vallierojas: When US golfers form a boyband

Thursday, June 16, 2011

When US golfers form a boyband

Also featuring great cricket clips of yore, another premature penalty celebration and synchronised indoor skydiving

1) The 125th Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday, though we'll be lucky to see anything quite as incredible as last year's 183-game, 11-hour marathon between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut. The good news is we probably won't have to put up with Cliff Richard warbling either. If it's misty-eyed nostalgia you're after, here's Bjorn Borg outlasting John McEnroe to win his fifth-consecutive Wimbledon title in 1980 (and here they are shamelessly cashing in on their rivalry many years later). Of course, to find the last Briton to win Wimbledon, you have to go back a little further.

2) Some random cricket clips from robelinda2's awesome archive: a 1995 interview with Ricky Ponting, looking a bit like Ed Norton in American History X (and, yes, that is Troy Cooley); Viv Richards's notorious war-dance in 1990; Andy Flower hitting a $50,000 six; and some rare footage of the 'Black Bradman', the legendary West Indian George Headley.

3) Twenty-one years ago today, English football joined the continent. Bobby Robson employed a sweeper system and England outplayed Holland in a 0-0 draw, with Paul Gascoigne majestic. You can watch the entire match here, part of a glorious World Cup archive that, on average, delivers a Proustian rush every 0.2 seconds.

4) Their tongues are planted firmly in cheeks, but does anyone else suspect that US Tour golfers Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Ben Crane and Hunter Mahan may one day regret their debut music video? When he's not boogying with the Golf Boys, Rickie spends the rest of his time pulling off shots like this.

5) Some more random cricket clips not from that earlier archive, but nevertheless always worth revisiting: is this the best piece of fielding ever? And when Rory Bremner, aka The Commentators, appeared on Top of the Pops performing N-N-Nineteen (Not Out).

6) Sport Science on ESPN is always a fascinating watch: here it breaks down a thing of beauty: NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki's fadeaway. And as benway pointed out below the line, the Dallas man almost single-handedly won the Mavericks the title against the Miami Heat, here in the spectacular Game Two victory, here with the flu and a 101-degree fever in Game Four and here with a huge rainbow in Game Five. As for the beaten LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, perhaps they shouldn't have riffed on Dirk's pain. And as for more Sport Science, here's an old favourite.