538 - hamstring pull 539 - arm bar 540 - flying head scissors 541 - forearm smash 542 - off the second rope fist drop 543 - spinning forearm smash 544 - spinning back elbow smash 545 - guillotine face driver 546 - arm bar 547 - reverse face driver 548 - underhook face driver 549 - neck snap 550 - nerve strike 551 - palm thrust 552 - palm thrust flurry 553 - belly to belly piledriver 554 - arm bar 555 - neck breaker 556 - standing head scissors 557 - airplane spin 558 - inverted atomic drop 559 - reverse achilles tendon hold 560 - ankle lock 561 - suplex piledriver 562 - underhook face first piledriver 563 - elbow smash 564 - springboard back elbow smash suicida 565 - flying back elbow smash 566 - arm bar 567 - exploder suplex 568 - crossed arms Canadian back breaker position powerbomb 569 - crucifix powerbomb 570 - reverse crucifix armbar with neck submission 571 - face first powerbomb 572 - shoulder mounted crossed arms suplex 573 - throat slam suplex 574 - arm bar 575 - single arm ddt 576 - reverse underhook ddt 577 - Canadian back breaker 578 - camel clutch 579 - strectch powerbomb 580 - underhook powerbomb 581 - gutwrench powerbomb 582 - shoulder mounted suplex 583 - inverted facelock brainbuster suplex 584 - ring rope slingshot catapult clothesline 585 - ring rope drop from bodyslam clothesline 586 - inverted facelock front suplex 587 - cradle brainbuster suplex 588 - arm bar 589 - rope rake 590 - abdominal claw hold 591 - elbow smash clothesline 592 - cobra clutch suplex 593 - belly to belly overhead suplex 594 - catapult somersault senton suicida 595 - head vice 596 - back rake 597 - corner body press 598 - handspring body press suicida 599 - handspring moonsault body press suicida 600 - arm bar 601 - tilt-a-whirl back breaker drop 602 - step over armbar cradle 603 - forward rolling fallaway slam 604 - running forward rolling fallaway slam 605 - apron dive vertical splash bodypress 606 - back suplex 607 - arm bar 608 - flying leg roll up 609 - racked kneeling leg lock 610 - reverse standing figure four leg lock 611 - tilt a whirl face first slam 612 - spine bomb slam 613 - twisting 3/4 facelock bulldog 614 - cobra clutch bulldog 615 - arm bar 616 - running palm thrust 617 - super piledriver 618 - super arm drag 619 - springboard arm drag 620 - cross arm scissors 621 - super northern lights bomb 622 - top rope powerbomb 623 - arm bar 624 - off the top rope vertical splash bodypress 625 - super spine bomb slam 626 - double sidewalk slam 627 - standing on top rope press slam 628 - 3/4 face lock bulldog 629 - belly to belly double arm suplex 630 - belly to back double chickenwing suplex 631 - arm bar 632 - belly to back crossed arms suplex 633 - pendulum back breaker 634 - body breaker 635 - super inverted atomic drop 636 - arm bar 637 - camel clutch cradle 638 - forward rolling leg scissor takedown 639 - top rope vertical splash 640 - running corner vertical splash 641 - choke hold sleeper hold 642 - head scissor lock 643 - arm bar 644 - figure four stump puller 645 - elevated surfboard 646 - inverted step over toe hold face lock 647 - judo takedown 648 - single leg takedown 649 - tights pull takedown 650 - suspended surfboard 651 - inverted indian deathlock surfboard 652 - arm bar 653 - powerbomb turnbuckle smash 654 - belly to belly drop turnbuckle smash 655 - overhead face first powerbomb turnbuckle smash 656 - neck breaker 657 - flying mat slam 658 - reverse monkey flip 659 - running mat slam 660 - left arm bar 661 - off the top rope reverse mat slam 662 - running neck breaker 663 - flying somersault 664 - leg twist 665 - leg wheel 666 - right arm bar 667 - double forward russian leg sweep 668 - super side russian leg sweep 669 - sliding leg trip 670 - double side russian leg sweep 671 - leg whip 672 - arm bar 673 - flying knee lift 674 - springboard leg drop with victim across top rope 675 - off the second rope knee lift 676 - off the top rope somersault leg drop 677 - jumping knee strike 678 - headlock 679 - gorilla press 680 - off the top rope moonsault knee drop 681 - arm bar 682 - somersault leg drop 683 - springboard knee drop 684 - super knee breaker drop 685 - thrust kick 686 - standing on top rope knee breaker drop 687 - arm bar 688 - off the top rope knee drop 689 - flying spinning roundhouse kick 690 - springboard straight leg side kick 691 - corner running spinning heel kick 692 - arm bar 693 - rolling german suplex 694 - corner rolling koppou kick 695 - missile drop kick 696 - roundhouse kick 697 - knife edge chop 698 - cradle 699 - full nelson 700 - corner back flip kick 701 - leg sweep kick 702 - jumping spin kick 703 - running big boot kick 704 - flying big boot kick 705 - bodyslam 706 - snap suplex 707 - snap mare 708 - ddt 709 - off the top rope somersault hurricarana 710 - super hurricarana 711 - tombstone 712 - arm bar 713 - standing on the top rope hurricarana 714 - jawbreaker 715 - irish whip 716 - hammer throw 717 - arm bar 718 - springboard jumping hip attack 719 - corner jumping hip attack 720 - fireman's carry gutbuster drop 721 - arm bar 722 - hamstring pull 723 - flap jack 724 - giant swing 725 - off the second rope fist drop 726 - flying head scissors 727 - flying arm scissors 728 - Canadian left arm bar 729 - forearm uppercut 730 - super flying arm scissors 731 - gutbuster drop 732 - European uppercut 733 - off the top rope face driver 734 - spinning back elbow smash 735 - arm bar 736 - off the second rope leg face driver 737 - fist drop 738 - suplex 739 - underhook face driver 740 - reverse face driver 741 - forearm smash 742 - double boot scrape 743 - arm bar 744 - side headlock 745 - hip toss 746 - sleeper hold 747 - atomic leg drop 748 - back breaker 749 - fallaway slam 750 - power slam 751 - double axe handle 752 - running lariat 753 - elbow drop 754 - arm bar 755 - camel clutch 756 - clothesline 757 - snap suplex 758 - lionsault 759 - drop toe hold 760 - shoting star staple press 761 - baseball slide 762 - palm shot 763 - hurricarana 764 - leg drop 765 - arm bar 766 - lariat 767 - pin 768 - moonsault 769 - headlock 770 - left side hip toss 771 - forearm 772 - arm bar 773 - belly to back suplex 774 - left leg drop toe hold 775 - right side hip toss 776 - jaw breaker 777 - boot to the head 778 - brain buster 779 - slap 780 - reverse hip toss 781 - left arm bar 782 - knee to the mid section 783 - standing lariat 784 - moonsault to the outside 785 - tombstone 786 - arm bar 787 - side suplex 788 - powerbomb 789 - left knee to mid section 790 - Jericho Spike 791 - belly to belly suplex 792 - left side suplex 793 - fisherman suplex 794 - figure four leg lock 795 - superkick 796 - tombstone piledriver 797 - flying bodypress 798 - arm bar 799 - elbow off the second rope 800 - elbow to the gut 801 - rake to the eyes 802 - left leg sweep 803 - bulldog 804 - bear bug 805 - arm bar 806 - rolling german suplexes 807 - russian leg sweep 808 - arm drag and twist 809 - leg sweep 810 - chop 811 - reverse whip 812 - dragon suplex 813 - reverse Irish whip 814 - abdominal stretch 815 - arm bar 816 - top rope powerbomb 817 - reverse suplex 818 - tilt-a-whirl side slam 819 - superplex 820 - modified top rope powerbomb 821 - inverted back breaker 822 - turnbuckle smash body slam 823 - judo takedown 824 - arm bar 825 - Fireman's carry takedown 826 - single leg takedown 827 - slingshot catapult 828 - double wrist takedown 829 - tilt-a-whirl slam 830 - spinebuster 831 - snap mare 832 - arm bar 833 - vertical splash 834 - standing hammerlock 835 - crossface 836 - savate kick 837 - plancha 838 - chinlock 839 - Northern lights bomb 840 - splash 841 - ankle lock submission 842 - arm bar 843 - back drop 844 - knee to the back 845 - back bodydrop 846 - leglock 847 - shoulderblock 848 - back suplex 849 - open hand to the face 850 - top rope frankensteiner 851 - corkscrew plancha 852 - arm bar 853 - outside-the-ring hurricarana 854 - scoop slam 855 - crossface chickenwing 856 - frankensteiner 857 - reverse atomic drop 858 - flying headbutt 859 - headbutt 860 - arm bar 861 - reverse atomic knee drop onto right knee 862 - test of strength 863 - tiger suplex 864 - running clothesline 865 - dropkick to torso 866 - arm bar 867 - cradle 868 - Asai moonsault 869 - spinning forearm smash 870 - spinning back elbow smash 871 - guillotine face driver 872 - arm bar 873 - reverse face driver 874 - underhook face driver 875 - neck snap 876 - nerve strike 877 - palm thrust 878 - palm thrust flurry 879 - belly to belly piledriver 880 - arm bar 881 - neck breaker 882 - standing head scissors 883 - airplane spin 884 - inverted atomic drop 885 - reverse achilles tendon hold 886 - ankle lock 887 - suplex piledriver 888 - underhook face first piledriver 889 - elbow smash 890 - springboard back elbow smash suicida 891 - flying back elbow smash 892 - arm bar 893 - exploder suplex 894 - crossed arms Canadian back breaker position powerbomb 895 - crucifix powerbomb 896 - reverse crucifix armbar with neck submission 897 - face first powerbomb 898 - shoulder mounted crossed arms suplex 899 - throat slam suplex 900 - arm bar 901 - single arm ddt 902 - reverse underhook ddt 903 - Canadian back breaker 904 - camel clutch 905 - strectch powerbomb 906 - underhook powerbomb 907 - gutwrench powerbomb 908 - shoulder mounted suplex 909 - inverted facelock brainbuster suplex 910 - ring rope slingshot catapult clothesline 911 - ring rope drop from bodyslam clothesline 912 - inverted facelock front suplex 913 - cradle brainbuster suplex 914 - arm bar 915 - rope rake 916 - abdominal claw hold 917 - elbow smash clothesline 918 - cobra clutch suplex 919 - belly to belly overhead suplex 920 - catapult somersault senton suicida 921 - head vice 922 - back rake 923 - corner body press 924 - handspring body press suicida 925 - handspring moonsault body press suicida 926 - arm bar 927 - tilt-a-whirl back breaker drop 928 - step over armbar cradle 929 - forward rolling fallaway slam 930 - running forward rolling fallaway slam 931 - apron dive vertical splash bodypress 932 - back suplex 933 - arm bar 934 - flying leg roll up 935 - racked kneeling leg lock 936 - reverse standing figure four leg lock 937 - tilt a whirl face first slam 938 - spine bomb slam 939 - twisting 3/4 facelock bulldog 940 - cobra clutch bulldog 941 - arm bar 942 - running palm thrust 943 - super piledriver 944 - super arm drag 945 - springboard arm drag 946 - cross arm scissors 947 - super northern lights bomb 948 - top rope powerbomb 949 - arm bar 950 - off the top rope vertical splash bodypress 951 - super spine bomb slam 952 - double sidewalk slam 953 - standing on top rope press slam 954 - 3/4 face lock bulldog 955 - belly to belly double arm suplex 956 - belly to back double chickenwing suplex 957 - arm bar 958 - belly to back crossed arms suplex 959 - pendulum back breaker 960 - body breaker 961 - super inverted atomic drop 962 - arm bar 963 - camel clutch cradle 964 - forward rolling leg scissor takedown 965 - top rope vertical splash 966 - running corner vertical splash 967 - choke hold sleeper hold 968 - head scissor lock 969 - arm bar 970 - figure four stump puller 971 - elevated surfboard 972 - inverted step over toe hold face lock 973 - judo takedown 974 - single leg takedown 975 - tights pull takedown 976 - suspended surfboard 977 - inverted indian deathlock surfboard 978 - arm bar 979 - powerbomb turnbuckle smash 980 - belly to belly drop turnbuckle smash 981 - overhead face first powerbomb turnbuckle smash 982 - neck breaker 983 - flying mat slam 984 - reverse monkey flip 985 - running mat slam 986 - left arm bar 987 - off the top rope reverse mat slam 988 - running neck breaker 989 - flying somersault 990 - leg twist 991 - leg wheel 992 - right arm bar 993 - double forward russian leg sweep 994 - super side russian leg sweep 995 - sliding leg trip 996 - double side russian leg sweep 997 - leg whip 998 - flying knee lift 999 - springboard leg drop with victim across top rope 1000 - off the second rope knee lift 1001 - off the top rope somersault leg drop 1002 - jumping knee strike 1003 - headlock 1004 - ARM BAR.

