Djokovic Unstoppable

The Australian Open final has just reached its conclusion, with Novak Djokovic easily beating Andy Murray 6-4 6-2 6-3 to win his second Australian Open. Many expected Murray to be more dominant prior to the final, but he just crumbled under the pressure. It's normally Djokovic that the pressure gets to, so it is quite surprising.

The reason Murray lost was his serve. It is the area his game revolves around, and I believe he finished with a first serve percentage of under 50% or possibly only just over it. The Scot also made A LOT of unforced errors, and that was the other key to his downfall. Djokovic didn't make as mistakes and that proved decisive.

So Britain's wait for a tennis open champion continues, and it's highly doubtful that Murray will be able to win Roland Garros, so really his next chance is Wimbledon, on home territory. As for Djokovic, he is on a roll at the moment, and I wouldn't be surprised if he delivered big performances in the upcoming tournaments, including Roland Garros.

The final in my honest opinion was a bit boring, and I think if Federer had featured, it would have been a lot more entertaining. No offence to you Novak, but he just has more flair and panache that you. Still if you restart doing your impersonations of other top tennis players, I will totally take that back.

NBA 2K11 Review [PS2]

I recently ordered this off Amazon, seeing as I adored NBA 2K8 and I needed an update basketball game wise. This new version was essentially created around Michael Jordan: you can play as all the victorious Bulls teams he played on (even though I have yet to try it), it does look very good.

The game overall I'd say is decent, there are no major changes compared to the previous versions (apart from the Michael Jordan feature) but they have made a few minor ones that I've picked up on that I think are quite practical. Firstly they've changed the user interface, and now it's just way more slick and a lot cooler than the basic one they had before. Another small positive is that when you're in Association mode and you want to save, you don't have to scroll through endless menus to find the Save button. It's right there and obvious the moment the main menu appears.

The quite considerable difference between 2K11 and the previous versions is the quality of the music. 2K11 offers WAY better music and they've really splashed the cash on getting people like Snoop Dogg record a song specifically for 2K11. Other good songs featured on the game include "Champions" by Ron Artest and "Downtime" by Kidz in Space So really hats off to 2K11 for improving the music.

However as you know, in almost all games there are things that aren't so great. A lot of the game introduction has been cut (stuff like the key match ups and at the end of game the interview with the Player of the Game) and for me, I'm going to be honest, it's disappointing. I really enjoyed the realism of the previous versions, and all the off the court stuff really added to that. But he does have to be said that they have added EVEN MORE custom player styles, which is a nice touch.

If I had to give this game a rating I'd give it a 6.5 or a 7 out of 10, because I feel they could've done more and removed less. The addition of the Dunk Contest (present on Xbox and PS3 versions) would have been nice too.

Nintendo 3DS: Is it really that good?

I was super excited when I first heard about it. Everyone else was as well, I think. After 3D TVs and monitors would come the first 3D console and everything would work and be perfect. However it really doesn't seem that way now.

The first thing many people didn't realise at it's launch was that the Nintendo 3DS is a really expensive gadget for what it is. 250 dollars for a handheld, and as one of the previous posts here points out, that's the same as a Wii or even an Xbox 360 (I believe). I doubt many people would want to spend money on something that only has limited features and where the games are not as developed compared to a non-handheld console.

Secondly, is the fact that it's only 3D if you look at it in a certain way. Different gamers play in different ways, and you do have to look at the 3DS in a specific way for the 3D effect to take place. It's not as if you can look at it from any angle and you will get 3D image. Many people automatically assume the latter and so expect 3D all the time. If you look at it close up or sideways you won't get the effect, according to a demo of it I watched on Youtube.

Finally, Nintendo released a statement saying that the 3DS should not be given to young children because it could do serious damage to their eyes. Honestly, what is even the point of releasing a product if one of you're main target markets (young children) won't even be able to play it. Even more worrying if you think about it is that it could potentially be quite dangerous for everyone. If it's bad for kids, it will probably be bad for everybody else (to a lesser extent), but it's still quite serious and I reckon it will put many of buying the console.

My NBA Dream Team

For the last of my NBA posts for while (I've done about 3 in a row, so it could be getting a bit boring for some people), I thought I'd give you my NBA Dream Team of all time. Feel free to leave your Dream Team in the comments otherwise sit back, relax and enjoy!

Go Nets!!!

