Six in the drink, off for a drink.

The 'wild thing', John Daly has done it again. More speculation and controversy has been cast over his already shady persona. This time he has walked off, mid-round in the Australian Open, after having a horrible lead up to the now infamous 11th hole.

The rot started when, the ironically ranked 666th, John Daly, drove into a bunker on the 10th hole and hit the wrong ball out of the bunker. This would incur a two-stroke penalty, sending him seven over in the round approaching the 11th. What would take place next is staggering, on his second shot, on the long par 5, the ball sailed into the drink, as did the next five. It seems that the first three in the water were complete accidents, maybe even his ego in persisting he can make the shot. However, the last three were blatantly intentional, it seems the 'wild thing' didn't want to negotiate with the round any longer. The last three entered the water about 30 meters in, no professional golfer is that inaccurate. This is not the first time Daly has walked off mid-round, he did the same in the Austrian Open in September this year.

It seems that Australia is not a happy hunting ground for Daly, with this his third act of petulance. In 2002, Daly hurled his putter into the lake beside the 18th green in the PGA Championship at Coolum. In 2008 he also grabbed the camera of a photographer, slamming it into a tree. However, this is why Daly is a draw-card. He is not there because he has a genuine chance of winning, as his last tournament win in 2004. He is there to draw crowds, and he does because he is unpredictable and explosive, people love his meltdowns.

Australian Open directors are furious with Daly for his antics, saying 'he will not be invited next time'. I believe not inviting him their would be doing themselves no favors. It is highly doubtful Tiger Woods will come again and without Daly, who is their draw card? I am not a religious golf fan, but I do appreciate John Daly, he brings excitement and a sense of 'what's going to happen next'? If I were the directors I would be giving  the wild thing a pat on the back and an invitation for next year.

Where are the keys?

Okay I'm not going to lie, I haven't been the greatest of basketball fans. However in recent times I have decided, sure why not? It was last year when in my regular sports channel news browse I saw some amazing things happen on the court, none more impressive than Derrick Rose sinking 3's like a man possessed. After seeing Derrick obliterating teams beyond the arc I sat and watched more, each time more intently. It dawned on me I knew nothing about basketball, sure I know who Michael Jordan is and am aware of 'Big Shaq', but I never really respected what these athletes do.

From highlights It went to a game, and from a game I watched another, and then another and all of a sudden I'm sitting at my televison at an outrageous time in the morning waiting to see the Miami Heat led by Dwayne wade and LeBron James demolish the clippers or whoever it may have been, but the opposition doesn't matter, the point is that that's where it changed for me, from that moment on I was going to sit, watch, follow and appreciate the NBA. I was faced with picking a team and the selection was hard, I wanted to follow a team but I didn't want to be 'That Guy' who follows Manchester United or the Lakers because they win, so I scoured the team lists and my eyes skimmed over the best name I think I have come across.. Carmello Anthony aka Captain America. From that moment I was a New York Knick.

Later that week the Knicks were due to play, I was overflowing with excitement. Flashing lights, music and dancing women occupied my screen and then out of the smoke emerged Mello, in all his glory. However, over Captain Americas finely ripped shoulder I saw a man fresh out of the land of the giants, his foot the size of my torso and arms that any gym junky would be jealous of. There he stood in all his glory, Amar'e Stoudemire, goggles and all, this man was ready to play. What followed for the rest of the campaign is history. The Mavericks overcome the Miami Heat, LeBron chokes under the pressure in the 4th quarter with more errors than I can count on my fingers, and 'Big Dirk' got his championship.

So this year, as you would imagine, I'm keen to follow my first season from start to finish and in typical fashion something absolutely diabolical happens. I hate to utter the words that has turned into a new fad for all sports all over the globe. A Player Lockout... A player what? Are you kidding me? is there not enough money in the NBA for everyone to be happy? How can any athlete call them self a professional if they are going to whinge over their salary? Does the extra 500 thousand really mean anything when your making well over 20 million. I want to watch some basketball, and i think I'm safe in saying, as do millions of people in the US and other parts of the globe.


