The Gurgler has followed sport very closely in 2018, and why would we let the year finish before offering up the Best and Blurst of the 2018 Sporting Year, in our opinion.
We really did try to follow as many sports as we could in 2018, and with the notable exception of rugby union by choice and US sports by timezone, but we are pretty happy with our efforts and are in a good position to comment on our 2018 Sporting Year review.
There are the usual categories of good things, bad people, and ugly moments, and a few special recognition awards.
So enjoy The Gurgler’s 2018 Sporting Year review.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – BEST SPORTING EVENT
We should start off with the glass almost full with the best day/s out in sport in 2018
FOOTBALL WORLD CUP
Nothing beats the Football World Cup, most of the best Football teams in the world playing almost non stop football for a month. Two or three quality games a night in the early stages. Sleepless bliss.
We almost killed ourselves trying to watch and report on every single game and loved every minute of it, despite Socceroo disappointment and English over-hype.
The most deserving team won it, the Final was great, plenty of goals, barely a 0-0 in sight and there were major surprises throughout.
AFL GRAND FINAL
It was a pretty hard final to get into for a neutral – two sides that were not very likeable in West Coast and Collingwood – but the game turned out to be a classic.
Betting always helps in the neutral Grand Final, and the game threw up plenty of value for those in the know. But it went down right to the end, and was tense an exciting throughout.
And Collingwood didn’t win.
MONACO GRAND PRIX
This is biased as to the outsider it was boring as hell, as yet another Monaco Grand Prix saw bugger all overtaking, but for Australian fans it was a nail biter to see if Ricciardo could hang onto his lead. Making up for being robbed previously by his team for the pit stop with no tyres.
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Despite it being the poor cousin of the Olympics, it was great to see it in South East Queensland, and hopefully a little taster for Brisbane’s future Olympic bid.
FORMULA 2 CHAMPIONSHIP
We anticipate the F2 cars going around almost as much as the F1 cars, if not more each round. With different drivers and teams able to win at most races, it usually produces some exciting racing. Most of the recent batch of F2 Champions to F1 (Leclerc, Gasly) prove the quality of driver is not bad either.
WINNER – FOOTBALL WORLD CUP
2018 SPORTING YEAR – BEST SPORTING MOMENT
This is our favourite sporting moments of 2018, where just for a few minutes or even seconds Sport brought us some great joy.
BENEVENTO KEEPER SCORES IN LAST SECOND OF THE GAME
An obscure moment, but one we saw live and haven’t forgotten. Recently promoted Italian side Benevento had not taken a single point for the season until they faced AC Milan four months and 14 games into the season. Down by a goal with a minute to go and heading to extend their record of consecutive losses to start the season, they had a free kick out wide in their half.
As is customary the keep came for the corner, and unlike every other time, the Benevento goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli nailed it with a diving header to equalise and earn their first point against a giant of the Italian game.
They still got relegated but can keep that moment.
THE FIRST ROUND OF THE HORN-MUNDINE FIGHT
So much talk before the Horn-Mundine fight, as you’d expect from any decent bout in Australia featuring The Man. But seeing him unable to match walk with talk so quickly was a feel good 2018 Sporting Year moment.
We’d like to say we’ll never see him in the ring again, but it’s boxing and of course we will.
IRAN PLAYER’S SOMERSAULT THROW IN ATTEMPT
Down by just a goal in their match against Spain with barely a minute to go, which was an incredibly good position to be in, Iran won a throw-in within their attacking half.
For some reason the Iranian player chose that exact moment to try throw-in where he somersaulted the ball over his head into play. Of course he stuffed, and didn’t release the ball, costing his team a vital 30 seconds at the very end of the game.
EIBAR 3 REAL MADRID 0
We follow some mediocre, obscure and low budget football teams, so a home match to Real Madrid looked a formality.
Not this time, as Eibar punished the European Champions at home, at almost full strength, minus a Ronaldo. It ended up 3-0, but were it not for their goalkeeper Courtois, it would have been even more embarrassing.
WINNER – EIBAR 3 REAL MADRID 0 – one upset for the ages.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – SPORTS PERSON OF THE YEAR
There were plenty of great sporting stars out there in 2018, and we have our thoughts on the very best.
MO SALAH
Luka Modric may have won the footballer of the year, but in our opinion there was no finer footballer this year than Mo Salah for Liverpool. Sure he didn’t play in a World Cup final, and didn’t win a Champions League final, but few could argue about his genius in 2018. The only dip in form was caused by super villain Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final.
