Sports Attractions this weekend (19th October – 21st October)

This weekend is hosts a public holiday,Kenyatta day. So are you looking for a plan for this weekend? Well, sports will always be shown at your home of sports entertainment, Blancos Sports Grill. From rugby and soccer, come with your friends to enjoy the sports that will be showing. Below is the line up for this weekend.

The YZR500 The Yamaha Motor Corporation

Friday

08:30 – 10:30	Rugby			ITM Cup: Championship SF 1 – Otago v Tasman
19:00 – 21:00	Rugby			Absa Currie Cup: Promotion / Relegation – Toyota Free State v EP Kings
21:00 – 23:00	Rugby			Heineken Cup: Round 2 – Castres Olympique v Northampton Saints
17:15 – 21:00		Cricket			Champions League Twenty20 Delhi Daredevils v Auckland Aces
20:00 – 23:00		Soccer			Bundesliga Matchday 8 : Hoffenheim v Greuther Furth
19:00 – 19:30		Soccer			Master Plan Episode 7
19:30 – 22:30		Soccer			Telkom K/O: Last 16: Bidvest Wits v Kaizer Chiefs
07:30 – 11:30		Golf			European Tour Perth International Golf Championship Day 2
20:00 – 23:00		Golf			PGA Tour The Mcgladrey Classic Open Day 2

 

Saturday

03:00 – 05:00	Rugby			ITM Cup: Championship SF 2 – Counties Manukau v Southland
05:30 – 07:30	Rugby			ITM Cup: Premiership SF 1 – Canterbury v Taranaki
08:00 – 10:00	Rugby			ITM Cup: Premiership SF 2 – Wellington v Auckalnd
11:00 – 14:00	Rugby			Bledisloe Cup: Australia v New Zealand
14:00 – 16:00	Rugby			Absa Under 21 A Section – SF – Sharks U21 v Dhl Western Province
16:00 – 18:45	Rugby			Absa Currie Cup: SF 1 – The Sharks v Vodacom Blue Bulls
18:45 – 21:25	Rugby			Absa Currie Cup: SF 2 – MTN Golden Lions v Dhl Western Province
07:45 – 09:00		Motorcycling			MotoGP: Malaysia Qualifying Practice
13:15 – 17:00		Cricket			Champions League Twenty20 Bizhub Highveld Lions v Yorkshire Carnegie
17:00 – 21:00		Cricket			Champions League Twenty20 Chennai Super King v Mumbai Indians
13:00 – 15:45		Soccer			Barclays Premier League Week 10: Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea
15:45 – 18:00		Soccer			Barclays Premier League Week 10: Man Utd v Stoke City
18:00 – 20:40		Soccer			Barclays Premier League Week 10: Norwich City v Arsenal
20:40 – 22:45		Soccer			Serie A: Week 8: Lazio v Ac Milan
11:00 – 12:00		Variety Sport			Thursday Night Live…With Marawa Episode 75
12:00 – 13:00		Soccer			Super Diski: Nfd H\L Episode 2
14:30 – 17:30		Soccer			Telkom K/O: Last 16: Ajax Cape Town v SuperSport Utd
17:30 – 20:00		Soccer			Telkom K/O: Last 16: Black Leopards v Orlando Pirates
20:00 – 23:00		Soccer			Telkom K/O: Last 16:maritzburg Utd v Moroka Swallows
07:30 – 11:30		Golf			European Tour Perth International Golf Championship Day 3
13:40 – 15:30		Motorsport			Dtm Hockenheimring Qualifying
15:50 – 17:55		Soccer			Barclays Premier League Week 10: Liverpool v Reading
17:55 – 20:00		Soccer			Serie A: Week 8: Juventus v Napoli
15:40 – 18:00		Swimming			Fina World Cup Berlin Day 1
20:00 – 23:00		Golf			PGA Tour The Mcgladrey Classic Open Day 3

 

