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Posted: 22-09-2013 16:19 Post subject:

Arsenal won 3-1 today, so go top with 12 points. Both Manchester sides have 8 points, so even if one of them wins (and I hope not!) they can't pass Arsenal.

But Spurs have 10 points, so a win for them could put them top...

Interesting!

Posted: 22-09-2013 17:18 Post subject:

So far Spurs haven't scored, which fits in with my plan... Wink

But it doesn't look like I'm going to get the draw I wanted in the Manchester derby -

(Man U fans look away now..)

- Early in the second half, City are leading 4 - 0 !!

(As I said earlier, Interesting!)

Posted: 22-09-2013 18:07 Post subject:

CURSES!!

My cunning plan has been foiled by a Spurs goal in injury time...

But no...

..wait

Arsenal are still top, ahead of Spurs on goal difference! Very Happy

(When I said earlier Spurs had 10 points, I'd forgotten that figure came from the 'as it stands' table, which was already crediting them with 1 point for a draw...)

Top half of the table now:

Pos Team P GD pts

1 Arsenal 5 5 12

2 Tottenham 5 4 12

3 Man City 5 8 10

4 Chelsea 5 4 10

5 Liverpool 5 2 10

6 Everton 5 2 9

7 Southampton 5 1 8

8 Man Utd 5 1 7

9 Swansea 5 0 7

10 Stoke 5 -1 7

Posted: 22-09-2013 22:13 Post subject:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24199626

Sunderland sack Di Canio, that was on the cards.

Posted: 23-09-2013 22:55 Post subject:

After breaking our duck, I hope the baggies can beat arsenal on wednesday and man u on saturday, but that is probably asking a bit much!

Posted: 25-09-2013 08:24 Post subject:

And now for something completely different...

Sir Ben Ainslie's Oracle Team draw level to set up incredible climax to America's Cup
Many thought Jimmy Spithill was barmy when he said seven days ago that Oracle Team USA could still win the 34th America’s Cup even though they were trailing Emirates Team New Zealand by 8-1.
By Kate Laven
12:01AM BST 25 Sep 2013

That crazy confidence earned them two more wins last night to crank up the tension further in what is looking to be one of the most staggering comebacks in sporting history due in part to the influence of Britain’s Sir Ben Ainslie, who has emerged as the stronger tactician despite never having raced in an America’s Cup.
“I didn’t consider I would be racing in this event so it is a real bonus and privilege,” Ainslie said. “I’m really excited about being out there, getting closer and closer to winning this event. I’m loving it.”

The score is now 8-8 and the America’s Cup will be won in a sudden-death showdown in San Francisco tonight in a winner-takes-all affair after 13 dramatic days of racing, the longest regatta in its 162 year history.

Oracle’s sixth win in a row was effectively completed 40sec before the start of race 17 when the Kiwis veered too close to the line and to their opponents to earn two penalty points. Although they gained ground to move within 19 seconds of the Americans, their boat speed was never sufficient to catch up.

In Race 18, they won the start for the first time in six races and had a five-second advantage by the first mark, which was stretched to seven by the second.
But it was quickly relinquished on the upwind leg when Oracle’s massive improvements in boat speed over the past few days saw them fly past ETNZ to cross the finish line a full 54sec ahead, in what was a crushing blow for the Kiwis.

“It was very impressive and gives us a lot of confidence,” Spithill said. “Benny and Tom Slingsby are doing a great job in the afterguard. We have really improved the boat, it is going fantastically well and the boys want it more than anything so bring on tomorrow. It will be the most exciting day of all of our lives.”

The contest had looked all but over last week after the Kiwis won their eighth race from 11 starts to go to match point but the brash Australian Oracle skipper has proved as redoubtable in defence of his position as Oracle have been with the Cup.
“We have one hell of a battle on our hands here but stranger things have happened in sport,” he said on day eight . “I’ve witnessed some pretty big comebacks and it’s never over until it’s over. This team will fight the whole way to the end and we will never give up.

"There is a lot of history in sport of teams coming back from huge deficits. We have to approach the race to win regardless of the scoreline. We have to go out and win one race at a time. It can be done.”

Since then, Oracle have not only upped their game in terms of improvements to the boat and team performances but they have also had the rub of the green while the Kiwis have suffered some cruel luck, most notably when race 13, in which they had a lead of around one kilometre, had to be scrapped after they ran out of time due to light airs and slow speeds.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/sailing/10332491/Sir-Ben-Ainslies-Oracle-Team-draw-level-to-set-up-incredible-climax-to-Americas-Cup.html

Oh dear! Now my loyalties are split. Before Ben Ainslie got actively involved in the racing, I was supporting the Kiwis over the Americans. But now I want the Olympic gold medal winning Brit to do well!