LEWIS HAMILTON
There’s plenty to dislike about Lewis Hamilton off track, but on track there is no one better, and given his achievements, he may well end up being referred as the greatest of all time. His 2018 was masterclass in consistent pace. He did have one of the two best cars in the field this season, but compare his season to that of Sebastien Vettel, who fumbled his way out of the Championship race soon enough. So rarely makes a mistake, always a contender, and lucky. Great combination.
ADEBAYO AKINFENWA
Continues to work his lower league magic for Wycombe Wanderers, long after he was not required by AFC Wimbledon for their League One campaign which owed plenty to the Beast’s fine work.
WINNER: Lewis Hamilton.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – 2018 BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
So much sport is overhyped (like when Gavin Robertson was referred to as a Australian Test Cricket Great around the ball tampering saga), and so many sporting events fail to deliver on the promise or promotion. Here are the worst offenders for the 2018 Sporting Year.
MELBOURNE STORM at 2018 NRL GRAND FINAL
A Roosters-Storm Grand Final didn’t offer up much for most rugby league fans to cheer for outside of the two teams playing, but the game was a big disappointment as Melbourne failed to show anything at all and the Roosters premiership looked inevitable early. Cameron Munster provided some interest to earn two stints in the bin.
DANIEL RICCIARDO SIGNING FOR RENAULT
With the Australian doing a good job against Max Verstappen early in the season, and out of contract for 2019, a lot of big names were being linked with Daniel Ricciardo for a future drive. Then came the shock as he wasn’t neither staying at Red Bull nor going to one of the other big names. It was announced he was going to Renault from 2019, giving him little chance of winning a race, and putting himself up against one of the greatest midfield drivers of all time – Nico Hulkenberg.
QUEENSLAND RUGBY LEAGUE
Queensland sides lost every interstate rugby league series this season. From the State of Origin to the next level representative games like underage, women’s and the NRL State Championship.
MICHAEL SLATER BEING PICKED UP BY EITHER CRICKET COMMENTARY TEAM
At least it made the choice of which channel to watch very easy.
IPSWICH TOWN
For season’s we’ve pointed out their mediocrity, so I guess we got what we wished for, something different. And it appears that difference will be the division for next season. Down to League One, not the riches of the EPL.
AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM
For so many reasons, on field and off.
WINNER – Ricciardo’s signing looks like it has doomed him to no race wins for years.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – JERK OF THE YEAR
We already have the overall 2018 Jerk of the Year, which features many sports stars, so here is the definitive decision on 2018’s biggest sporting jerk.
DAVID WARNER
The mastermind of the Sandpaper affair, the stage managed press conference, the walk off after being sledged, the pathetic mo. All of these are the reason he is running alongside no less a man than Donald Trump for 2018 Jerk of the Year.
BERNARD TOMIC
As ever did all of his best jerk work off court, as he rarely did anything on court in the first half of the 2018 Sporting Year. The appearance on I’m a Celebrity epitomised all that he is about.
KEVIN MAGNUSSEN
The Dane was F1’s Bad Boy in 2018, and he seemed to embrace it. A number of incidents with many drivers in the 2018 season was usually met with an “Up Yours” type response. Good to have a villain in a sport, and better still when they embrace it.
JARRYD HAYNE
Pouted his way through yet nother season, helping Parramatta to the depths of the NRL ladder, just like the Titans in the previous season. Of course played a few decent games late in the hope of another contract, but blew it all with his off field adventures.
SERGIO RAMOS
Never usually the nicest footballer on earth, but his effort in the Champions League final by getting the Liverpool keeper with a sneaky head shot and injuring Mo Salah on purpose was a 90 minute highlights package of his jerk.
GUS GOULD
Whether in the commentary box, going overboard at State of Origin time, or as Penrith Football manager stealing their head coach to keep the son happy and still trying to claim the moral high ground in rugby league shows a real level of jerk.
JOSE MOURINHO
What a miserable c— Jose Mourinho has been in the 2018 Sporting Year. Picking fights with most people involved with Manchester United and the media was never going to end well, and it didn’t last week. Manchester United’s big win at Cardiff in the first week since Jose was gave a little window into whole was causing most of their problems.
