1) The host of darts quiz show Bullseye, Jim Bowen, died aged 80 this week. A look back at any episode is always a wonderful window into a slower, more gentle world of light entertainment. It was often very funny, not least when the prizes were dreadful and the contestants even more so. There was a glorious moment when audience members passed a packed lunch around behind Bowen before he introduced George Best as a celebrity contestant as well as Jocky Wilson throwing the arrows with cigarette in hand. Oh, and here’s Phil Taylor making his first appearance on the show back in 1990. He wasn’t as good as you might think.
2) Lazio’s Ciro Immobile does what any striker would do when your team’s chasing a point in the 95th minute, he scores an equaliser from the edge of the box with a backheeled lob goal-of-the-season contender.
3) It’s FA Cup sixth round weekend, and Manchester United face Brighton in a replay of the 1983 FA Cup final, when relegated Albion came within a missed sitter of the trophy. Relive their whole Cup run here. Swansea’s last semi-final appearance was so long ago, Pathé were there to film it. Here are a few classic quarter-finals: Barnsley 1-0 Chelsea in 2008, Leicester 1-2 Wycombe in 2001 and Arsenal 1-3 Watford in 1987.
4) St James’ Park, as heard from a few streets away.
5) Sixty years ago crazy folk strapped on ice skates and took part in the world barrel jumping championships. Here’s the 1957 edition, action from 1956 and a trip back to 1952.
6) A rider takes a wrong turn in the Nokere Koerse bike race in Belgium, and finds himself all alone on a bike path.
Our favourites from last week’s blog
1) Mexico’s Club America beat Tauro FC in the Concacaf Champions League last week, but needed a superhuman save from goalkeeper Agustín Marchesín to deny the plucky Panamanians an away goal (and here’s another angle).
2) Michael Jordan scored 50-plus points in a game for the Chicago Bulls 34 times in his career. Less than a year after his retirement, the entire Bulls team combined failed to score 50 points in a game.
3) It turns out Maradona wasn’t bad at futsal.
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