Posted: 25-09-2013 10:13 Post subject:

PS: Some great action pics here:

America's Cup 2013: Oracle Team USA level with Emirates Team New Zealand

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/picturegalleries/10332537/Americas-Cup-2013-Oracle-Team-USA-level-with-Emirates-Team-New-Zealand.html

Posted: 25-09-2013 13:17 Post subject:

It's wet here, so I might catch some of this:

Cycling: World Road Time Trials
Today on BBC2 from 1:40pm to 4:15pm

Jonathan Edwards presents coverage of the men's and women's time trials as the 2013 Road World Championships in Florence get under way. All eyes will be on Britain's Bradley Wiggins, who is looking to upgrade the silver he won in 2011 to gold. After an amazing 2012, when he won the Tour de France and Olympic gold, injury and illness have meant this year has been a disappointing one for Wiggins. But the 33-year-old has targeted this event and has been building up his weight to give him extra power on the flat and fast course that stretches for more than 35 miles of scenic Tuscan countryside before ending in the historic city of Florence.

Posted: 25-09-2013 22:35 Post subject:

OMG! Arsenal v. WBA goes to penalties!

But Breaking news,

Oracle with Ben Ainslie has won the America's Cup! Shocked

Posted: 25-09-2013 22:43 Post subject:

Posted: 25-09-2013 22:53 Post subject:

America's Cup: Ben Ainslie's USA beat Team New Zealand in decider
34th America's Cup

Sir Ben Ainslie's Oracle Team USA sealed one of sport's greatest comebacks when they overhauled an 8-1 deficit to beat Team New Zealand in the America's Cup decider in San Francisco.
The holders won eight straight races to triumph 9-8 after being docked two points for cheating in the build-up.
Oracle surged to victory by 44 seconds to retain the Cup they won in 2010.

The Kiwis won four of the first five races, making Oracle modify their boat and call Ainslie from the warm-up crew.
The British sailing legend, 36, a four-time Olympic champion, was drafted in as tactician in place of American veteran John Kostecki and was instrumental in the US outfit's resurgence.

Ainslie combined superbly with Oracle's Australian skipper James Spithill, and strategist Tom Slingsby, another Australian who won Laser gold at London 2012, to drag the syndicate back from the brink in the most remarkable turnaround in the event's 162-year history.

The New Zealanders, with impressive early pace upwind and slicker boat handling, advanced the score to 6-1 as Oracle's crew and equipment changes took effect.
But US outfit, bankrolled by software billionaire Larry Ellison, were soon up to speed and they won 10 of the next 12 races to lift the oldest trophy in international sport, known affectionately as the "Auld Mug".

The Kiwis, led by skipper Dean Barker, reached 8-1 last Wednesday but were stuck on match point by a series of race postponements owing to strong winds, coupled with the start of Oracle's comeback.

Barker's crew came within two minutes of glory in Friday's race 13 in uncharacteristic light winds before organisers abandoned the race because the 40-minute time limit had elapsed.

In the decider in fresh breeze and sunshine on San Francisco Bay, Team New Zealand edged a tight start and beat Oracle to the first mark. The Kiwis stayed clear around the second mark but lost the lead to the Americans early on the upwind leg. After briefly retaking the advantage, the Kiwis then watched as Oracle stormed ahead with remarkable upwind pace and remained clear for a comfortable win.

"What a race it had everything," said Spithill. "Man, these guys just showed so much heart."

As winners, Oracle will decide on the format, venue and timing of the 35th America's Cup.

The US syndicate first won the Cup in 2010 when they beat holders Alinghi of Switzerland in a one-off match in huge multihulls following protracted legal wrangling.

Ellison and Oracle Team USA boss Russell Coutts, who had won the Cup for New Zealand in 1995 and 2000 before defecting to Alinghi for 2003, devised a new concept for the 2013 competition.
They opted for revolutionary 72ft catamarans with rigid wing sails - and foiling daggerboards later pioneered by the Kiwis - which allowed the boats to reach startling speeds of more than 50mph.

Races were brought inshore to make it more accessible for fans and cutting-edge TV production with on-screen graphics were introduced to make it more appealing for a new audience of TV viewers.

But the format was controversial and designs untested and critics feared for the safety of sailors. Oracle capsized last year, but it was the death of British Olympian Andrew Simpson in a training accident in May that prompted wide-ranging safety measures including upper wind-speed limits and personal breathing apparatus.

Critics also pointed to spiralling costs, with only three teams - Artemis Racing of Sweden, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge of Italy - emerging to compete in the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series for the right to take on Oracle.

Artemis were unable to mount a meaningful campaign after Simpson's death, as Team New Zealand outclassed Luna Rossa in a one-sided Louis Vuitton Cup final.

But the America's Cup, despite Team New Zealand's early stranglehold and a number of races postponed because of unfavourable winds, showed that match-racing in giant catamarans could be hugely exciting and is likely to be the future of the event.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/sailing/24274103

Posted: 25-09-2013 23:05 Post subject:

It may seem odd that Ben Ainslie is being given so much credit, but the fact is that Oracle is mostly crewed by Australians, and only had one American on board!

The boat itself was mostly designed by NZ workers, so the 'American team' was largely 'hired guns' from elsewhere....