WINNER: JOSE MOURINHO – With David Warner set to win overall Jerk of the Year, Jose’s work should be honoured..
2018 SPORTING YEAR – WORST SPORTING MEDIA COVERAGE
For all the great and good sporting media coverage in 2018, there was plenty of bad. Happily the very worst won’t happen again for quite a while.
CHANNEL NEIN’S SUMMER OF CRICKET (CH9)
2018 may have been the last year for Channel Nein broadcasting the cricket for a while (hopefully forever) but that doesn’t mean it was good, watchable, or another other than the disgraceful self love-fest that it ended up as.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS (CH7)
Mainly because of Channel 7 and their After the Tennis suite of garbage, but it still stinks anyway. Luckily it is heading to Channel Nein where we’re sure the cross promote and professionalism will be on a par.
STATE OF ORIGIN (CH9)
After dining out on Fox League all season, you realise just how good you have it with Fox League by the time State of Origin rolls around. Being a winning NSW year, Gus Gould accentuated this in 2018 with a typically biased performance. Apparently there was a penalty try. Jerk.
COMMONWEALTH GAMES CLOSING CEREMONY
For eliminating the athletes in favour of other garbage in the Closing ceremony.
SUNDAY AFTER NOON NRL (CH9)
Until it becomes less of two Sydney teams and more of a national competition, it will remain the least watch NRL fixture all season.
PHIL ROTHFIELD
Nominated for Jerk of the Year, and thoroughly deserved. His coverage is mostly negative, and his breaking sport stories are usually awful. His presence in the media is everything that is wrong with Williams.
FOOTY SHOWS (CH9)
2018 finally proved the death of the NRL and AFL Footy shows as the 21st Century finally caught up with them. Both are tired formats, despite the changing of personal, and even less relevant than the were a decade ago. The Sunday edition o the NRL in particular for fat shaming Dave Taylor from the Central Comets showing the heights of their professionalism. Only being sorry for their actions once they found out that people were outraged at them.
WORLD CUP (OPTUS)
Simply put, don’t take on a sporting event’s coverage if you can’t handle. Let alone the biggest sporting tournament in the world. Truly hopeless.
WINNER: Anything Channel Nein produced, especially the Cricket which needs one last boot before we forget they ever had it.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – BEST SPORTING MEDIA COVERAGE
The glass was half full for some quality sports coverage this year. But you have to pay for it, mostly.
WORLD CUP (SBS)
Took on all of the World Cup and did it as they always do, sensationally and no fuss. It looked obvious that they weren’t expecting to broadcast all of the games, but thanks to Optus they had to, and did it so well.
BEIN SPORT EUROPEAN FOOTBALL (Foxtel)
If you’re into European football, and of course we are, then Bein Sports is a great weekend companion. More games than one has time for to watch all of them, if there’s a team in the big four leagues from Spain, Germany, Italy, and France you follow, you’ll be able to watch them every week.
FOX LEAGUE (Foxtel)
Once again it was great having to ability to watch all but four games on Fox League, needing to lower ourselves to Channel Nein just the four times for Origin and the Grand Final.
F1 on FOX SPORTS (Foxtel)
Without sounding like an advertisement for Foxtel, to have every session at every race is well worth the money if you’re an F1 aficionado. It is particularly good when you see just how bad the coverage has got on FTA.
FOX CRICKET (Foxtel)
So far, so good, as finally the Summer of Cricket in Australia is watchable again. Letting Channel Seven take Michael Slater was a piece of genius.
FORMULA 2 (Foxtel)
While they have much more exciting action to talk about, the lead commentator Alex Jacques is a great lead commentator with the right amount of everything, and his usual offsider Davide Valsecchi is a delight.
WINNER: All of the above
2018 SPORTING YEAR – BEST SPORTING PODCAST
Podcasts are a great accompaniment to following sports, and here are the ones we recommend.
As good as ever, Australia’s best round up of sport every week.
Second season syndrome did not apply here as AC Jimbo and a varied but highly interesting gang of experts discussed football twice a week.
Original twice a week Football podcast is still good, and is different enough from the Totally Football Show to justify the back to back listen.
A good round-up of football away from the EPL and England internationals. The second mailbag edition is really good.
GOLAZZO – ITALIAN FOOTBALL PODCAST
We never knew we’d enjoy Italian Football as much as we do after this weekly listen.
