Episode 46 - 2011 in Review (Part 2) w/Greg Blanchard

We take a trip over the Atlantic Ocean for our second part of the retrospective on 2011. As we bring an American onto the show, it only made sense to review the sports that keep many North Americans in thrall. However, in the interests of balance we also look at the last 12 months in "sarker", better known as football to most of us.

The Greatest Events In Sporting History' is available from http://www.simplysyndicated.com/shows/sportinghistory/

When Sporting Fandom Becomes Fanaticism

By Shane Thomas


In recent weeks, an alarming aspect of sport has come to the fore. The partisanship of supporters - normally a crucial component in the heft and resonance that makes it such an appealing aspect of life for some of us - has descended into a ugly sump of rabid, one-eyed protectionism. It seems that there's no heinous act that won't be defended - as long as the accused represents the team that you like.

Last month, both Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Chelsea's John Terry were accused of racially abusing opposition players. I think anyone with a core of decency in them would state that these are two racial incidents too many. Suarez has been charged by the FA, while the Terry case is ongoing, as the Metropolitan Police are now leading the investigation.

The Sugar Bowl Fiasco (Guest Post From Greg Blanchard)

By Greg Blanchard

American college football is my favorite sport, followed closely by English soccer. The edge has much to do with feeling a direct connection to the college football game through my university years in Oklahoma. Games still to come at the end of November and early December could put my alma mater, Oklahoma State, in the national championship game. The ominous doubt comes from a single loss, last week in double overtime.

Unlike the NFL, American college football is and always will be a mess. Part of that is the nature of the game. Even the most skilled players are young and not yet professional. Plus, players graduating or jumping early to the NFL forces coaches to deal with constant turnover of personnel. Good teams develop players to replace those who leave, but the best schools don’t have four full years with amateurs. The most talented players are often barely “students” and leave early for the NFL either by choice or due to academic ineligibility.