Off-topic: Sport

A space for talking about all things sporting- there was after all a recent thread on the Superbowl.

I just wanted for the moment to mention a sport i’ve only just become aware of: Chess Boxing. The two opponents face off on the chess board in a boxing ring, then alternate with boxing and back to chess till one wins by knockout, checkmate, or time run-out at chess. Heavyweight boxers Lennox Lewis and the Klitchko bros are apparently good at chess (though i don’t think they do this sport)!.

oh and while i’m at it, there’s bog snorkelling, yes it’s as it sounds, contestants cover a distance crawling through a bog with snorkel, with a top championship in the wilds of mid Wales near Llanwrtyd Wells

Great info!
I’d stick to Football, Rugby and Boxing – I always love the drama, corruption aside.
But the Chess Boxing is quite interesting- physical contact, then quiet meditation and back to punching. I wonder how it would work on pay-per-view system?
Bog snorkeling sounds good too (like something we do during combat exercise with the Royal Marines – only more fun and less painful).

Royal marines combat training, eh! Sounds almost as hard and impressive as my expertise, Sofa Sogood. Rugby: well, i was brought up with the glory years of Welsh Rugby, Barry John and Gareth Edwards

Chess boxing – there could be a Rocky 7 after all ! For me though, it’s tennis and college football.

I was just thinking about this the other day. I’m holding out for Scrabble/arm wrestling then I’m going pro

Jay – you may want to rethink Scrabble / Arm Wrestling – the ladies championship match turned into a bloodfest.

anybody ready to see my lakers march to another title?

My hot tip for the “in” sport in 2010 is Hang-gliding paintball. By then the hang-gliding on ponyback brigade (a spin-off from pony trekking up hills to then hang-glide) will have been pushing for a bit more excitement. And from the hill above Abergavenny (a hang-gliding hotspot, like Hay Bluff) there will be the added frisson of danger provided by the high electric pylon that nearly did for a woman i knew. This will then harden to hang-gliding pistol duels, which Werner Herzog chickened out of.

I shall shortly conjure up some sports selections, to combine my listaholic tendency with my armchair sporting skill.

I’m continually impressed by the speed with which people respond here. That’s an apt picture, Christopher. Seems it took you no more than 2 minutes to find it. Bobby, Lakers have a good shot and I’m psyched for the finals but the absolute majesty of Celtics-Bulls makes that all seem irrevelant right now. Criterion needs to option that whole series for release next year.

Right, my selection of all-time greatest boxers:

1.Muhammad Ali
2.Sugar Ray Robinson
3.Joe Louis
4.Henry Armstrong
5.Jimmy Wilde (the mighty atom, the ghost with the hammer in his hand, a contender for greatest pound for pound)
6.Roberto Duran
7.Roy Jones
8.Sugar Ray Leonard
9.Julio Cesar Chavez
10.Rocky Marciano
+
Marvin Hagler
Jack Johnson
Floyd Mayweather
Carlos Monzon
Willie Pep

brilliant photo by Christopher! Scrabble-(arm) wrestling indeed!

The Celtics/Bulls series is quite something – really looking forward to tonight’s game. I’d love to see the Bulls pull it off, but I’m afraid the Celtics will take it. Lakers / Cavs – I’ll take the Lakers.

Btw – the Kentucky Derby is starting soon on NBC. I’ll pick Pioneer of The Mile.

The Derby in England is pronounced Darby. Have you ever watched the grand national?

Kenji – sorry, we here in the states don’t get any exposure to foreign racing. It’s all about the K Darby here.

I like to play a little basketball now and then, though I’m not very good.

I also watch the mixed martial arts fighters on World Extreme Cagefighting. Chase Beebe is my favorite.

Oh man the Bulls/ Celtics series: we are witnessing the greatest playoff series ever. Too bad neither team will get through Lebron tho, that makes it sort of anti climactic

Ninja Warrior may be the greatest sport(?) of all time.

ninja warrior is fukken win

@KENJI – “Rugby: well, i was brought up with the glory years of Welsh Rugby, Barry John and Gareth Edwards”-
Cool! I’ve only seen Barry John in old films but man, what a brilliant fly-half. I was a school boy aroung the first Rugby Union World Cup in ‘87. It’s funny looking back in the ‘80s with all your classic games esp. against New Zealand and now Wales’ coach is a former All-Blacks. Too bad they lost the crown at this year’s Six Nations but they beat Scotland and England.

Great list of boxing gods indeed!
FYI, huge pound for pound championship fight tonight, 2 May – Manchester’s own Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines. This is highly anticipated, after Pacquiao’s destruction of Oscar Dela Hoya last December. Any boxing fan will be in front of the tube tonight. Here in Iraq, even Baghdadis are waiting for it. I made bets with some engineers of the Welsh Guards down in Basra.
Cheers!