WINNER: GOLAZZO for something different.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – BEST OFF-FIELD MOMENTS
Not all great sporting moments are on field, here are our favourites away from the fields and tracks.
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT CHANNEL NEIN HAD LOST THE CRICKET BROADCASTING RIGHTS
At last, the Australian public could wrestle the Summer of Cricket back from the tossers at Channel Nein who had stolen our game with their incessant love for themselves above all. We are now given a choice of Free but with Michael Slater or pay to hear it without him. Choice is easy.
BANTER BETWEEN PUTIN AND SAUDI KING AT WORLD CUP
Russia flogged Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the World Cup’s opening fixture, and in the executive box was Putin and the Saudi Head of State either side of the FIFA president. After the first few goals went in, there was some playful banter between the pair, with a shrug of the shoulders and a C’est la vie attitude. That wore off as the goals went in, and in ended like a strained family dinner towards the end.
MARADONA’S PERFORMANCE AT WORLD CUP
The camera found their way to Maradona during the World Cup, and he put on some kind of show during one particular game. Giving out rude gestures, accused of being off his face, and ending up being taken from the ground in an ambulance adds up to a very fine day out for the Argentine football legend.
KIMI RAIKKONEN’S PERFORMANCES OFF TRACK
Those who don’t like Kimi are mad. He is short on the usual PR spin of his fellow professionals and doesn’t care, And that’s why we love him.
GEELONG CATS WACKY WEDNESDAY OUTFITS
While NRL players prefer to wear as little as possible, the AFL’s dress ups are legendary, Geelong’s in particular are always the best. Their 2018 offering saw them nominated for September Heroes of the Month.
GREG NORMAN’S PHOTO SHOOT
Has there ever been a more impressive 63 sporting great in the nude? Not likely.
WINNER: GREG NORMAN
2018 SPORTING YEAR – SCARIEST MOMENTS
COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEN’S MARATHON
Seeing the Scotsman leading the pack collapsing and looking dead with a few kilometres to go was awful to watch.
MACAU F3 CRASH
There hasn’t been a motor racing accident quite like it for some time. Luckily, as Sophia Floersch would probably have been dead in another era.
PNG v PM XIII PITCH INVASION
They say Port Moresby can be a dangerous place, and the pitch invasion during the PNG Kumuls clash with the Australian Prime Ministers XIII looked a scary moment at first. Eventually we found out it was because some thought the light pole was falling, and that they mostly just wanted to rub shoulders with the Australian greats. So all good then.
“WINNER” – That Macau GP crash was horrifying.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – BIGGEST RIP OFF
NO PNG HUNTERS TV GAMES IN 2018
Despite being the minor premiers, and one of rugby league’s most interesting teams, the QRL and Channel Nein couldn’t find a way to show any of their games.
CRICKET AUSTRALIA
For cancelling the northern tour of Bangladesh over costs to broadcast it, not long after signing a monstrous new deal to broadcast the sport around Australia.
NRL
Concerned more about selling stuff than running the game.
NRL MAGIC WEEKEND
The Magic Weekend works great in the UK as it is over 2 days and is like a carnival, with great match ups. The NRL’s effort, spread over four days, with a Titans-Sharks game to kick it off (that is not included in the three day pass) and having no real high quality head to heads is a poor rip off. But what else could you expect.
NRL NOT TELEVISING PNG v PM’S XIII
More NRL again (they did have a poor year) as they receive our ire for not broadcasting the match between the PNG Kumuls and the Prime Ministers XIII in Port Moresby. PNG were actually quite competitive, or so we could tell from the tilted live Twitter feed of Peter Beattie. The only way to watch the game.
OPTUS WORLD CUP
Truly disastrous attempt to broadcast a sporting tournament, a hopefully a warning to those who delegate coverage in the future that the broadcasters ability to actually show the sport should be tested. At least Optus paid people back for the App, and gave it to everyone for free whilst the World Cup was on.
WINNER: No TV Games for the most interesting side who were defending premiers was a rip off of the highest order. The PNG Hunters and rugby league fans in Queensland were ripped off mega in 2018.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – OVERACHIEVERS
As ever in sport, some people/teams overachieve and we have hand picked our favourites.
SOUTH SYDNEY
Anthony Seibold quickly turned them from lower half plodders to top four powerhouses in a half a season. They were untouchable at times in the middle of the season. Sadly they ween’t great in the finals series, and their preliminary final exit flattered a little. But a great turnaround from the previous years of dross.
