Peter Roebuck has died leaving more question marks than the most enthusiastic YouTube commenter, and given the closed nature of South African policing, straight answers may never be forthcoming, writes freelancer Geoff Lemon.
Sport
Anyone for cricket? Apparently not sponsors for the Big Bash
The majority — if not all — of the Big Bash League teams have been unable to secure sponsors for Cricket Australia’s hyped Twenty20 competition beginning next month, writes Crikey intern Alexander Cornwell.
Why does anyone give a damn about the Melbourne Cup?
Of all the things that Melburnians waste money on and are disproportionately obsessed about, the Melbourne Cup is the worst. It’s proof white trash is a state of mind and has nothing to do with how much money you have, says Thomas Caldwell.
Lloyd Williams, $840m on, still driven by the lure of the Cup
This is the week that Lloyd Williams waits for all year. While Williams’ $840 million fortune might be built on property development and a canny investment strategy, it is the challenge of winning a Melbourne Cup that drives Williams these days.
The billionaire businessman and soccer saviour
Frank Lowy is widely seen as the man who fixed the mess that was Australian soccer. Yet his power could be on the wane, particularly if increasing calls to oust him come to fruition, explains Tom Cowie in his profile of Lowy.
The Baillieu Dump: Racing Victoria looks at new ways of charging jockeys
Victoria’s Racing Integrity Commissioner, Sal Perna, has taken the extraordinary step of naming a controversial jockey and detailing investigations about him in the organisation’s annual report, writes Aneeka Simonis, a Swinburne University student.
The man who gets sport on the telly
if you look at any major sports and TV deal in the last decade-and-a-half, you’ll find sports right agent Ian Frykberg’s fingerprints on it. Tom Cowie profiles the former Murdoch and Packer man.
Your one-stop All Blacks Rugby World Cup victory thread
Well done New Zealand. Winning the Rugby World Cup is clearly the nation’s greatest achievement since it through the ring into the fires of Mordor, writes Leigh Josey.
Kicking goals as sport’s most powerful: number 10
By night Labor apparatchik Mark Arbib counts numbers. But by day he’s paid to help decide which sporting bodies get what cash, how much punters can bet and what high-performance drugs are illegal, writes Tom Cowie.
World Cup: If NZ wins this thing, there’ll be a bunch of kids named Piri
Can the All Blacks finally shake off their tag as World Cup chokers? Is the infighting in the French camp a strategic ruse of Napoleonic brilliance? Does anyone have a funnier name than Piri Weepu? Geoff Lemon asks the big questions
Gee, long way from home, but greatness warms the heart
A writers festival on the New South Wales central coast is probably the closest you can come to watching the AFL grand final in a vacuum, writes blogger Geoff Lemon.
Transparency please! Why the tax breaks for pokies clubs?
Has there ever been a more self-serving public campaign than the one being mounted by Clubs Australia? It’s time for a closer look at the alleged benefits of clubs to the Australian community.
News Ltd, Clubs and NRL v imaginary AFL anti-pokies campaign
The pokies debate has exploded over the past 24 hours after Clubs NSW used its influence over the NRL to try and impose its campaign against Andrew Wilkie’s reform agenda on the AFL’s grand final week program.
Footy codes not on level playing field in pokies fight
How bizarre that the Australian football codes are arguing that the money they take from problem gamblers is essential to their plans to pay enormous salaries to players and administrators, writes Dr Richard Denniss, executive director of The Australia Institute.
Footy codes join forces in pokies war
Crikey media wrap: The two dominant footy codes usually war with each other for dominance but they’ve put aside their differences to protest against Independent MP Andrew Wilkie’s pokies reform.
Roger that: it’s a grand slam win for all
Like most live sporting events, grand slam tennis is shaped to a large degree by the character of the crowd. Writing from the US Open, tennis buff Julie Zhou reports on the joy of watching her third “Roger (Federer) slam.”
Why jumps racing keeps hitting hurdle after hurdle
When horses die, members of the team are sometimes physically sick. Most often they just cry, writes Bill King, a Melbourne writer and public health researcher.
cricket Sri Lanka vs. Australia: 1st Test open thread
If you love cricket half as much as Crikey sports guru Leigh Josey, the cricket season can never come soon enough.
Why the AFL should be reduced to 10 teams
Disillusioned at the divisions that have opened between footy’s haves and have-nots? There is only one course open to the AFL that would maintain the integrity of the competition. That is to reduce the number of teams, writes Patrick Devery.
Daily Proposition: A thrilling look at F1′s king
You don’t need to like formula one motor racing to appreciate this spectacular documentary on the life of Brazilian champion Ayrton Senna, says freelance writer Andrew Rankin.
game in a box NRL: out-of-the-box Tigers too slippery for the Eels
Round 24 of the season and the Wests Tigers met the Parramatta Eels at home. The Eels were fighting to keep away from the wooden spoon and the Tigers still with a slight hope of getting into the top four, says Game-in-a-box’s Pat Byrne.
Game-in-a-Box: Broncos kick sharks out of contention
It was a critical game for both teams, writes Pat Byrne, determining whether Brisbane Broncos could stick with the top four and if the Cronulla Sharks could get back on track and make a run for the finals.
Vive Cadel … the rider who came in from the cold
Evans would be the first to suggest that a lot of excess baggage has now been removed from his world.
Cadel Evans, you beauty
All hail Cadel! This morning’s papers across the nation were a victorious hue of yellow as Cadel Evan’s historic Tour de France victory edged out the death of Amy Winehouse to command the lead, writes Leigh Josey.
Cadel’s moment of truth: Crikey guide to final stages of the Tour
As this week progressed, the Australian cycling commentariat has been anticipating that Cadel Evans would be delivering us an “America’s Cup moment”.
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Compo for pokies … govt clip cuts … Fairfax job fears …
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Cradle to the grave c/o Getty Images
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Brothel baron on Thomson: ‘I think it’s bullshit’
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Human rights simply not on song in Azerbaijan
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Bipartisan resistance to scrutiny of one of our worst privacy intrusions
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Paul Barry: schmoozing revealed between News Int and No.10
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The Oz v academics: Manne, universities hit back
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Today’s First Dog on the Moon
TOP STORIES
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It’s just not worth it, Craig
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Wilkie gets bang for his buck
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Fantasy budget: a greener national economic outlook
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Letter from: Kharkiv, where Ukraine’s EU bid comes to die
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Legal system criminalises Aborigines, says lawyer
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Death of constitutional government in PNG is looming
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Another day, another business lament: it’s all Gillard’s fault
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Thomson undefameable? … Reith to Go Back …
Crikey Says
POLITICS, THE UNIVERSE, ETC
MEDIA/ARTS/SPORT
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Seven wins a close night
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Come in Spinner: the social media revolution (?)
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World Championship Chess: the gulag fianchetto
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Cato takes Ken-do attitude to better-functioning future
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The market rollercoaster ride continues
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Maley: could Greece play a bailout trump card?
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Quitting the exporting and just focusing on the importing