Thank you very much for the read, especially if you stuck with the list and read all 1,004 holds. Let me know any thoughts and if you loved this as much. All comments welcome.

Trent Edwards, the Bills' starting QB in Weeks One and Two, has been released by the team. Ryan Fitzpatrick is Buffalo's current starter and Brian Brohm will be elevated to second string.

Edwards, who started 32 games since being a 2007 third-round pick, was benched following mediocre performances in the first two games. He had thrown for only 241 yards in a pair of Bills losses, was sacked seven times and had led the team to only two touchdowns.

Over the course of his Buffalo career, Edwards completed 60.9 percent of his passes, throwing for 25 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. Injuries led to a lot of missed games, as a sprained wrist, concussions and a knee bruise forced him to the sideline in 2007, '08 and '09.

He had a 14-18 record as Bills' starter.

The PFW Spin

The writing was on the wall for Edwards as soon as he was benched a week ago. Head coach Chan Gailey said there would be an open QB competition in training camp, but when neither Edwards, Fitzpatrick nor Brohm separated themselves in the preseason, the job went to the returning starter by default. Edwards was awful in Weeks One and Two, so when Gailey moved on to Fitzpatrick for Week Three, Edwards' time in Buffalo was all but over.

Known by some as Captain Checkdown due to his fondness for throwing short, safe passes instead of stretching the field, Edwards never took a firm grasp of Gailey's offense. The move shows the team is ready to hand over the reigns to Fitzpatrick and Brohm for the rest of the season, though QB is clearly the No. 1 priority heading into the 2011 offseason.