I'm a convert. I have a new team. The New Jersey Nets. Why the hell did I change from a team rocking the NBA to the Eastern Conference strugglers? For several reasons.

Firstly, it's good to support the underdog. It's not as if they are the worst team in the NBA at all, but it's quite satisfying to know that if they go and win the NBA one day, when you started supporting them they weren't super good.

Another reason I chose to switch is that I might actually get a chance to see them in real life, when they play the Raptors at the O2 next this March. I'm very excited about possibly attending, seeing that the limits of my seeing basketball matches in real life is the Harlem Globetrotters and when I was France, the French All-Star game. It will also be a historic event: the first time regular NBA season games are played in Europe, all the previous NBA games in Europe being friendlies.

Another thing worth pointing out is that I never seriously supported San Antonio. I only got their jersey because I was in France and there wasn't much choice. When you go to the typical sports shop, you see about 20 Tony Parker shirts and possibly a few Boris Diaw shirts (the other big French NBA star). I didn't really choose to support them, I just ended up with a Spurs jersey without really thinking.

But this time it's serious and it's very unlikely I'll stop supporting the Nets. You can get cheap NBA jerseys at Sportsdirect, so that's not a problem and the prospect of having Carmelo Anthony is also very tempting. Besides, my Spurs jersey is getting too small...

The Spurs are ON FIRE!!

Even though I don't follow basketball as regularly and well as I do football (if I could I would), the Spurs, seem to be ripping up their division. They've won six on the trot and are comfortably ahead of the Lakers. They've just come off a win against the Nuggets and really look like the favourites to win the title (with the Boston Celtics).

As far as I can tell, everybody was slightly writing them off before the season began, with the title favourites again being the Lakers and the Celtics, but really that's totally wrong. They have dominated the NBA in the past decade, it has to be said, and Tim Duncan, although he is getting old is arguably the best power forward in the NBA. However something that's quite surprising when you look at the Eastern Conference is the fact that the Miami Heat are not first. You would expect them to be: they've got James, Wade AND Bosh, and in terms of individual talent, I don't think many would argue that they've got the best team in the NBA.

But again the Celtics seem to be right up there, as they always are. They the NBA equivalent of Germany in football. Always regular and up there with the best. Miami are irregular, but with all their stars, I was expecting them to win everything. Lebron James took Cleveland to the NBA Finals SINGLE HANDED (this season they are rock bottom with 32 losses) and so I was expecting Miami to be totally dominant. But they actually aren't.

Platini: Great player, disgraceful head of UEFA

How he's changed. Or maybe not, just that when as a player nobody realised his rubbish attitude towards football. He hates the English, really it's pretty obvious, and his latest bit of craziness is to try and block trials for goal-line technology. He himself will go to Wales to try and block them, it really is a disgrace. It's as if he doesn't wasn't want football to be played by the rules.

I think he is partly doing it to frustrate the English: after their summer which was scarred by the terrible refereeing cock-up against Germany, he doesn't want them to get their way. Instead what he proposes is having two referees behind each goal. That's perfectly fine, but goal-line tech is a must.

To have both the additional refs and the tech would be absolutely fine, even maybe better, as you could argue that more fouls would be spotted inside the area. Even though there were still some terrible decisions taken in last season's Europa League, when they trialled the extra referee concept for the first time. I can guarantee you that he is not the other person who voted for England for the 2018 World Cup Bid.

Microsoft: Leave Apple Alone

I'm fed up with this. Microsoft are trying to stop Apple from trademarking "App Store". It really is too far this time. Nobody had EVER EVER EVER used the term"app" before Apple came out with the iPhone. Nobody.

Microsoft are just trying to stop getting their arses whooped by Apple as they know it is already happening and it's going to get worse. Microsoft are going downhill whereas Apple are still expanding rapidly. Let's face it: Windows have a crap product compared to Linux and Apple and I only just realised today that if you look at that really really unsuccessful attempt at a smartphone (the Kin) it looks exactly like a Blackberry, so not only are Windows copying their software off other people they are also copying the hardware they produce, even though that time it was just a REALLY CRAPPY COPY.

Something has to happen, Microsoft obviously have a really unoriginal design team, a bit of software with tons of holes and viruses in it and a declining company. People ALWAYS say that the reason there are so many viruses is because it's the market leader and there are so many PCs and that there would be no point attacking Macs because they have such a small market share. IT'S WRONG!!! (as Ian Holloway, the Blackpool manager would say).