Sunday

07:30 – 11:30	Golf			European Tour Perth International Golf Championship Day 4
13:40 – 15:45	Rugby			Heineken Cup: Round 2 – Munster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby
15:45 – 18:00	Rugby			Heineken Cup: Round 2 – Leicester Tigers v Ospreys
20:00 – 23:00	Golf			PGA Tour The Mcgladrey Classic Open Day 4
06:45 – 08:00		Motorcycling			MotoGP: Malaysia Moto3
08:00 – 09:45		Motorcycling			MotoGP: Malaysia Moto2
09:45 – 11:25		Motorcycling			MotoGP: Malaysia MotoGP: Race
13:15 – 17:00		Cricket			Champions League Twenty20 Perth Scorchers v Delhi Daredevils
17:00 – 21:00		Cricket			Champions League Twenty20 Kolkata Knight Riders v Nashua Titans
13:30 – 16:30		Soccer			Barclays Premier League Week 10: Sunderland v Newcastle Utd
16:30 – 19:45		Soccer			Barclays Premier League Week 10: Queens Park Rangers v Everton
19:45 – 21:50		Soccer			Spanish La Liga Week 8: Osasuna v Real Betis
14:30 – 17:30		Soccer			Telkom K/O: Last 16: Chippa Utd v Bloemfontein Celtic
14:00 – 15:15		Motorsport			Dtm Hockenheimring Race
15:15 – 17:25		Soccer			Bundesliga Matchday 8: Nuremberg v Augsburg
17:25 – 20:00		Soccer			Bundesliga Matchday 8: Hamburg v VFB Stuttgart
21:25 – 23:30		Soccer			Spanish La Liga Week 8: Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid
07:05 – 08:40		Netball			Netball Quad Series England v South Africa
09:30 – 12:00		Road Running			Tcs Marathon Amsterdam 37th Edition
15:30 – 18:00		Swimming			Fina World Cup Berlin Day 2

 

Boundless Creativity + time to burn= Fun!!!

Its the month of October and because they scraped off another reason to drink, A.K.A. public holidays, lets create our own excuses. Surfing through the internet reveals that when people have time on their hands, anything they come up with seem perfectly logical to them. So below I have a list of some of the most peculiar competitions and sports that are around. Maybe one day after the usual dose of time on twitter and pubs, we might make an allowance to indulge in some few atrocities too.

1. Wife carrying competition

   

If this was done here in Kenya, some people would pay good money just to watch their friends attempt to carry their wives. it is not a secret that the wedding ring in Kenya seems to inject automatic baking powder into married women and they balloon up to sizes that even they didn’t know they could reach. The objective of game is usually to carry your wife all the way through an obstacle course and the first man to cross the finish line with his wife, wins beer the equivalent of his wife’s weight. Pretty cool and hilarious right?

2. Midget throwing Contest

This cracked me up. Who does that? Apparently, this game is in Australia and it was almost banned because it degrades the dwarfs. But people argued that it denies the midgets a chance to make extra income! Really. Its like tossing kids with a heightened(pun intended)sense of humor. It just looks wrong  just by the sheer size of them. It is a bar attraction in which dwarves wearing special padded clothing or Velcro costumes are thrown onto mattresses or at Velcro-coated walls, participants of the contest compete to throw the dwarf the farthest.

If introduced, can this game really fly in Kenya?

3. Extreme Ironing World Championships

Have you heard of mascularization of house chores? Well, you’ve heard it now. These men are going to extreme measures just to get some chores done. I bet their wives have never asked them to iron clothes again after these stunts. It is outrageous to ask your husband to iron clothes then he goes underwater and comes back with the clothes unironed and wet to boot because he couldn’t find a socket!!? I bet this sport was invented by a husband with a twisted sense of humor.

It started in Leicester, UK in 1997, and is an exciting and dangerous sport where anyone who would like to participate should be ready for ironing a few items of laundry, preferably on a difficult climb of a mountainside, ice or under water.

4. World Sauna Championships

When you hear sauna, you immediately think of relaxation and bliss. But imagine sitting in there for an infinite amount of time until you feel that you cannot take it any more and  your behind is on fire. Well, welcome to the world of sauna champs.

Competitors from over 20 countries take part in the competition at their own risk, an

d have to sign a form agreeing not to take legal action on the organization. The competitors must sit in a 110° sauna and half a liter of water is added every 30 seconds. They must sit erect with their thighs and buttocks on the seat. They cannot touch any surface with their hands and forearms have to be in an upright position and must stay on their knees. The person who sits longest is the winner.

Disclaimer: Someone once died in this game so I wouldn’t recommend it!!!

 

5.Kenyan Flavor

Well, just for good measure, I throw in some local flavor. I bet the Kenyan Bull fighting and cock fighting would rank highly in bizzarness.  Not forgetting donkey derby in Lamu at the Lamu culture fest. That is the home of pampered donkeys.