Yes, the Hatton- Pacquiao is a biggie. Hatton is strong, and may have got himself back on track after Mayweather, but p-4-p Pacquiao has been better. I’m just glad Calzaghe went unbeaten.

All-time Greatest Footballers (soccer)

1.Pelé (Brazil)
2.Diego Maradona (Argentina)
3.Johann Cruyff (Holland)
4.Zinedine Zidane (France)
5.Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
6.Alfredo di Stefano (Argentina)
7.Garrincha (Brazil)
8.Michel Platini (France)
9.Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
10.Bobby Charlton (England)
-
Eusebio (Portugal)
Paolo Maldini (Italy)
George Best (N.Ireland)

Of course Best had the exciting talent to be higher, but i’m also judging by actual career achievement as well as entertainment value.

I’m just getting back into baseball after fifteen years of ignoring it. I’m thinking of backing the Mets or the Indians, but I don’t know any of the players. Except Carlos Delgado, but still. Anyone following it?

Go Braves, Yankees – nice stadium, but I still hate you.

Well, Pacquiao won- no big surprise there, but the manner of it! He must now join the greats

I watch and Cricket a lot, then try to follow Tennis and Basketball on and off..
I have to get back to playing cricket, Tennis, Racquet Ball…

@KENJI – Yes, that’s one hell of a fight. Total demolition! Us Filipinos are purists when it comes to boxing and would prefer a longer, drawn out mano-de-golpe at least 6 rounds or more- ala Duran-Sugar Ray Leonard fights of the past. But last night’s performance was extraordinary. Pacquiao without a doubt had definitely joined the ranks of the all-time greats. Now another classic confrontation is being set with the now un-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr. Also lots of calls for Calzaghe to come back. This is good for boxing.

#Your list of Football Greatest is identical to mine. All world-class. I would add-
Romario (Brasil)
Ruud Gullit (Holland)
Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany)
Zico (Brasil)

Life long Red Sox fan. I like to play darts and softball but my stomach keeps intruding on both of these activities. Oh my God!!! I can’t see my feet! By the end of summer I usually have the beast contained, but . . . by the end of summer it, it’s a vicious cycle. I just don’t know what size pants to buy anymore! I’m going to take a nap now.

Noel, another footballer who should be better known is John Charles the gentle giant, il gigante buono from Wales, who was a huge success in Italy for Juventus. He was a great centre half and centre forward. Had he not been injured and missed the world cup 1/4 final v Brazil in 1958 world football history might have been very different, cos Brazil only won 1-0 with a late goal from young Pelé

Boxing: Pancho Villa was another Filipino great who defeated Jimmy Wilde (coming back from a lay-off) at the end of Wilde’s career, in 1923. I would be worried baout Calzaghe coming back; his hand problems and lack of punching power will tell against him as he loses speed and reflexes, and it’s always more of a risk after being out of the ring for a while. Most boxers go on too long. It’s a great credit to him he did so well with those hand problems, he had to show resilience and be able to vary his tactics and style

Filmy Andy: i’m a huge admirer of Roger Federer, his success, his style and his character. As for cricket, most majestic and devastating batsman in my time of watching: Viv Richards (Tendulkar and Lara great too of course). Dennis Lillee superb pace bowler. Majid Khan of Glamorgan and Pakistan my favourite. A pity there’s so little available to be seen of him at his best now. He made it look so easy, such an elegant stylist and he could hammer any attack on his day.

I just watched Nadal defeating Djokovic in Rome. My favourite Tennis player is Federer too, though.

@Kenji: There was a boxer named Pancho Villa? Just like the mexican revolutionist? Interesting.

Anybody else who thinks Barcelona deserves to win the Uefa Champions Legua this season and that Lionel Messi is a sure candidate for a place in the pantheon of football players?

Well, Pancho Villa wasn’t his real name; look him up, and you can also see his fight with Wilde on youtube.

Chelsea to win the Champions League after so many close calls in recent years- I hope! Poor John Terry with his penalty miss last year. As a Chelsea fan since the age of 8, the days of Peter “the cat” Bonetti (my hero then) and Peter Osgood, i was sick as a parrot. Messi is certainly among the very best playing now. Chelsea have been on a great run, and full of power- Lampard, Ballack, Essien and Drogba. Guus Hiddink is a superb manager.

Yes, John Charles. His absence and the ‘what-might-have-been’ at the ‘58 Cup is still talked about to this day. There are other brilliant Welsh players I admire as well like Mark Hughes, Dean Saunders, Ryan Giggs and esp. Ian Rush and John Toshack (I’m a Liverpool follower). Their prospect looked tough for World Cup 2010 but we’ll see.
Pancho Villa, Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde… we did have many great fighters come out in the big stage through the decades. Although he’s from the same background, Pacquiao seemed to have come from a different planet.
You’re right about Calzaghe’s lack of punching power. He is really wise to retire earlier and enjoy his wealth. It’ll still be interesting to see if he would consider a comeback, since it’s been known to happen quite often with the money involved and all.