A bigger issue may be that the team cut their Week One and Two QB the day after their Week Three game. The Bills seem to lack a long-term plan, indicated by their stockpiling of running backs and what seems like a forgetfulness to acquire any sort of pass-rush help. Cutting Edwards this quickly indicates Gailey was never truly comfortable with him in the first place, which leads to the question: Why was he the No. 1 QB coming out of training camp? If the coaching staff and management could see that Edwards wasn't going to win with a mediocre offensive line and sub-par receivers, then maybe the more-mobile Fitzpatrcik should have had the job from day one. Gailey and GM Buddy Nix are both new to Buffalo, but each is a veteren of the NFL and could have seen this coming much earlier than today.

Edwards should be able to find a roster spot somewhere in the NFL, as he is still young (he turns 27 at the end of October) and is a smart player. But a lack of arm strength and mobility make it unlikely that Edwards will ever be a full-time starter again.

The Bills will give Fitzpatrick every chance to succeed, and the offense did improve in Week Three, producing 23 points at New England. But it is likely that Brohm also will get a shot in 2010. Seventh-round draft choice Levi Brown, who was cut at the end of training camp and refused a spot on the practice squad, also could return to the roster.

Jason Brilz repeatedly countered Antonio Rogerio Nogueira's sweeps by going for guillotine chokes. Photo by Esther Lin for Fanhouse.

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Immediately after UFC 114 I did two Judo Chops on the event: one on Rashad Evans' brilliant transitions from striking to wrestling against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and a second on Waylon Lowe's high leg sweep in a losing effort against Melvin Guillard. But the really devoted Judo Chop junkies remember that I promised an incredible five chops based on the event.

Well here we go sports fans. I was so enamored of Antonio Rogerio "Little Nog" Nogueira vs Jason Brilz that only a special three-part, round-by-round Judo Chop could do it justice. 

The fight was mostly hated on by fans who expected Nogueira to crush the little known Brilz and then were angry that Little Nog escaped with a decision win. Bloody Elbow scored the fight 29-28 for Brilz. Personally, I scored it 29-28 for Nogueira, but could see it going the other way as the first round was extremely close. 

For many fans, that disappointing performance by Little Nog has them expecting the up and coming Ryan Bader to really put it to him this Saturday at UFC 119. Having watched Nog's fight with Brilz many times, I'm expecting another great fight from Nogueira vs Bader. 

But the important thing is Brilz vs Little Nog was just a great fight. Incredibly even with back-and-forth action both on the feet and standing and both men threatening to finish at multiple points during the fight.

The thing that particularly fascinated me about this fight was the number of times the same scenario was repeated with different outcomes. Each round saw Nogueira attempt a sweep from half guard at least once. Each time there was a different outcome. 

On several occasions Brilz was able to either avoid the sweep or counter with a choke or headlock. But Nogueira was able to use the sweep to get top control even more times.

Talk about a chess match! Each man had to adjust to his opponent's moves and then adjust to his opponent's adjustments.

I've pulled out all the stops for this series and have lined up an all-star cast of guest commenters including Seph Smith of 50/50 BJJ, BE reader Patrick Tenney (aka AboveThisFire) and Cage Side Seats' K.J. Gould. 

Here's Seph Smith talking about the deep half guard:

The deep half is a great position in MMA, it's just not a place you want to hang out in and wait. You want to get underneath of them as soon as possible, start rocking their base around so that they have to commit their hands to things like staying up or trying to hold on to you as opposed to just sitting in base and dealing out hammerfist for lunch. As BJJ evolves as it constantly does, I think you will see better and better use of this position in MMA. Nog uses it well, Bibiano Fernandes does too. There are a ton of BJJ practitioners that use it including Celso Vinicius, Jeff Glover, and Ryan Hall. You can youtube any of these guys and see them use it. Check out Ryan's match against Hermes Franca where he hits an awesome back take out of it.

We'll look at tons of gifs from the first round and the experts will break down the action but first I wanted to talk a little about the deep half guard. Little Nog's twin brother Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira literally wrote the book on the array of options available from that position. I've done a Judo Chop on Big Nog using a sweep from deep half guard to reverse and then finish Tim Sylvia to claim the UFC interim heavyweight title at UFC 81. I've also looked at Wilson Reis' use of them in Bellator against Shad Lierley. 

Here's Big Nog talking about being on your back in the half guard from his Mastering Mixed Martial Arts: The Guard (reprinted with permission from the publisher):

The one golden rule is simple -- NEVER LET YOUR OPPONENT PIN YOUR BACK TO THE MAT! If it seemed like I just screamed that in your face, I'm sorry. I was just trying to get a point across. If you allow your opponent to pin your shoulders by dropping his weight on your chest, he has all sorts of options and you have very few. To prevent this from happening, I demonstrate how to create space and get onto your side using the cross-face and hip block position, or you can use the space between you and your opponent to secure an underhook, which leads to a slew of attacks. ...
As with all types of guards, it is very important not to stall when you have an opponent in your half guard. Whether you secure an underhook or are stuck flat on your back, you must constantly move to create a reaction out of your opponent. As you will see, it is your opponent's reaction to your initial movement that allows you to set up the majority of techniques in this section (of the book).

In the next installment, we'll look at Big Nog demonstrating one way to secure that key underhook from the half guard too.

Now let's look at the first round of Nogueria vs Brilz.

Before we get to the action let's make sure everyone understands what "deep half guard" means. Here's Stephan Kesting and Elliott Baye of Grapplearts explaining the position, note that this description was written before the Nogueiras and others began to use the move successfully in MMA:

Photo via www.grapplearts.com

In the Deep Half Guard you are - as the name implies - deep underneath your opponent's hips. Typically you are trying to keep your body turned onto its side, and can control either your opponent's hip (1st picture) or your opponent's thigh (2nd picture) with your top arm. The legs can do a variety of things, including triangling around the opponent's leg, butterfly hooking underneath it and more.

The Deep Half Guard is primarily used for sweeping your opponent and has very few submission attacks available from it. This position and some of the techniques associated with it was the subject of a Grappling Tip post on our Blog. To date it has not found a lot of application in mixed martial arts competition, probably for fear of getting punched in the face. Perhaps a future competitor will yet come along and offer some new insight into using this position in an MMA context...

Let's look at round one of this controversial classic.

Here's Brent Brookhouse's live blog of the fight to catch us up on what precedes the sequence we're about to watch:

Low kick from Nogueira lands. Nice knee now from Rogerio. Brilz with a takedown attempt that doesn't go anywhere. Single leg from Brilz now and he's in Nogueira's guard. Nogueira looks for a triangle but Brilz avoids and passes to half guard.

Now we're about to see the first of Nog's attempts to sweep Brilz from deep half guard. This one fails.Advantage Brilz.

Patrick Tenney: Rogerio dives in his right arm under the space created by Brilz being on his knees in half guard. Rogerio rolls his hips (right hip rolling up) making his back turn into Brilz and entering into a deep half position.

Brilz keeps Rogerio's left arm trapped (could have been going for an armbar but doubtful); Rogerio keeps the right leg of Brilz inside the half guard and rolls back into it reversing the hip motion he used originally and using more of his upper body and legs to turn Brilz towards his back (making the leg start bending to the side and unbalancing Brilz.