This problem has plagued the NFL, Football in various parts and now the NBA. Worst of all it's hurting the people who are most important to the game, the fans. I think I would be speaking for everyone when I say that I don't care how they work it out, be it the fat cats who own the clubs budge or the NBA players who clearly have a difficult life making millions. Someone, anyone, find the key so we can enjoy the game once more.

Brady or Rogers?

In recent times it was Brady and the Patriots V Manning and the Colts but with Peyton's recent injury woes and Indianapolis Colts becoming a laughing stock another Quarterback and team has stepped up to the plate and has challenged, if not exceeded in some peoples eyes, the blueprint, Tom Brady. Enter Aaron Rodgers, he has exploded onto the scene in the last year and for the start of this years campaign with a newly acquired Super Bowl ring and the Packers starting 6-0.

When speaking of big game Quarterbacks it seems Tom Brady is ubiquitous in every one's discussions. His aplomb is something to behold he is what people in sport like to call clutch (delivers in high pressure situations). However, if I had to choose a Quarterback right now I would choose Aaron Rodgers. I know a lot of you will be sitting there thinking I'm an idiot but let me defend myself with a few key points on why Aaron Rodgers is the best Quarterback in the game right now. I'll start by telling you why I'm not picking Tom Brady, there are two contributing factors. The first being Tom Brady has a great arm and is lethally accurate however has a tendency to be reckless and throw a few picks, I know all Quarterbacks throw picks but Aaron Rodgers throws significantly less with the lowest NFL intercept percentage at 1.92%. My second factor is Tom Brady does not have a a running game, he can not or very rarely is able to move the chains with his feet, where as Aaron Rodgers is more than capable of making plays through the air and on the ground. They are the only notable weakness' I can suggest Tom Brady has and Aaron Rodgers has them both covered.

Now let me tell you why I am indeed choosing Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Rodgers is very fluent, he gets the team rolling very easily he also has the NFL record for the highest career Quarterback rating at an astounding 101.2 and completes 61.5% of his passes. As I mentioned before he makes plays with his feet which causes even more problems for the defence as they not only have to worry about his aerial threat but being able to pinch valuable yards if they drop back into coverage. Add in his role in Green Bays Super Bowl winning season last year and his 6-0 start to the season this year which has seen him generate a Quarterback rating of 122.5 it's clear that right now Aaron Rodgers is the best Quarterback in the NFL.

A few other reasons I would say Aaron Rodgers is better at this point in time and may eclipse Brady is that Aaron Rodgers also has is 'Clutch' with a tremendous post season record. Rodgers is 4-1 has thrown 13 and 3 with a Quarterback rating of 112.6. Aaron Rodgers also is still relatively young and probably has about 6 or so years in him left if he remains fit and of course dominant

Now the number one argument Brady fans will have is the old one 'Superbowl Rings' well, yes Tom Brady has been successful. However the team Aaron Rodgers has around him now I think he could easily get 3 or 4 rings in the next 5 years in which he would eclipse Tom Brady, and if they do indeed go that far it would be safe to say that Aaron Rodgers would be an integral part in the Green Bay domination. In conclusion I feel Rodgers has no real weakness and can do everything Tom can with that said I believe the 'Aaron Rodgers Era' on the horizon.

It's Torpedo not Thorpedo

I, unlike most people am not caught up, nor am I buying the return of the 'Thropedo'. There is no doubt that Ian Thorpe was the best in the business at one point, but not swimming competitively for a touch over five years is a long time. So why is it everyone is expecting him to break records all over again?

To be honest with you, I'm not entirely sure, Australia does not need Ian Thorpe to come back and save them. Australia has a host of top class swimmers no finer than the new-boy on the block James Magunssen. I think another contributor to everyone expecting Thorpe to come back better than ever, is the failures of his apparent predecessor, Eamon Sullivan. The other obvious reason is that he is a hero in Australia and an icon, people love talking about Thorpe, be it his abnormally large feet, his new swimsuit or his sexuality.

