Farmboy Football Studs for Thanksgiving

Sunday Sport: Bikes, Spinners and NFL

The UCI Road World Championships, often referred to as the World Cycling Championships, is the annual world championship for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships include championships for elite men's road race and individual time trial, with other contests also held. 

This year's World Cycling Championships have been ongoing this week in Bergen, in far northern Norway, and conclude today with the elite men's road race.  A bit of controversy erupted when two of the three cyclists on the Under 23 men's race podium are already riding for professional teams.  The winner of the UCI Road World Championships road race is considered the World Cycling Champion (or World Road Cycling Champion) and earns the right to wear the Rainbow Jersey for a full year in road race or stage events.  The road race is contested by riders organized by national cycling teams as opposed to commercially sponsored or trade teams, which is the standard in professional cycling.  The rainbow jersey is normally integrated into the team jersey for races throughout the year.  Last year's world champion, in competitions held at Doha, Qatar,  was Slovakia's Peter Sagan.  He has reigned for the last two years, having won in Richmond, Virginia, USA the year before.  The two countries with far and beyond numbers regarding the most gold medals won at Cycling Worlds are Belgium, firmly in first place, and Italy, in second place.  All others pale by comparison.  Spaniard Alejandro Valverde has won six individual medals, but so far has never been world champion. 

In International Cricket, today features two interesting matches, both One Day Internationals (ODI).  Australia continues its tour of India today with a third ODI at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore, and although the Aussies have fallen prey to prime Indian spinners often throughout this tour, competition should remain close in today's match.  Two-down in the series, Australia are faced with a must-win situation to have a chance at the trophy.  India has been playing strong throughout the series, and is confident of a win.  The West Indies continue their tour of England today with their 3rd ODI at County Ground, Bristol.  West Indies, who are World Champions in the twenty twenty format (T20) have had some success in those games, but otherwise their tour has continued with mixed results.  India's National Cricket League teams are engaged in four test matches today, these four matches all conclude on Monday.  16 teams are currently engaged in pool play at four different venues in  the 2017 Africa T20 World Cup. 

In the USA, in NFL play this weekend, none of these pro football teams have a bye week this week. The Houston Texans  will play at the New England Patriots at Foxboro this weekend.  After their season ended at Gillette Stadium in the playoffs, the Texans look to prove that they are a completely different team with J.J. Watt back in the fold. Meanwhile, the Patriots could have a star of their own returning in tight end Rob Gronkowski, well known to readers of this space,  to face the Texans' vaunted defense.

Joe's Jocks

Marcel Kittel

Sunday Sport: Ruthless Rafa and the Texans

This afternoon don't miss the men's tennis finals, of the United States Open Tennis Championships.  This is a hard court tennis tournament, held annually since 1881.  In the early decades it was held in  variety of places, first at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island, at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, and at the Germantown Cricket Club, both in Pennsylvania, then at the West Side Tennis Club, at Forest Hills, Queens, New York, and then, since 1978, at the  acrylic hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.  The US Open is the last of the Grand Slam of Tennis held each year, and always provides plenty of excitement. 

Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who they have been calling "Ruthless Rafa," and  who has been flirting with the number one designation all season, will play this afternoon in the finals, against South African Kevin Anderson, the lowest seed (28) to compete for this Grand Slam championship in 34 years. This will be Kevin Anderson's first attempt at a Grand Slam final.  If you bet in favor of a Nadal win, you will have to pay 750 to gain 1...  Anderson, though, has played his way through the tournament and may acquit himself well in the final.  In any case, the winner will walk away with $3.7 million, second place garners $1.825 million.

In Australia:  The Rugby Championship, which was written about in this space yesterday, was a challenge for the Australians, but the Wallabies managed to hold the Springboks, clear favorites, to a draw 23-23 in their match at Perth.  The Wallabies had an unexpected lead, until South Africa pushed hard and managed to end the game with the draw.

In England, in international Cricket, the West Indies continue their Tour of England, and are amidst their third test against England, at Lord's Cricket Ground in London.  This third tests wraps up tomorrow, September 11th, and these are the final innings, and final Test, of the Summer.    The Lord's Cricket Ground styles itself "The Home of Cricket," and the current main field has been in operation for over 200 years, and is the home turf of the Middlesex County club.  England won yesterday' competition by 9 wickets, since James Anderson's career-best seven-wicket haul finished off West Indies' for 177.

Italy:  Serie A competition heats up in the third weekend of matches.  Currently, heading into the third weekend,  Juventus is at the top of the standings, followed by Inter, Napoli, and Milan.  Fiorentina is at the very bottom of the standings with Cagliari. Today's most interesting game in the Serie A is Lazio vs. Milan. 

In the USA:  National Football League.  The NFL returns this week, which means as we said yesterday that means the next five months will be packed with the sizzle and suspense that comes only with the National Football League.  The season will come to a smashing conclusion this year, as always, with the  Super Bowl LII, which will be played on Sunday, February 4, 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota.  So much is going on this week, I will leave you with only one game:  

The city of Houston is in the midst of a major rebuild after it was ravaged by Hurricane Harvey, but the Houston Texans are playing at home today,  and that is something to cheer. For a little over three hours, the residents of Houston can rally around something other than recovery efforts that will continue throughout the season. The Jacksonville Jaguars, who with Hurricane Irma are likewise concerned with their fate, travel to Houston.  Go both teams!  

Farmboy Football

Throwing the pigskin

Russell Wilson

Ryan Hughes

Taylor Kitsch

Tyler Maher