Seph Smith: Nog trying to come up on a single leg and Brilz catching a classic front headlock on Nog and stuffing the shot. He could have tried to drop back into a guillotine with it but knowing the BJJ pedigree of Nogueira he opted for the more conservative and smarter move, to spin behind him and soften him up with punches. You see Nogueira reach up with his right hand to prevent him from getting the position but Brilz makes him bring his right arm back to his face to protect from the punches. Good move Brilz.

K.J. Gould: Really an arm-in front headlock in this case. If we assume the purpose of an arm-in guillotine is to choke, and an arm-in front headlock is to control, then it's the latter. Brilz isn't trying to add some Dave Schultz flavour to it though :)

Tenney: Brilz maintains his balance barely (honestly if you look at the way his left leg stands... it's a little wonky and he's very lucky Rogerio didn't pressure into that leg with his shoulder). Brilz starts going for a front headlock when Rogerio tries to stand and go for a leg for a possible takedown off the failed sweep. Brilz snatches Nog's head down and lets go of the front headlock to spin for the back (you can see Rogerio fleetingly try to use his right arm to stop Brilz's motion and possibly turn back into Brilz before his back gets taken).

Once Brilz has moved around to the back, Rogerio immediately gets wrist control on the outside (left arm) of Brilz once it passes in front of Rogerio's body so he can start his defense before Brilz gets set in position.

We return to action only about 15 seconds later as Nogueira tries again, this time with more luck:

Patrick Tenney: Same general idea here, Rogerio has half guard and dives an arm in and rolls his back/hips into Brilz. Rogerio pushes his hips up further and uses his arm to try and dump Brilz forward but Brilz maintains control of the outside arm of Rogerio because Rogerio doesn't have a chance to hide it (or won't hide it because it's a possible defense to strikes).

Seph Smith: Nogeira is fighting to get underneath of Brilz but he can't yet because Brilz is trapping his head and arm. Nogueira is using his lower half to rock Brilz' base and make him post his hands to keep himself up. The idea is to use his legs to rock Brilz around and pry himself further underneath. Alot of times the top guy will let go of what he has to post on the ground in order to stay on top. Brilz knows that this is what he wants so he is willing to fall on his face to keep Nog's head and arm collected and as far in front of him as possible.

Tenney: Somehow Rogerio has managed to get wrist control with his inside arm on Brilz's left arm, he's using his hips and legs to unbalance Brilz (Brilz has to come to a knee and continually post on his right arm or he'll get swept). When Brilz does go for a strike Rogerio uses his right arm to cover up and protect his open face (herein lies the problem with deep half in MMA, your head can get in danger from those hammer fist type strikes). As soon as the strikes stop and Brilz has to post again Rogerio reaches out for that post to see if he can control the arm and remove the post.

Smith: Nog has succesfully gotten all the way underneath of Brilz and Brilz allows his left leg to be extended to keep his base. Brilz is using his left arm for base and punching with his right hand with hammer fists as Nog is protecting himself with his right hand and hiding underneath of Brilz. He reaches for Brilz' hand to take that post away and sweep him as well as stop him from punching him. Without that hand to post on the ground the sweep is much harder to defend. As you can see the deeper Nog is underneath of Brilz the harder it is for Brilz to hit him and keep his base.

Tenney: Using his upper body and hips to keep creating space while he tries to control the arms in deep half, Rogerio is pushing his body out through the back door. Sliding his side/legs along the mat and starting to come up under Brilz (note that Rogerio's right leg has to slide along the mat and into Brilz's extended leg when Rogerio starts the escape, this can remove that leg as a balancing tool for Brilz and dump him forward as Rogerio moves out and behind Brilz).

Smith: Nog has Brilz' wrist controlled and now puts his feet on the floor to escape his hips to his left, behind Brilz. He wants all of Brilz' weight to be going to his front so Nog can come out the back. He creates a hole to come out, but once he does he will only have a window to come up on a single or a double leg. Without wrestling skills to complete the sweep, he won't be successful. Luckily Nog does possess decent wrestling finishes once he's in on a shot.

Tenney: Rogerio dumps Brilz's weight forward as he shoots out the back, keeping control of Brilz's left leg for a second so Brilz can't run away. Rogerio drops his deep half arm hook on the leg and starts pushing into Brilz with a body lock, eventually using a trip to make Brilz collapse forward as Rogerio moves onto his back in a referee position. 

Smith: Nog is successful and shifts Brilz' weight forward and bases out with his right side to come out behind him. He immediately transitions from controlling Brilz' left knee to a body lock around the waste from behind and follows him up to his feet. From here you see the turk, which is just the outside trip that Nog uses to put Brilz down on his face and land in the turtle position. Like I said, the deep half guard is a great way to rock an opponent off of their base and sometimes you'll be successful in sweeping them all the way over, but against a seasoned wrestling or BJJ practitioner you will need wrestling skills to finish the takedown. The tilting that the deep half guard allows the bottom man to do to the top allows him a window of opportunity to build a base and come up with single legs, leg rides and body locks. This is why wrestling skills are so important.

K.J. Gould: Nog getting his arm in between Brilz legs is everything. Brilz can't ride as effectively and is doing his best to maintain his base, Nog is able to turn and because of his arm placement is able to escape out the 'back door'.

Brilz' success in Round 2 was dependant on not letting Nog get that arm in to truly work the deep half-guard.

On that ominous note for Nog fans, we'll let Brent Brookhouse fill us in on the rest of round one:

Jason is able to get out and land a right hand. Brilz ducks a punch and grabs a single leg. Left hand lands for Nogueira before the round ends. 10-9 round for Brilz but very close.

Personally I scored that round 10-9 for Nogueira based on what I felt was the more effective striking in light of a (beautiful) grappling stalemate. 

In round two, we'll see Jason Brilz' high water mark and more deep half guard action. Plus some gifs of guys punching each other just for fun.

Seph suggested we take a look at the following to see some deep half guard sweeps in a submission grappling context.

Ryan Hall vs Hermes Franca SuperFight featuring Ryan Hall (50/50) vs Hermes Franca (UFC Veteran) at Grapplers Quest at UFC Fan Expo Boston 2010.

Deep Half Guard Sweep demo:

Written by Delinda Lombardo

American singer/songwriter/performer, Adam Lambert has been living the dream since becoming runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol.

In November of 2009, he released his debut album, “For Your Entertainment” and followed up with a controversial performance at the 2009 American Music Awards.

In addition to a monster tour and paparazzi-laden existence, the pop-icon has been busy encouraging his fans to give back and help ‘Glam Out Classrooms’ for DonorsChoose.org, and it’s working beautifully.

Since Lambert began his involvement with Donors Choose, his fans have raised close to a half-million dollars to fulfill arts and music classroom project requests posted by teachers at www.DonorsChoose.org/glam-nation.

Look to the Stars was pleased to speak with Lambert about what it’s like to be one of the most recognized openly-gay mainstream pop stars: his love, life, tattoos, inspiration and enthusiastic support of Donors Choose.

Q. How did you become involved with Donors Choose?

A. It was really important for me to get the arts program supported in public schools, to reach all kids-not just kids identifying with being gay or lesbian. My agents made me made aware of the charity and I was really excited to get behind it. My team was so excited and they expressed a lot of joy about the cause. Also, I really liked the way you can see where your money is going, it’s a little bit more of an involved way to help the charity and I’ve met so many teachers that have said thank you, it really does help.