Being a sports lover, I'm all about a good old come back, be it from 20 points down or from retirement. I, like all Australians, love an underdog, however, within reason. With Australians being well documented to suffer 'tall poppy syndrome', it takes a brave man to stick your neck out there and have a go. Though, with Ian, I am not sure why he has come out of retirement. He is risking marring the amazing dynasty he left behind, if indeed he fails, unfortunately he won't be remembered for gold medals and records. He will be remembered for his flopped comeback.

I personally don't believe Ian Thorpe will be anywhere near his explosive best, where he seemed to be the chosen one in the pool, in the way that he walked across the water. As mentioned earlier his break has been five years and I feel he has started serious preparations too late. However, with all superstars, and Ian Thorpe indeed is one, you can never be sure or write them off. I hope Thorpe reclaims the nickname Thorpedo and blows the competition out of the water once more. The sad thing is if Thorpe does not achieve the massive expectations that have been piled upon him, he will return home to a barrage of criticism from all angles. And with his 'failures' in Asia recently, I can already hear sport enthusiasts all around the world sharpening their axes waiting to take a swipe at the former world champion.

Inherent dangers, the nature of the beast

Frightening scenes as cars collide at over 200km/h at Las Vegas resulting in the death of Dan Wheldon

The past week has seen two tragedies in the motor sport world. The exciting talents of Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli were cut abruptly short doing what they loved. Immediately following Wheldon's Las Vegas crash, questions were brought to a head on the safety of the IndyCar category. While safety in the Moto GP class was questioned too following Simoncelli's fatal incident, it appears that there was little that could prevent a similar accident occurring again in such freak circumstances.

IndyCar has jumped quickly to arrest all concerns and will hold a safety conference where all drivers will be encouraged to voice their concerns. In addition to this, IndyCar has approved the introduction of a new body for all cars to use in the 2012 season. Ironically this new prototype was being tested by Dan Wheldon in the lead up to his death. This prototype body will include rear bumpers, a first for open wheel racing, which will aim to reduce the chance or a car becoming airborne. A variety of others measures will be open for discussion as safety is put intensely under the microscope.

2012 prototype IndyCar tested by Dan Wheldon

But how safe car motor sport truly become? The IndyCar series sees its cars reach speeds of nearly 360km/h, formula one, not run on oval circuits, sees top speeds of around 300km/h and Moto GP has its riders falling off bikes at similar speeds (the fastest speed ever recorded by a Moto GP bike was just shy of 350km/h). At such intense velocity, any crash has certain potential for death, particularly on motorcycles where there is no protection available to stop something like the Simoncelli crash, where he was hit by incoming bikes unable to avoid him, from being fatal. The human body was not designed for, nor can it withstand, going from over 300km/h to zero in the space of just a few feet.

While such a scenario doesn't usually occur, their is always the potential for it to do so, thus the possibility for death will always remain. Track, car and driver safety has moved leaps and bounds in recent times. Tracks now offer run offs, escape lanes, gravel traps and the safer barrier has reduced impacts in oval racing dramatically. Cars and drivers have seen advancements in cockpits, roll bars, crumple zones and the HANS (head and neck support) device. Despite all of this, we still see the occasional fatality in motor sport. IndyCar has come under massive criticism with many drivers, including Mark Webber, from other formulas saying they would not run an opened wheel car on oval speedway tracks. Stating that having so many cars in a tight high speed scenario is a recipe for disaster, where cars can become airborne and pile ups are common when there is no where to go.

The tight, side by side, hard, fast and highly competitive nature of the IndyCar series is what makes it so popular. The nature of the beast seems to bring with it an inherent danger. An inherent and unavoidable potential for disaster. The drivers are aware and for this reason I do not damn motor sport. The early days of racing were littered with fatalities, and we, as fans, should be grateful that these two tragedies stand out, not because they are common, but because they are the opposite, they are freak, unusual and unlikely events. While we pray for the Wheldon and Simoncelli families, the drivers, fans and motor sports organisations must move on, without forgetting, and take valuable lessons away from a disastrous week.

I feel as though we should embrace the risk takers and enjoy every moment they put their lives on the line for us. We ought to treat them as true superstars, risking it all in the name of thrills and entertainment, the ultimate performers.

Rest in peace Marco Simoncelli and Dan Wheldon, gone but not forgotten.