From the list, its clear that traditionalists where not entirely primitive and boring. They did have their own version of fun! Join in the cheer!!

Sports line up for (5th – 7th October)

This will be a jam packed weekend in terms of sports. So feel free to pick you blanket, wallet and friends and practically live in Blanco”s Sports Grill this weekend.  Below is the complete list of the matches and sports you expect to be aired at Blancos this weekend.

Action Attractions | Friday, October 05, 2012

16:20 – 18:30	Rugby				Absa Currie Cup: First Division SF 1: Ford Pumas v Tasol Solar Griffons
19:00 – 21:00	Rugby				Absa Currie Cup: Vodacom Blue Bulls v Dhl Western Province
21:00 – 23:00	Rugby				Aviva Premiership Rugby Round 6 – Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers
10:45 – 14:30		Cricket			ICC World Twenty20 Women SF 2: Australia v West Indies
15:00 – 19:00		Cricket			ICC World Twenty20 SF 2: Australia v West Indies
13:45 – 16:00	Soccer			FIFA U/17 Women’s World Cup QF 4: Germany v Brazil
16:45 – 19:00	Soccer			FIFA U/17 Women’s World Cup QF 3: Japan v Ghana
20:00 – 23:00	Soccer			Bundesliga Matchday 7: Augsburg v Werder Bremen
16:20 – 18:30	Rugby			Absa Currie Cup: First Division SF 1: Ford Pumas v Tasol Solar Griffons
19:00 – 19:30	Soccer			Master Plan Eps. 5
19:30 – 22:30	Soccer			Super Diski – Absa Premiership Chippa Utd v Maritzburg Utd
14:30 – 18:30	Golf			European Tour Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Day 2
22:00 – 01:00	Golf			PGA Tour Justin Timberlake Shiners Hospitals For Children Day 2
14:20 – 14:40	Rugby			@lantic Provincial U18 Sevens Tournament Cup SF 2
14:40 – 15:00	Rugby			@lantic Provincial U18 Sevens Tournament Shield Final
15:00 – 15:20	Rugby			@lantic Provincial U18 Sevens Tournament Bowl Final
15:20 – 15:40	Rugby			@lantic Provincial U18 Sevens Tournament Plate Final
15:40 – 16:00	Rugby			@lantic Provincial U18 Sevens Tournament Cup 3rd/4th Place Play-Off
16:00 – 16:30	Rugby			@lantic Provincial U18 Sevens Tournament Cup Final
16:30 – 16:40	Rugby			@lantic Provincial U18 Sevens Tournament Prizegiving
16:40 – 18:45	Rugby			Absa Under 21 A Section – Vodacom Blue Bulls v Sharks U21
19:00 – 21:10	Rugby			Absa Currie Cup: First Division SF 2: EP Kings v Leopards
21:10 – 22:50	Rugby			French Top 14 Round 8 – Castres v Clermont Auvergne

Action Attractions | Saturday, October 06, 2012

08:30 – 10:30	Rugby		ITM Cup: Round 13 – Otago v Wellington
15:45 – 18:00	Soccer		Barclays Premier League Week 8: Chelsea v Norwich City
18:00 – 21:00	Soccer		Barclays Premier League Week 8: West Ham Utd v Arsenal
21:55 – 00:00	Soccer		Spanish La Liga Week 7: Real Betis v Real Sociedad
15:00 – 17:30	Soccer		Super Diski – Absa Premiership Free State Stra v Moroka Swallows
17:30 – 20:00	Soccer		Super Diski – Absa Premiership Kaizer Chiefs v Bloemfontein Celtic
20:00 – 22:30	Soccer		Super Diski – Absa Premiership Mamelodi Sundowns v Platinum Stars
05:00 – 10:30	Tennis		ATP World Tour 500 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championship SFs
11:00 – 12:30	Hockey		Fih Electric Ireland Champions Challenge South Africa v India
12:45 – 15:00	Basketball		Vodacom Wheelchair Basketball Challenge Final: Gauteng North v Kzn Coastal
15:50 – 18:00	Soccer		Barclays Premier League Week 8: West Bromwich Albion v Queens Park Rangers
20:40 – 22:45	Soccer		Serie A: Week 7: Genoa v Palermo
08:30 – 12:00	Athletics		Iaaf World Half Marathon Championships Men & Women
14:30 – 18:30	Golf		European Tour Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Day 3
19:05 – 21:30	Rugby		Absa Currie Cup: Toyota Free State Cheetahs v The Sharks