Q. Celebrity is such a powerful tool…how does it feel to know that just by being “you”, you’ve helped hundreds of kids in classrooms across the country by simply asking fans to donate-with a running total so far of close to $500,000?

A. Its nuts, it’s incredible. Recently we went to the offices in New York, where Donors Choose is based, and some middle school students came in and played on instruments they received through donations and the program. It was really cool just to connect with the kids and see them benefit from the program.

Q. Have you acclimated to your superstar ‘status’? Are you still asking ‘Whataya Want From Me?’ The pressure must have been overwhelming?

A. Yeah, especially after what happened at the VMA’s, everybody on the team was a little nervous and we were hoping I didn’t screw things up. We knew that we had such beautiful music on the album and ‘Whataya What From Me’ was a perfect single to come from it because it asked the questions to society, what can I do, what do you want. There is just too much focus on sexuality, we are all the same, we are all equal, and one of my hopes is that people can move past it so it’s not about ‘that’ anymore but about all of ‘us’.

Q. What’s the most important life lesson you’ve learned since achieving your dream?

A. Find the balance between making this your life and still having a life outside of it. It’s such a deal to be a celebrity, to have fame and to have fans. Yeah, it’s what I always wanted but I think it’s important to have some sort of separation, where it’s just me time, like private time, and still have a real life apart from my job, my career. But it’s worth the struggle and I’m definitely not complaining.

Q. Do you think American Idol gave you the platform to showcase who you really are, whereas if you hadn’t been on the show, you might have been judged or lumped into a ‘category’ so-to-speak?

A. Yeah, I think that’s the best thing about it, it’s an amazing opportunity where you get all this exposure and fame. I think there’s one of two things you can do at that point, you can either go with the flow and move along and or you can take it in your own hands, try to work the system and take advantage of the opportunity you’ve been given. I really do take a lot of pride that I’ve been able to do that and I’ve been working with an amazing management team and record label that support me.

Q. Were you glad at the time, that you didn’t win Idol?

A. I actually don’t think it would have mattered. From what I gather Chris and I had pretty much the same kind of contract and were represented by the same people, but I think there may have been a slightly different expectation from the public.

Q. Do you let public expectation guide you?

A. To a degree, yeah, it’s actually one of the hardest parts of what I do, finding that balance between my own personal artistic integrity and also being an entertainer, giving people what they want, it’s an interesting challenge and I’m still working on it.

Q. Do you find that when you’re writing a song, you’re also thinking of what the video might look like?

A. Because of my background in theater, the song comes first but the visual presentation with it is a close second. Actually, a lot of songs on the album that I wrote, I had visuals in my head, imagery.

Q. With your considerable theater background, have you ever thought about writing and/or performing in a Rock-Opera?

A. Yeah, I would not rule that out. I think there’s room for that in the future, right now I’m focused on my career and touring but I’m sure there will come a point where maybe this could be in the works; I would jump at the chance.

Q: What are your thoughts on Sacha Baron Cohen signing on to play Freddie Mercury?

A. I think it’s great, he’s an amazing actor, I would definitely be first in line to see that.

Q. I know Freddy Mercury was a big influence on you. Who else inspired you?

A. As far as performance goes, presentation and whatnot, I always looked up to Michael Jackson and Madonna. Those are the two pop stars I looked up to growing up. And personally, my parents have been incredible. They are really open-minded and they’ve always encouraged me.

Q. When do you feel the most connected to your soul- apart from singing?

A. I think intimacy is a beautiful thing, I think if you can find someone in your life that you’re intimate with there’s a lot of spiritual reflection that goes on, intimacy is much more than platonic love and the few moments in my life that I’ve had that, I’ve felt more spiritually connected to the Universe than before.

Q. The media sometimes tries to put a negative spin on things when there really isn’t anything controversial?

A. I think certain members of the media are sensationalizing things they don’t often get to explore. I think that’s the issue, it’s kind of a novelty. I think they exploit it very easily and I’ve learned to just kind of laugh at it and accept it. I also find it important because they are speaking to a portion of the population that does get upset by it and finds it shocking, so in a way I think it’s a blessing and hopefully it will get to be less and less of a big deal.

Q: You have a tattoo on your right wrist?

A. Yeah it’s an Eye of Horus and right under it is an Infinity Symbol. The Eye of Horus is basically an eye of protection, to ward off negative energy. And the Infinity Symbol is because I was identifying the Circle with the exchange that I have with an audience when I’m performing. When you’re in a really good performance zone its kind of like an exchange of energy back and forth, like an infinite circle.

Look to the Stars, and this writer in particular, would like to thank Adam Lambert for taking the time to speak with us.

For more information about Adam Lambert’s work with DonorsChoose.org, visit Adam’s Glam A Classroom Giving Page, and check out more photos at the official DonorsChoose Facebook page.

ABOUT: DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Here’s how it works: public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class. Then, you can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires you. Once a project reaches its funding goal, they deliver the materials to the school. At DonorsChoose.org, you can give as little as $1 and get the same level of choice, transparency, and feedback that is traditionally reserved for someone who gives millions. They call it citizen philanthropy.

Related past articles

• Bill Clinton Donates Signed Golf Club To Charity Auction
• Celebrities To Make A Difference At We Promise Charity Gala
• Children Of Peace To Benefit From Charity Comedy Night
• Adam Lambert's Charity Wish For Fans
• Madonna Celebrates Human Rights Justice In Malawi

Want to write for us, or help with our research? Find out more about contributing.

Copyright © 2010 Look To The Stars. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your news reader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright, and we would be grateful if you would contact us.

The Bears barely held on to beat the Lions, 19-14, Sunday, but their defense was dominant for much of the game. Detroit put together just three drives of more than 11 yards and the Lions' rushers gained only one yard per carry.

Bears DE Julius Peppers had the hit to remember, knocking Lions QB Matthew Stafford out of the game with a shoulder injury that will keep the young passer sidelined indefinitely. Peppers forced Stafford to fumble on the play and it was recovered by DT Tommie Harris. The turnover set up a Robbie Gould field goal before halftime.

Peppers had a good Bears debut, but it shouldn't overshadow the performance MLB Brian Urlacher had in his first game back since injuring his wrist in last year's season opener.

The PFW Spin

Urlacher played a major role in shutting down the Lions' running backs, as he consistently won battles at the line of scrimmage, and he also was effective dropping back into coverage. The 11th-year veteran made eight tackles — including a nine-yard sack on a blitz — and three of his eight tackles were for loss.

The Bears have some things to be concerned about — pass protection for QB Jay Cutler, who was sacked four times, comes to mind — but it appears everyone can scratch an aging Urlacher off the list of potential problems.

"(Urlacher) went out and balled today," WLB Lance Briggs told reporters after the game. "All the guys that people have question marks (about) went out and balled today. We played good defense."

Briggs, who had 10 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, and SLB Pisa Tinoisamoa (three tackles, one for loss) looked good as well, and the Bears might be back to having one of the better linebacking corps in the league.

We get our (increasingly sweaty) hands on the latest in Sega's tennis series – now with 3D and Move support!