So, three cheers for Britain and the 'colonies'! Very Happy

Posted: 25-09-2013 23:42 Post subject:

Good photo and video coverage here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2432256/Team-USA-wins-34th-Americas-Cup-defeating-Emirates-Team-New-Zealand.html

Posted: 26-09-2013 10:03 Post subject:

America's Cup 2013: Oracle fightback against Team NZ ranks alongside Sir Ben Ainslie's finest moments
After claiming his fourth successive Olympic title in Weymouth last summer, channelling the Incredible Hulk with his memorable "they didn't want to make me angry" quip, an emotional Ben Ainslie described the win as the finest of his career. He may just wish to revise that assessment on Thursday morning.
By Tom Cary
6:00AM BST 26 Sep 2013

Britain’s most celebrated sailor since Lord Nelson can wake up knowing that he played a key role in one of the most remarkable sporting comebacks, helping to turn what had been, for the most part, an ill-fated 34th America’s Cup into pure sporting gold.

Never before has there been such a long, hard-fought series, in such a spectacular inshore setting as San Francisco Bay, on boats which, while controversial, have broken new ground in innovation and speed.

The drama of the way in which the series unfolded, the majesty of these enormous catamarans up on their foils, and perhaps most importantly, the innovative television coverage, which for the first time was shown to the masses on YouTube, brought a new audience to the America’s Cup. Ainslie played a key role in that success.

In winning the Auld Mug for the first time, albeit as part of an American team, Ainslie also fulfilled a lifetime ambition. The eight-year-old boy who awoke on Christmas morning to find a second-hand Optimist dinghy in his bedroom in Cornwall, which his father had rigged up overnight, has now achieved the twin goals he set himself when he embarked upon a career in sailing: to win Olympic gold and to win the America’s Cup.

He will not stop there, though. Ainslie’s next goal, his ultimate goal, is to bring sport’s oldest international trophy back to the UK, where it originated in 1851, with his own team Ben Ainslie Racing.
Few would bet against him doing so, especially in the wake of this latest triumph. This is the boy who took that first dinghy at the age of eight and, armed with a duffel coat and a pair of wellies, sailed it to the pub where the rest of his family were waiting for him, having their Christmas lunch.

From his first days in the Royal Yachting Association’s Youth Programme as one of the 'ferrets’ under coach Jim Saltonstall, to his success in the GB youth team, to his multiple Olympic campaigns, Ainslie always stood out from his peers; an almost pathological winner, a rarity in this country.

When Ainslie was drafted into the Oracle afterguard following their disastrous start to this series, there was always the possibility that some of his gold-dust might rub off on the rest of the team.
It is, of course, impossible to quantify how much of a difference any one person makes in a team sport such as the America’s Cup, but his influence became increasingly apparent as the series wore on.
Despite never having been employed as a tactician before, Ainslie was quickly up to speed, asserting himself more and more with each passing race.

And while his infamous temper – most memorably on display when he boarded a media boat in a fury at a world championship in Perth in 2011, earning himself a disqualification – was largely kept in check, neither did he hold back in close-quarter skirmishes with the Kiwis, frequently shouting and appealing to the committee boat when he felt an infringement had taken place.

Perhaps more than anything, what Ainslie brought to Oracle was his winning mentality. When he said in a column in this newspaper last week that he truly believed Oracle could turn around what was at that point a 7-1 deficit, he meant it.

He will now be attempting to use this experience against those who helped him achieve this goal. If Ben Ainslie Racing attracts the sponsorship which he hopes it will, he will be challenging Oracle in the 35th America’s Cup.
First he will have to get past his old Team GB mucker, double gold medallist Iain Percy, who heads up the Artemis team and whose counsel Ainslie sought when he was drafted in by Oracle two weeks ago. It will be fascinating to see how the two great Britons fare in the years ahead.

Where does this latest triumph stand in Ainslie’s lengthening list of achievements? Comparisons between single-handed Olympic sailing and America’s Cup racing are fatuous, of course.
The America’s Cup is a team sport akin to Formula One, requiring monstrous funding and a veritable army of people simply to get the boats out on the water. Ainslie is just one small cog in the multi-billion dollar machine that is Oracle Team USA.

But for sheer rarity value - Ainslie was the first Briton in a quarter of a century to race in the America’s Cup finals - and the way in which his story unfolded, having come through such personal upheaval this summer when his close friend and Artemis sailor Andrew 'Bart’ Simpson died in a training accident, this has to rank with his best achievements.

Ainslie admitted he almost quit sailing when Simpson died. He decided against it only when he realised that his friend would have told him to stop being so stupid.
No doubt he offered up a word of thanks to his old friend last night after this latest extraordinary chapter in his career.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/sailing/10335111/Americas-Cup-2013-Oracle-fightback-against-Team-NZ-ranks-alongside-Sir-Ben-Ainslies-finest-moments.html

Posted: 26-09-2013 11:44 Post subject:

The Daily Mash has this covered!

Boat wins America's Cup