1) It’s the Super League Grand Final this weekend between Castleford Tigers and Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford. Here’s a look back to last year’s final, won by Wigan Warriors, with some behind the scenes footage. Here’s that infamous Ben Flower red card of two years ago, a bobbing and weaving Rob Burrow scoring one of the great Grand Final tries in 2011, and a young Jason Robinson registering a memorable jinky one in the 1998 showpiece. While we’re on rugby league, enjoy Ashton Sims in action with a microphone capturing his every word – and absorbing every tackle.
2) The face of New York Yankees pitcher David Robertson says all you need to know:
3) There was drama at Southwell races this week when jockey Bridget Andrews came unseated from her horse Stick To The Plan moments from the winning post in the Novices’ Hurdle, recalling memories of Devon Loch’s famous tumble – here’s a mandatory ‘horse says no’ compilation.
4) Rickie Lambert has announced his retirement from football aged 35. He scored some belting goals for Southampton, where he peaked late, earning regular England call-ups (scoring a memorable debut goal against Scotland) and a surprise move to Liverpool, the club he grew up supporting. Saints have handily compiled all 117 of them here.
5) And while we don’t like to blow our own trumpet, this story on the blind MMA fighter Ronald Dlamini is well worth your time.
Highlights from last week’s blog
1) There are goal celebrations you can understand, then there is this...
2) Fashanu v wall.
3) Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal attempt to promote a charity without corpsing. Fail.
4) A cracking mountain west match-up between Wyoming and Hawaii last weekend included a 98 yard kick off return and an inscrutable maybe even ecstatic Pistol Pete.
5) The top 20 left hook knockouts bookended by the top 20 right hand knockouts.
6) Did Peter Beardsley spend an illicit weekend in Rosario in September 1986? The evidence is compelling.
Spotters’ badges: BlackCaeser, Kisbie, francaise, jacksoninho, whobroughtoranges.