Originally released on Sega's Naomi arcade board before moving across to the Dreamcast, Virtua Tennis was the finest tennis sim of its age. Visually arresting with a brilliant control system, it made a generational leap on from Codemasters' 16bit behemoth, Pete Sampras Tennis, and has rarely been bettered since. More recent iterations have suffered, perhaps – like PES, they have failed to keep pace with the advance of console specifications. But now the original development team is back in control, and Virtua Tennis 4, currently only announced for PS3, has been built to harness two incoming technologies: 3D and Move.

And harness them it does…

Virtua Tennis has always been famed for its intuitive controls – now, the Move version of VT4 accentuates this by removing the need for button presses altogether. Every one of the game's shots, from savage cross-court volleys to delicate lobs is accessible through movement. But it takes skill – and energy. At first, you're just trying to get the ball across the net, but gradually you learn how the virtual tennis racket on the screen moves identically in relation to the Move controller. Top spin is accessible via a well-timed flick of the wrist, and a cheeky chip over the net can be achieved via an underarm scooping motion. It's total physicality.

The key element, though, is controlled exaggeration. As many of the shots require similar movements, the more ambitious need to be very well defined. So, for example, to pull off a cross-court shot, you need to start with the Move controller, tucked well around your body, before bringing it through an extravagant arc to the other side. Without the full swing, you'll just end up with a hard shot down the line. It's demanding stuff, and after a several long rallies with Murray, you may well feel as though you're getting a reasonable workout.

The system is still being tweaked and refined, though, and there are some sketchy areas. To move in to the net, you have to make a concerted stride forwards, but the system doesn't always pick the movement up so often you find yourself playing a baseline slogging game, whether you want to or not. Also, when you are at the net, your player disappears, leaving the onscreen tennis racket as your only onscreen presence, which can be rather disorientating. But mostly, after a few minutes of practise, the ball is generally going where you want it to, and the feeling of competing, of formulating tactics, of gaining control over the court, is already thoroughly invigorating.

As for the 3D visuals – in some ways this is what the tennis simulation has always been waiting for. The traditional behind-the-player view, while workable, has always been something of a compromise, providing a forced perspective, or an ever-narrowing court. But in 3D, the view is lower, the sense of space much more authentic. In Virtua Tennis 4, the effect is rather subtle, and as in the best 3D movies, you start to take it for granted after a while. The only problem perhaps, is the spatial disconnect between the ball flying toward you, and your Move controller; you almost expert to see the ball fly out of the screen and make haptic contact with the device in your hand. Consequently, it takes a while to get the split-second timings right.

Apparently, there will be over 20 players in the finished version, though currently only Murray, Nadal and Federer have been confirmed. Sega assured me we can also expect the usual range of wacky mini-games in the World Tour mode, and hinted that these have been totally redesigned to take advantage of Move controls. There'll also be online multiplayer.

In short: classic Virtua Tennis accessibility and depth. In 3D. With Move support. I mean, what else needs to be said?

Virtua Tennis 4 is currently confirmed for PS3. It's due out next year.

• Pakistan 126-4, England 129-5
• England won by five wickets

England won the first of two Twenty20 internationals by five wickets with 17 balls to spare, the world champions thus beating their erstwhile counterparts comprehensively enough. But it took an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 67 from 43 balls between Eoin Morgan and Michael Yardy, the man of the match for his all-round performance, to see them home after three wickets had fallen in as many overs mid-innings.

The tipping point came in the 12th over, Shahid Afridi's third, when Morgan, then 13 and with the score 77 for five in pursuit of 127, unveiled his reverse sweep for the first time. Afridi is a little quicker through the air with his wrist spin and Morgan, who generally hits such shots cleanly and square, appeared to do no more than help it on its way to backward point (or short fine leg, as he had become). Unhappily for Pakistan, he singled out Shoaib Akhtar, who spilled a straightforward chance.

From then on Pakistan, while not unravelling, lost their zip. Kamran Akmal missed a difficult thickish edge standing up to Yardy in the following over, and there were some misfields to boot that scarcely raised spirits. By the time Morgan slaughtered the first ball of Umar Gul's second over to the point boundary, he hugged Yardy as if reunited with a brother after five years. Morgan finished unbeaten on 38 from 24 balls with six fours, and Yardy 35 from 26 balls, with two fewer boundaries. Boom, boom as Pakistan's shirt sponsor and Basil Brush might say.

At a time when the series needed a spark to start it and take some heat from the allegations of the past week, this was generally dull fare. The nature of Twenty20 cricket demands pitches that allow the freedom to hit through the line of the ball. Sixes and boundary catches are the common currency. There were no sixes hit today, though, nor anything close to one, for this was a poor, crabby pitch that grabbed the ball and was reluctant to let it go. It turned too, quite a lot in fact, and while Graeme Swann is a magnificent bowler now, with an aura of expectation about him whenever he removes his hat and comes on to bowl, he should not be getting this sort of help in such games.

In making only 126 for four Pakistan may have underscored, given that they were already 49 for one after the six‑over powerplay, but with the exception of Mohammad Yousuf, an old fellow in what increasingly is a young man's game, no one could time the ball against England's clever mix of spin, Yardy's left‑arm darts and a diet of slow bouncers from the seamers, a concoction last unveiled in St Lucia during May.

This should not detract from Swann, however, who collected the wickets of Yousuf and Shahzaib Hasan – the latter to a neat stumping by Steve Davies as the ball turned inside the bat and beat leg‑stump – in his first two overs at a cost of five and with 14 dot balls, conceded only 14 runs in all.

The target would not have been seen as challenging, although despite the loss of their two main seamers Pakistan still possess a decent pace attack, allied to the spin of Afridi and Saeed Ajmal. It was Shoaib's opening burst that gave his team their early optimism. He is knocking on now, 35 years old, and T20, with four overs and no more, is as much as Pakistan can reasonably get out of him. But he can still shift the ball – mid‑90s at one stage – and was good enough to give Craig Kieswetter a going over, with ball and gob, before having him caught behind.

When Ravi Bopara was then caught by the unlikely figure of Yousuf, recognisable by what appeared to be a high visibility jacket that he was wearing (and perhaps his beard) and back-pedalling furiously at mid-on, he had helped to give Pakistan the advantage by the end of the powerplay.

Afridi then rammed that home, first by causing Paul Collingwood to under-edge a long hop on to his stumps, and then bowling Luke Wright behind his legs. In between time Davies, who made 33 from 27 balls at the top of the order, hauled a short ball to deep square-leg. This, though, is the environment, away from the clutch of close catchers and hooping ball of Test cricket this summer, in which Morgan looks most comfortable, even down to the one‑day clothing.

He has a calculating cricket brain, capable of assessing and thinking on the hoof. So he flicked and drove, scampered and harried. Afridi was carved square with as powerful a shot as was hit all match, and when Ajmal dropped fractionally short he was on it like a flash, hoiking it to the long‑on boundary. Easy.

When motion control first came out with the Wii, one of the most relaxing activities to take part in was the golf game that came with Wii Sports. It wasn't exactly accurate, and it didn't always work right all the time, but it was an enjoyable and leisurely interpretation of the sport.

That was a few years back, and now we've got games like Tiger Woods for the Wii with Motion Plus support, and things are a lot more complicated. Even more, the PlayStation Move is coming out, and that little device is clearly capable of doing the same amount of stuff as Wii Motion Plus, all tied up in a little HD bow. So golf games are clearly going to support this device, and one of the very first ones is John Daly's Prostroke Golf. It's a fully featured game touted by the accuracy of realistic controls. With motion controlled golf headlined by John Daly, the original bad boy of the sport, I'm sure you want to know how it stands up? Follow the jump to find out.