CHARLES LECLERC
The 2017 Formula 2 Champion graduated to Formula 1 for 2018 and absolutely killed it in his Sauber. Whilst there was significant improvement in the previously back of the grid wheelbarrow, Leclerc had the car up way higher than it warranted many times, and thrashed his more experienced team mate. He will cause Vettel some problems at Ferrari next season.
PROMOTED SIDES TO EPL
The 2017/18 season saw all three promoted sides survive, and that ran mostly against previous history of promoted teams, and the way each of the three of Newcastle, Brighton and Huddersfield looked going into the season. Wolves are doing well this year too, as expected, and even Cardiff
EIBAR
Our favourite Spanish club continues to punch above its weight. The 3-0 home win to Real Madrid was sensational, and really should have been more.
WINNER: Charles Leclerc, and he was rewarded with a Ferrari contract.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – UNDERPERFORMER
Following on from the over achievers are those who delivered way less than promised, some from an already low base.
WALLABIES
Continue to stink it up on the world stage.
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
Had at minimum the equal best car and either drove poorly or drove into others for a large chunk of the season.
WILLIAMS F1
The former dominant force in F1 were just awful in 2018, and sad to see just how bad it has got.
BRISBANE BRONCOS
With a club who supposedly has on the best coaches of all time, the biggest crowds by a mile, and a city of 1M+ to themselves and all the potential third party agreements they continue to underperform. Their exit in the 2018 finals series to the Dragons at home epitomised that their bad days are very bad and way too frequent.
WINNER: Sebastian Vettel.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – BORE OF THE YEAR
Some things in sport become so tedious that we eventually get bored into angry tears. And here are some of the reasons for those.
FALLOUT OF BALL TAMPERING AFFAIR
All the rolling news coverage, tsk tsking of those who usually have f— all to do with cricket in their talking head role in news programs, the awful press conferences, and the constant updates about the banned players. Especially David Warner.
JOSE MOURINHO
His antics just became boring and sad, as he head for the inevitable play fallout then sack at Manchester United. Thankfully with him gone, football might et some more coverage.
SEASONED NRL JOURNALISTS
Always seem to get the maximum negativity out the sport they cover.
NRL CONTRACTS
The coaching merry go round was so tedious, and unnecessary. The players swapping clubs at the drop of a hat stinks too. As does players who can sign for another club 12 months in advance.
WAYNE BENNETT – ANTHONY SEIBOLD
In particular the childishness of the Wayne Bennett – Anthony Seibold eventual swap. Further to the coaching merry-go-round, Wayne Bennett seems to be getting more cranky with age, and it is no wonder the Broncos weren’t keen n extending him to 2020, nor eventually having him around for 2019.
EX CRICKETERS OPINIONS
They all seem to have one, and there are way too many outlets for them.
ABC GRANDSTAND CRICKET
We used to be big, big fans of the ABC’s cricket coverage, but it is not even delightfully dull these days, it is just plain boring. What used to be required listening on workday has now been replaced by Cricinfo updates.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – THE FAMILY KARMA AWARD
MAX VERSTAPPEN
After he was knocked out of the lead at the Brazilian Grand Prix. This was the same track just under 20 years previously where his father slammed Juan Montoya up the back and knocked him out of the race whilst leading. At least Max recovered to finish second.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – THE ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK AWARD FOR RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
TIM PAINE
Tim Paine ends up Australian captain In the fallout of the ball tampering in South Africa. A moderate record at best. The luckiest leader since the current Queensland Premier fell into the Prenier’s gig in 2015.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – MOST MEDIOCRE TEAM
IPSWICH TOWN
Won once again by the team which says mediocre more than anyone. At least they are trying to avoid that title for 2019 as their disastrous season unwinds towards the third division. But don’t say I told you so about getting rid of Mick McCarthy, because we don’t attend live game, we aren’t llowed an opinion.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – THE AFTER THE TENNIS AWARD FOR MOST OVERHYPED EVENT
FORMULA E
Championed as the future of Motorsport, it is another crack t a summer series featuring talent just below the surface of F1. Racing is no better than F1, and the fact they have to change an entire car at a pitstop ruins the flow.
2018 SPORTING YEAR – ACCOMPANYING CLIPS AND PICS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_WEYtbn-tM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIE83f-ZExw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_ptqbgnow0
