Sporting Hero of the Week 22/05/13 – Tirades, Toilets and Tornados

Warner Hits Out

Australian cricketer, David Warner may be a master blaster on the pitch but when it comes to hitting out off it, he has some work to do.  Warner took to Twitter this week and teed off with an unexpected expletive-fueled attack on journalists Robert Craddock and Malcolm Conn.  The diminuitive slogger was apparently fired up by an article written by Craddock regarding corruption in the IPL where he is currently plying his trade as vice-captain of the Delhi Daredevils.  Amongst the creative insults directed at the pair were jealous pr*ck and old fart, as he publicly bristled at the pair’s criticisms, telling them to “get a real job.”  Joey Barton would be proud.

Golfer Flushes a Hole In One

Belgian golfer, Nicolas Colsaerts was knocked out of the World Match Play Championship last weekend but not before he hit his ball into a toilet.  No sh*t.  The defending champ over shot 10th green, managing to find the world’s smallest water hazard, where he was asked to take a penalty drop from inside the cubicle.  With no room to to play a shot (surprise surprise), Colsaerts was given a free relief and managed to salvage par.

Union Youngster Gets Stuck Holding The Lion

As the youngest member of the British and Irish Lions side, Stuart Hogg has been lumped with the responsibility of taking care of the team mascot, you guessed it, a stuffed toy lion.  The 20 year old fullback is blaming an annual bout of hayfever for making the babysitting job a nightmare as the lion’s mane tickles his nostrils. “Holding that lion in my hands is bit of a nightmare because of its long main -  it gets a little bit itchy. Maybe I’ll speak with the gaffer and see what he  says about that” said the Scot. Hogg says it is tough enough looking after himself let alone a stuffed toy and that he can’t simply leave it at home or he’ll be fined.  Upcoming opponents Australia are said to be deeply sympathetic to Hogg’s awful situation.

Sporting Hero of the Week

Having watched the city and state he represents on the basketball court be brought to it’s knees by a tornado, local NBA superstar Kevin Durant has pledged a $1M donation to Oklahoma tornado relief through his foundation. The generous gesture is being matched by both his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the NBA but is just the start of what Durant plans to do to help. “Just to get to the hospital, see some kids. Something. Just something to give some hope. Playing for the Thunder, we mean so much to the state. So many people support us and I just want to go back and support those people,” he said. One of the league’s best players, Durant averaged an astounding 30.8 points, 9 rebounds and 6.3 assists during the playoffs as he tried unsuccesfully to carry the Thunder back to the NBA Finals without injured star team mate Russell Westbrook. For his generosity, compassion and willingness to do anything he can to support those in need, Durant is a worthy Sportbets Sporting Hero of the Week.

Bruce’s Top Tips 2013 Week 12

G’Day Punters! Bruce the Kangaroo is the name and I am here to offer you punters out there 3 more Sport Bets to use at your disposal!

The Sandown Cup has come around again with the greyhounds set to race on Thursday night. The box draw was held earlier this week, with 10 dogs in the running for the richest race for stayers in the country (the prizemoney is a whopping $145,000!) In heats, last years winner Irma Bale ran a 41.92 and should be the early favourite after drawing box 5. Coming from number 7, Proven Impala ran a second fastest heat of 42.06 while Bell Haven drew box 1 which has provided 6 of the past 22 winners. It is also rumoured that it will be punters last chance to get on Miata who will looking to finish in a blaze of glory before retirement but my early pick is Destini Fireball. The greyhound ran a 42.21 in heats and will shoot out of box 4. Be sure to keep an eye on www.sportsbet.com.au for odds closer to race day.

The French Open begins this Sunday with two men heavily backed into favourtism while in the ladies draw, it is expected that three women will battle for the championship. Rafael Nadal ($1.72) and Novak Djokovic ($2.75) are the two most likely to win at Roland Garros with Nadal looking to take his fourth consecutive French Open. If he succeeds, it would be the second time he has won four times in a row at the clay court arena, an incredible feat. Djokovic is the world number 1 but has never won in France which opens the door for Roger Federer who is currently quoted at a ridiculous $17.00. For the women, the world number 1 Serena Williams is in stellar form and is the current favourite at $2.50. She has not won the Open since 2002 though, giving Maria Sharapova ($5.00) and Victoria Azarenka ($6.00) a real shot. The Chinese star Li Na is a sleeper and one of my personal favourites who won at Roland Garros in 2011 and is a juicy option at $11.00.

Serena Williams is looking for her first French Open title in over a decade

Finally, the Doomben 10,000 horse race will be conducted for the 80^th time in Brisbane on Saturday. Originally named for the 10,000 pounds prizemoney, the historic sprint now rewards the winner with $650,000! Currently quoted at $2.40, Your Song is the favourite but the word around the water cooler is that Buffering is set to make a charge soon. The Rob Heathcote trained horse does well on lighter tracks and if the rain stays away, the odds will come down from $5.00. Having won in 2012, Sea Siren is looking for the rare Doomben double, a feat only achieved four times in the history of the race so at $13.00, that is an option for tipsters who enjoy historical roughies.

That’s all for now, I’ll be back next week for more tips. Happy Betting!
Credit for the photo goes to: Alberto Casado