John Daly's Prostroke Golf (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)
Developer: Gusto Games
Publisher: O-Games
To be released: October 5, 2010

John Daly's Prostroke Golf is the technical sequel to the Prostroke golf series last seen on the PS2, PSP and Xbox. The addition of John Daly is important, as other than Tiger Woods, he's one of the most well known golfers in history, with a unique play style and a perchance for drama. Serious, the man has been married four times, dealt with alcoholism, weight problems, and a whole lot more, and is widely considered the comeback king of golf. Between his outrageous personality and his crazy line of wild Loudmouth golf clothing, Daly has his mark well and true on the game.

While Daly himself is playable on the 16 original courses (with some based upon British courses), players will also be making their own character. Nothing particularly remarkable about this, but it's a nice addition that you can even dress your character up in crazy Loudmouth branded clothing that look like quilts. Seriously. Expect DLC of clothing and character options, surely.

As far as basic gameplay goes, players will be using the Move controller to indicate and line up their shots on the course. There is a smallish checkerboard grid that both indicates the angle of the course, as well as indicates the general area the ball will go if hit straight on. Moving this grid about is easy, although it is a little sensitive. Most players initially tug the trigger and swing about the course, when a gentle pull and slow motions get the job done.

While motion control is important for lining up your shots, the actual swing gameplay is much more important. Players will enter a first person perspective looking down at the ball. From there, they can step closer or farther from the ball to put on some top or back spin, twist their wrist to open or close their shot, as well as practice how they want to hit the ball. Pull the trigger, and then the game measures how far back you pull back your swing, how vertical your club is, and how fast you rip through. Depending on how you hit the ball, your angle, how close or far you are standing, and a whole lot more the ball can go anywhere. However, it was pretty clear how to clean up your shot, and before long, we were pulling off courses at par.

For anyone who needs a little assistance, there is a training mode in which John Daly himself will guide players through technique. Apparently the first time he played the game, he did an amazing job on the courses, so the technique in the game is strongly based upon real world skills. Right now, it does take a little getting used to the controls. The Move controller has a lot more buttons than the Wiimote, so it is easy to accidentally press the wrong button, or when you need to calibrate the device (a surprisingly common occurrence) you would press the wrong button. Thankfully, fifteen minutes of play made this a non-issue, and I was in control of everything no problem.

Coming away from the motion control, I was pretty impressed. Unlike the Wii experience, it really did feel much more accurate and realistic. While the character models and general graphics are not the most impressive, the gameplay feels solid and functional. It doesn't feel like the game ruins shots that should have been perfect, and there is a lot of flexibility to modify how you want the ball to go. Plainly, it just feels nice. That's a good thing for a golf game.

In addition, if motion control isn't your jam, John Daly Prostroke Golf will be coming to the Xbox 360, as well as the PC. However, if you've got the PS3, this would certainly be the version to get.

Crawl to the Park starts at The Local at 12pm where ticketed guests will pick up their wrist bands, drink beer, score schwag and a shirt and dance to the mid-day beats of DJ Video Demon. You’ll head down Fourth Avenue to FLUXX from 1:45 to 3:30pm where you’ll get hooked up with $4 drafts and $7 premium cocktails while Chris Cutz and Fresh One spin in the club...

Did Anderson Silva deliberately release this hold to let Chael Sonnen survive another round? No, he did not. Photo via UFC.com

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There's been a split amongst the MMA cognoscenti (ie Luke Thomas and myself), over Chael Sonnen's say anything approach to building the UFC 117 fight. I wallowed in how brilliant it all was on Friday -- combining as it does my professional admiration for carnival pitchmen, lying policitians, pro-wrestling and post-modernist philosophy -- but then on Sunday morning I was wringing my hands because if a guy lies to build a fight, he might just cheat quick tap to win it.

Luke meanwhile has been consistent in his disdain for Sonnen's bald-faced lying and ridiculous pro-wrestling style antics. Luke's all about the sport.

Two posts today made me think of another reason Luke may be right about all this and Kid Nate may be wrong again. 

First is this break down by Black Lesnar that lays out how the pre-fight build up and the improbable outcome combined to build a narrative worthy of pro-wrestling's best days:

A big difference between pro wrestling and MMA is that one is pre-determined and one is real. Shocking revelation, I know, however that refers to the in-ring part of the respective "sports". Funny thing is, as much as MMA and MMA fans want to distance themselves from "wrasslin'", both entities are cut from the same cloth. As I've stated on numerous occasions, MMA is not in the "pure sport" business, they are in what I have coined the "entertaining sport" business. This is the exact opposite of pro wrestling which puts on entertainment and presents it as a sport; MMA puts on a sport and presents it as entertainment. Both businesses depend just as much on the entertainment outside of the ring as they do on the in-ring product.

...

Sonnen had done his part as the heel; there was a buzz about the fight. However, if Anderson were to have gone into the cage and destroyed Sonnen, it would've proved a momentary increase in face status (similar to the post-Griffin bump). No, for this to work, Chael was going to have to back up his words and bring the fight to Silva. If Hogan goes in and beat on King Kong Bundy for four minutes and beats him 1-2-3, it means the whole build was for nothing, Hogan did what we thought he would. Same with Silva, he goes back to the world-beater we already knew him to be. What Silva needed to do was show major weakness, show the fans he had an Achilles heel, he had Kryptonite. A similar occurrence happened at UFC 116 with Lesnar and it needed to happen here. And it did.

In a fight that couldn't have been better scripted by Dusty Rhodes himself, we saw exactly what needed to happen; Anderson was shown in a weak spot. For 24 minutes, Sonnen beat on Anderson. Starting with an opening punch that stumbled Silva to takedown after takedown, Sonnen dominated the 1st round. That wouldn't be enough as Lutter and Henderson had already done similar to Silva before losing. Sonnen came out and took him down again and again for the next 3 rounds. Anderson, in between takedowns, showed some "hope spots" (moves to show the fans he's not completely out of it) when he rocked Sonnen and cut him with an elbow from the bottom. It kept building and building until the fans were at a fever pitch, the champion was seconds away from losing. Then the unthinkable happened.

Emphasis mine. I was really enjoying the read right up until that line. Not because I disagree with the man who calls himself Black Lesnar, but because he's exactly right.

Why did that line send chills up my spine? Simple. Several of the people I'd talked to about the fight since Saturday night have told me they thought it was fake. Despite the fact that truth is often stranger than fiction, many people are just skeptical of things that appear to be too good to be true.

Middle Easy then went and broke down one of the more popular conspiracy theories about the fight (emphasis theirs):

Personally, I don't believe Anderson Silva let his UFC 117 title defense pan out five rounds only to win by a seemingly miraculous but meticulously planned triangle. However, a large portion of you have been rocking your tin-foil hats ever since the end of UFC 117 so I'll take a voyage in your world of potentially outlandish jiu-jitsu conspiracies, title preservation theories and general MMA nuttiness and hopefully return back to reality just in time for dinner.

