Have fun, play and see what happens...

I love a bit of ESPN Classic.  In fact I'd wager that when combined with with a cheese toasty and a can of diet coke, it is quite possibly the best hangover cure ever.  Bearing this in mind, it’s no wonder that I couldn't wait for the cinema release of From the Ashes - the documentary recounting the epic 1981 series in which England dramatically defeated Australia.  I was not disappointed.

In truth, I never really fully understood why Beefy is so revered, but I do now.  Put simply, he was pretty bloody awesome.  At the age of 24 he managed to defeat an impressive Australian side in spectacular fashion.  During the pivotal test at Headingley, he said that his aim was to ‘have fun, play and see what happens.’  Which is surely what sport is all about, no?

It’s a rollercoaster of a story, set to an amazing soundtrack (try telling Simon Caney of Sport Mag otherwise) complete with an impressive display of mullets, taches and chest hair.  You’d be a wally not to get the DVD, trust me.

On a side note (and please forgive me if I sound like a total wanker) it reaffirmed for me that sport is intrinsically linked with key periods of social/historical change.  Then as now England won the Ashes, there was deep political unrest, they had a royal wedding, and of course Thor was in the cinema…

Money Pacquiao

It's only five minutes since Pacquiao demolished Mosely (perhaps demolished is a bit harsh, Mosely did knock him down after all) and he's already got another fight booked in the diary.  12th November in case you're wondering.  He'll be facing Juan Manuel Marquez, and whilst that will be very exciting (Marquez is hard as nails) people still want the Mayweather fight.  Nothing Manny does until then will satisfy the wider world.  If you know anything though, you'll understand that that fight is never going to happen.  Even if it did, it'd be a total shambles in terms of the agreements etc.  

If Manny never faces Floyd, it will not lessen his achievements one jot in my book.  I only wish that his entourage didn't contain a million and one randoms, then he wouldn't have to go ahead with a load of fights he needn't really bother with.

In other boxing news David Haye is keeping me endlessly entertained!  Via @talkSPORT.

Bitter.

A few people have mentioned to me that I've not commented on Manchester United's 19th League victory.  To those people I say, kindly bugger off will you? ;-) And to Manchester United - good luck holding on to that record.  King Kenny's coming for you - he's just signed a three year deal!