The reason Windows has viruses is because it's a crappy operating system. If you gave Mac a bigger market share than Windows, you might get 5-10 viruses by some super clever hacker but you won't get more than that because it is a UNIX operating system!!! Same with Linux, which you could argue is EVEN SAFER than Macs because it's open source.

I'm fed up with all this about how Windows is better than Mac. Post comments if you disagree or agree, for that matter. I'd be happy to answer all your arguments as long as you don't go around insulting me.

IPL: INDIAN premier league

Talk about FIFA having problems. The IPL (Indian Premier League) have got some serious ones as well. Writing this in the light of the auctions this weekend for the coming season, I find it a travesty that players like Brian Lara (greatest living batsman in my opinion) and Graeme Swann (best spinner in the world, as stated by Shane Warne) are not even sold. And then you get Indian batsmen, like Gautam Gambhir who are sold for 2.4 MILLION!!!

It really is quite shocking. You look at the names of the players who've been sold for the most: Gambhir, Pathan, Uthappa, Sharma, Pathan, Singh and Tiawary. I had heard of NONE OF THEM before the auction and it just shows that even average Indian players are chosen before brilliant world beaters (Muralitharan and Kallis).

But it gets worse: there are so many good players who haven't been sold. I could easily make an IPL winning team out of just the players who haven't been sold, guaranteed. The list is seemingly endless: Brian Lara, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Peter Siddle, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Tim Bresnan, Simon Katich, Makhaya Ntini are only some of the brilliant players who haven't been bought (the full list can be found here).

Another very interesting thing is that there are NO repeat NO unsold Indian players. Now unless this is because of a rule or a requirement that I haven't heard of requiring all Indian players to be bought, it's a CLEAR sign of bias. It's like if the Premier League were to have only English players a part from a few big names like Torres, Fabregas or Tevez.

I think somebody should set up a league in England or elsewhere (not county style) that would be way more attractive to young people and others, in the style of the IPL, just with all the players that the IPL rejects and all the English and Australian stars. It would be much better for everyone (a part from the Indians, obviously).

Lenny Henry: Legend (Part 2)

Here he is again, Lenny Henry at his best. This is actually quite recent, so enjoy!

Kerlon: Pure Prodigy

DISCLAIMER: I did not make the video, I found it on Youtube.

Kerlon might not the most well known footballer, but he's definitely one of the best. He is a prodigy, there is no other way of putting it. He invented the "Seal Dribble" (watch the video) and he really is talented. I didn't realise how much until I saw clips of him on Youtube. He is know 22, which is still pretty young and the reason he isn't more well known is because he has been plagued by injuries big time.

Chievo signed him in 2008 but he only made 4 appearances before moving to to Inter. He was plagued by a knee injury and did not make an appearance before he was loaned out to Ajax last season. Amazingly, and unfortunately, he was again victim of a knee injury and only managed a few appearances for the Ajax youth team, Jong Ajax. He's now back at Inter but again on the sidelines for a few months because of an ankle injury.

It really is sad to see such a promising and brilliant player plagued by injuries, especially at such a young age. If his injury problems are sorted out, he is one of the best in the world, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

National team wise he is inevitably Brazilian and has only managed 1 game for the under 20s which is actually quite sad. Anyway enjoy the skills of this prodigy, and my advice to any club with good medical staff is BUY HIM NOW!!!

It's Transfer Time!!

It's that time of year again, and I'm always excited when the transfer window opens. Many predict a quiet one this time, but I seriously doubt that. Deals are already being done for a 30 million move by Man City for the Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko and a three month loan to Tottenham for David Beckham. And they are some many rumours circulating, it really is exciting? Who will go where?

As far as Arsenal are concerned, a new centre back does seem quite likely, many papers claiming that Per Mertesacker, the Germany international, is in the mix. He is a decent player, but I would prefer somebody with a bit more experience and of better quality (somebody like Milan's Nesta): I think they really do have to splash the cash.

AC Milan have already bought Antonio Cassano, who was forced out of his old club, Sampdoria, becasue he insulted the chairman. I'm not sure about this one either: the guy's quite crazy to say the least (when he got sent off a few seasons ago, he ripped off his shirt and threw it at the ref) but on the other hand he is naturally talented, and he really epitomises the "zero to hero" saying: he grew up in one of the roughest areas of Italy, had next to nothing, and yet he's become one of the best Italian footballers of his generation.