What was the greatest moment of Saturday night’s thrilling rugby test match where the Wallabies managed a tight victory over a magnificent French team? It’s hard to say. There were so many wonderful moments in a game that see-sawed from the first kick off. The most patriotically inclined might have experienced a moment of chicken-skin even prior to the kick-off as they watched … [Read more...]
How to play great…. when you feel crap
You’ve got an important game today. It’s critical that you play as well as you can. Your team needs you at your best. But you’ve woken up feeling rotten. Maybe a sore throat. Maybe a cold. Maybe an upset gut. Or you have had a terrible row with a loved one. Or your whole week has been a shocker and you are down in the dumps. What are you going to do? You know that the way that … [Read more...]
Their sporting life – A journalist’s story
Last weekend, when driving around a sharp bend (that overlooks one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful ocean views anywhere in the world), I remembered an incident that happened on that very spot over forty years earlier. On that day, my best mate demonstrated that he would not put up with bullying or bullshit from anyone. He bloody nearly got himself (and me) killed, but … [Read more...]
Girls Can’t Surf – film review
Ever heard of a “talking heads” documentary that is funny, endearing, thrilling, witty, sad, life affirming, exciting and informative? No? Neither had I, until recently. Hang onto your boardshorts, surfboards, and sunscreen, because I’m going to let you in on a secret… involving one of the most uplifting and entertaining cinema experiences I have had in ages. It’s a film is … [Read more...]
Road Test – Cameron Smith versus Tom Brady (Socrates looks under the hood of second hand athletes)
Bloody hell. Just as I was about to launch the Smith versus Brady comparative road test to determine which used play-maker presents the best value, Smith pulls himself off the market (retires after no les than 430 games)! When one examines both athletes and the two sports they have excelled in it is still an interesting question. Which of the two old, beaten and battered vets … [Read more...]