Action Attractions | Sunday, October 07, 2012

 

01:00 – 03:15	Rugby		The Castle Rugby Championship Argentina v Australia
13:30 – 18:30	Golf		European Tour Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Day 4
22:00 – 01:00	Golf		PGA Tour Justin Timberlake Shiners Hospitals For Children Day 4
07:30 – 10:30	Motorsport		F1: Japanese Grand Prix Main Race
10:45 – 14:30	Cricket		ICC World Twenty20 Women Final
14:30 – 15:00	Cricket		ICC Cricket 360 Week 13
15:00 – 19:00	Cricket		ICC World Twenty20 Final
13:30 – 16:30	Soccer		Barclays Premier League Week 8: Southampton v Fulham
16:30 – 19:30	Soccer		Barclays Premier League Week 8: Newcastle Utd v Man Utd
19:30 – 22:00	Soccer		Spanish La Liga Week 7: Barcelona v Real Madrid
15:00 – 17:25	Soccer		Super Diski – Absa Premiership University Of Pretoria v Orlando Pirates
17:25 – 20:00	Soccer		Bundesliga Matchday 7: Hannover v Borussia Dortmund
07:00 – 10:30	Tennis		ATP World Tour 500 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championship Final
11:30 – 13:00	Motorcycling		FIM Superbike World Championship France Race 1
13:00 – 14:25	Motorcycling		FIM Superbike World Championship France SuperSport
15:15 – 16:45	Motorcycling		FIM Superbike World Championship France Race 2
16:55 – 19:15	Swimming		Fina World Cup Doha Day 2
21:25 – 23:30	Soccer		Spanish La Liga Week 7: Atletico Madrid v Malaga
10:00 – 13:30	Tennis		ATP World Tour 500 China Open Final
15:50 – 18:00	Soccer		Barclays Premier League Week 8: Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa

Looking forward to a fun packed sporty weekend (21st sep – 23rd sep)

This will be a jam packed weekend in terms of the things happening. The Safaricom Sevens will be happening and those of you who are crowd phobic can just opt to come to Blanco’s and enjoy the best seats with good food and great ambiance to boot.Then of course there is our very own Kenya Premier League where our favorite teams will be battling each other. Plus there will be formula one and the British Premier League to enjoy too.Take a look at the list of the major sports this weekend. ( the time is all Kenyan time so just show up and enjoy 🙂 )

Friday 21^st September

14:25 – 15:55	Rugby		Safaricom Sevens Day 1 – Games 14 – 17
15:55 – 17:20	Rugby		Safaricom Sevens Day 1 – Games 18 – 20

Saturday 22^nd September

10:50 – 12:20 Motorsport Race 1 12:50 – 14:10 Motorsport F1: Sing Tel Singapore Grand Prix Practice Session 3 14:00 – 16:45 Soccer Barclays Premier League Week 6: Swansea City v Everton 16:45 – 19:55 Soccer Barclays Premier League Week 6: Chelsea v Stoke City Rugby 09:55 – 11:25 Rugby Safaricom Sevens Day 2 – Games1 – 4 11:25 – 12:50 Rugby Safaricom Sevens Day 2 – Games 5 – 8 12:50 – 14:05 Rugby Safaricom Sevens Day 2 – Under 19 Girls Final & Sch Main Final 14:05 – 15:35 Rugby Safaricom Sevens Day 2 – Games 9 – 12 15:35 – 16:45 Rugby Safaricom Sevens Day 2 – Games 13 – 1

The highlight will be the match between AFC Leopards And Gor Mahia. The ultimate battle will be at 1500 hrs.

Sunday 23^rd September

11:00 – 12:00	Motorsport		GP2 Series: Singapore Race 2
14:30 – 17:30	Motorsport		F1: Sing Tel Singapore Grand Prix Main Race
14:30 – 17:30	Soccer		Barclays Premier League Week 6: Liverpool v Man Utd
17:30 – 20:55	Soccer		Barclays Premier League Week 6: Man City v Arsenal
Rugby
08:30 – 09:55	Rugby		Safaricom Sevens Day 3 – Bowl QFs
09:55 – 11:25	Rugby		Safaricom Sevens Day 3 – Main QFs
11:25 – 12:35	Rugby		Safaricom Sevens Day 3 – Under12 &14 Final
12:35 – 13:20	Rugby		Safaricom Sevens Day 3 – Shield SFs
13:30 – 16:00	Soccer		Tusker Premier League Oserian v Ulinzi Stars
16:00 – 18:00	Soccer		Tusker Premier League Karuturi Sports v Tusker