If Anderson Silva planned to hesitate until the very last moment of the fight to pull of a victory, perhaps this clip of Ando securing a kimura on Chael Sonnen late in the second round only to voluntarily release it may be the shred of evidence needed to polish off that conspiracy theory you've been constructing over the weekend. Here we see Anderson Silva securing an almost Sakuraba-like kimura. The wrist control is there, leverage seems to be adequate, Silva even appears to have Chael Sonnen wedged against the cage in such a manner that if Chael tried to spin out of the submission, he would undoubtedly be impeded by the wall. In a moment of sheer 'WTFness', Anderson Silva lets go of the kimura and casually transitions to somewhat of a heel hook. Is this the smoking gun needed to establish Anderson Silva as the Andy Kaufman of MMA? Probably not. Most of you don't even know who Andy Kaufman is. 80s n00bs. Regardless, securing a kimura only to voluntarily let it go just adds to the never ending intrigue of the only guy you've ever known from Curitiba, Brazil.

But the thing is this, Chael Sonnen had systematically made a public joke of himself in larger and larger forums. By the time he was on ESPN telling Jim Rome that he hadn't made the Lance Armstrong comments -- despite Jim Rome playing the audio back to him -- Sonnen's credibility was comparable to Baghdad Bob's denials that the Americans were making headway in Iraq even as the American tanks were visible in the background as he spoke.

Is there any reason casual fans shouldn't expect a sport that produces someone like Chael Sonnen who's willing to blatantly, obviously lie to be capable of putting the fix in a fight? Especially when most fans only experience with professional grappling is the WWE?

I have to retract my earlier stance that it's a good thing for Chael Sonnen to lead MMA into the hall-of-mirrors that is post-kayfabe pro-wrestling promotion. The advantage those guys have is their product is fictional and everyone knows it. MMA has no such luxury. If we want to be accepted as a legitimate sport, MMA fighters and promoters must maintain a shred of sporting dignity and refrain from blatantly and openly lying to the press and public. 

Dana White might want to absorb this lesson as well.  He's got a record of lying to the press in a situation where he knew he'd be caught and he also gave Sonnen's antics the thumbs up. Careful Dana, your product doesn't need "kayfabe", don't give casual fans the impression that you are just a shady carny fight promoter who can't be trusted ever.

The gif and my refutation of the cheating claim is in the full entry.

Gif by Middle Easy:

I'm not even going to bother calling in Luke Thomas, About This Fire, Seph Smith or any of my usual BJJ resources to tell you why Silva released this hold: he doesn't have control of Sonnen's hips. Watch Silva's legs (or look in the photo at the top of the story): he never gets full guard or even half guard in this sequence. The closest he comes is draping his left leg over Sonnen's left thigh. That's not going to give him the leverage he needs to torque Sonnen's left arm out of its socket. No way, no how. 

His decision to transition to a leg lock attempt by wrapping both of his legs around Sonnen's left leg and letting go of the arm is just smart jiu jitsu. Note how he immediately has Sonnen's heel trapped in the crook of his arm, ready to torque for a heel hook. Sonnen escaped that attempt too, but Silva made the right move in giving up the kimura.

On Laxman

Cometh the hour, cometh the man!

How trite it sounds, how repetitive, how boring.

But there is nothing trite about VVS Laxman, nothing monotonous, and his sublime touch has cricket fans transfixed and spellbound.

He has always seemed the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Even though he has that very, very special 281 and that blinding, blistering 167, both against the Aussies, one at Kolkata, the other at Sydney in 2000 when he opened the innings at the outset of his career.

The 167 denotes a period when the selectors persisted and insisted that he take up the opener’s role.

This at a time when although the Indian team had a multitude of contenders to the middle order, finding a regular opener who would see off the new ball was an exercise in futility.

Laxman, however, put his foot down and signaled his intention to stake a place in the middle or not play at all.

For a lesser light, it would have meant a premature eclipse to a budding career, but neither Laxman nor his claim to greatness could be denied, would be denied.

The 2001 home series against the Aussies cemented his place in the pantheon of cricketing greats. Laxman will always be identified by that defining, unbelievable, edifying knock against an Aussie side that seemed nigh invincible.

Steve Waugh’s kangaroos were made to bleed from a thousand cuts by a cavalier Laxman; the Eden loss also ended the Australian team’s run of 16 victories on the trot.

Interestingly, Australia’s world record of 16 consecutive victories was ended by India twice over. There really is something about an Aussie-India series; it brings out the best and sometimes the worst in both sides. A rivalry to match and perhaps surpass the Ashes.

The Wrist On Show

After Azhar, Laxman is India’s wristiest player of the modern generation, but unlike his predecessor, another Hyderabadi,  he exhibits no shortcomings against the short ball. He has more than enough time for two different shots to every delivery.

With Tendulkar, it is about early anticipation. With Laxman, it is hand-eye co-ordination and his marvelous wrists. His supple wrists lend beauty to every slap at the red cherry.

He has been a match-winner; he is a match-winner; he will always be one.

He is a throwback to the wizards of yore; Ranjitsinghji and Duleepsinghji are his illustrious forebearers.

Laxman epitomizes grace and poise in what is fast becoming a power sport where ugly hoicks are the order of the day (captain’s orders?); the hoicks are cherished and applauded by -minute hacks.

Laxman is no travailer of uncertain fortitude.

One of two batters to have scored triple centuries in domestic cricket, the other being Wasim Jaffer (another battler who can consider himself distinctly unfortunate), Laxman has always seemed out of the ordinary.

He now has 16 tons against his name; he could have had a few more if he had come in higher up the order. His job has been to come in at number six (now five after Ganguly’s retirement), a difficult task because the number six plays out the second new ball.

He needs to have the skill and temperament of an opening bat and at the same time have the requisite maturity to shield the tailenders from marauding pacers.

Laxman in Lanka

The final day of the 3rd Test against the Sri Lankans saw Laxman back to his best. By his standards, it had not been a great series so far. It had been Sehwag, Tendulkar and Test rookie Raina who carried India’s hopes.

Laxman, as his wont, came to the party when he was most needed. An unbeaten hundred and supporting roles by Tendulkar and newbie Suresh Raina saw India home in a canter; the win also ensured that India stay No. 1 by a comfortable margin.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is India’s most successful captain in terms of winning percentage, 62.5 percent; under him, this Indian team has yet to lose a series.

Of course, India have not played South Africa in SA and Australia in Australia. But defeating the current Australian team down under lies very much in the realm of possibility. It is the South Africans and a much improved England side that are the teams to beat now.

India finish the series much the way it started. The bowling lacks teeth in the absence of Nehra and Zaheer Khan. Would Sreesanth have made a difference? Only he knows.

Munaf Patel does not enjoy the confidence of Dhoni; this is disturbing because he did have the trust of his earlier skipper, Anil Kumble.

The finds of the series have been Suresh Raina and Abhimanyu Mithun. Mithun could well be the all-rounder India have been seeking. But it is too early to tell.

Irfan Pathan comes to mind; where is he now? Ojha is fast improving as a bowler. But eight wickets in three matches is not much to write home about on pitches that were more suited to spin bowling.

It is India’s vaunted batting might that carries the day and why not? By any reckoning, it is the best batting line-up in the world, bar none!

Epilogue

Indians are terrible starters; we seem to lose more opening games than any other team. CricInfo ran a competition last evening seeking six words as headliner to the India-Sri Lanka series.

The tag line “India: Masters At the Trailing Win” sprung to mind. That reminds me: should I be mentioning competitors in this column? I’ll soon know!

Have a great day!