1) With Kobe Bryant signing off after 20 years with the LA Lakers by scoring 60 in his final game against Utah, what better time to enjoy some of his finest moments. Let’s begin with the 81 points he dropped against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, in which he made 28 of 46 shots; 12 three-pointers in a single game against the SuperSonics in 2003; outscoring the Mavericks singlehandedly with 62 of the Lakers’ 95 points against the Mavericks’ 61 points in 2005; 28 points against the Pacers on the way to securing the championship for the first time in 12 years in 2000; against Michael Jordan in 2003; his story in sneakers told graphically; Magic Johnson’s tribute before his final All-Star game; a very well put together documentary: The Legacy; and the top plays of his career.
2) Proof yet again that adding the Benny Hill music to anything makes it more effective. Here Marseille fans mock their own players using the classic tune while parading pictures of them portrayed as goats.
3) Worst goalkeeper own goal ever? Hard to argue as Tahiti’s Mickaël Roche somehow slots this one in; while over in the USA this high-school keeper appears to have forgotten she is playing soccer rather than gridiron.
4) Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk’s goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka hits a 75-yard strike against Zorya Luhansk: the ref disallowed it due to a foul while the ball was in the air. Unsurprisingly it concludes with much shouting in Ukrainian. Elsewhere, Diego Costa and Pedro combine in training to more harmonious effect.
5) Some absolutely cracking footage from the onboard cameras of Alexander Kristoff and Michael Morkov of team Katusha battling the cobbestones of last week’s Paris-Roubaix.
6) Even men with steel hearts love to see a dog on the pitch. Animals in general, yes? Bad luck for this kangaroo who bounced out into the path of a cycling race but good luck for this happy snowboarder who had no idea she was being chased by a bear. As was this character who escapes with a squeal. A perfect chance to revisit some of the classics then: ostrich chases cyclists; antelope biffs cyclist and this happy canine who absolutely refuses to be caught regardless of how many red shirts are waved at him.
Highlights from last week’s blog
1) “White has the advantage over red,” goes the delightfully straight commentary, but words really cannot do justice to how marvellous and brilliantly-executed this marble race through a 750ft course built in the sand really is. Stick with it as nothing is over until the marbles have crossed the line.
2) Boom. The nagging fear at the back of the mind of anyone who has ever played doubles tennis becomes a painful reality.
3) Kris Jenkins’s last-second game-winner for Villanova to secure their NCAA National Championship has beenwidely enjoyed already but here’s a new take on it: how the moment was captured on phones – who knew so many people were being filmed while leaping up and down in front of TVs? Equally, who knew writers at the Simpsons – as this recent blackboard gag shows – were fans?
4) Pretty much the perfect bicycle kick as Paulin Puel sets up his own finish for Nice’s U-19s against Monaco’s, and why not follow it with a rather sharp backheel as well and a rocket from Martin Boyle for Hibs against Livingston, here with another view from the crowd.
5) Super scrambling: Steven Gerrard opens a terrific compilation of goal-line clearances.
6) Greyhound hurdles, entertaining enough in themselves but what a start and what a finish for plucky hound Weinberg in Melbourne.
Spotters badges BlackCaeser, TheCedarRoom, bouncebounceprod, GrahamClayton, whobroughtoranges.
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