The ‘initiation’ of Michael Oliver

By Stephen Mogaka Biko- Guest article

There are many non-Manchester united fans who believe that the English Premier League is akin to a secret society with Manchester United at the apex of the hierarchy. In this world, all referees must favour United at all costs especially at Old Trafford. In a sense all referees are ‘initiated’ into this secret wisdom that they must dish out all manner of dubious calls on behalf of Manchester United. Over the years one has lost count of the number of referees who have favoured Manchester United especially at Old Trafford from Gallagher to Howard Webb to Phil Dowd to Mark Clattenburg. The latest initiate to this trend is none other than referee Michael Oliver. Last season, Michael Oliver was perhaps one of the best referees. He was for the most part, fair and he was consistent. On Saturday at Old Trafford, Michael Oliver decided to sell his ‘soul’ like many great referees before him.  I am taking nothing away from United who had a brilliant second half performance. However, one can only sympathize with Wigan who for the third or fourth consecutive time at Old Trafford were on the receiving end of pathetic officiating. Michael Oliver awarded an absolutely nothing penalty to Manchester United after Danny Welbeck had dived early on in the game. Several hours later in a match involving Liverpool, Luis Suarez was denied a penalty for a similar dive and also yellow carded. It was interesting to see the pundits in the studio discuss the contrast in decision-making between the two games.

Roberto Martinez, the soft spoken urbane manager of Wigan remarked after the match;    ‘I have come to United three times before today and for whatever reason we don’t seem to be measured in the same manner as the team at home.” “The penalty is as bad a decision as you are going to see in the Premier League. In many ways, you feel as though you are fighting against a mountain’. The Wigan manager also took issue with the decision by the referee not to send off Danny Welbeck for a dangerous tackle late in the same game. The tackle was dangerous and needless (because United were four goals up) but the clueless referee decided to give only a yellow card. Anyway at old Trafford the rule book is seemingly out as far as Manchester United are concerned. In the bizzaro world at Old Trafford in the space of four minutes a referee can choose not to dish out a red card while simultaneously giving the most bizarre of penalties. See below as the appropriately named Lee Mason completely messes up a game on behalf of United. Not only does he not send of Rooney, he sends of the QPR captain for a dive by Ashley Young who happened to be offside! To add insult onto injury, Rooney who should be off scores the penalty! That my friend is impunity 101.

As somebody put it, the ref made three mistakes in one. It should have been a free kick for QPR for young’s offside; it shouldn’t have been a red for the QPR captain, young should have been booked for diving. The incompetent buffoons at the FA did in fact after this game refuse to overturn the referees yellow card for the QPR captain despite all the video evidence! Well there you have it. All ‘small teams’ must know their place. The big boys will punch you and take your lunch money and dare you complain. The authorities will side with the bullies! Call it impunity; Call it mobile money to the ref, its beyond pathetic. See below.

Only in this bizzaro world can Wayne Rooney elbow a player and have a brief chat with the ref  like if nothing happened! Do you now see why Martinez is so livid? For your information, Rooney only got one yellow card the whole of last season despite his overall play and his penchant for industrial language!

Video is below

I could not agree more with Martinez. Hate Man City all you like but at least their wonderful home record is the product of grit and good football.  Sadly with United, the silly decisions by Michael Oliver and others certainly take a sheen over their performances. It also calls into question what the team will do in Europe where such ‘friendly’ refs will not be there to save their bacon. Roberto Martinez is not the only one to complain about the outright bias by referees at games involving United. What particularly galls me is the fact that United have made an art form of ‘robbing’ the weakest of teams in the EPL. As Martinez has observed, Wigan have been on the receiving end of dubious decisions at Old Trafford in recent years as have the likes of QPR and Fulham. One wonders why a team of Manchester United’s quality needs a dubious referee against Wigan of all teams.

In the final analysis, the EPL remains a very interesting league but its refereeing is beyond pathetic. When the weak or ‘myonges’ are always messed up with by the powerful then the league loses its allure. Yes, Barca is favoured but it largely happens in Europe. Barca do not get favoured week in and out against the riff raff of the Primera Liga. Is it too much to ask that United beat the lesser lights of the EPL in a fair manner? A question their fans are best placed to address.